It’s amazing to see how Netflix transformed a classic book series into a modern TV series catered to Gen Z that’s still appealing to the millennial crowd who grew up with Ann M. Martin’s books. Watching The Baby-Sitters Club series is way better than how I experienced the movie on VHS in the 90’s. The movie was about them organizing a camp and I disliked the last two episodes set at camp.
Everything about The Baby-Sitters Club has improved, especially their style. For example, when Claudia puts on a preppy outfit to get ready for a quiz, she describes her look as “Ruth Bader Ginsburg chic”. Within a few episodes, I also spotted Claudia in red pants!
Each character has their own style evolution. Between Mary-Anne’s hair and bedroom decor, as well as Stacey’s bedazzled insulin pump, these girls have a lot of fun with fashion. The only flaw I noticed is that their suitcases at overnight camp are barely big enough for an overnight stay. E! interviewed costume designer Cynthia Summers to find out how she approaches the girls and where she shops.
You need to see how Stacey speaks so intelligently about how they could use targeted Facebook ads to build awareness for their new business. She sounds so mature for a middle schooler. She says something similar at camp when she later runs into an old friend. “Maybe our moms get the same Facebook ads.” It’s also cool how Claudia designs a digital version of their logo. These little details kept me hooked.
There are romantic storylines for both the kids and parents. When Claudia’s crush tells her, “nice glasses, by the way,” well, I can confirm that’s the nicest thing a guy can say to a girl who only wears glasses occasionally.
25 years after Clueless, Alicia Silverstone is super charming while playing Kristy’s mom. Weddings are always huge milestones and her wedding marked my favourite episode. It was also a huge personal milestone for Kristy. I won’t spoil it! In case the series didn’t have enough feel-good moments, it was perfect when they played Boom Clap by Charli XCX at the end.
While everyone has been talking about diversity, I wondered why I haven’t heard many stories about Asian Americans. When Claudia’s older sister Jeanine shares their grandmother’s memories of the internment camps, it is a moving and important scene. What’s more, there’s a short Netflix documentary called The Claudia Kishi Club, which dives into why her character is so influential, as Asian American girls have been underrepresented in the media.
The nostalgia factor in the series is at an all-time high, more so than in the Will & Grace revival that wrapped a few months ago. Growing up, I used to spend hours tracking down novels from The Baby-Sitters Club at used bookstores to build my collection. Now it’s so easy to binge watch the girls’ latest adventures!