Mockumentaries have consistently been successful for American television with well-known sitcoms such as “The Office,” “Modern Family” and “Parks and Recreation.” The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) introduced another mockumentary sitcom, “Abbott Elementary.” on Dec. 7, 2021. Since its initial release, the series has garnered plenty of positive reviews and attraction from viewers. Fans were eagerly awaiting the season’s three premiere, especially with the delay from the Writers Guild of America strike impacting production. On Feb. 7, 2024, season three finally had its two-episode premiere, with new episodes airing every Wednesday on ABC or streaming on Hulu.
The workplace comedy takes place in Willard R. Abbott Elementary, an underfunded and predominantly Black public school in Philadelphia. A documentary crew follows the lives of the teachers, such as optimistic second-grade teacher Janine Teagues, played by the show’s creator, Quinta Brunson. Among the rest of the teachers, the cast includes Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams), Principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James), Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter), Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti), Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis). Although the conditions at the school are harsh due to the poor funding, the teachers try their best to help their students succeed.
Season two of the show did not leave things on a cliffhanger, but it did leave fans wanting more. The “will-they-won’t-they” trope and slow burn between Janine and Gregory is one of the more anticipated moments of the show. The chemistry between the two has fans excited to see how things will unfold for them. At the end of season two, the pair finally confess their feelings, but, in a mature decision, Janine decides to focus on herself first before dating again after having recently ended a long-term relationship. Besides their relationship, season two featured more moments that looked deeper into the character’s personal lives and development.
The two-part episode starts by cleverly blaming the five-month hiatus due to the camera crew’s equipment being stolen and needing months to get new equipment. The season’s starter, “Career Day Part 1 and 2,” jumps between five months ago and the present day. Before the hiatus, a team from the school district shadows the school to see how they can help improve the curriculum. They take an interest in Janine and offer her a fellowship to work with them. Meanwhile, the hilarious and oblivious principal Ava, known for her typical aloof behavior at work, starts to take her job seriously after spending her summer at Harvard. She starts to change things up, such as moving desks around, preventing the teachers from taking lunch breaks to watch the kids and doing her job. As a result, the rest of the teachers make multiple attempts to return her to her normal and careless self.
Back to the present, the school features a new special day at the school as they make their first attempt at career day. As this was Janine’s plan, she stressed with the planning as she raced around to make sure it went smoothly. Meanwhile, one of the other teachers, Melissa Schemmenti, gets suspicious of her boyfriend possibly planning to propose to her despite her absolute refusal to get married again. Even with the jam-packed season three trailer, fans were quick to notice the tension lingering between Gregory and Janine, which made them eager for answers in the premiere. Viewers were sure to keep a close eye on any scenes between the two in hopes that they finally get together. The show also featured cameo appearances from NFL’s Eagles: Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce and Brandon Graham. It’s a cameo that had the characters themselves freaking out over due to them being huge fans of their city’s football team.
The season premiere went off with a bang as it finally returned. The show reminded viewers why the show was so good by remaining strong on its best qualities. The writers of “Abbott Elementary” showcase their talented wit and skills through funny moments and jokes that get audiences slapping their knees with laughter. Writing the time jump-in was a creative way to hint about the writer’s strike without being too on the nose. The show excels in its comedic timing of moments, actors’ delivery of their lines and classic side eyes from the characters to the camera.
Besides the very creative writing, the sitcom excels in its array of actors who do an excellent job portraying their characters. Besides the chemistry between Brunson and Williams for their characters Janine and Gregory, respectively, the rest of the actors have immense chemistry with each other. This makes for wonderful scenes from their banter with each other and heartwarming moments. All of their different personalities mesh well together, which makes their acting feel real. It also helps to embody real teachers so well for their hard work and caring personalities toward students despite getting severely underpaid. The overall show has many layers that build upon its highlights, creating a workplace comedy sitcom that embodies the roles of teachers.
Verdict: “Abbott Elementary” season three returns to remind viewers as to why the show is the comedic gold at its finest. Between the acting and writing, the show does not disappoint and is sure to be a comfort show for many.
