Will Good Omens 2 pass those tests?
Recently, Neil Gaiman was asked if Good Omens 2 would pass those various tests (here and here). He confirmed that it would pass the Bechdel test and gave us a “wait and see” for the other two. Series 1 already passed those tests so there is no reason to think that Series 2 will not.
For those who do not what the aforementioned tests are, here are a few definitions.
The Bechdel test is “a way of judging whether a film, book, etc. shows women as equal to men, by asking whether it includes a scene in which two women discuss something other than a man” (Cambridge Dictionary).
According to the definition, “to pass the Vito Russo Test, the following must be true:
- The film contains a character that is identifiably lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender.
- That character must not be solely or predominantly defined by their sexual orientation or gender identity. I.E. they are made up of the same sort of unique character traits commonly used to differentiate straight characters from one another.
- The LGBTQ character must be tied into the plot in such a way that their removal would have a significant effect. Meaning they are not there to simply provide colorful commentary, paint urban authenticity, or (perhaps most commonly) set up a punchline. The character should “matter.””
As for the DuVernay test, it requires “”African Americans and other minorities [to] have fully realised lives rather than serve as scenery in white stories”.”
Neil had already addressed the question of representation back in 2019 in a reply to a tweet.
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