Bechdel test - ST:TNG (4x07 - 4x10)
I should be working on my Multiverse fic. I have three different versions of the same thing, and I hate them all. All of them, I tell you. They feel limp and unconvincing.
In the meantime:
4x07 Reunion
Where K'Ehleyr turns up with Alexander, is awesome, then gets bumped off for Drama (tm) purposes. Also, having said that the Klingons are generally played by POC, in early TNG, at least, it turns out that they're... not. Much use of IMDB ensued to make sure that a pass was not falsely given!
Speaking parts:
1. Picard
2. Riker
3. Data
4. Worf
5. Wesley
6. K'Ehleyr, white female
7. Transporter Technician Hubbell, black female (I thought she was unnamed, but not so according to imdb. She is recurring, as I thought, and even appeared in DSN.)
8. Troi
9. K'mpec, white male
10. Alexander, white male
11. Duras, white male
12. Gowron, white male
13. Geordi
14. Dr Crusher
15. Duras's aide, black male.
Srsly, Next Gen, WTF? I'm still sticking to my original assertion, simply because late TNG and all of DSN go with POC for the Klingons, but I am shaking my head in disappointment here.
So:
- number of speaking parts: 15
- number of women speaking: 4 (26.7%%)
- number of characters of colour speaking: 4 (26.7%). This is disappointing, as it could have been so much higher.
- number of women of colour speaking: 1 (6.7%)
- Bechdel pass? Yes, on all three counts. Troi and K'Ehleyr on why the Klingons didn't go to war before, but now are. It's just a passing exchange in the middle of a briefing, though, so I'm calling that a MARGINAL PASS.
- race-Bechdel pass? Yes, all three counts. Worf and the transporter chief re: transporting 2. There could have been much more, however!Worf has conversations with Alexander and Duras, and Duras also converses with Gowron. Alas, it turns out that all except Worf are played by white men.
*
4x08 Future Imperfect
Where Riker has an awesome romp and doesn't enjoy it much. Plus, there's Andreas Katsulas.
Speaking parts:
1. Picard
2. Geordi
3. Troi
4. Dr Crusher
5. Riker
6. Data
7. unnamed male white crewman
8. Worf
9. Transporter Technician Hubbell, black female
10. Nurse Ogawa
11. Riker's 'son'
12. male white transporter chief
13. Ambassador Tomalak
14. black female crew-woman
So:
- number of speaking parts: 14
- number of women speaking: 5 (35.7%)
- number of characters of colour speaking: 5 (35.7%)
- number of women of colour speaking: 3 (21.4%) !!
- Bechdel pass? Yes, on all three counts. Dr Crusher gives a medical order and Nurse Ogawa acknowledges. I'll allow this as a genuine pass because it was directed at Nurse Ogawa specifically.
- race-Bechdel pass? No, there are more than two POC speaking parts but they do not speak to each other.
*
4x09 Final Mission
Where we find out that Wesley has the worst motives for pursuing a Starfleet career.
Speaking parts:
1. Picard
2. Wesley
3. Worf
4. Sungee, female alien chairwoman.
5. Data
6. Riker
7. Geordi
8. Captain Durgo, white male
9. Ensign Allenby, white female
10. Dr Crusher
11. Troi
So:
- number of speaking parts: 11
- number of women speaking: 4 (36.4%)
- number of characters of colour speaking: 2 (18.2%)
- number of women of colour speaking: 0 (0%)
- Bechdel pass? Yes, on all three counts. Dr Crusher and Troi discuss the missing shuttlecraft and Wesley. Troi tries to make Beverley feel better.
- race-Bechdel pass? No, there are two POC speaking parts but they do not speak to each other.
*
4x10 The Loss
The one where Troi loses her empathy and acts her socks off instead.
Speaking parts:
1. female white ensign
2. Troi
3. Picard
4. Riker
5. Worf
6. Ensign Allenby, white female
7. Data
8. Geordi
9. Dr Crusher
10. Guinan
So:
- number of speaking parts: 10
- number of women speaking: 5 (50%) !!
- number of characters of colour speaking: 2 (20%)
- number of women of colour speaking: 1 (10%)
- Bechdel pass? Yes, on all three counts. Troi and a grieving widow (a patient) discuss her husband and her grief. Troi and Dr Crusher: describing symptoms and later Dr Crusher checks on her and they discuss the loss. Guinan and Troi discuss the counsellor's job.
- race-Bechdel pass? No, there are two POC speaking parts but they do not speak to each other.
In the meantime:
4x07 Reunion
Where K'Ehleyr turns up with Alexander, is awesome, then gets bumped off for Drama (tm) purposes. Also, having said that the Klingons are generally played by POC, in early TNG, at least, it turns out that they're... not. Much use of IMDB ensued to make sure that a pass was not falsely given!
Speaking parts:
1. Picard
2. Riker
3. Data
4. Worf
5. Wesley
6. K'Ehleyr, white female
7. Transporter Technician Hubbell, black female (I thought she was unnamed, but not so according to imdb. She is recurring, as I thought, and even appeared in DSN.)
8. Troi
9. K'mpec, white male
10. Alexander, white male
11. Duras, white male
12. Gowron, white male
13. Geordi
14. Dr Crusher
15. Duras's aide, black male.
Srsly, Next Gen, WTF? I'm still sticking to my original assertion, simply because late TNG and all of DSN go with POC for the Klingons, but I am shaking my head in disappointment here.
So:
- number of speaking parts: 15
- number of women speaking: 4 (26.7%%)
- number of characters of colour speaking: 4 (26.7%). This is disappointing, as it could have been so much higher.
- number of women of colour speaking: 1 (6.7%)
- Bechdel pass? Yes, on all three counts. Troi and K'Ehleyr on why the Klingons didn't go to war before, but now are. It's just a passing exchange in the middle of a briefing, though, so I'm calling that a MARGINAL PASS.
- race-Bechdel pass? Yes, all three counts. Worf and the transporter chief re: transporting 2. There could have been much more, however!Worf has conversations with Alexander and Duras, and Duras also converses with Gowron. Alas, it turns out that all except Worf are played by white men.
*
4x08 Future Imperfect
Where Riker has an awesome romp and doesn't enjoy it much. Plus, there's Andreas Katsulas.
Speaking parts:
1. Picard
2. Geordi
3. Troi
4. Dr Crusher
5. Riker
6. Data
7. unnamed male white crewman
8. Worf
9. Transporter Technician Hubbell, black female
10. Nurse Ogawa
11. Riker's 'son'
12. male white transporter chief
13. Ambassador Tomalak
14. black female crew-woman
So:
- number of speaking parts: 14
- number of women speaking: 5 (35.7%)
- number of characters of colour speaking: 5 (35.7%)
- number of women of colour speaking: 3 (21.4%) !!
- Bechdel pass? Yes, on all three counts. Dr Crusher gives a medical order and Nurse Ogawa acknowledges. I'll allow this as a genuine pass because it was directed at Nurse Ogawa specifically.
- race-Bechdel pass? No, there are more than two POC speaking parts but they do not speak to each other.
*
4x09 Final Mission
Where we find out that Wesley has the worst motives for pursuing a Starfleet career.
Speaking parts:
1. Picard
2. Wesley
3. Worf
4. Sungee, female alien chairwoman.
5. Data
6. Riker
7. Geordi
8. Captain Durgo, white male
9. Ensign Allenby, white female
10. Dr Crusher
11. Troi
So:
- number of speaking parts: 11
- number of women speaking: 4 (36.4%)
- number of characters of colour speaking: 2 (18.2%)
- number of women of colour speaking: 0 (0%)
- Bechdel pass? Yes, on all three counts. Dr Crusher and Troi discuss the missing shuttlecraft and Wesley. Troi tries to make Beverley feel better.
- race-Bechdel pass? No, there are two POC speaking parts but they do not speak to each other.
*
4x10 The Loss
The one where Troi loses her empathy and acts her socks off instead.
Speaking parts:
1. female white ensign
2. Troi
3. Picard
4. Riker
5. Worf
6. Ensign Allenby, white female
7. Data
8. Geordi
9. Dr Crusher
10. Guinan
So:
- number of speaking parts: 10
- number of women speaking: 5 (50%) !!
- number of characters of colour speaking: 2 (20%)
- number of women of colour speaking: 1 (10%)
- Bechdel pass? Yes, on all three counts. Troi and a grieving widow (a patient) discuss her husband and her grief. Troi and Dr Crusher: describing symptoms and later Dr Crusher checks on her and they discuss the loss. Guinan and Troi discuss the counsellor's job.
- race-Bechdel pass? No, there are two POC speaking parts but they do not speak to each other.