FOX Statistics, 2016-2017 TV Season

In 2016-2017 there were 15 lesbian and bisexual characters on FOX. With TV struggling after a very deadly year in 2015-2016, the number of characters is still down from 17 last season.

The number of new characters introduced is the lowest since 2013-2014, while the number of character exits (cancellations, characters written off and deaths) more than triples it, leaving only 5 alive and expected to return next season.

>>> Warning: Spoilers for the Gotham finale below <<<

Quality vs Quantity

With 15 total characters, in terms of quantity alone, FOX would still rate high among broadcast networks. However, only 4 of them: Pippy and TMI, Barbara and Tabitha (who fall into another trope, that of the evil bisexual) ever had an explicit, on-screen female love interest for more than 3 episodes.

While ideally, relationship status shouldn’t be one of the key factors in determining the quality of representation, TV consistently fails to show the full spectrum of experience for lesbian or bisexual women. As a comparison, the Bury Your Gays trope is a problem not because lesbian or bisexual characters should never be killed off, but rather because they are disproportionately killed off. Similarly, the types of relationships (if any) which are allowed on screen remain largely disproportionate:

FOX characters 1990-present

The chart for bisexual characters does not include characters whose sexualities have not been clarified, or who are presumed straight, such as Rhonda Lyon, on Empire, who was never confirmed bisexual and only referenced sleeping with women in season 1, or Julia, on The Exorcist, who only existed long enough to be killed off.

It’s also worth noting that M/F relationships will only be counted once, for the female character – in F/F relationships, both characters belong on the list and are counted – totaling 5 on-screen relationships since 1990.

Between series regulars, there have only ever been 3 F/F relationships on FOX since 1990: Santana and Brittany on Glee, Barbara (presumed dead) and Tabitha on Gotham, and Pippy and TMI on Rosewood (cancelled). At the end of this season, 0 remain.

In 2016-2017

In 2016-2017 the two on screen relationships had little or no on-screen development.

On Rosewood, Pippy and TMI spent season 2 slowly getting back together, before finally getting married in the season finale. Several of those developments happened off-screen (including their marriage), via quick mentions to other characters, or brief scenes. With the exception of a few episodes in which they were involved in the case of the week beyond exposition roles, they routinely failed to pass the Vito Russo test (“the LGBTQ character must be tied into the plot in such a way that their removal would have a significant effect”).

On Gotham, Barbara and Tabitha’s arc taking charge of the Gotham underworld ended, predictably, with another betrayal and Barbara’s possible death.