The Babysitters Club on Netflix is Pure Perfection
So I, like every other girl born in the mid-eighties, was OBSESSED with the Babysitters Club when I was a kid. As an avid reader, these books were literally my life. I stayed up late reading them under the covers. I saved up all my money. I asked for them for my birthday. I read them over and over until they fell apart. I could not get enough of these books. I wanted to be cool like Claudia and chic like Stacey but I was mostly shy and awkward like Mary Ann. Obviously I’ve aged out of reading the books, but I heard such good things about the new Netflix show I figured I should tune in to watch. And guys. It’s basically perfect. It’s 90’s nostalgic while being totally relevant in 2020. It’s soft and sweet while still hitting important topics. It’s one of the few things that has brought me joy in the past few days and I need it to go on forever. Here are just a few of the things I adore about this show:
The 90’s nostalgia. Kristy (Sophie Grace) is rocking the turtleneck/sweatshirt combo in just about every episode and I am here for it. Can we bring this back please? The girls use the iconic clear phone (which I totally had *hair toss*) in their meetings and it just makes me so happy. Alicia Silverstone plays Kristy’s mom. There are all these little nods to the 90’s throughout the series and they are handled so perfectly.
The friendships. Obviously that was a huge draw for me when reading the series as a kid, and it continues to be a key factor in the success of the show. Yes the girls fight, but their friendship takes top billing, and the way that they always love and support each other. Middle school and high school can be rough for girls when it comes to friends, but I love the way the show and the books kept the girls together, always there for one another.
The issues. BSC was always a diverse series. Honestly it was probably the only series I read as a kid that featured characters who were Black and Asian, but the Netflix series is really taking it to the next level. Most of the episodes seamlessly work in important issues, but what I love is how they don’t make a big deal of it. It’s just part of the story. In the first season, we heard about feminism, Japanese internment camps, periods, living with an illness, and so much more. Stacey (Shay Rudolph) was one of the first characters I read about with an illness like diabetes, and I love that the show continues to normalize living with and monitoring her condition. One episode that I loved was when Mary Ann (Malia Baker) is babysitting for a trans kid and she has to take her to the doctor. The doctor misgenders the kid and Mary Ann corrects the doctor. I freaking loved that so hard. In the last two episodes of the season, the girls go away to summer camp and both Claudia (Momona Tamada) and Dawn (Xochitl Gomez) stage a protest against the socio-economic inequality at the camp when some kids can’t participate in camp activities because they cost additional money. They’re not shying away from what are perceived to be “tough” topics for kids, and they’re handling them in a way that shows just how simple it can be to have a real discussion with kids of all ages.
It just makes me feel good. There’s a lot that goes into this one, but mostly for me, it’s the reminder of a series of books that had a huge impact on me when I was growing up. Reading has always shaped me as a person, and these books were the foundation, so to see these stories again, and to see them done so brilliantly, just makes my heart happy.
Whether you read the books or not (but especially if you read the books), I can’t recommend this show highly enough. If you need a little shot of happiness in your life right now (and who doesn’t), you can’t go wrong with the BSC.
