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The BSC
The group
- Five-Token Band: Even more than the original series. Like the books, 1) Dawn and Kristy have divorced parents, 2) Stacey has diabetes, 3) Claudia is Japanese-American and 4) Mary Anne has a deceased mother. Additionally in this adaptation, Dawn and Mary Anne are no longer white (Hispanic-American and half-black respectively) and Dawn reveals herself to be LGBT+.
- Friend to All Children: Part of the reason they started the club and they prove to be very devoted and protective of their charges.
- Nice Girl: All of them. Kristy occasionally slips into Jerk with a Heart of Gold, but only when she's with her close friends or her mom, and she's an extremely kind babysitter. Dawn especially borders on being too nice and struggles to assert herself when simply being taken advantage of.
- Running Gag: Every time Kristy points out something where she demands an answer or acts slightly controlling, the club (or rather, the member being questioned) would answer:Oh, Kristy, don't be such a baby.
Kristy Thomas
Kristin Amanda "Kristy" Thomas
- Played by: Sophie GraceDubbed by: Amy Diamond (Swedish)
The president of the club who frequently calls out social injustices.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: She is a brunette in the books, but has auburn hair in this series.
- Big Sister Instinct: Kristy displays this with David Michael and Karen, one where she calms down the former when he wets his pants and comforts him the night before the wedding (where they leave their childhood home) and with the latter she grows close to her and acts when she notices Karen has gone missing. She then later tells off the Camp Director for Karen running off.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Of her siblings (including Karen and Andrew), she is the redhead of the bunch while her siblings are either blonde (Karen and Charlie) or darker haired (Andrew, David Michael, and Sam).
- Bratty Teenage Daughter: She shows shades of this in "Kristy's Big Idea" when she's opposed to her mother's relationship with Watson. She warms up to him.
- Cool Big Sis: She serves as this to Karen and David Michael, who are dependent and very close to her. She and Karen get closer because of their respective precocious intelligence and given that they are the only two girls in the family (with four boys).
- Control Freak: She really can't stand change and she wants everything orderly and by procedure, to the point where she can be mean to newcomers invited by other members, and she hates it when other members go against her demands. Claudia lampshades this trope as to why she had grown distant from Kristy by the start of the series.
- Deadpan Snarker: Has a keen awareness of the world and a dry delivery to go with it when necessary (clearly a family trait, judging by her older brother Sam and her mother having it).Kristy: What happens when you join two people, and their families, together forever? Unless someone changes their mind, which they do, all the time.
Karen: We're all children of divorce, Kristy, get to the good part.
David Michael: Just do what she says.
Kristy: Prepared for marriage already. - Disappeared Dad: Her biological father, Patrick Thomas, abandoned his wife and four children and never calls or writes. This is something that upsets Kristy very much, and she resents how other divorced fathers whom she sees are involved with their kids' lives despite not being around as much as before.
- Establishing Character Moment: Kristy is fully aware of how overbearing she is; in the very first scene she narrates that she was doing all the talking with Mary Anne, as usual, and that Mary Anne was doing all the listening, as usual.
- Fiery Redhead: In this version, she is a redhead and while she can express Tranquil Fury or be passive-aggressive, she can get emotional and carried away with her frustrations, especially with her Freudian Excuse regarding fathers.
- Foil: To Dawn, in terms of being a feminist. Both girls are very intelligent and keenly aware of social justice issues, especially regarding women's rights, but while Kristy tends to be more judgmental (when she thought Stacey had an eating disorder, she stated it may affect Stacey as a role model rather than seeing it as a mental health issue) and rigid and a Girl Boss sort; Dawn tends to be more forgiving of other peoples' flaws and she outwardly fights on behalf of other people even in issues that don't directly affect her (an intersectional lens).
- Freudian Excuse: Her dad left when she was five or six and is pretty much never in contact. Kristy is still trying to deal with her feelings of abandonment and insecurity years later, and some of it comes out in her Control Freak or I Just Want to Be Loved tendencies.
- Go-Getter Girl: Kristy is a good student, a responsible older sister, and runs a successful babysitting business she started. Did we mention that she's twelve?
- Green-Eyed Monster: If Kristy acts out, it's often because of jealousy (especially of Stacey and Dawn, who are new), but she struggles to be honest about it to herself.
- I Just Want to Be Loved: She gets very upset when she fights with her friends or family and then admits as much to Dawn after ranting about her Parental Abandonment. Things like Dawn gently listening to her or Elizabeth reassuring her she is greatly loved help.
- It's All About Me: One of Kristy's weaknesses, although she struggles to recognize when she's doing it, is to throw a tantrum when she thinks she's being ignored.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She's blunt, short-tempered, and due to her hatred of change, she can be cold or downright hostile to newcomers (like Watson or Dawn), but she's not a bad person. She proves herself to be a loyal friend after she warms up to others, and is genuinely compassionate to her loved ones.
- The Leader: She is the leader of the Baby-Sitters Club but, as her mom observes, she also really likes to be in charge and have her own way.
- Nice Mean And In Between: With her biological brothers she is the "In Between" with her Jerk with a Heart of Gold and Friend to All Children tendencies while younger David Michael is "Nice" and older bratty brothers are "Mean".
- Only Known By Her Nickname: Her real name is Kristin, but she goes by Kristy.
- Parental Favoritism: Downplayed, but Elizabeth does tell her she is her favorite child.
- Simple, yet Opulent: Her taste in clothing in general. Mary Anne refers to Kristy's fashion sense as "normcore" and she has sensible tastes in decor (suggesting navy blue for Mary Anne's room as it hides stains) and favors jeans and alpine sweaters; this is highlighted by her choice of a simple, fit and flared blue gown over a tight yellow dress for her bridesmaid look.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: She's a nice-looking young girl who prefers to wear jeans, sweaters and sweatshirts, t-shirts, and a baseball cap - but is entranced with her appearance in her light blue bridesmaid gown, with Karen commenting she looks like Cinderella (with which Kristy can concur).
- Sour Outside, Sad Inside: Her Control Freak tendencies are a way of coping with the lack of control she felt when her father left and never contacted the children again. Often, her sour tendencies can have the effect she wants least: one where her friends reject or grow distant from her (like Claudia) or where her friends can grow frustrated with her and have an emotional outburst that hurts her feelings (Mary Anne). Thus far the only one who seems to calm down Kristy enough to talk out her issues is Dawn.
- Tomboyish Ponytail: She wears her hair in a simple ponytail and is a tomboy.
- True Blue Femininity: Her preferred look for her bridesmaid dress is a simple light blue silk gown that makes her look and feel like Cinderella.
Claudia Kishi
Claudia Lynn Kishi
- Played by: Momona Tamada
The vice-president of the club who has a passion for art.
- Asian Airhead: Played with; she is Book Dumb but a talented artist and very clever.
- Book Dumb: She is less adept in academic subjects than she is in art and babysitting but displays an awareness of social justice issues and loves reading literature. She improves a bit when she starts practicing her Japanese language skills after Mimi's stroke.
- Deadpan Snarker: She wryly notes the odd parts of her life and everything around her, from the family's internet package to Kristy's behavior to the "dull cabin" where her family will be vacationing. After someone reminds her Mimi will be with her:Claudia: Mimi will be bored too.
- Establishing Character Moment: Her first speaking scene shows that she struggles in academics (Mr. Redmont calls out her lack of focus and mentions poor test grades) while also showing her quirky, artistic side (writing her response to Kristy – in a cool, graphic style – on her sneaker).
- Feminine Women Can Cook: Like her grandmother, Claudia lists cooking as one of the few things she is good at (art, babysitting, and fashion).
- Innocently Insensitive: When Mimi has her stroke, Claudia is shown to not know that Mimi was in an internment camp as a child and thinks "Manzanar" is the name of a make-believe world like Narnia.
- Only Sane Man: Between her, Kristy, and Mary Anne, she seems to be the most self-possessed and mature one and is able to spell out her feelings without frustration to Kristy.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: Often feels negatively compared to her older sister Janine.
- Parental Favoritism: Claudia is shown to think she is Mimi's favorite, as they have a very close relationship. She is shocked to see that Mimi and Janine are close in other ways (Janine speaks fluent Japanese and knows about Mimi's past).
- Pink Means Feminine: She wears a bold white dress with a pink pattern to Elizabeth and Watson's wedding.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: With her older sister Janine. Claudia is often in bright colors and patterns, Book Dumb, is bubbly and outgoing, and very emotional while Janine can be cold, introverted, precise, academically inclined, and often more dark or neutral toned in her wardrobe.
- Sweet Tooth: She hides junk food all over her room and she even paints portraits of famous candies.
Mary Anne Spier
Mary Anne Spier
- Played by: Malia BakerDubbed by: Mimmi Sandén (Swedish)
The shy secretary of the club.
- Beware the Nice Ones: She's a timid Nice Girl, but often when she gets frustrated, she has emotional outbursts and she isn't afraid to correct doctors when they misgender one of her babysitting charges and tell one of her friends when they are going wrong.
- Bespectacled Cutie: She is seen wearing horn-rimmed glasses and is a nice-looking (albeit shy) young girl.
- Cannot Spit It Out: She has a hard time talking to Logan, her crush, for most of the first season. She gets over it in the finale, ending up kissing him on the cheek. In public!
- Deadpan Snarker: She is so far a master of making dry comments regarding others, like a mediocre rap from a Babysitters Agency's sitter's boyfriend or even her father sitting in the dark (for about an hour) just to make a dramatic reaction to her coming home late.Mary Anne: That doesn't rhyme, sir.
- Establishing Character Moment: Kristy, narrating, says that she was doing all the talking, as usual, while Mary Anne was doing all the listening, establishing that she is sensitive and quiet (and occasionally lets herself be talked over).
- Expository Hairstyle Change: After the incident with Bailey at the hospital when Mary Anne learned to be more assertive, she starts having other hairstyles than her usual braided pigtails after telling her dad she wanted more. Justified as it turns out that he has never had a problem with her having her hair differently; it's just that the pigtails are the only hairstyle he knows how to help her with.
- Extreme Doormat: She tries not to be this, but her friends still call her out occasionally on her tendency to fold under pressure. She gets better after standing up for her sitting charge, meeting Dawn and taking charge at camp, but she is still less assertive than the others.
- Freudian Excuse: Her mother Alma died before Mary Anne was old enough to have any memories of her, and it's had a big impact on her strict childhood and shy, tentative responses to many things.
- Graceful Ladies Like Purple: She wears a lot of the color, is a chosen color for her winter coat, and it's the color chosen for her grown up room makeover (in contrast to her Pink Means Feminine childhood decor). It highlights her growth as a young woman.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Mary Anne is not a jerkass, but her Beware the Nice Ones and Extreme Doormat tendencies can overpower her filter when upset, like telling Kristy when being nagged about Richard's overprotectiveness that she knows nothing about having a normal (read: caring, or present) father, which makes Kristy upset note .
- Like Mother, Like Daughter: Mimi and Richard both comment on how Mary Anne's self-possession, organization, and willingness to stand up for underdogs reminds them of her now-dead mother.
- Missing Mom: Mary Anne's mother died when she was a baby.
- Parental Substitute: She has an informal one in her neighbor, Claudia's grandmother Mimi.
- Race Lift: Mary Anne is white in the book series, and in fact is so pale she can't tan; in this adaptation, Mary Anne is biracial since her mother was African-American.
- Shrinking Violet: She starts the series so shy and meek that speaking in front of a group of people or dealing with any sort of confrontation gets her upset. Surprisingly or less-surprisingly, she is highly passionate about Broadway and musical theater, even subverting this by taking the lead role in a play.
- Silk Hiding Steel: She starts to mature into this throughout the first season, as shown when she stands up for Bailey at the hospital.
- Strong Family Resemblance: She is described as resembling her late mother Alma in looks, and Dawn even mistakes a picture of Alma as a baby for Mary Anne.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Mary Anne is very sweet and caring, but she can make hurtful or dark remarks when she gets upset.
- Textile Work Is Feminine: She is a knitter, getting lessons from Mimi in knitting, and even knits Mimi a scarf after her stroke.
- Took a Level in Badass: Throughout the first season she learns to become more confident and starts taking charge, even directing and starring in a play.
- True Blue Femininity: Wears a lot of blue in the series and used to highlight her soft, gentle, quiet nature.
Stacey McGill
Anastasia Elizabeth "Stacey" McGill
- Played by: Shay Rudolph
The treasurer of the club who recently moved to Stoneybrook from New York City.
- All of the Other Reindeer: After she's filmed while having a diabetic seizure, she loses a lot of friends in New York.
- Always Someone Better: Mary Anne feels insecure given that Stacey has a more sophisticated image and personality than she but is relieved to find out that she's Not So Above It All regarding her Precocious Crush on Scott the Lifeguard, which helps the girls grow closer by the Camp Moosehead episodes.
- Beauty Is Never Tarnished: The normally pretty Stacey
averts this trope with the help of poison ivy in Camp Moosehead. - Calling the Old Man Out: She does a gentle version of this with her mother at the end of "The Truth About Stacey" when she informs her mom she isn't hiding her condition any longer and she isn't ashamed of it.
- Deadpan Snarker: Generally very nice and far less sarcastic than you'd expect a born-and-bred New Yorker to be, but she does immediately point out when Kristy seems to be confusing the real Manhattan with Gossip Girl.
- Good with Numbers: She's good at math, so she becomes the club treasurer.
- The Fashionista: Downplayed, but Stacey is shown to be very interested in fashion and she dresses pretty sophisticatedly for someone of her age. Meeting her is one of Mary Anne's main impulses to start dressing slightly more maturely.
- I Just Want to Be Loved: A far bigger issue than in the books. Partly due to being rejected and humiliated in New York, even the pretty, nice, and fashionable Stacey has a lot of anxiety about being alone or not having friends. She's also more desirous of romantic attention than anyone.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Due to having diabetes, but after making friends with the BSC, it's downplayed so far compared to the books. Because of advances in modern medical technology, she even gets to do things like (occasionally) eat regular cake with everybody else, compared to her book counterpart's strict no-sugar diet.
- Instant Humiliation Just Add Youtube: Stacey's diabetes is exposed by the Baby-Sitters Agency when they find a video of her having a diabetic seizure and circulate it to their clients. She mentions that this also happened at her old school, driving her away from all of her old friends who shared it.
- Likes Older Men: Or boys, she does have a crush on a much older lifeguard, but she also crushes on the more age-appropriate Sam Thomas.
- New Transfer Student: Her transfer opens the series, as she becomes close friends with Claudia to Kristy's annoyance (and jealousy).
- Non-Idle Rich: Stacey comes from a privileged background with professional parents and grew up in a apartment building in Manhattan where, as Kristy puts it, "most of the children have posh nannies" but Stacey has experience babysitting for children in her old building when the parents needed childcare during the nannies' times off.
- Not So Above It All: She is pretty sophisticated, especially compared with her suburban born-and-raised friends, but she is given to be boy-crazy and even shirks her babysitting duties to gush over a lifeguard. Mary Anne even lampshades this trope, telling Stacey she used to think Stacey was cooler than her and it intimidated her, but now she knows that Stacey can be an awkward dork too.
- Only Known By Her Nickname: Claudia finally uses her full name in the Season 2 premiere.
- Pink Means Feminine: One of her favorite colors, aside from black and white, and highlights her sophisticated but naive nature.
- Smitten Teenage Girl: One of Stacey's main traits is that she's "boy-crazy", even neglecting Mary Anne when she meets a cute (and much older) lifeguard.
Dawn Schafer
Dawn Read Schafer
Dawn played by Xochitl Gomez
Click here to see Dawn played by Kyndra Sanchez
- Played by: Xochitl Gomez (Season 1), Kyndra Sanchez (Season 2)
The alternate officer of the club who recently moved to Stoneybrook from Los Angeles.
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: In the books, when the Spiers move in with the Schafers (on a more permanent basis), Dawn's annoyance comes at how opposite they are because both Richard and Mary Anne are too Type A while Dawn and her mother like things messy. Not only are Dawn and Mary Anne given a role reversal here – Dawn is a neat freak who cleans up after her mother while Mary Anne is more free-spirited – but she also has a lot more deep anger over Mary Anne's relationship with her mother. Dawn has taken care of Sharon for the last year on their own, while Mary Anne has suddenly come in and fit right in with Sharon's laid-back ways. When Dawn accuses Mary Anne of taking over her life, her voice breaks when she yells, "my mom!"
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Dawn is described to have light blonde hair in the books and is shown as such on book covers. Here, she is Latina and a brunette.
- Bourgeois Bohemian: A very progressively-minded Soapbox Sadie despite coming from a well-off family. Lampshaded in season 2:Dawn: The rich are different from you and me.
Kristy: Says the grocery store heiress.
Dawn: One grocery store, which was sold, like, 20 years ago. And I try to be the change. - Establishing Character Moment: She offers enthusiastically to sit with Mary Anne, indicating her friendly and outgoing nature; she's eating a vibrant green salad and drinking a green juice, indicating her love of healthy, fresh food; she says right away that her father is gay, indicating her comfort level with new people and her no-nonsense approach to gender and sexuality; and jokes that she fits every California stereotype, indicating her self-awareness and comfort with who she is.
- Extreme Doormat: Downplayed, she is a confident young woman who prefers to approach people in a non-confrontational manner. She notably bears the verbal and emotional arrows Kristy slings at her and she tries to be accommodating of Natalie Barrett, which leads the older woman to take advantage of her. She also tries to give in to Mary Anne's needs when she and Richard are staying at her house, but eventually snaps and yells at Mary Anne about her anxiety and pickiness and proves she's capable of not laying down to give in to everything.
- Foil: To Kristy, in terms of being a feminist. Dawn tends to have a open-minded (and open-hearted) view of people that can get her taken advantage of, fights for social issues even when they don't directly affect her, and has an intersectional lens while the rigid and judgy Kristy has a mainstream Girl Boss lens of feminism.
- Granola Girl: Dawn is shown to have many hippieish beliefs and to enjoy multiple elements of New Age spirituality.
- Lipstick Lesbian: Dawn casually mentions she'd be open to a relationship with anyone on "the gender spectrum" to Mary-Anne, which indicates Dawn's pansexual. She's also pretty feminine in general.
- New Transfer Student: Like Stacey, but it takes her a while to get to know Mary Anne.
- Nice Girl: All of the girls are kind, but she is probably the least prone to snarky moments (preferring to reach out to Kristy when she's being nasty rather than snipe back) and displays a great deal of open-mindedness.
- Promotion to Parent: For her mom, who is flighty and forgetful, so Dawn takes care of her a lot of the time.
- Race Lift: While Dawn is a long-blonde-haired white girl in the book series, she and her family are brown-skinned and dark-haired Latino in the adaptation.
- Sixth Ranger: She joins the club at the end of "Dawn and the Impossible Three".
- Soapbox Sadie: She is socially conscious, although her awareness comes out more in amusing quips rather than tirades. For example, she praises Claudia for her depiction of candy, despite believing refined sugar is poison. It's more on display in her protest at camp, but she's not depicted as wrong or annoying for it.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: Although all of the Babysitters Club are intelligent, Dawn is very mature and emotionally intelligent. She's the only one who displays knowledge of trans experiences, and is also the only one willing to give Mrs. Barrett a chance because she knows what a messy divorce can do to someone. However, she's not perfect; she gets upset when Mary Anne bonds with her mother, and when they get trapped in the passageway in her room Dawn yells that it's her house and her mom.
Mallory Pike
Mallory Pike
- Played by: Vivian Watson
A junior officer of the club who has seven brothers and sisters.
- All Girls Like Ponies: Like her book counterpart, she loves horses, which is helpful when she escorts Kristy through the woods to find Karen.
- Character Exaggeration: In the books, she is mature for her age, but a bit awkward due to her insecurities. In this series, her awkwardness is exaggerated to the point that she seems much more naive and Jessi often acts as her Cloudcuckoolander's Minder, something that never happens in the books.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: She's the oldest of eight.
- Nice Girl: She's very helpful to the babysitters, even giving Dawn and Mary Anne her favorite bedroom at the summer cottage in Sea City because it has the best view of the beach and they could hear the ocean and joining Kristy in her search for Karen.
- Outdoorsy Gal: She possesses an amount of wilderness knowledge that impresses Kristy and is helpful for when the girls go to look for a lost Karen.
- Sixth Ranger: She and Jessi are invited to join the club after they help look for Karen in "Hello Camp Moosehead! Part 2".
Jessi Ramsey
Jessica Davis "Jessi" Ramsey
- Played by: Anais Lee
A junior officer of the club.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: In the books, Jessi doesn't move to Stoneybrook until after Stacey moves back to New York. Here, she's at Camp Moosehead with the other girls.
- Fangirl: She is enthusiastic about joining the club, even naming the club by name as if she was being told she was joining a party full of celebrities.
- Nice Girl: She goes with Mallory and Kristy to help look for Karen despite not knowing the younger personally, but with enthusiasm. She's even quick to assure Karen that she'll be her friend and that she likes her.
- Only Known By Her Nickname: Her mother Janice uses 'Jessica' plenty in "Jessi and the Superbrat" in Season 2, to demonstrate parental seriousness. Other than that, she's basically Jessi.
- Pink Means Feminine: Her first appearance is showing off her ballet skills during camp auditions in pastel pink leotard and wrap skirt, which also highlights a sweet nature.
- Sixth Ranger: She and Mallory are invited to join the club after they help look for Karen in "Hello Camp Moosehead! Part 2".
Adults
Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer
Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer
- Played by: Alicia Silverstone
Kristy's mother.
- Adaptational Name Change: Downplayed. Her name is still Elizabeth, but she now uses "Liz, please", which is new to the Netflix series.
- Alone Among the Couples: As Kristy remembered, Elizabeth always looked sad and lonely when she was around married parents in the neighborhood or in meetings with schoolteachers. She has to acknowledge how her mother looks much happier after getting with Watson and deserves it after being divorced and left romantically alone for a long time.
- Deadpan Snarker: As a mother of four children (soon to be six children), including a Control Freak daughter, a smartass teen boy, and a precocious but slightly odd stepdaughter, it's a helpful tool to have.
- Glamorous Single Mother: Played with. Elizabeth starts out the series in a nice suburban home with a realtor job and looking as beautiful as Alicia Silverstone but it's said that she had troubles with her water and electric bills in the past — given her irresponsible ex-husband, it's practically a given she had major issues with receiving her entitled child support. Plus she has two smart-mouthed teen boys, a preteen daughter who is skeptical, and a young son- so her life is hardly glamorous.
- Good Stepmother: To Karen and the very shy Andrew. She's very patient, considering one stepchild is shy and the other is the overactive imaginative Karen Brewer.
- Informed Flaw: Kristy says in "Kristy's Big Idea" that her mother is irresponsible and it has led to their power being cut off. Elizabeth never really shows any indication of this flaw in the series.
- Not So Above It All: She is a hard-working and independent feminist, working to instill these traits in Kristy so she can be her own woman as she grows up. But, her marriage to Watson makes Kristy worry she is selling out her values, and this is lightly touched on regarding the tiara. (She does eventually tell Kristy she can be independent yet still open herself up to others and share her life.) It's also pointed out that Kristy takes after her regarding her fear of change.Kristy: Aren't you a little old to be wearing a tiara?Elizabeth: Tell it to the Queen.
- Open-Minded Parent: She learns that Kristy was assigned an essay on decorum but takes the time to hear Kristy out and believes her when Kristy implies that her teacher was putting on a Double Standard and tells Kristy to be more forgiving of herself and other people because "no one is perfect", even the people who love her.
- Parental Favoritism: Elizabeth doesn't necessarily demonstrate this (Kristy seems to be treated more-or-less the same as her brothers and views herself as the same), but she tells Kristy in an Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other moment that Kristy is her favorite.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: After being left by an irresponsible man who doesn't bother contacting his children after his departure, the very kind, fun-loving and understanding Watson is quite an improvement for her love life.
- Struggling Single Mother: At first, but being in a relationship with (then being married to) Watson, who is extremely wealthy, helps this.
Watson Brewer
Watson Brewer
- Played by: Mark Feuerstein
Elizabeth's fiancee (and eventual husband) and Kristy's stepfather.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: In the books, he is described as balding and middle-aged (even older than Elizabeth by a few years) and some illustrations depict him as a portly man of average looks. The series has him depicted by the rather cute Mark Feuerstein.
- All There in the Manual: Executive producer Lucia Aniello admitted on a podcast that Watson quickly turned into one of her favorite characters, and she and the writers decided to flesh him out to build on his book counterpart. Although his job is never mentioned in the Netflix series (he is a CEO to an insurance company in the book series), Aniello said she imagined that Watson works in something like city/urban planning or sustainability, which also explains why he rides a bike to work. While planning jobs tend to pull in good income, she also imagined that his wealth is more from the fact that he comes from "old money."
- Bourgeois Bohemian: Watson is mindful regarding environmental issues (he rides a bike to work)and comes from an old-money family.
- Friend to All Children: He's enthusiastic, positive and just a little dorky, which is why he manages to win over kids of all ages, from his four-year-old son and the pre-teen BSC members to Liz's two teenage boys. Of course, the one kid he actually wants to impress, Kristy, is harder to win over.
- Informed Flaw: Kristy accuses him of never spending time with his children because he only gets them on the weekend and has to go into work on a Saturday. However, he does appear to be a devoted dad whose kids adore him, and it's implied that Kristy is projecting her own issues with her Disappeared Dad onto him. Zigzagged as well; Kristy accuses him of trying to "buy" their family, although Watson doesn't seem to flash his money around in a crude way. However, he is much more frivolous with money than the Thomas family is used to and some of his actions, such as buying Charlie a BMW when he'd saved for a used Toyota and offering to buy Kristy a highly expensive dress because she didn't like her first one does indicate that he does tend to use his wealth to occasionally solve problems. In spite of this, though, he only does it to make the kids happy and to try to connect with them (which sometimes works).
- Nice Guy: Despite Kristy's suspicions, he's nothing but pleasant throughout the series, and even forgives Kristy fairly easily for accidentally damaging his antique car.
- Non-Idle Rich: He's very well-off and has a beautiful home with an antique car, but does have a job (
Word of God states he might be involved in urban planning or sustainability) that he occasionally works weekends at. He rides a bike to work and seems to be a pretty hard worker. - Took a Level in Kindness: He's already pretty kind, but when he appears to be ready to get justifiably angry at Kristy for the damage to his very rare car, he simply calls it even and agrees to not tell Liz. All because it was more important that Kristy be honest with him.
Richard Spier
Richard Spier
- Played by: Marc Evan Jackson
Mary Anne's widowed dad.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Book illustrations have depicted him as a scrawny, bespectacled, middle-aged man who has been married to two much more gorgeous women and was a bit of a looker as a younger father. This version has him played by the adorable Marc Evan Jackson.
- Affectionate Nickname: Sharon called him "Richie" and "Turtle" when they were going out.
- Animal Motifs: Turtles. "Turtle" is Sharon's nickname for him and several characters compare him to a turtle because he is very shy, reticent, and apparently cold.
- Boyfriend-Blocking Dad: Subverted. Mary Anne, anxious about her upcoming first date with Logan, tells it to her dad thinking that he'll put his foot down about it (a reasonable assumption given his prior overprotectiveness). It turns out that he's not only fine with her dating Logan but supportive, and even reads a speech he'd prepared for the occasion off of some notecards.
- Can't Hold His Liquor: At the wedding when speculating about him and Sharon, Mary Anne comments that he's had a third of a glass of champagne and so "anything can happen".
- Cuteness Proximity: Given his quiet (and rare) smiles at Watson's and Elizabeth's wedding when the Thomas children and the Brewer children (who he doesn't know very well), the fact Claudia feels close enough to him to embrace him, and his conflicted feelings regarding Mary Anne growing up it can be said he feels sentimental about kids.
- Distracted by the Sexy: When Dawn calls (charading as her mother), Richard appears to be struggling to hold himself together from getting too excited at the sound of what he thought was Sharon's voice flirting with him...until he figures out it's Dawn due to her inviting him for wine on the rocks.
- Fiery Redhead: He has ginger colored hair and can get snappish when he's upset.
- Has a Type: Judging by his relationship with Sharon and his late wife Alma, he is attracted to confident women of color with curly hair.
- Hidden Depths:
- Given that his work colleague Mrs. Delvecchio was insistent that only Mary Anne babysit her transgender daughter. This hints at Richard being socially progressive regarding gender expression and identity (in contrast to the books where he started out enforcing a rather dated version of femininity so Mary Anne would be raised properly) for his colleague to entrust his relative with her young child. This could even point out that Mrs. Delvecchio finds him trustworthy and that is he is sympathetic to her concerns.
- Out of all the babysitters, Claudia is always happy to see him, as she finds him to be a kind person just repressed and gives him a glomp when he comes by with a healthy casserole after Mimi's stroke. This is likely due to the Spiers and Kishis being close.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Taking away Mary Anne's phone for her being late is a bit harsh, but she's a seventh-grader who was 20 minutes late from when she said she'd be home while there was a home invader at large. He's correct that she simply could have texted him to let him know she was running late (although, he could have also called or texted her).
- Not So Stoic: He appears to have a stoic image but he is shown to get emotional to the point of tears when remembering his late wife and the prospects of Mary Anne leaving town for a babysitting gig.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: At the wedding, when stressed about Sharon's attendance (she was late), he comments to the middle school-aged Mary Anne that he's going to get champagne and asks if she'd like any.
- Open-Minded Parent: He's already more open-minded than he lets on – he seems to be fully aware that Francine's daughter is trans and recommended Mary Anne to babysit out of respect for his colleague. Also, Mary Anne's strict "dress code" comes more from the fact that he doesn't feel confident styling Mary Anne's hair, which is much like her Black mother's. But his whole arc is about becoming more outwardly open-minded, allowing Mary Anne to establish her own tastes and become more independent.
- Real Men Cook: He is an experimental and creative cook, awkwardly flirting with Sharon over amaranth and planning a themed Thanksgiving dinner. In contrast to Elizabeth, who brings several boxes of pizza for Claudia's family, he brings a homemade healthy casserole for the Kishis and he knows that cast-iron skillets cannot be put in the dishwasher.
- Shrinking Violet: He's very introverted and given Sharon's nickname "Turtle" for him, he likely had very shy traits just like his daughter.
- Sour Outside, Sad Inside: Richard often snaps at Mary Anne or Sharon when he's unhappy, but he's clearly still grieving for Mary Anne's mother. This is a trait his daughter inherits from him.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: He appears to be uptight and a bit cold, but is shown as a loving and proud father, as well as a trustworthy co-worker with implied progressive social views. Genki Girl Claudia finds him lovable.
- Uptight Loves Wild: He rekindles a relationship with Dawn's hippie, flaky, but loving mother Sharon.
Mimi Yamamoto
Mimi Yamamoto
- Played by: Takayo Fischer
Claudia's beloved grandmother.
- Cool Old Lady: She is very accepting and understanding of her granddaughter's differences from the family and is held in reverence by her neighborhood.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Claudia and Mean Janine reveals that when she was 5, her family was forced to move to the internment camp at Manzanar where her family slept in horse stables that weren't clean and ate canned or rotten food. These memories are the first ones that come up when she wakes up from her coma.
- Feminine Women Can Cook: She is a good cook. Claudia notes that she cooks with love in every dish and she teaches Claudia to do the same; Season 2 has her teaching Claudia how to conduct a proper tea ceremony.
- Intergenerational Friendship: She had this with Mary Anne's late mother and now with Mary Anne.
- Like Parent, Like Child: She is as excitable and warm as her daughter Kimiko and granddaughter Claudia.
- Needlework Is for Old People: She is a knitter and this is pointed out when Mary Anne comments that she is likely fashion-wise, "the world's oldest toddler or it's youngest senior citizen", partly due to knitting and conversing over tea with Mimi.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Her real name, Makiko, is spoken by a doctor once at the hospital; everyone (including her daughter and son-in-law, her granddaughters, and their neighbors) calls her "Mimi".
- Open Minded Grandparent: She is very accepting of Claudia's differences from the rest of her family, praising her for the skills and the character traits Claudia excels at rather than lamenting where Claudia falls short, and doesn't seem angry at Claudia when the girl confesses to using Stacey's test as a cover to go to the dance. After she dies, Janine reveals that Mimi knew Janine was in love with Ashley and promised her to give Ashley the charm bracelet her late husband won for her.
- Textile Work Is Feminine: She is a talented knitter and gives lessons to Mary Anne. Season 2 reveals that when Claudia and Mary Anne were babies, she and the late Alma created these costumes for them to wear for the Baby Parade contest and even after 13 years, they hold up.
Sharon Porter
Sharon Porter
- Played by: Jessica Elaina Eason
Dawn's scatterbrained mother.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Like her daughter, Sharon was described and sometimes depicted as a blonde white woman. In this version she is a dark-haired Latina.
- Amicably Divorced: She doesn't appear to harbor any resentment toward Dawn's father for their split (although she hesitates to wear a dress that she wore the night they finally decided to divorce). She has little angst about being newly single and leaving California behind, and mainly stayed with Dawn's dad out of codependency despite knowing deep down he was gay.
- The Beard: Her ex-husband is gay, something that Dawn said they were both aware of but were together because they were both codependent.
- Beware the Nice Ones: She's a loving, sweet woman - but if you are an adult who is depending on a teenager to help fix your life and taking advantage of their good will, she will give you a scathing "The Reason You Suck" Speech.Sharon: This is Dawn's phone. This is her mother. I'm sorry, Dawn cannot come to the phone right now. She's a kid who has her own life to live. Sort out yours and then you can apologize to my daughter.
- Bourgeois Bohemian: She is hippie-ish and a vegetarian along with being progressive. She mentions her parents have "lots of property" they don't know what to do with and she inherited a house from them.
- Calling The Old Woman Out: She calls out Natalie Barrett on behalf of her daughter.
- Everyone Has Standards: She has an open, lenient relationship with her daughter Dawn and is very scatterbrained, to the point of Dawn having to take care of her (putting away things for her, Sharon can't run a dishwasher, and keeping appointments) but she is shocked by how much Ms. Barrett's irresponsibility has negatively impacted Dawn (to the point where the girl is losing sleep and is stressed out by a possible kidnapping) and calls her out on it.
- Foil: To Natalie Barrett. Both are recently divorced mothers who tend to be disorganized. But Sharon is also fully aware of Dawn's instinct to take care of things and makes it clear that she doesn't expect that behaviour from Dawn, and stops her from doing too much for her. Natalie, meanwhile, comes to expect Dawn to handle not just babysitting, but housekeeping and full-on parenting at times. It all culminates in a phone confrontation between Sharon and Natalie in which Sharon demonstrates how different they are deep down.
- Mama Bear: She is scatterbrained but she doesn't like it when babysitting clients take advantage of her young daughter's time and help, and won't be afraid to call them out and name their sins to them on the phone. As she puts it:But I'm your mother and sometimes I want to take care of you.
- Ms. Fanservice: Implied, especially for a show oriented for a G-rated audience; she did wear a deep-plunging raspberry colored dress to a commitment ceremony when she was pregnant with Dawn, and given the seductive voice that Dawn put on to trick Richard into coming over to see Sharon (after he had gotten angry the previous two episodes) and Richard's reaction to it, it's not far-fetched to believe she acts it out.
- Open-Minded Parent: Dawn is very free to express herself, and is even able to disagree with her mother in an amicable way. She also allows Dawn to use her phone at the dinner table, which shocks Richard.
- Quirky Curls: She is a hippie-ish mother with very curly brown hair, which ties into her lovely and scatterbrained nature. This is in contrast with her straight-haired (and organized, laid-back) daughter and her gelled-haired (uptight and anxious) boyfriend.
- Race Lift: She was white in the books, like her daughter, but Latina in this adaptation.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: She comes across as a little spacey and more permissive than the buttoned-down Richard, but she has an open and honest relationship with her daughter, allows Dawn to express herself, clearly knows right from wrong (demonstrated in her phone call with Natalie) and shows some sensibility regarding conflict resolution with Richard.
- Too Dumb to Live: Gets one instance of this in "Kristy's Big Day" after getting Elizabeth and Watson to avoid using Yellow Fish for their wedding... but neglects to mention she is allergic to tree nuts and forgets her nut allergy when she eats a little cake with Nutella. Kristy is incredulous about her forgetting such a universal allergy.
Esme Porter
Esme Porter
- Played by: Karin Konoval
Dawn's spiritual practitioner aunt and Watson's next door neighbor, whom Karen thinks is a witch.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: The graphic novel version of "Karen's Witch" depicts her as a elderly white woman with long, disheveled curly gray hair in dark clothing, looking like a stereotypical hag-like witch. She's played by an attractive, late middle-aged Latina in colorful hippieish clothing in this show.
- Bourgeois Bohemian: She lives next door to Watson in the same wealthy area of town and she is a hippie, feminist New Age spiritual practitioner.
- Brutal Honesty: While she is gentle with children (like Mary Anne, Dawn, or Karen screaming at the sight of her), she is quick to shut down adults when they get annoying like her friend Barb when she is about to talk about her divorce for the nth time.
- Cool Aunt: To both Sharon and Dawn. She is delighted to have Dawn at her share-remony and was implied to have been close to Sharon when she was growing up even to the point she was aware of how deep her relationship to Richard went and approved.
- Creepy Good: Invoked. Karen is scared of her and thinks she's a witch, but Esme points out that people should listen to kids when they talk.
- Friend to All Children: Played with. She's not as outwardly sweet and full of sunshine as Watson is, but she outwardly advocates for people to take kids seriously, which delights Karen. She also fawns over Dawn and has a lighthearted approach to Mary Anne's breakdown at the Share-emony, merely writing it off as a "Scorpio" trait rather than rudeness.
- Quirky Curls: Has short, curly brown hair that reflects her bohemian sensibilities and non-cormformist worldview.
- Race Lift: She was described as a white woman in the books, but is Latina in this version.
John and Kimiko Kishi
John and Kimiko Kishi
- Played by: Kevan Ohtsji and Diana Bang
Claudia and Janine's parents (and Mimi's daughter and son-in-law), who profess a desire for Claudia to become more academically inclined.
- Adaptation Name Change: For Kimiko. Her name in the book series was Rioko.
- Education Mama: Both of them profess pride in Janine in being a Teen Genius and having straight A's (even buying a huge internet package for Janine's computer activities) while they wish Claudia would be more adept in academic subjects.
- Like Parent, Like Child: They are each like their daughters albeit more measured and mature. John is as serious as Janine while Kimiko is as excitable as Claudia, and her mother Mimi.
Deirdre and Forrest Pike
Deirdre and Forrest Pike
- Played by: Caitlin Howden and Stephen Weigand
Mallory's permissive and good-natured but beleaguered parents raising eight children.
- Adaptation Name Change: For both parents. Their names are Diana "Dee" and John Pike in the books.
- Badly Battered Parents: As a result of raising their eight children to "follow their bliss" and not impose any behavioral boundaries, they haven't gotten a full night of sleep since Mallory was born and hired two babysitters to watch their kids on their beach trip, and the carelessness of one of their kids results in breaking something at their vacation home.Deirdre: There goes my AirBNB points.
- Doting Parent: They raise their children to "follow their bliss" and not impose any boundaries on their behavior, even when their phases get annoying, like with Vanessa constantly rhyming everything.
- Open-Minded Parent: Their philosophy of letting their children "follow their bliss" was so they would be able to express their individuality and skills (Vanessa's poetry, for one thing).
Maureen and Edward McGill
Maureen and Edward McGill
- Played by: Shauna Johannesen and Peter Benson
Stacey's loving but worried parents.
- My Beloved Smother: Maureen. She convinces Stacey to keep her condition under lockdown and is so intent on Stacey hiding her insulin pump that she indirectly causes her daughter to feel like she's ashamed of her. Also she freaks out any time Stacey's blood sugar levels do something weird (even if it's handled by the time she finds out) and takes her to the doctor for extra testing. She gets better about when Stacey tells her that she isn't ashamed of her condition and that she will stop hiding her pump.
- Open-Minded Parent: In contrast to his wife, Ed doesn't show the same anxieties around Stacey's condition, takes very well to Stacey outing herself as diabetic, and is even impressed by her bedazzling her insulin pump, asking if she can do it to his phone.
- Real Men Wear Pink: Her father looks like a completely heteronormative dad, but also admires Stacey's bedazzling skill and asks if she could do the same to his phone.
- Unnamed Parent: Stacey's parents are just "Mom and Dad" in the first season. It's assumed they still have their book names of Maureen and Ed.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: In Season 2, we see that their marriage gets strained after Edward starts working on a new account that takes him away from his wife and daughter; this stresses Stacey out.
Siblings
Charlie Thomas
Charlie Thomas
- Played by: Ethan Farrell
Kristy's oldest brother.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Like his biological siblings, he is described and depicted as a brunette in the books. In this adaption he's blonde.
- Adaptation Personality Change: In the books he's a helpful, respectful, outwardly cheerful young man who carries a deep resentment of his father leaving the family and is (along with Sam and Kristy) wise to the fact that Elizabeth ordering pizza means that she wants something from them. In this series he is more in the background, less responsible than Kristy (his younger sister), and can be quite rude to his mother (coming in with the aforementioned pizza).
- Bratty Teenage Daughter: Gender inverted; he fits the stereotypical image of a teenage boy. Somewhat disrespectful, irresponsible, not particularly intellectual (he is shown up in this area by his younger siblings), and has a messy room with smelly socks.
- Cool Big Bro: In Season 2, we see more of these traits as we see him comfort Sam in "Kristy and the Baby Parade" regarding their absent father wanting to visit with his girlfriend and Sam getting upset about it.
- Disappeared Dad: Like his siblings, they were left by their father years before and he hasn't contacted them since.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: An obnoxious teenage boy who really focuses on comforting his siblings.
- Nice Mean And In Between: With his younger brother Sam, he is the "Mean" as they are brattier while Kristy is an "In Between" and David Michael a "Nice".
Sam Thomas
Sam Thomas
- Played by: Dylan Kingwell
Kristy's second older brother on whom Stacey has a crush.
- Actually Pretty Funny: The speech for Deadpan Snarker below draws laughter from the club - even Kristy chuckles at this scathingly accurate description of her worries.
- Big Brother Bully: He gets a rise out of annoying Kristy.
- Bratty Teenage Daughter: Gender-inverted, he's rather obnoxious and not very responsible, like his older brother.
- Deadpan Snarker: It must be a family trait from Elizabeth's side and it comes in handy when he explains to the club (and Kristy, by extension) what her misgivings about their mother's engagement to Watson are.Sam: Kristy is worried that if our mom isn't stressed about money every single second of her life, she's gonna stop being a feminist or something. So it's better we all live on top of each other and go into crazy debt for college rather than compromise our values by letting Mom marry a chill guy that totally loves her.
- Disappeared Dad: Like his siblings, he was abandoned by their father when he left the family and hasn't contacted them since. Season Two shows that this really has affected him in a big way, with him outright showing a lack of trust that his father will truly want to be there.
- Hidden Depths: He appears to be a stereotypical teen boy but his speech regarding Kristy reveals that he is fully aware of how stressed out his mother gets over her finances, that they could possibly need to take loans out if the kids wanted to attend college, and that his mother is finally in a loving and healthy relationship with a man so unlike their father.
- He is still resentful at his father for leaving the family and for possibly trying to use his kids.
- My New Gift Is Lame: He makes a illustrated card for Mimi with a blender and while it's a technically well drawn blender, it is rather odd for a "Get Well Soon" card.
- Nice Mean And In Between: Along with his older brother Charlie, they are the "Mean" bratty teenagers to their younger sister Kristy's "In Between" and younger brother David Michael's "Nice".
David Michael Thomas
David Michael Thomas
- Played by: Benjamin Goas
Kristy's younger brother.
- Children Are Innocent: By far, the sweetest and most innocent of the Thomas children.
- Disappeared Dad: Like his older siblings, his father has left the family when he was young and hasn't made a effort to communicate with any of them.
- Innocently Insensitive: He hurts Karen's feelings when she overhears him correcting one of the Pike boys; they make a comment about how "weird" his sister Karen is and he replies that she is merely his "stepsister".
- Nice Mean And In Between: With his biological sister and brothers, he is the "Nice" because Children Are Innocent, while Kristy falls in "In Between" given her Jerk with a Heart of Gold tendencies, and their older brothers fall into "Mean" with their brattier traits.
Karen Brewer
Karen Brewer
- Played by: Sophia Reid-Gantzert
Kristy's stepsister and Watson's daughter, who has an overactive imagination.
- Adaptation Personality Change: A talkative Genki Girl in the books, The Stoic in this series.
- Creepy Child: She can come off like this with her morbid imagination. Her introductory scene has her performing a wake for one of her dolls.
- Little Miss Snarker: She has a deadpan delivery, a keen awareness of the world, and is barely past Kindergarten.Kristy: What happens when you join two people, and their families, together forever? Unless someone changes their mind, which they do, all the time.
'Karen: We're all children of divorce, Kristy, get to the good part.
Janine Kishi
Janine Kishi
- Played by: Aya Furukawa
Claudia's introverted genius older sister.
- Adaptation Personality Change: In the books Janine was introverted but a friendly young woman. The series changed Janine into being more aloof and somewhat off-putting to others.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Janine is described as the more plain sibling in the books and dresses in a very boring manner. While she's not as colorful as Claudia and does wear a pair of nerdish glasses, she's played by the very attractive Aya Furukawa and seems to have a bit more of an edgy style to her dress.
- Adaptational Jerkass: Not to an extreme extent, but enough that Claudia's resentment of her seems quite a bit more justified than in the original books. Janine's book counterpart was a Cool Big Sis and probably Claudia's biggest advocate, even if Claudia didn't always recognize that; in the series, she's an Aloof Big Sister who does things like suggest their parents use Claudia's desire to go to the school dance as an incentive to force her to improve her grades. note
- Adaptational Sexuality: She had a boyfriend named Jerry in the original books, but has a girlfriend named Ashley Wyeth in this version.
- Ambiguous Disorder: Something is definitely different about Janine, and it's quite possible she's not neurotypical. She communicates mainly in Spock Speak and isn't prone to emotion. She's shown to even be uncomfortable when her mother, upset about Mimi's stroke, hugs her. She does, however, break through her slight discomfort to put her arm around Claudia to comfort her. She was very hurt when Claudia said Mimi loved her more, and cries over Mimi's death. Mimi seems to be the only thing which inspires a strong emotional display from her.
- Did You Think I Can't Feel?: Janine tells off Claudia for running off to Stacey's house after Mimi died, telling her she had to deal with her own grief and their parents (Kimiko was grieving her mother and John was using most of his emotional energy comforting her) alone and for being rude to Ashley after they were looking through the jewelry that Mimi earmarked for the girls and comes out to Claudia.
- Grammar Nazi: According to Claudia, Janine corrects people's grammar on Reddit.
- Hidden Depths: While the depths of Janine's knowledge and academic intelligence are anything but hidden, she does show some emotional depth that surprises even her sister. She's shown to be extremely hurt when Claudia says that Mimi loves her more. Janine also has a special relationship with Mimi, and even learned Japanese to communicate with her. Janine also knows more about Mimi's childhood and background, and notes to Claudia that she knows about it simply because she asked her. She's also able to use her in-depth knowledge of medicine to provide Claudia with some comfort about Mimi's recovery.
- Hidden Heart of Gold: Despite what her cold, aloof demeanor would suggest, Janine clearly does care about her family (and human rights issues, past and present), as shown in "Claudia and Mean Janine".
- Insufferable Genius: She very openly does not care for Claudia's friends or socialization in general and can't seem to read the room and know when she's being off-putting. Her introductory scene involves her (remotely) slamming her door in Claudia's friends' face.
- Lipstick Lesbian: In Season 2, she reveals that she is in love with her friend Ashley Wyeth and presents herself in a feminine manner, but downplayed compared to her sister.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: She's cold, fact-based, and academic compared to Claudia, who is expressive, emotional and artistic. Her parents treat her as an equal, while they treat Claudia like more of a child. Janine prefers to be alone, whereas Claudia loves being surrounded by people. Just about the only thing they have in common is their love of Mimi.
- Spock Speak: She can barely get through a sentence without becoming overly verbose, and tends to relate to things based mostly on facts – not emotions.
- Teen Genius: She is a computer hacker with an interest in a large number of topics like vascular neurology, Japanese, psychology, art criticism, history and speaks of these topics with the familiarity of a Ph.D...and she's only a sophomore in high school.
- Wham Line: (About Manzanar) "It was an internment camp."
- When She Smiles: At the end of Claudia and the Sad Good-Bye, during a tea ceremony Claudia set up in her room for the family and the club, Janine delivers a sweet and pretty smile (comfortable with her relationship out in the open).
Byron Pike
Byron Pike
- Played by: Brock Brown
Mallory's younger brother, one of the triplets, who has a crush on Stacey.
- Precocious Crush: He is a grade school boy with a crush on the middle-school aged Stacey, and he gets defensive when she is disrespected by his bratty brothers.
Vanessa Pike
Vanessa Pike
- Played by: Daphne Hoskins
Mallory's younger sister, who rhymes everything she says.
- Rhymes on a Dime: She rhymes all her sentences in order to become a poet; her parents find it mildly annoying.
Other Characters
Logan Bruno
Logan Bruno
- Played by: Rian McCririck
Mary Anne's crush, who seems to reciprocate.
- Adaptational Backstory Change: Logan is no longer the New Transfer Student and he no longer has a distinct Louisville accent, he was born in Louisville however.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Logan wasn't a part of the books until eighth grade. Here he's in Stoneybrook when everyone is still in seventh.
- Adaptational Wimp: Originally Logan was a jock and the more outgoing, if understanding, one in his relationship with Mary Anne. He's no longer shown doing anything with sports and is now potentially shyer than her.
- Adaptational Ugliness: Much was made in the books of his good looks and resemblance to a movie star, Cam Geary. Here, Mary Anne still crushes on him but doesn't compare him to her favorite handsome actor.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Like Mary Anne, he isn't very verbose and gets hesitant when around her.
- Friend to All Children: He volunteers to read to children at the local public library.
- Nice Guy: Very sweet-natured and encouraging of Mary Anne as a play director.
- Shrinking Violet: He admits to Mary Anne that he wishes he could be able to speak up like she does, implying he is more passive than she.
Laine Cummings
Laine Cummings
- Played by: Beatrice Kitsos
Stacey's ex-best friend and Mary Anne's colleague for the camp play.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: Book!Laine still takes some convincing to understand that the way she ostracized Stacey was wrong. After she and Stacey reunite, she's mostly nice (in Stacey's Mistake, it was Claudia who starts antagonizing Laine, and eventually Laine is shown to be generous towards the club, including Claudia)... until the 51st book when she becomes snobbish, alienates the Stoneybrook crew, and she and Stacey fall out again. In the TV version, she is immediately regretful about how quickly the video of Stacey's seizure got out of hand, and she seemed to genuinely be concerned about it (you can even hear it in her voice on the video). She apologizes to Stacey with far less work and is also generally a Nice Girl to everyone around her, including the mousey Mary-Anne.
- The Atoner: She is sorry for spreading the video that humiliated Stacey.
- Deadpan Snarker: When Mary Anne remarks about the hermit's curse on the camp theater, Laine comments that if the previous cast were performing Cats she wouldn't have blamed him.
- Took a Level in Kindness: When we first see her, she is friendly with Mary Anne and takes Mary Anne's awkward and naive comments in stride. It's later we find out she is one of Stacey's ex-friends who humiliated her on social media.
Alex
Alex
- Played by: David Raynolds
A Sea City resident who befriends Mary Anne.
- Adaptational Sexuality: He was Mary Anne's vacation Love Interest in the books (at least at first- by the end of the second Sea City book, they decide to just be friends), but here he's either openly bisexual or gay, and their relationship is a friendly, platonic one from the get-go.
- All Gays Love Theater: He is in his school's drama club and is a young gay (or possibly bisexual) boy.
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: He has helped many tourists buried in the beach sand for most of his life, even knowing that people are either buried there or have been doing this for Instagram.
- Nice Guy: Friendly, helpful, and frank in his advice to Mary Anne on opening up to Logan.
- Straight Gay: He dresses like most teenage boys on the series and mentions having a crush on one of his male co-stars.
Toby
Toby
- Played by: Mason Mckenzie
Alex's cousin visiting from Canada.
- Nice Guy: Funny, friendly, helpful, and patient with Stacey.
Ashley Wyeth
Ashley Wyeth
- Played by: Kelcey Mawema
Janine's new friend and later girlfriend who is introduced in Season 2.
- Adaptational Badass: In a way. In the books, she's smart and talented, but also a loner considered weird by everyone, except her Only Friend Claudia, and eventually even Claudia starts avoiding her. In this series, she's super cool and popular, and admired by Claudia and her friends.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: She is a bossy False Friend to Claudia in the books, but is a genuinely good friend to Janine in this series.
- Adaptational Sexuality: Her sexuality is not mentioned in the book version, but here she is Janine's Love Interest.
- Age Lift: She's a middle schooler in the books, but in this series she is Janine's age.
- Cool Kid-and-Loser Friendship: Claudia is surprised that her nerdy sister Janine hangs out with a cool girl like Ashley.
- In Name Only: Probably the character who is the most changed from her book counterpart. She literally has nothing in common with her book version, except for the name.
- Lipstick Lesbian: She is a very feminine young woman and a lesbian.
- Race Lift: A blond white girl in the books, but becomes black in this version.
