Okay, so a LOT is happening in this episode. First of all, the BSC is trying to put together “a major Baby-Sitters Club production” of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Secondly, Stacey’s gotten some work as a model for a local department store fashion show!

This is the look her friends convince her to wear to the shoot. I’m not sure even 1990 can be used as an excuse for this:

Meanwhile, Kristy tries to bully a small boy into wearing tights as part of his “Grumpy” the dwarf costume. Then she yells at the children for not listening to her (she’s the director). Like what is the purpose of this? Why don’t these girls just go to the mall like every other group 90’s teens? Why are they choosing to corral a bunch of kindergarteners into a play that most of them seem like they do NOT want to participate in?

Yo, but this was like my ideal party dress in the early-90’s and I feel like Stacey, at least, is living her best life:

But sadly, she can’t eat pizza with the rest of the girls because some a-hole grown up at the photoshoot told her to lose ten pounds. To make matters worse, one of the kids she babysits for is all pissed off at her because she missed play rehearsal. But it’s FINE because that kid is rehearsing with Dawn now, so just move on with your new fabulous life, Stacey!

Now Stacey is mad at Dawn for rehearsing with her favorite kid. Okay, dude, you guys NEED to get out more. Thankfully, Stacey rage eats some pizza so we don’t have to worry about her starving herself.

Stacey wins the department store fashion competition and blessedly looks much better than she did when she went to that first photo shoot. I would probably wear this outfit now. It’s classic retro-chic.

I gotta be honest, I was very sus of this whole situation. I thought Stacey was going to complain about being overwhelmed with the department’s store modeling gig and I was all prepared to be like “GOSH, STACEY IT’S JUST CATALOG WORK!” However things really start to take off for her. She’s about to shoot a commercial and take a trip to LA when she decides that she’s missing too much of The Baby-Sitters Club.

I mean she *claims* that she just wants to be a kid, but she rushes back to the BSC to coach that little girl through her stilted performance of Snow White. So it seems more like she just wants to be a mom.

Ordinarily, I would be CHEERING for a young girl who decided that the entertainment industry was not for her. But instead I’m like, “Where are this child’s parents?!? Why are they not concerned that her only hobby is babysitting??”

So we watch Stacey observing the play and throwing away her own career aspirations to take care of a child that isn’t even her own, in what I assume is presumably meant to be a happy ending. And eventually, she will grow up and be part of the pay equity problem.

Very Special Lesson: I’m starting to wonder if The BSC may possess some cult-like characteristics. If there’s anything I learned from 90’s television, it’s that cults can be found in many deceptive forms.