Artistic Claudia Kishi (Momona Tamada), confident Kristy Thomas (Sophie Grace), shy Mary Anne Spier (Malia Baker), fashionable Stacey McGill (Shay Rudolph), and activist Dawn Schafer (Xochitl Gomez) make up Netflix's The Baby-Sitters Club. It's great to see a group of young girls who are starting a business and having fun along the way. From Halloween to a summer spent at a camp, from Kristy's mom's wedding to all the small moments along the way, the girls experience a lot of good and bad times.
It's true that the girls are best friends, but there are also a lot of scenes in the 10-episode first season that question whether their bonds are really that strong and whether they're actually treating each other the way that true pals would.
Real Friends: They're Always There For Each Other
In order for a friendship to be real, people have to always be there for each other. Thankfully, this is exactly how the babysitters are with each other.
The girls make sure to check in constantly on what's going on in each other's lives. When Dawn is having trouble with wild children, Kristy comes over and helps her out, making sure that everything ends up okay.
Not: Stacey Lies To Everyone
It's fair to argue that if Stacey was a real friend to the rest of the girls and if they were true friends to her, she wouldn't hide that she has diabetes at first.
Stacey also tells a lie that she'll be in New York and can't babysit when that's not true at all. Kristy realizes the truth when she sees her in a car driving past her. Why can't Stacey be honest right away?
Real Friends: They Don't Judge
The girls are good friends to one another because they don't judge. Kristy is upset about her mom's wedding and the girls accept that. Kristy gets her period and they assist her.
When Claudia and Dawn want to stand up for what they believe in at camp, everyone agrees that it's the best thing to do (even if there's a little bit of resistance since Mary Anne wants to stage her play).
Not: They Get Jealous If They Make New Friends
There's that saying about "make new friends but keep the old" and that is something that is tough for Kristy. While the show's portrayal of friendship is realistic, it's difficult to sympathize with how Kristy treats Dawn at first.
Since Kristy and Mary Anne are in a fight, Mary Anne sits with Dawn at lunch and they bond. Kristy is jealous that Mary Anne has made a new friend and she acts like this is so unfair. If the girls were real friends, they would be more welcoming of new people.
Real Friends: They Want To Experience New Things Together
When summer comes around, there's no better way to celebrate the season than going to camp with a group of friends.
Between going to Camp Moosehead to Stacey and Mary Anne going away with the Pike family, the girls always want to have new experiences together. They know that they're better together than alone, and they always want to spend time as a group.
Not: They Can Be Mean About Each Other's Families
The fathers on this TV show can be tricky as they are either not around or when they are around, they're way too strict. The girls can be mean about each other's family situations, and this is one reason why their friendship isn't exactly perfect.
When Kristy says that Mary Anne's dad needs to loosen the reins and stop with all of his rules, Mary Anne comes back with a mean statement about how Kristy's dad is gone. If they were real friends, they would tread a bit lighter about these topics.
Real Friends: They Celebrate Each Other's Differences
The coolest thing about the characters on Netflix's The Baby-Sitters Club? They celebrate each other's differences.
It would be easy for the girls to form a clique and act like they have to talk the same way and dress the same, too, but that's not what happens at all. They each have their own sense of style, from preppy Mary Anne to sporty Kristy to sophisticated Stacey and Dawn, who always looks cool. The girls never act like anyone should change.
Not: Kristy Isn't That Nice To Dawn At First
If the girls were truly real friends, it seems like Kristy would be nicer to Dawn than she is at first.
Kristy really puts Dawn through the ringer. She gives her dirty looks, doesn't say very nice things to her, and doesn't even want to let her into the club. She only says yes because she gives Dawn a test of handling the "Impossible Three." This just isn't cool behavior.
Real Friends: They Can Apologize And it When They're Wrong
Even though the characters do fight and have a lot of conflict throughout the first season, they can it when they're wrong. This is a really big deal as not everyone is able to do that.
They also apologize when they hurt each other's feelings or say the wrong thing, which is also very irable.
Not: They Get Caught Up In Their Own Problems
While the girls are sweet and smart, they can also each be pretty selfish. The fact that they each get caught up in their own problems.
The best example of this is when Mary Anne and Stacey go away with the Pikes and Stacey ignores her friend because she's desperate for an older boy's affections. Instead of spending time with Mary Anne like she promised, Stacey definitely acts like a jerk. Thankfully, they make up in the end, but it's still not great behavior.