Operation Sisterhood

Dr. Coleman posts a picture of the girls’ gig on social media and word gets around about their babysitting band. They begin to get more inquiries. Ms. Tyler, in turn, spreads the word about the block party among her friends and even becomes a regular visitor at the Dwyer-Saunders brownstone to chat about new recipes with Lola.

The girls’ first babysitting gig starts chaotic, with Stevia and Zora Bullock wreaking havoc while Amy is bored. Bo comes up with a plan to have Amy join the older girls as an assistant to help her feel included. Amy guest stars in the band, and they play together to entertain the Bullock siblings. At pick-up time, Ms. Bullock is impressed with how well the girls handed her kids; she even picks up a few books from the store before she leaves. The Johnsons, too, buy a few books before they pay the babysitters. Amy astutely asks for a cut as an “assistant,” and the girls give her money to the amusement of the adults.

The girls are elated by their success. As they walk home, however, they come across Reese’s band, Gloss, performing at the subway, and are disheartened by how good Reese, Lita, and Maya sound. Reese and her gang make fun of the Dwyer-Saunders girls’ band. The girls are discouraged and wonder if they should just stick to hosting the garden party. Sunday tries to pep them up, but Bo, overwhelmed by everything going on lately, snaps at her.

Bo spends some time organizing the pantry at home, which makes her feel better. When she heads upstairs to talk to Sunday, she finds that Sunday has cleaned up their room to cheer up Bo. Bo is initially pleasantly surprised but then discovers that Sunday has also mixed up their belongings and organized them together. Upset and speechless, Bo runs out of the house and heads to the subway.

Bo takes the train to her old apartment building. Mrs. Dougie is surprised and delighted to see her, and Bo stays with an excited Dougie while his mother runs an errand. Dougie tells Bo about his new friend, Bella, who moved into Bo’s old apartment, and Bo feels a little bad to hear about the new tenants.

Mrs. Dougie returns, and Bo fibs that Lola just forgot to tell her about Bo visiting. Just as Mrs. Dougie is about to call Lola, Bo is saved by Sunday’s arrival. Sunday tells Mrs. Dougie that the girls were together on a project exploring the neighborhood. Sunday, Bo, and Dougie play together for a while, and Bo finds to her surprise that she quite enjoys this experience.

On the way home, the girls apologize to each other. Sunday recognizes that she was trying too hard to welcome Bo and crossed some boundaries in the process. Bo explains that she is feeling overwhelmed with all the changes in her life despite always appearing calm and collected on the outside. The girls run into Reese and her posse on the way home, and tired of always being picked on, Bo and Sunday challenge Gloss to a battle of the bands at the block party.

Bo and Sunday tell the twins about the battle of the bands, and though the four of them are nervous, they are also excited. As the girls discuss the block party, Lola arrives, demanding to hear about Bo’s impromptu trip. Bo reassures Sunday she does not have to cover for her.

Lola decides that she and Bo are going to bake. Lola has a new recipe she has developed called “Sistersweet”; the cake has a base flavor, which can be customized and adapted for each of the four girls. Lola also finally tells Bo about the Sunshine Surprise Smilecake but reveals it is meant for Sunday: Bill occasionally calls Sunday “Sunshine.” Lola wanted to make something special for Sunday because she so graciously welcomed Lola into her life, even though it must not have been easy for her.

Bo apologizes for running away, and Lola acknowledges that she must have been feeling quite a lot to have done what she did. Bo finally talks about how overwhelmed she has been feeling with the changes and the lack of quality time she gets with Lola. She feels like Lola is so happy that she does not seem to need Bo around anymore.

Lola asserts that her happiness stems from Bo finally having sisters and a community, something that Lola has always wanted for her daughter. She also reassures Bo that it is not her job to look after her mother’s needs. She acknowledges that, even while being a good thing, the big family can be overwhelming for Bo, and Lola feels that way herself, too, sometimes. Mother and daughter reaffirm their love for each other, and promise to talk more to each other in the future when they feel this way.

The girls get busy planning the block party as the date approaches. Excitement and anticipation build across the neighborhood, and everyone is much friendlier to the family now, especially Ms. Tyler.

Bill tells the girls the local daycare wants to hire their band for regular gigs at the center. Word is spreading among his bookstore customers as well, and there are more requests for the girls to babysit. Bill is happy to keep hosting the girls’ band at the store; Lola, too, will be joining henceforth, as she is launching a line of cookies from the store.

Bo finally tells the family that she would like help with the cupcakes for the party, and her sisters enthusiastically agree. Lola has a surprise for Bo: Although there will not be a trip to Paris and Lagos like originally planned, they are going to Savannah, Georgia, in the summer to visit Bo’s Auntie Fola.

Marcus and Kareem join the girls in setting up on the day of the block party. Although it initially looks like rain, by the time the party starts the skies are clear and the sun is shining. There is a huge turnout, with people dancing and multiple stalls offering different kinds of food. There is an animal adoption table.

Bo surveys the garden with satisfaction. There is still work to be done, and Lola’s friend, Tanya, who is a community garden expert, has come down from the Bronx to look at the space. She has ideas for different things that can be done over the summer.

Marcus and Kareem compliment the girls on pulling off the party and thank them for the invitation. Gloss finally arrives, and as they perform their piece, the girls acknowledge they are very good. However, the girls are confident they are very good, too, and vow to have fun on stage no matter what. Mrs. Dougie calls the girls up onto the stage to introduce them. Even as they are still undecided on a band name, Bo declares that they are “Operation Sisterhood.” The crowd cheers, and the girls enthusiastically launch into their performance.