Kai Shappley Gets Rave Reviews In Netflix 'The Baby Sitters Club' Episode

I've always said about my chosen Austin resident niece Kai Shappley that the camera loves her and the feeling is mutual.   I always marvel at the fact this child hardly ever takes a bad photo.

A few months ago she took a trip to Vancouver, BC for which the purpose was unknown to those of us who love her until now. 

 I had been seeing Netflix promotions of their reboot of The Baby Sitters Club' when I signed in to watch my other fave shows and movies,  but didn't have any interest in watching it since the show is aimed at younger viewers.

The Baby Sitters Club is based on the series of books by author Ann M. Martin that were published between 1986-2000.   The books were previously adapted for an HBO series in 1990 and a 1995 feature film. 

That was until I received a message from her mom Kimberly to check out episode 4 of it.  I did, and there was Kai lighting up the screen playing Bailey.   

I so enjoyed the episode that Kai was featured in, I binge watched the rest of Season One.

The Baby Sitters Club handled the trans themed storyline with sensitivity.  The writers also used a great analogy to describe what it is like to be trans.   And of course, bravo on casting a trans child to play a trans child.

Her mom is also pleased and proud of her as well.   So is Aunt Monica.

As for our budding preteen thespian?    She's still focused on becoming an astrophysicist, but is starting to get interest from Hollywood.

I was happy to get to spend some time with Kai and her mom last year during the Equality Texas 30th anniversary dinner where she, like I did,  picked up an award for the work her now nine year old self has been doing to advance trans rights in the Lone Star State .

Kai has also picked up an award that I don't have on my shelf.   An Emmy for the Trans in America :Texas Strong Daresha Kyl directed documentary she and Kimberly were featured in.

Who knows?  She may have another one in her future.   

'Dear White People' Returns May 4

One of the things I get to celebrate on my upcoming Cuatro de Mayo birthday besides getting another year older is the return of the Netflix television show Dear White People for its second season.

The show stars Logan Browning from VH1's Hit The Floor as Samantha White, and she's back behind the Winchester University radio mic to critique along with her Black classmates at this PWI all the things the see on and off campus from their eyes.

In season two's ten episodes they will tackle the alt-right white supremacists, do battle with online trolls and dealing with integration of their previously all Black dorm 



Will we see more 'Defamation', the show's parody of Scandal?   Good question. 

It's one that will be answered on May 4

Season 2 Of 'One Day At A Time' Available January 26

Many of you TransGriot readers know how much I loved along with television critics across the country the Latinx flavored reboot of the Norman Lear classic 1970's show One Day at a Time.

In the rebooted show, it focuses on three generations of a Cuban-American family in LA headed by Afghan war vet and combat nurse  Penelope Alvarez  (Justina Machado) .  She is newly divorced from her husband Victor and is juggling her job at a doctor's office with raising her two teenage kids Alex and Elena with the help of her mother Lydia (Rita Moreno).

The fact that Justina Machado and Rita Moreno were part of this reboot was a bonus and was what got me to watch it in the first place.  After the first episode, I was hooked and kept binge watching it for several hours, then went back two days later to watch it again and catch anything I'd missed.

Season One dealt with issues including Elena's coming out, Penelope struggling with anxiety issues, dealing with the VA, faith, families being split by deportations, and the Season One closing quinceanera for Elena. 

There was even a cameo appearance by Mackenzie Phillips as Pam, the facilitating counselor for Penelope's women's veterans group. 




Season Two promises more of the same.  It will deal with Penelope now adding going back to school on her crowded plate, xenophobia, and adjusting to Elena being out.   There also promises to be more humorous moments in the multigenerational Alvarez household

But I and every other fan of the show will have to wait until January 26 to see it.