Netflix has a new original series: The Baby-sitters Club! The second season and final covers eight books: Kristy and the Snobs, Claudia and the New Girl, Stacey's Emergency, Jessi and the Superbrat, Mary Anne and the Great Romance, Dawn and the Wicked Stepsister (notice the title change?), Claudia and the Sad Goodbye, and Kristy and the Baby Parade. Due to being cast in Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Dawn's original actress Xochitl Gomez didn't return for the second season. She's replaced by Kyndra Sanchez, who returns from California feeling "like a new person" (subtle!).
Unlike the original book, the only snobs are Amanda Delaney and her mom. The Kilbourne family isn't in it, and Louie dies offscreen. That was such a HUGE part of the plot in the book that I'm shocked it's glossed over--I count this as a bad change. Here are some other things I noticed:
What stood out as surprisingly (not necessarily good or bad) different to me:
Kristy meets the Delany family when Amanda delivers an invitation for tea, which a thinly-veiled excuse for Amanda and her mother to scope out the new neighbors, and to judge them. Mrs. Delaney flat-out states with palpable disdain, "I'm not sure how you met Watson."
The Delany family is limited to Amanda and her mom, who are both very socially awkward and shallow, and connect far better with animals than people. They host pet adoption events every few months, and in the series, this is how David Michael gets Shannon the dog--named her after Mrs. Shannon Delany. Shannon Kilbourne isn't in here.
What I was happy stayed the same:
Mallory is appropriately awkward.
Other interesting touches:
Mary Anne keeps the club schedule on an electronic tablet.
Dawn does a tarot reading for Mary Anne in an attempt to discern whether her relationship with Logan will be moving forward. Mary Anne's dad hilariously deadpans that they should finish their homework before they summon the devil.
Logan's mom, offscreen, as Logan obliviously answers the questions Dawn asks when calling from a blocked number and posing as a US Census Bureau worker: "Logan! Are you giving out personal information again?!"
Season 2 Cast
Kristy Thomas: Sophie Grace
Claudia Kishi: Momona Tamada
Stacey McGill: Shay Rudolph
Mary Anne Spier: Malia Baker
Dawn Schafer: Kyndra Sanchez
Mallory Pike: Vivian Watson
Jessi Ramsey: Anais Lee
Logan Bruno: Rian McCririck
Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer: Alicia Silverstone
Charlie Thomas: Ethan Farrell
Sam Thomas: Dylan Kingwell
David Michael Thomas: Benjamin Goas
Watson Brewer: Mark Feuerstein
Karen Brewer: Sophia Reid-Gantzert
Andrew Bremer: Troy Ames (new actor)
Mimi Yamamoto: Takayo Fischer
Kimiko Kishi: Diana Bang
John Kishi: Kevan Ohtshi
Janine Kishi: Aya Furukawa
Maureen McGill: Shauna Johanssen
Richard Spier: Marc Evan Jackson
Sharon Porter: Jessica Elaina Eason
Byron Pike: Brock Brown
Vanessa Pike: Daphne Hoskins
Claire Pike: Sara Halliburton
Janice Ramsey: Brandee Steger
John Ramsey: Doron Bell
Becca Ramsey: Isabel Birch
Kim Newton: Christina Sicoli
Mrs. Papadakis: Flora Karas
Linny Papadakis: Bear Blu Silverstone
Hannie Papadakis: Alethia Berry
Jacob: Romy Sanchez (played "Camper #2" in first season)
Derek Masters: Luke Roessler
Chaz Masters: Noah Bean
Mrs. Delaney: Jaycie Dotin
Amanda Delaney: Lia Frankland
Oliver: Kaiel Barreiro
Miranda Rose: Helen Mihlar
Small child #1: Naomi Rose MacFadden
Small child #2: Reyhan Jobanputra
Clementine: Inca Scott
Dancer: Ava Burgham
Dancer: Ariel Price
Fellow Dancer: Ema Mlinar
Ms. Katimiski: Kimmi Gatewood
Hostess: Faith Wright
Restaurant waiter: Michael Sousa
Loud Kid: Eric Halliburton
JDRF President: Natalie Skye
Dreamy Boy: Alexander Dutkiewicz
