You can’t choose the family you’re born into. However, you can choose your real family.
That was the lesson Kristy learned in The Baby-Sitters Club Season 2 Episode 8.
When the Stoneybrook Baby Parade came to town for its 80th anniversary, it brought chaos for Kristy, her family, and her friends.
Liz was so excited that this year, past winners would be honored on a special float, and both Kristy and Watson were past winners.
Watson: We are in this together girl
Kristy: No, we are not.
Kristy tried to like her stepfather and she had accepted their new blended family, but she wasn’t thrilled about spending the day with him at a baby parade.
Things became more complicated when Liz announced that their dad was coming to visit for the baby parade and wanted to see all four Thomas kids. Kristy hadn’t seen her dad since she was six years old.
The kids were conflicted. Sam seemed angry and was worried their dad would use their mom. Kristy didn’t want to hurt their mom if they decided to see their dad.
Kristy: Do you want us to see him?
Liz: It’s totally up to you, individually or collectively, whatever you decide.
Kristy decides to give their dad the benefit of the doubt and see him when he comes to town. Charlie and David Michael do too. Kristy’s friends seem concerned about this decision, especially Mary Anne.
Kristy: He reached out so it must be important to him. Why not give him the benefit of the doubt, right?
Mary Anne: Are you sure you’re okay with this? With your dad?
Mary Anne and Kristy have known each other their entire lives so they know every time the other one has been hurt or disappointed.
Mary Anne reminds Kristy she needs to think of herself and her needs first,
Not long ago, Kristy told Mary Anne the same thing when she started dating Logan. These two best friends don’t hesitate to tell the truth or look out for each other.
Kristy didn’t the option of only thinking of herself. She and her younger brother David Michael had always been a team. He wanted to meet their dad, partly because he didn’t remember him.
The poor kid needed constant reassurance that their dad still loved them and hadn’t forgotten them. As Kristy saw a photo of her dressed up for the baby parade years ago, she wondered if her dad remembered that moment too. She longed to show him how she’d grown up.
Unfortunately, she never got that chance. Her dad canceled just like he always did, and this enranged both Watson and Mary Anne.
Do you think the kids don’t know how selfish their father is? What can you say about a guy that abandoned his family? Who disappears for years at a time, and suddenly announces he’s coming to visit and then stands up his own kids?
Watson
Mary Anne truly lost it this time. She was furious because her mom died when she was a toddler, and she was sure her mom would’ve loved a few more minutes with her and her dad. This made her so angry that Kristy’s dad never tried with some so wonderful as Kristy.
It was hard for Kristy to process all this. Watson added even more for her to think about by saying they should officially become a family and he wanted to adopt the Thomas kids.
Kristy spent so much trying to keep Watson at arm’s length. She slowly started to accept him for her mom’s sake.
However, it had always been her, her mom, and her brothers. She never thought about having a dad again. Until now.
She finally realized she’d had a dad that cared about her all along.
Having the BSC enter the baby parade in honor of Mimi and Mary Anne’s mom was such a sweet idea. Mary Anne and Claudia were probably adorable as toddlers in matching outlets.
It’s a nice throwback to how long they’ve been friends, and how close both of them were with Mimi. Mary Anne loves details about her mom too.
The problems began when the BSC began planning its float. No one really communicated. Claudia was building the old woman’s shoe out of chicken wire and paper mache.
Stacey bought orange paint for the shoe which clashed with the pink fabric for the baby’s costumes. That pink fabric was hideous.
Everyone wanted their idea to be correct and Mallory’s costumes were the worst. Jessi’s younger brother Squirt was crying because they weren’t comfortable.
No one wanted to make Mallory feel bad, since she tended to be ultra-sensitive, but the rest of the sitters dressed their charges in different outfits.
Claudia even dressed Lucy Newton in the outfit Mimi made her and Mary Anne when they were kids.
It made her feel close to her grandmother, and Mimi was their good luck charm since they won first place.
This is the outfit Mimi made. It still looks brand new.
Claudia
The BSC’s float didn’t have as much luck. It literally sunk the second the girls tried to put the car seats on it.
The girls were starting blaming each other until Kristy’s mom announced her dad wasn’t coming.
Suddenly, a stupid fight wasn’t important as they rallied around one of their own.
In many ways, the girls of the Baby-Sitters Club are like sisters. They can fight over stupid and petty things, but they will always have each other’s backs.
Potential Season 3 Predictions:
Stacey’s parents get divorced. There have been hints of them fighting and her dad being even more of a workaholic than usual.
Mary Anne hunts for more information on her mom. They’ve mentioned Mary Anne’s mom a lot in the last few episodes, and she soaks up the info like a sponge. Without Mimi around to give her info, will she hunt for info on her own?
Mallory-narrated episode. There is so much source material on that they could write about her feeling overworked as the oldest of 8 kids or trying to fit in.
Over to you, TV Fanatics. What did you think of Season 2 of The Baby-Sitters Club? What was your favorite episode? How do you think the characters have evolved since Season 1? Chime in below.
The Baby-Sitters Club is streaming now on Netflix.
Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.