Warning: SPOILERS for Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 21.Abbott Elementaryseason 4 finally solved its biggest conflict, but one scene highlighted a clear opportunity the mockumentary has failed to take. The creator of the series, Quinta Brunson, also leads theAbbott Elementarycast of charactersas Janine Teagues, the resident optimist whose stubborn nature prevents her from ever giving up. Along with otherAbbott Elementaryteachers— Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph), Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter), Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams), and Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti)— Janine works under the undeniably unique rule of Principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James).Abbott Elementaryseason 4, episode 18, however, jeopardized everything.
After Ava took the fall for the teachers and told the district she was solely responsible for the local golf course’s bribes, the school district fired her. For a few episodes,Gregory stood in asAbbott Elementary’s principalwith unsurprising competence. Still,the school needed an unconventional hero like Ava at the helm. When Janine, Melissa, Barbara, and Jacob try to take a stand inAbbott Elementaryseason 4, episode 21, the district suspends all four of them for a week and refuses to reinstate Ava. Luckily, student protests and community action forced the district’s hand to overturn its decisions.
Barbara And Melissa Are Secretly Disappointed After Avoiding Suspension In Abbott Elementary Season 4, Episode 21
They Defeat The District, But They Sacrifice Their Free Time
AfterAbbott Elementaryseason 4, episode 21 redeemed its villainsand celebrated the success of collective action, the credits' scene revealed that it was a bittersweet moment for its two veteran teachers.Barbara and Melissa were secretly looking forward to taking the week off, leading them to allow Tariq (Zack Fox), a non-parent and non-teacher member of the PTA, to teach class while they relaxed in the back of the room. Both women were glad the community prevailed over the cruel and unfeeling school district, but it’s clear that they were secretly glad to get a break, voluntary or otherwise.
New episodes ofAbbott Elementarycan be streamed on Hulu the day after they air on ABC. Full seasons are streaming on Max.
While this may have been a simple joke about how overworked teachers are, it’s a humorous departure from the righteous indignation that theAbbott Elementarycharacters initially responded with. Barbara was livid with her suspension, insisting she’d never faced disciplinary action throughout her entire career. Given that she’s been teaching since before some of the main characters were even alive, it’s no wonderAbbott Elementaryseason 4 teased Barbara’s retirement. Yet, there’s no way the mockumentary will let Mrs. Howard go anytime soon. Regardless, she and the otherAbbott Elementaryteachers deserve a break, albeit on a smaller scale.
Abbott Elementary Should Show The Teachers’ Free Time During Summer Vacation (But How?)
There Are Options For Special Episodes
The best way to give the ensemble cast a reprieve would be to show the teachers during summer. While the mockumentary has stepped outside the school before,Abbott Elementaryhas never dedicated an episode to summer vacation. Although there have been plots during winter break (“Holiday Hookah,” “Winter Break,” etc.), the comedy has never delved into what its teachers do outside the school year. Summer plans have been alluded to or mentioned in passing, butAbbott Elementarycould have an episode take place during the summer itself to check in on the teachers and see them without the constant stress.
Okay, I’m Officially Worried About One Character’s Future At Abbott Elementary After Season 4, Episode 20
After Abbott Elementary season 4’s big Ava update, one member of the main cast may feel compelled to broaden their horizons beyond the titular school.
Abbott Elementarycould easily incorporate a summer storylinethat could branch off into showing the home lives of the teachers.Abbott Elementaryseason 4, episode 17 focused on Ava’s slow-burnfirst date and a karaoke night, so one episode about a pool party or cookout wouldn’t necessarily be out of place. The mockumentary could even tie it back to the main premise by having one character teaching summer school, and the episode’s main conflict would be them trying to make it to the party and balance their extracurricular responsibilities. While the plot is simple, the timing would be more tricky.
Why Abbott Elementary Only Takes Place During The School Year
The Mockumentary Follows A Realistic School Calendar
Although it would be a perfect addition to the series, the mockumentary may never include a summer episode sinceAbbott Elementaryfollows a real school schedule. It’s typical for network series to start in the fall and end in the spring, since that’s the traditional cycle of television shows. Most series take the summer to regroup, write and film for the next season, and plan for the future. ForAbbott Elementary, there’s a more conscious reason. As Quinta Brunson explained on theFebruary 7, 2024 episode ofJimmy Kimmel Live!:
“Abbott is a show where we attempt to go by the school calendar, you know? We start in September along with teachers, and we like to stick to that calendar.”
Nevertheless, there are ways to make a summer episode work withAbbott Elementary’s school calendar goal. Although most networks air reruns of popular series during the summer, withAbbott Elementaryhaving plenty of rewatchable episodes, the series could air a special episode during July or August, protecting the main season’s school year timeline. Alternatively, a summer recap episode could air a week earlier than season premieres normally drop, using the vacation episode as a way to ease back into the world. Regardless of how or when,Abbott Elementarycould benefit from a fun episode that explores teachers on summer vacation.
