Photo: Jill Mingason/Disney
Summer is well and truly over, and few things come as close to transitioning into fall as new episodes of Abbott Elementary. After a strike-affected third season finale that coincided with more buzz than ever surrounding the show, Abbott gives us a strong first episode, showing just how prepared the cast and crew are for the new season. The show is no longer the best newbie of the year on television. Abbott is now well established in the industry, and with a massive 22-episode season, the writers and actors have room to breathe and flesh out story lines in true sitcom fashion. We even got a crossover with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, so it’s safe to say that real TV is back, baby.
Not much has changed in the halls of Abbott Elementary: Jacob still hates Mr. Morton, Ava avoids work at all costs (she declares work to be her least favorite thing), and the teachers remind the kids how much better they are than Neo. Jersey and Janine share stolen glances with Gregory above their students’ heads. However, these stolen glances are no longer of the will or will variety. After last season’s finale, which culminated in Janine and Gregory’s kiss, the duo has moved forward in their relationship and is testing the waters romantically. Here is an example of the precise and exciting place Abbott finds herself in four chapters; The choices made now will determine whether they pass the challenge to reach vintage sitcom status. I’m particularly interested in how Janine and Gregory move forward since fan reception of romantic relationships can be particularly fraught depending on which way the wind blows. Some fans were already tired of the tension after just two seasons, while others, like me, enjoyed the tension. Now, we have to find out if this relationship will last long-term, like Jim and Pam’s relationship from The Office, or just a fleeting relationship, like Ann and Andy from Parks and Recreation. Or could this be a classic break-up-for-makeup situation, like Jess and Nick from New Girl? There are so many possible avenues, and watching it unfold in real time is what makes TV so entertaining.
Right now, we have no idea what Janine and Gregory’s future holds, which is totally okay because we’re enjoying living in the moment of the early days of their romance. We get cute moments that play on their idiosyncrasies, like Janine telling Gregory that she’ll never take him somewhere without buttered pasta and Gregory uncharacteristically receiving a lipstick kiss from Janine on the cheek. They’re adorable because they try to act shy at work even though everyone already knows the progress in their relationship, with Ava seeing sneakiness as an insult to their intelligence. Their coworkers have no problem wooing them, but once the students start catching feelings, Ava pressures them to come out so they won’t get in trouble by bringing a human resources representative (Warren, one of Janine’s officers from the district) to the school in hopes of forcing their hand. True to their personalities, Janine advocates keeping things under wraps, while Gregory wants to come clean, stating that there is nothing professionally wrong with what they do as long as they are honest about it.
After Janine awkwardly avoids a conversation with Warren, Gregory begins to worry about her coldness regarding her feelings. Jacob assured him that Janine really liked him, so he didn’t have to worry about it. So, when Janine realizes she’s forgotten her presentation at the back-to-school staff meeting (which is very important because she’s planning a field trip to the aquarium, and “if kids don’t go to the aquarium, they fail their school entrance exams”), Gregory plays the perfect boyfriend and goes to her apartment to retrieve it during his free period. He barely makes it back in time before rushing right into the meeting as Janine runs out of stall time and gives her her keys back. The employees begin questioning them with questions about their apparent closeness, including coming to and from work together with their duffel overnight bags, until they crack under the pressure—pressure exemplified by Mr. Morton’s accusation that the duffel bags were used to sell drugs. . Janine declared that they were having sex, officially letting the cat out of the bag.
Janine immediately tries to put the cat back in the bag, prompting Gregory to start an honest conversation about why she wants to keep things private. She admits that she’s scared because she wasn’t successful the last time she made something official (I can’t wait for Tariq’s first appearance of the season), and she really wants things to go well this time. Gregory pulls Janine into his arms, calming her anxiety by reminding her that this time is different. They decided to tackle HR, but this time they left out the gender part, thankfully. Gregory and Janine finally sit down with Warren and Ava to reveal the details of their coupling. Janine treats it like a therapy session, omitting anything related to sex but oversharing to the point where she tries to move the conversation to when she hits puberty in 11th grade, leading Tyler James Williams to a fascinating dead end. Warren stops her there, saying that all he needs to know is their current relationship status. For the first time, Janine and Gregory publicly announced that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. With everything on the table, Warren checks in on the relationship, gives a resounding blessing (I love this rivalry) and allows them to move forward with the romance.
As Janine and Gregory formalize their relationship, the staff deals with the fallout of a PGA golf course currently under construction a few blocks from Abbott, the first sign of a new white student whom Ava mistakes for a ghost from the Victorian era out west. Philly School. Aside from the influx of white people in the neighborhood eager to live near the course, the drain on resources needed to build such a project directly impacts the school. A water pipe burst, traffic became unbearable, electricity went out, and gas was shut off as construction work continued. Ava dodges complaints, claiming there’s nothing she can do since it’s a city-backed project.
When a student’s tooth falls out while trying to chew a piece of frozen chicken because the cafeteria can’t heat it without gas, Melissa uses her connections to try to improve conditions. Her cousin, construction worker Tommy, told her the golf course was cutting corners by using non-union workers. She suggests disrupting the town or having her cousin kill all their pets. Obviously they chose the former. As news of Abbott’s displeasure spread, a lawyer appeared to represent the school’s golf course. He apologizes with the bell of a politician, convincing them of the value the golf course will add before handing out gift cards, easy chairs, and new computers. He then promised that the workers would join the union by the following week. I know when something is too good to be true, and it seems as if Abbott has introduced a new villain.
• I love the “Jacob can’t read” conspiracy theory. I hope it becomes a running gag with his hatred for Morton. Speaking of: Watching him take the beef to HR was funny, but Mr. Johnson accusing Melissa of flirting across lunch menus takes the cake.
• I’m very biased, as I live next door, but I’m glad Abbott Elementary is highlighting how golf courses use a tremendous amount of resources.
• Finally, here are my favorite lines from the episode:
Ava on Janine and Gregory: “We know what they look like when they’re bent hard.” I never thought I’d hear a hunchback on network television, so thank you, Janelle James, for that wonderful introduction.
Mr Johnson after Janine admits she’s having sex with Gregory – not that she’s a drug dealer: ‘This is worse than I thought.’ What people won’t do for money.”
Barbara, confronting the golf course attorney: “Your little construction project has put a huge strain on our lives. We have a white baby now. Do you want to get his parents involved?”
When Ava Warren says she can’t sell student-made jewelry on Etsy because of child labor laws: “Is it really work if they love what they’re doing?”
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