In this episode of Grace and Frankie, Grace comes home from a date to Frankie who bought a new computer to get in touch with the world. Grace tries to help her, but gets frustrated and has a date to get ready for. Grace is supposed to be meeting a rich, well-respected yacht owner, but instead she runs into Robert’s friend from college, Guy. Grace and Guy feel a connection and she skips out on her date. Meanwhile, Frankie is navigating the storm that is her and Sol’s annual viewing of the spelling bee. She is conflicted because she doesn’t think they should watch it together but she has no one else to watch it with. The episode ends with Grace and Guy coming back from a date.
Grace and Frankie “The Spelling Bee” passes the Bechdel Test by including…
- Two women named Grace and Frankie
- The episode includes them in conversation with one another
- They have a conversation in the episode about the computer that Frankie bought: why she got it, how to use it and everything in between.
Grace Skolka Hanson
Masculine Traits:
- Assertive
- There were rumors going around that Guy ate a human being. While at dinner with him, Grace interrupted him and bluntly asked if he ate someone.
- Willing to take risks
- When Guy drops Grace at home after their casual “date”. Grace goes out on a limb and kisses him.
- Self-sufficient
- Was proving to Frankie that she was self-sufficient enough to be able to turn the computer on. Frankie was very confused/baffled by it.
- Aggressive
- Grace was trying to help Frankie with her computer, but then she got frustrated and exclaimed, “Call this number!”.
- Competitive
- Grace and Frankie started giving reasons as to why they should each go out or stay in. It turned into a competition that neither of them ended up winning.
Feminine Traits:
- Cheerful
- When Grace ran into Guy she was really excited to chat with him after not seeing him for a while.
- After spending time with Guy, she came in the house and couldn’t wipe the smile off of her face.
- Shy
- When the yacht owner date walked into the restaurant, Grace was ashamed by him and became very shy. She didn’t want to be seen by him, so she ran away.
- Compassionate
- Grace is very compassionate towards Frankie who doesn’t know how to work her computer.
- Warm
- Surprisingly, Grace is very warm towards Guy. This is not one of Grace’s characteristics that is often shown.
- Childlike
- She had ice cream and acted like she had never tasted it before. She got very giddy and exclaimed “I forgot how amazing it is!”.
- Gentle
- Grace is very gentle towards Guy and is showing genuine interest in getting to know the man he is now.
Frankie Bergestein
Masculine Traits:
- Independent
- Frankie bought her own computer so she could be a part of the conversation online.
- Assertive
- Grace is reading one of Guy’s books and Frankie spoils it for her. Grace was upset, but Frankie was unapologetic.
- Analytical
- Frankie is very analytical when it comes to the spelling bee. She tries to spell the words and knows when one of the children in the spelling bee messed up.
- Willing to take a stand
- Even though both her and Sol want to watch the spelling bee, Frankie is adamant that they can not watch it together.
- Individualistic
- Whereas most people don’t like to drink alone, Frankie drinks margaritas and tries to enjoy the night all alone.
- Competitive
- Grace and Frankie started giving reasons as to why they should each go out or stay in. It turned into a competition that neither of them ended up winning.
Feminine Traits:
- Cheerful
- Frankie is very happy when Grace tells her about Guy and that she may be pursuing him.
- Loyal
- Even though Frankie and Sol are no longer together, Frankie is still very loyal to watching the spelling bee.
- Soft-spoken
- After Grace gives up on Frankie and her computer, Frankie gets on the phone with Mike who is very comforting towards her. Frankie is very soft-spoken even though she was pretty aggressive about the whole situation before talking to Mike.
- Childlike
- In the episode, Frankie gets very excited about watching the spelling bee. I thought she resembled a kid walking into a candy store.
- Does not use harsh language
- When Frankie is on the phone she actually apologizes for swearing.
Overall, I think both Frankie and Grace are fairly androgynous in this episode. They both are experiencing very different things in the episode: Grace is going on a date and Frankie is yet again experiencing life without Sol. They both try to feel for each other and that is where the androgyny becomes apparent. Grace is very feminine about what is going on in her life, but it seems that she is more masculine towards what Frankie has going on and vice versa.
Shared by: Reegan Haines
Image Credit: Grace and Frankie Season 1, Episode 7 (approximately 6:20)