The Baby-Sitters Club – Claudia and the Sad Goodbye

By: Sammi Turano

Claudia (Momona Tamada) and Mimi (Takayo Fischer) are making special tea together. It is a Japanese tradition and something very important to Mimi. Claudia loves making it, but gets frustrated when Mimi wants her to do it correctly.

Janine (Aya Furukawa) and Ashley (Kelcey Mawema) walk in and say hello and get snacks. Mimi promises that Claudia will bring them special tea in a little bit, which makes Claudia even more frustrated. She points out that she is not a maid, but makes the tea anyway.

That night, Claudia is painting when Mimi walks in to say goodnight and that she doesn’t want to confuse the muses.

The next morning, Mr Kishi (Kevan Ohtsji) and Mrs. Kishi (Diana Bang) are in the kitchen crying. They tell Claudia and Janine that Mimi died in her sleep that night. Claudia is in shock because she seemed fine the day before, but Janine points out that she was old and suffering from the after-affects of her stroke.

The Kishis plan for the funeral and tell the girls no visitors before and after because of Buddhist tradition. Claudia goes to Stacey’s (Shay Rudolph) to relax and get away. Stacey’s mom (Shauna Johannesen) offers to order food, but they decide to go to the mall instead.

Kristy (Sophie Grace) makes her house comfortable for the club meeting and Claudia. Karen (Sophia Reid-Gantzert) wants to know why, so Kristy explains everything.

 Jessi (Anais Lee), Mary Anne (Malia Baker), Dawn (Kyndra Sanchez) and Mallory (Vivian Watson) arrive with Claudia and Stacey. Everything is tense and awkward and made even worse when Karen says Mimi came to her in a dream and is marrying Ben Brewer.

Claudia has had enough, so she and Stacey go back to the McGills. She wants to do something, but Mrs. McGill says Claudia’s family wants her at home.

After the funeral, Claudia and her family come home, but it ends up too much for her, so she goes to Stacey’s. As they eat snacks, they hear Stacey’s parents fighting, which embarrasses Stacey.

Claudia then goes to Mary Anne’s, but ends up having a meltdown while distracting herself from her grief. The two of them talk about losing loved ones and hug it out.

When Claudia gets home, she sees Janine and Ashley going through Mimi’s jewelry box. Claudia has a fit, which causes a fight with Janine. Ashley gives them privacy to talk and Janine admits she and Ashley are actually a couple. She tells Claudia that it is pretty new, but Mimi figured it out and she told her the truth.

This leads to a beautiful bonding moment for the sisters, where they hug and pick out a piece of jewelry for Ashley.

The episode ends with Claudia making special tea for her friends, family and Ashley as a memorial for Mimi. The Kishis welcome Ashley into their family. They also set up a shrine to remember Mimi.