In the fourth episode of Grace and Frankie, Grace and Frankie are forcing themselves to go to the funeral of the man who gave both Robert and Sol their jobs at the law firm. Because of this relationship, the men will be at the funeral which makes both the women uneasy. Once they get there, Grace finds Robert’s sister, Lydia, who she chats with most of the day, leaving Frankie alone. Both Frankie and Grace end up having awkward encounters with their husbands. The women try to be strong, while the men realize that they miss having Grace and Frankie in their lives.
Grace and Frankie “The Funeral” passes the Bechdel Test by including…
- Two women named Grace and Frankie
- The episode includes conversations where the women talk to one another.
- They have conversations throughout the episode about things other than men. One conversation in episode four that shows this is when they talk about going to the funeral and what they are wearing to this event.
Grace Skolka (Hanson)
Masculine Traits:
- Independent
- Both Grace and Frankie exemplify independence by going to the funeral on their own, even though they know they are going to be humiliated because it will be Robert and Sol’s first time out in public.
- Forceful
- There were two instances in the episode where Grace was very forceful with Frankie. One being before the funeral, both women were very hesitant on going, but Grace snapped at Frankie and said “if you don’t want to go, don’t go!”. Additionally, when Grace tried to take a stand by taking her wedding band off, she encouraged Frankie to do the same. Frankie couldn’t get it off, so she put her hand in her mouth and Grace yelled at her to get her hand out of her mouth.
- Dominant
- Grace ran into Robert at the funeral and Robert tried to have a conversation with her. Instead of being cordial and respectful, Grace dominated the conversation and walked away when she said what she had to say.
- Willing to take a stand
- As previously mentioned, Grace took a stand by not going to the funeral with her wedding ring on. That being said, she took it off before leaving the house and pushed Frankie to do the same.
Feminine Traits:
- Cheerful
- Grace was very upbeat and cheerful towards Lydia, Robert’s sister, who she ran into at the funeral.
- Shy
- Both women were very nervous about going to the funeral because they knew they would see Sol and Robert. Once they got there they were sneaking around and hiding behind walls just to try to avoid them.
- Affectionate
- Grace was very affectionate and loving towards Lydia and others at the funeral.
- Feminine
- Grace was very worried about her appearance and tried to wear a tight dress so that it would accentuate different features of her body. Frankie laughed at her for it, but Grace still wanted to make sure that other people would have a reason to look at her.
- Understanding
- When Grace was talking to Lydia, Lydia apologized for not calling Grace with all that she is going through. Grace was understanding and responded by saying that she wouldn’t have called her either.
- Soft-spoken
- Both Grace and Frankie are very soft-spoken at the funeral. They did so, in order to not draw attention to themselves.
- Sensitive
- Grace got very emotional when Lydia made it obvious that Grace wasn’t a part of the family anymore. Not only was she not a part of the family, Lydia seemed as if she was trying to exclude Grace from her life. Grace is clearly hurt when she makes a comment about losing her best friend.
Frankie Bergestein
Masculine Traits:
- Independent
- Both Grace and Frankie exemplify independence by going to the funeral on their own, even though they know they are going to be humiliated because it will be Robert and Sol’s first time out in public.
- Forceful
- Frankie was forceful with Grace when, at the funeral, Grace was trying to be more put together than she realistically is. Frankie snapped at Grace and yelled “Why don’t you take those damned high heels off?”
- Self-sufficient
- When Frankie fan into Sol and the funeral she told him about all she was doing without him. She was able to convince them that she’s doing fine on her own.
Feminine Traits:
- Shy
- Both women were very nervous about going to the funeral because they knew they would see Sol and Robert. Once they got there they were sneaking around and hiding behind walls just to try to avoid them.
- Sensitive to others’ needs
- After Frankie didn’t get the art teaching position, she started teaching art to ex-convicts. By doing so, she is showing them that she trusts them and she is willing to give them a chance. She treats them with kindness and compliments their work, even though she wouldn’t need to.
- Compassionate
- While at the funeral, Frankie talks to Sally, who’s husband was the one who died. She showed compassionate and was very sympathetic towards Sally.
- Soft-spoken
- Both Grace and Frankie are very soft-spoken at the funeral. They did so, in order to not draw attention to themselves.
- Gentle
- Frankie accidentally gets in the car with Sol, but shortly later realizes that it was a mistake and the car was actually meant for Robert. Frankie removes herself and is very gentle and kind to Robert and Sol instead of getting angry and causing a scene.
- Sensitive
- While leaving the funeral home, Frankie overheard Grace say to Robert that she was “stuck with Frankie”. Frankie heard this and she is clearly hurt by it.
Overall, in this episode, Grace and Frankie were both more feminine than masculine. I think this is due to the fact that this was the first time that Robert and Sol came out in public together. This left the women feeling very vulnerable and emotional. Throughout the episode, Grace and Frankie realized all they were losing and the aspects of their lives they would have to piece back together now that Sol and Robert were together.
Shared by: Reegan Haines
Image Credit: Grace and Frankie Season 1, Episode 4 (approximately 7:00)