We’re back in class with another fun episode of Abbott Elementary!
This was probably the best episode of the season, and for that reason, we’re giving it five stars.
When you have an ensemble cast like this one, it can be hard to make sure everyone’s story gets told. But the writers of this show know what they’re doing, and it never feels like anyone is left behind.
The big news from Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 10 was Janine’s big career decision. We definitely saw it coming, as she’s been dropping hints about how much she misses being in the classroom all season.
The district fellowship was a nice storyline for her because it gave her opportunities for growth and helped her understand where she really wanted to be.
Plus, it gave us Manny, who will be missed as the show pulls away from the district. Maybe they’ll find a way to keep him involved, which would be great!
But we’ve always known that Janine belonged at Abbott, so there wasn’t really much suspense involved with her decision about which job to move forward with.
Unsurprisingly, everyone at Abbott is thrilled that Janine will be returning to the school. Maybe none so much as Gregory. Their friendship is really solid right now, and fingers crossed it stays that way.
Like we’ve said before, we’re not shipping them romantically, and as it turns out, we’re not alone. Tyler James Williams recently said that he supports his character’s friendship with Janine but doesn’t think they should date.
There just aren’t ever enough platonic friendships between characters of different genders on TV. For some reason, writers love to ruin a good bond by forcing a relationship.
So, we’re still rooting against Janine and Gregory as a couple but hoping their friendship continues to evolve.
The episode was really funny, which comes as no surprise, but one of the best parts was the slew of impressions Melissa hit us with. Her version of Sylvester Stallone as Robert DeNiro was top-tier.
Ava: Ava Fest, on the other hand, is going to be special. I just have to come up with a way to take it over the top. A way to make it unhinged.
Melissa: Have you ever tried just being hinged?
Melissa Schemmenti continues to be one of the show’s most hilarious characters. She always has a comeback, her Philadelphia accent is spot-on, and her exaggerated portrayal of a stereotypical Philly resident is excellent.
She spent the episode making fun of Ava, who swore Questlove would be attending Ava Fest. Ava has become a “boy who cried wolf” after her last celebrity cameo promise turned out to be a bust.
Melissa was joined by Barb, Gregory, and Jacob in an attempt to get Ava to admit that Questlove wasn’t really going to be attending Ava Fest. Jacob even went behind Ava’s back and made a flier that clearly said the claim was false.
We can’t really blame the teachers for not believing Ava. Obviously, it turned out she wasn’t lying, and Questlove’s cameo at the end of the episode was great. Abbott Elementary knows how to produce a good cameo!
2 Ava 2 Fest nailed down a point we’ve made before: earlier in the season, Ava’s character development was incredible. But for some reason, it took a left turn, and she’s been back to her old ways.
While she turned out to be telling the truth this time, she was pretty rude to everyone throughout the episode. The running gag where she’s cruel to Janine Teagues for no reason is getting a little old.
Plus, making a joke (or trying to start a rumor) that someone is pregnant will never be funny.
There’s still a little time for redemption, and now that Janine will be coming back to the school, we’ll hold out hope that Ava will find her way back to the maturity she was displaying before.
With the reveal that Gregory’s Garden Goofballs — his gardening and outreach program — has officially been approved for funding at the district, there’s a chance we could still get to see our friends from there in future episodes.
Honestly, we wouldn’t mind seeing Manny brought on as a love interest for Janine now that she’s not working under him.
It would be a shame to have to say goodbye to him after getting attached throughout this season!
That being said, it’s okay if Janine doesn’t get a love interest. There doesn’t always need to be one to make a character have value.
Overall, it was a great episode. Janine’s decision to come back to Abbott wasn’t a surprise, but it was still welcome news after all of the back-and-forth.
Gregory’s program deserves to get off the ground (no pun intended). It’ll be really exciting to see where the show takes that and how much it’ll be scaled up.
Ava: We all know the real reason you came back is to see Questlove.
Janine: Ava, Questlove is not coming here.
As for what’s going on with Ava Coleman, well, we just hope the writers can point her back in the right direction.
The Ava who was kind, thoughtful, and selfless was preferable to the one who only thinks about herself. Of course, people can have more than one layer, so maybe it’s about making her character multi-dimensional.
So, fanatics — what did you think? Did you enjoy the episode as much as we did? Let us know in the comments, and sound off about what you think is coming next for the Abbott Elementary crew.
Don’t forget to watch Abbott Elementary online in the meantime!
Haley Whitmire White is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow her on X.