Richard Bauckham (Jesus and the Eyewitnesses) observes that in Mark’s Gospel the male disciples are represented as oscillating between understanding and misunderstanding, and between loyalty and apostasy.

‘In both cases,’ writes Bauckham, ‘the disciples oscillate between the possibilities, but the negative pole in each case (misunderstanding and apostasy) tends to predominate, resulting in the overall portrayal of them as fallible and failing disciples, whose inability to understand the necessity for Jesus’ suffering and death is connected with their failure to remain faithful to him when his passion begins.’

In the case of the women disciples, however, it is different.  Even though there is no indication that they understand Jesus’ messianic mission any better than the men, they remain loyal to him even when all the male disciples have deserted him.