Does this episode pass the Bechdel Test? Nope. Why not? This episode is all about Walter and Jesse trying to cover their butts because one of their drug partners got arrested, and they have to try and get help from a sketchy lawyer, Saul Goodman. Meanwhile, Hank witnesses a federale be killed right in front of him, along with a few other victims, one in which they lost a leg. Hank won’t talk to his wife Marie, so she calls her sister Skyler for support, but Skyler had just left to go to work when she called and wasn’t home. Instead, Walt answers the phone and heads to Hank and Marie’s house to try and help her get through to Hank since he isn’t really talking. This episode does not pass the Bechdel Test because the two main female characters are not together at all, and any conversation they would have had, had Skyler been home when Marie asked her for help, would have involved a male character, which doesn’t pass the test. However, Skyler portrays feminine characteristics when she goes to work on a Saturday in a nice dress and her hair curled, and also when she expresses concern over her son Walter Jr. drying her sneakers in her dryer because she doesn’t want them banging around in her dryer. She is very specific and kind about it, telling her husband to remind their lazy boy nicely to air-dry his sneakers instead. Lastly, she also gently kisses her husband goodbye before work, caressing his face, an attribute of feminine touch. Although this episode of Breaking Bad doesn’t pass the Bechdel Test, both of these examples represented female characteristics in Skyler’s personality.
Shared by: Claire Hafeman
Image Credit: https://www.netflix.com/watch/70143836?trackId=13752289&tctx=-97-97