In the eighth episode of Grace and Frankie, Grace is ready to have sex with Guy, but is unsure how to be intimate with another man that isn’t Robert. Luckily for Grace, Frankie makes an organic yam lube made from yams that she gets from her yam man, Jacob. Grace has mediocre sex with Guy, but decides that she won’t give up quite yet. Frankie is very critical of this, but stands back when Grace points out to her that Jacob has been flirting with her. Frankie asks Jacob about it and comes to the conclusion that Grace was right and Jacob is indeed flirting with her.

 

Grace and Frankie “The Sex” barely, but does pass the Bechdel Test by including…

  1. Two women named Grace and Frankie
  2. The episode includes conversations where the women talk to one another
  3. They have one conversation about their individual plans for the night, but otherwise there conversations are almost always centered around men.

 

Grace Skolka (Hanson)

Masculine Traits:

  • Self-reliant
    • Grace gets very frustrated with Frankie when Frankie tries to have a say in Grace’s sex life. Grace claims she is self-sufficient and doesn’t need Frankie’s advice.
  • Assertive
    • Instead of taking her time and letting the moment build up, while in a conversation with Guy, Grace interrupts him and asks if he wants to have sex.
  • Forceful
    • Grace is very adamant that Frankie needs to stay out of the house so Guy can come over.
  • Self-sufficient
    • Grace tries to act like she is ready to have sex, but she is actually very nervous and doesn’t know how to act.
  • Susceptible to flattery
    • Grace is very flattered by how Guy treats her and the things he says to her. She is very smitten whenever she is around him.

Feminine Traits:

  • Cheerful
    • When Grace meets Jacob she is very cheerful around him. She greets him with a smile and pretends to be interested in his yams.
  • Shy
    • Grace is very self conscious and shy about her naked body. So much so that she doesn’t want Guy to see her so she shuts the lights off before he comes into the bedroom.
  • Eager to soothe hurt feelings
    • When Frankie doesn’t know how to act around Jacob, Grace tries to help her and walk her through what Grace thinks she should do.
  • Warm
    • When Grace points out to Frankie that Jacob is flirting with her, she is not harsh or aggressive at all, she is very warm.
  • Gentle
    • Grace is very gentle with Guy the next day after having sex. She does so even though she did not enjoy the sex at all.
  • Sensitive
    • Grace is very sensitive while talking to Frankie about her personal relationships and sex life.

Frankie Bergestein

Masculine Traits:

  • Assertive
    • Frankie is very assertive when it comes to learning about Grace’s relationship status. She asks a lot of questions about Grace and Guy.
  • Forceful
    • Frankie is cutting fruit early in the episode when Grace puts her foot on the counter. Frankie yells at her and tells her to get her foot away from her fruit!
  • Dominant
    • When Frankie is giving Grace advice on how to make sex better for her, Frankie begins to talk about the clitoris. When Grace starts to get uncomfortable, Frankie exclaims, “Say the word or I’ll show you mine”.
  • Individualistic
    • Frankie’s possession of yam lube sets her apart from others, making her very individualistic.
  • Susceptible to flattery
    • Frankie is very flattered by how Jacob treats her and the things he says to her.

Feminine Traits:

  • Cheerful
    • Frankie is very cheerful whenever she is around Jacob, she seems bubbly and very upbeat.
  • Sympathetic
    • Frankie is trying to help Grace with her personal life and asks her to break down your feelings for me.
  • Eager to soothe hurt feelings
    • Frankie is very eager to help Grace when Grace tells her that the sex was mediocre.
  • Childlike
    • In the beginning of the episode, Frankie is joking around with Bud in a childlike manner.

 

In this episode, I would conclude that Grace is feminine and Frankie is more masculine. Grace is mostly concerned with her date in this episode and portrays that in many different ways: she is nervous, conscious about how she looks and is actually be gentle to other characters. Frankie, on the other hand, is trying to be involved in Grace’s life but keeps getting rejected. In trying to help Grace she comes off pretty aggressive, which is a definite trait of masculinity.

Shared by: Reegan Haines
Image Credit: Grace and Frankie Season 1, Episode 8 (approximately 6:30)