Andi Mack: Season 1/ Episode 3 “Shhh!” – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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As the family dynamic continues to work itself out in Andi’s household, Buffy gets into sports and Cyrus is just the supportive best friend.

Episode Focus: “You don’t have to let her go. You just have to let me in” (Celia, Bex, and Andi)

With Celia having 13 years to mold Andi into her image, Bex wants her turn and time to have it so Andi is somewhat like her too. So, she decides to have Andi watch a horror movie. Something which gives her nightmares and made it so hard to sleep that she slept in class. Leading to her getting detention, not being able to play ultimate Frisbee with Jonah, and Celia feeling justified in her parenting methods.

Though, of course, this isn’t something just settled between adults. Andi is dragged into it for her opinion and she refuses to decide. Especially because she is still adjusting to her sister being her mom and her mother being her grandma.[note]Bex has a job, in some sort of Hot Topic looking shop which also gives make overs[/note]

Commentary

You know, I find it weird that when Bex was known as Andi’s sister she wasn’t doing all the things she is now doing with Andi. Granted, she was considered flighty, but why wasn’t she having a younger Andi watch horror movies with her then? Taking her out and sneaking her some type of candy her mom didn’t approve of or buying her lip gloss to try on? If there is one thing I don’t fully get about this whole “I’m your mom now” thing, it is the idea that Bex completely wasn’t trying to put her thumb print on Andi until now.

Though I also wonder where grandpa suddenly went to? For, assuming he is Bex’s dad, you’d think he would be acting as peacekeeper and maybe even taking Andi away from the drama sometimes, if not trying to help her understand the issues between her mom and her grandma [note]Who wants to be called “Cece.”[/note]

Subplot 1: Not Every Team Member is On The Field and There Is No “I” in Team (Buffy and Cyrus)

While Andi deals with her parents’ issues, Buffy is slowly entering the world of track and field and Cyrus is becoming his version of a soccer, or in this case track and field, mom. As in he has sunscreen, water, protein snacks, and the works. Of which he is not teased at all about, especially when it comes to the Ultimate Frisbee team, since it seems none of their parents are there to watch them play. So while he may not be on the field, Jonah does validate him and treat him as someone on the team.

Switching back to Buffy, she seems to be quite athletic. The problem is though, Buffy is like Kobi Bryant. She is all about winning and making herself look good vs. making the team look good. Which maybe the obstacle she has in her pursuit of the type of validation she seeks. For, strangely noted, one of the things she likes about sports is that it isn’t complicated. Making you wonder what is complicated in Buffy’s life?

Commentary

While between Cyrus and Jonah it is said that there is going to be a boy coming to terms with his sexuality, it isn’t necessarily clear what is going to go on with Buffy. Is she going to be just another sassy Black friend or will she too benefit from this new direction Disney is going in? Well, that is why Buffy noting her desire, if not need to win, and how uncomplicated sports are, matters. For while you have Zendaya as a representative of Black girls on the network as well, as noted on this site so much, diversity isn’t just about a different skin color or being the one token.

There needs to be skinny girls like Zendaya who usually have their hair straightened, girls like Buffy with curly hair, who like sports, and also those who are like Raven, who will soon be rejoining the network. Each one gives both Black and non-Black girls a different sort of blueprint or role model. Someone who looks like them and when it comes to Buffy, isn’t some sort of spy, psychic, or anything like that, but is a normal girl just trying to make it through middle school, high school, college, and just life.

So it will be interesting to see what is the complication in Buffy’s life that makes sports important to her. Is it that sports are her method of making her parents proud, maybe take note of her, or maybe they are really into academics but Buffy only excels in sports? Could it be she has a single parent home where there is a lot of drama, or maybe she has real, more than “WHO ATE ALL THE CEREAL!” type of issues with her siblings? I mean, being that this is the Disney Channel, I don’t expect them to veer into FreeForm territory. However, in a post Girl Meets World landscape, it is hard to know where the line has been pushed to now.