[girl] It all started one Friday afternoon at the very beginning of seventh grade.
I was walking home from school with my best friend Mary Anne Spier.
I was doing most of the talking, as usual.
This is why you need to listen to me.
[girl] And Mary Anne was patiently listening, also as usual.
It was boiling in there,
like, surface of Venus hot,
and he just kept droning on and on
about the genius of Thomas Jefferson
and how all men are created equal.
This is Mr. Redmont?
Yeah. So finally I stood up and I was like,
"If he was such a genius, why didn't he say all people?"
Nice.
Except apparently, I raised my voice,
and I didn't raise my hand.
Did he give you detention?
Essay, on the importance of decorum.
What does that even mean?
Like, not talking unless you're called on,
being polite and invisible.
Meanwhile, the boys are in the bathroom sticking Kleenex down their pants
and wiping sweat on each other, but somehow I'm the disruptive one.
Do you think he'll call your mom?
I don't want anything to mess up our sleepover tomorrow night.
I've almost convinced my dad to let us Postmates pizza and ice cream.
Double dairy! Wow, what's next, the key to the liquor cabinet?
Sugar is progress.
[both laugh] I can't wait.
[girl] Mary Anne's mom died when she was 18 months old.
Her dad is super overprotective, but at least he cares.
My dad took off right after my little brother David Michael was born.
The first three years, he visited twice.
Then birthday cards, then nothing.
-Next door are the Kishis. -[chattering]
Claudia and Mary Anne and I used to hang out all the time.
But that was before Claudia decided
she was more into boys and clothes than into us.
I miss her. We both do.
[chattering]
Psst! Kristy. Over here.
Hey, what are you doing in there, buddy?
You weren't here to let me in.
You weren't supposed to be home for another 20 minutes.
Why didn't you go to the Kishis? Mimi would have let you in.
I really, really had to go on the bus.
Please don't tell anyone, especially not Charlie and Sam.
They'll think I'm a baby.
Buddy, of course not.
Come on. Let's get you changed. I'll make you a quesadilla.
Nice shot, Charlie.
Yeah. It's better than yours.
Who's hungry?
Mom, you just blocked my shot.
[groans] I brought you pizza.
What's going on?
What do you mean "what's going on?"
Can you grab us some pizza, please?
You're home early.
-You brought pizza. -Yes.
Did you get fired?
Oh. No, baby, I did not get fired.
I do have a small favor to ask you all.
Is anyone gonna be around tomorrow night
-to look after David Michael? -Hot date with Watson?
Actually, I have some potential clients
in town for the weekend.
I'm going out with Olivia tomorrow night.
I'm going with Emmett and Oliver to see The Carcinogens.
-[mom groans] -Also, I need the car.
Thanks, guys.
Um, I was supposed to sleep over at Mary Anne's tomorrow night,
but I guess we could--
You do not have to cancel your plans.
Seeing as the boys didn't even give it a second thought.
Nothing. I'm gonna make some calls.
Who was that girl we had that time, you know, the one with the face?
[ringing]
Hey, it's Lauren. Can't get to the phone...
No one even turns their phones on anymore!
"Your all-access thesitternetwork.com subscription has expired.
[sighs] To renew, please make a payment of $79.99"?
[shouts]
[vibrates]
-Hello. Yes. -[girl speaking indistinctly]
Yes, tomorrow night.
How much an hour?
What are you gonna do, breastfeed him?
Ugh.
Do you think that maybe
Mary Anne could sleep here tomorrow night instead?
I don't think her dad would let her
if he knew you weren't home till late.
Oh, yeah, of course.
Sorry, Mom.
Why is this so hard?
I mean, when I was a kid,
my mother would just call some girl in the neighborhood
on a landline,
and she would answer
because it was part of the social contract.
[sighs]
[Kristy] And that was it. The moment...
[choking]
...when I started choking on my pizza.
But as I was choking on my pizza with my life flashing before my eyes
and my mother trying to remember the infant CPR she learned 17 years ago,
I suddenly had it: the best idea of my entire life.
A babysitting business?
Not just a business, a club.
Do you really think people will trust us to take care of their kids?
We both sit for David Michael all the time.
That's true.
Kids deserve fun sitters who care about them,
who actually want to be there.
Yeah.
Plus, you wouldn't believe what some of these adult sitters charge.
We could ask for half, and we'd be rich.
[Kristy] Mary Anne was in,obviously,
but two don't make a club.
We were going to need another member.
Claudia was the coolest girl we knew,
and the club was the coolest thing we'd ever done.
Claudia, cool idea for babysitting thing.
Lots of fun and dollar sign, dollar sign, dollar sign.
Okay if MA and I come by after school to talk?
[teacher] ...the judicial, represented by the Supreme Court,
the executive, that's the president,
and the legislative. That is the House of Congress.
Miss Thomas.
Are you passing notes in my class?
-No. -Miss Kishi.
Kindly hand me the note Miss Thomas just passed you.
Do you mean, like, a text?
My phone's in my locker.
I'm still waiting for your decorum essay, Miss Thomas.
Miss Kishi, stop defacing your shoes and pay attention.
We wouldn't want another failed quiz on your average, would we?
Funny story about the Senate...
School trip there...
Claudia.
Shh! I have to pay attention.
[Kristy] Oh, she's awesome.
-Mimi. Claudia's grandmother. -[laughs] Hey.
She's very calm and spends most of her time in the kitchen
making tea and being reassuring.
-How are you? -Good.
The other girls are upstairs.
I'll make tea.
Thank you.
"Girls"? Plural?
I don't know.,
-Oh. Hi, Janine. -Hi, Janine.
[girl] I think he likes you.
-[Claudia] Really? You think so? -[girl] Yes.
-[laughing] -[Claudia] I don't know.
[Kristy] Hey.
-Hey. -Hey, guys.
Kristy, Mary Anne,
this is my friend Stacey McGill.
Hi.
Stacey just moved to Stoneybrook from New York.
Where in New York?
Oh, the city.
You mean, like, Manhattan?
Yeah. The Upper West Side.
Oh.
So this babysitting thing sounds pretty chill.
You told her?
Sorry, was it a secret?
Not technically.
Twizzlers!
I'm good.
Fine. It's a babysitting club.
Excuse me, I thought you said we were gonna make money.
Let me finish.
So the other night, my mother needed a sitter for David Michael,
and she had to make, like, a million phone calls
and pay 80 bucks to join this weird website.
Which will then sell her personal information to, like, the Russians.
Sure, and I thought, wouldn't it be a great idea
if you could, like, make one phone call
and reach a whole bunch of good sitters at the same time?
A few times a week, we'd all meet together in one place,
and people would call and offer us jobs.
My dad doesn't let me pick up the phone if I don't recognize the number.
Not your phone.
An olden times phone.
A landline! I've got one up here.
We got an extra line with that super ultra high-speed internet package
Janine needed for her stupid nerd servers.
So you'll do it?
Maybe, if it doesn't conflict with my art class.
Hey, guys.
-Watermelon gummies! -[laughing]
So how many times a week will we meet?
A few.
-Three. -Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
Easy to remember.
Targeted social media ads are probably the best marketing strategy.
I can figure out the best ratio of click-throughs to investment.
I'm pretty good at math.
Whoa.
Have you ever even babysat before?
Don't all the kids in New York
just have fancy Polish nannies until they graduate from college?
I think you're confusing real life with Gossip Girl.
And Dorota's actually a maid.
But you're right.
Most of the kids in our building had nannies,
but not on the weekends or the evenings.
So I babysat a lot when their parents would have events.
Events.
Like the Tonys.
[laughs] Yeah.
Speaking of marketing,
Claud, I was wondering if maybe you would like to draw us something, like a logo.
Maybe. I need to process.
Oh, that sculpture's cool. What's it about?
Menstruation.
And her sweatshirt.
So amazing.
It must be what they're wearing in the city.
Don't you love it how she calls it "the city"?
She didn't eat anything.
Maybe she's not into Twizzlers.
Maybe she has body image issues.
That's not a great example for the girls we'll be taking care of.
Kristy.
She's nice.
She's just new.
It's not the worst thing in the world to make a new friend.
[Kristy] Maybe Mary Anne was right.
Maybe new people weren't an invading force to be repelled at all costs.
Surprise!
Have dim sum-thing to eat.[laughs]
[Kristy] Or maybe Mary Anne was a total idiot.
Watson Brewer, my mother's boyfriend.
-The ultimate invader. -Mmm! So good.
Mm-hmm.
Usually soup dumplings don't travel well, but these are so delicious.
Well, I aim to please.
It's not like you made them.
Hmm. No, I didn't make them.
-Kristy's starting a babysitting club. -Oh!
She had her first meeting this afternoon, right?
For girls to learn about babysitting?
No, a business where people hire us to babysit,
and it's not just girls. Boys can take care of kids, too.
Yeah, no, no, of course they can.
So, okay, what's your business plan? I mean, how does it work?
We meet three times a week,
and people call into the meetings to offer us jobs,
and it gets scheduled and confirmed right then.
-So someone coordinates your schedules? -Mm-hmm.
-How are your rates? -Competitive.
Do you kick up a percentage of your earnings like dues?
Yeah. All of that.
Well, as a businessman and as a dad...
I think it's genius. I love that idea.
-It's great. -Aww.
So, guys,
the reason that Watson came over for dinner tonight
-is because we have some news. -What is it?
Well, we've been seeing each other for a while now,
and he asked me to marry him.
What did you say?
I said that I wanted to have a family conversation first
to make sure you all feel okay about it.
Good, 'cause I don't.
Oh.
Kristy.
I don't feel okay about it. End of discussion. Pass the shrimp.
Okay, Kristy, we're not asking for your permission.
We are trying to have a conversation here.
Then why bother to ask me about it at all?
If you're just gonna do whatever you want,
why pretend to care?
Okay, well, that's not fair at all.
My whole life, all you've told me is how important it is to be independent
and to stand on your own two feet,
but then you expect me to kiss the butt
of the first rich guy who walks through the door.
Okay, that's enough. I need you to go to your room.
He might be able to buy you, Mom, but he can't buy us.
I said go to your room now!
Fine.
I wanted to go,
because there was no way I was going to let Watson Brewer see me cry.
It's not that I don't want my mom to be happy.
It's that I want us to be enough.
Okay, so club officers.
I have the most experience, and the club was my idea.
-So I am president. -[scoffs]
I'm bossy. Get used to it.
[Mary Anne] Kristy--
Claudia, you're vice president since we're meeting in your room.
-Yes! -Kristy--
What else?
We need someone to handle business expenses,
someone to handle marketing,
-social media-- -Kristy!
I want to be secretary.
I'm organized and excellent at record-keeping.
I'll also start a Google doc recording the details of our jobs,
and I'll take minutes at every meeting
and distribute them at the end of the week.
If that's okay with everybody?
-Yeah, that'd be great. -[exhales]
That's the most I've ever heard her speak.
I've known her since birth and same.
Okay, the fastest thing would be to use our existing platforms
to curate a community of influencers.
Give me your Insta handles and I'll cross-reference your followers.
Isn't it illegal to be on Instagram before you turn 13?
Social media rots your brain.
I always forget to take pictures unless it's of my own tongue,
and that's by accident when I'm trying to see if there's something in my teeth.
May I make a suggestion?
Do we really have a choice?
Given the challenge inherent, as the yellow hair noted,
in building a platform from scratch,
I would ascertain that the most effective solution to your dilemma
may be an analog one.
-Huh? -What?
Perhaps Claudia could create something
you might distribute throughout the community.
Like a flyer?
Precisely.
I want to be treasurer anyway.
Excuse me!
Hi, we're the Baby-Sitters Club.
Call us if you need us. Bye!
Call the Baby-Sitters Club.
"He doesn't really listen. He gets into everything."
"And he gets into everything."
Yes! Baby-Sitters Club!
Call the Baby-Sitters Club.
-Baby-Sitters Club. -Need a sitter?
Call the Baby-Sitters Club.
Last one!
Are you sure this thing actually works?
The Etsy shop I bought it from said it's fully operational.
Yeah, but it's 25 years old.
It's iconic.
[rings]
-Oh, my gosh! -Sorry.
Sorry, I was just testing.
It's 5:23. I should go.
The meetings last until 5:30. We all agreed.
My dad hates it when I'm late.
Okay, but what happens when a client gets home late?
You can't just leave a little kid at home because your dad might call the FBI.
-[rings] -Oh, my gosh!
Good afternoon, Baby-Sitters Club.
This is Kristy Thomas, president and founder, speaking.
Yes, Kristy, Watson Brewer here.
-Who is it? -Is it a job?
-How did you get this number? -It's on the...
You gave me a flyer.
Anyway, look, I need someone to watch Karen and Andrew
tomorrow afternoon while I'm at the office,
and I thought I'd see if your club could help.
Isn't tomorrow Saturday
and don't you only get your kids on the weekends?
Kristy, what are you doing?
-Hold, please. -Okay.
Watson wants someone to watch his kids tomorrow, Karen and Andrew.
-Oh, my God, it's our first job! -When is it?
Two o'clock.
Oh, bummer, that's when my life drawing class starts.
-What? -It's a college-level art class
where you draw live models in the nude.
Claudia, ew!
I'm not nude, they're nude.
I'm sorry.
I can't do it, either.
I'll be in New York with my parents.
Our first weekend open for business, and you're out of town?
It was really last minute.
Whatever.
None of us are gonna sit for Watson Brewer anyway.
-Claudia, what are you doing? -[beeps]
Muting you before you totally alienate our only client.
There will be more,
and he's just some jerk who's trying to find a way to abandon his kids
on one of the only two days a week he gets to see them.
My club isn't gonna help him do that, period.
You mean our club,
and he's the only person that's called this entire meeting.
Period.
Mary Anne, is the calendar open?
Kristy and I are free.
Kristy has made her feelings very clear.
Do you want to sit for Watson tomorrow?
Mary Anne, no.
Quit bossing her around.
Honestly, you're making me remember why I stopped hanging out with you so much.
Mary Anne, do you want this job?
Hi, Watson.
This is Claudia Kishi.
Your sitter will be Mary Anne Spier.
Terrific!
[Kristy] I was in a serious funk the next day
and decided to clear my head with a nice, relaxing jog.
Thankfully my dog Louie still wanted to hang out with me.
I wanted to see how the other half lives
and maybe spy on a certain so-called best friend
who wouldn't even have this job if it wasn't for me.
[Watson] Okay, so, Mary Anne, I think we're all set.
-[Mary Anne] Okay. -No food allergies.
-I'll be back by around six o'clock. -Six.
[Watson] And I'm so honored to be the first appointment
-of the Baby-Sitters Club. -[laughs]
-[Watson] See you later. Bye. -[Mary Anne] Okay, bye.
Okay.
[Mary Anne] Your yard looks nice. Oh, is that a trampoline?
A witch lives next door to us. Her name is Morbidda Destiny.
She put a spell on Boo-Boo, our cat.
[Mary Anne] Okay.
What are you doing in my hedge?
-[shrieks] -[Mary Anne] Kristy?
-What are you doing? -[Louie barking]
Louie, no!
That was the witch I was telling you about.
Pretty cool, huh?
[Karen] Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
[Kristy] I totally humiliated myself,
my dog was probably dead and on top of everything...
[tires screech]
[Kristy] Stacey wasn't in New York after all.
She lied to all of us.
This whole situation had spiraled out of my control,
and that's a feeling I really, really hate.
Louie!
[barking]
Louie!
Hi!
[Louie whimpers]
We need to talk.
If Stacey wanted you to think that she was going away for the weekend,
I'm sure she had a reason.
I let her into my club.
I should be able to trust her, but she lied to me.
Honey, I know how much you like to be in control...
-I do not! -You do.
I do not, and that is so unfair of you to say or even think that.
You're controlling my thoughts now?
-Yes. -Okay.
Baby, sometimes people just need a little space.
If you want to trust Stacey,
maybe you need to give her a reason to trust you first.
Mary Anne saw me at Watson's.
So what?
It was humiliating.
My presidency has failed.
-I should resign before I'm impeached. -[laughs]
Sweetie, listen to me.
When Mary Anne gets scared about something that you think is silly,
do you make fun of her and call her a baby?
Yeah, sometimes.
Oh, okay.
Well, but you're still her best friend, right?
-Yes. -Right.
And what about Claudia when she gets bad grades on tests?
You don't rub it in and make her feel worse.
You help her, right?
Yeah.
You are not perfect, sweetie.
And neither are any of the people that love you.
All you can do is keep showing up,
try to do better next time.
Is that what you would do?
I'm getting married again, aren't I?
Against my better judgment.
Okay.
The house is pretty nice, though.
It's not about the house.
I love you.
I love you so much, baby. Mmm! [laughs]
[kisses]
Oh, your social studies teacher called me, and you owe him some paper about decorum?
They would never make a boy write that essay.
No, they wouldn't.
[Kristy] So my mom might have weird taste in men,
but when it came to life, I guess she wasn't totally clueless.
So before the next meeting of the Baby-Sitters Club,
I decided to take a page from her takeout menu drawer.
[doorbell rings]
-[Claudia] Pizza? -I thought we could all use a treat.
Stacey, I got you a salad if you want.
Come on, eat.
Thanks.
So...
There's actually something I wanted to tell you guys.
I'm sorry...
[sighs]
for the way I acted the other day.
I was wrong.
[Claudia] Wait a minute.
Did I just hear Kristy Thomas say she was wrong?
Look, although the Baby-Sitters Club was my idea,
it doesn't mean I get to tell you guys what to do all the time.
And the club's ours, not just mine.
Even though it was my idea.
[laughs] Yeah, we know.
With that being said,
it would be an honor to continue serving as your president.
But I understand if you guys want me to step down.
[laughing]
Of course you're still the president.
As long as you know you're only right
about 95% of the time instead of 100, I'm good.
-[phone rings] -Oh, my God, the phone, it's a meeting!
Hello, Baby-Sitters Club.
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Please hold.
It's a new client.
Amy Marshall. She has two little girls, Eleanor and Nina.
She needs a sitter Thursday night.
-This Thursday... Claudia, it's you! -[squeals]
Claud, how did she find out about the club?
Watson recommended us.
Mm-hmm. Great. Thanks.
[rings]
-My turn. -Oh.
Good afternoon, Baby-Sitters Club.
Papadakis?
Can you spell that, please?
You live next to the Brewers.
[Kristy] Watson Brewer, sticking his nose in my business.
-Literally. -[Stacey] Okay.
I will be your sitter, Stacey McGill.
And this weekend? Thank you.
-Okay. See you this weekend. Bye. -[hangs up phone]
Tell Watson "thank you."
[mom's voice] Tell him yourself.
[Kristy] What is the meaning of decorum?
Well, I know what it's supposed to mean.
Raising my hand,
waiting to be called on, being non-disruptive and all things
that would probably make your life easier.
But to me, decorum means other things, like knowing when you're wrong...
-[laughing] -[chattering]
[Kristy] giving people the benefit of the doubt...
Thank you.
...and most of all, being a good friend...
all in order to create a more perfect union
where all people are created equal.
Although it may not be your definition of decorum,
it is mine.
Signed, Kristin Amanda Thomas,
president of the Baby-Sitters Club.
-[chattering] -[laughing]
[rock music playing]
♪ Wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna I wanna ♪
♪ I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna ♪
♪ I wanna, I wanna, I wanna ♪
♪ I wanna see, wanna go where you go Wanna know what you know ♪
♪ But I don't wanna talk about it I wanna see, wanna go where you go ♪
♪ Wanna know what you know But I don't wanna talk about it ♪
♪ I wanna be who you thought I would be On the first day we met ♪
♪ Way back in February, yeah! ♪
♪ I wanna lay on the beach For a day ♪
♪ I'll explain it away Why I could never make you happy ♪
♪ I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna ♪
♪ I wanna see, wanna go where you go Wanna know what you know ♪
♪ But I don't wanna talk about it I wanna see, wanna go where you go ♪
♪ Wanna know what you know But I don't wanna talk about it ♪
♪ I wanna ♪