The hit show Abbott Elementary on ABC is back for its third season. This show is a sitcom shot similarly to The Office and Modern Family set in an elementary school in Philadelphia. It’s positive and easy to watch, quickly becoming something I look forward to watching every week. Although the show is light-hearted, it also shines a light on the disparities in public schools, doing this in a way that shows the seriousness of the situation while also artfully balancing humor. Although Quinta Brunson plays “Jenine” in the show, she also produced and wrote it herself, basing it on her mom’s struggles working as a kindergarten teacher in West Philadelphia.
The new season deviates from the norm, and we see many new changes. Because of the writers’ strike, the show premiered later than in the past, leaving a large gap between seasons. How the show explains this gap in time is well done and frankly hilarious. I wasn’t sure how they were going to cover this, but I was delightfully surprised. The first episode of the season premiered in two parts, five months from where the show left off and going back and forth to the present. The teachers reference the camera crew filming the show, which is not something that Abbot Elementary has done before in the show. Later, it is discovered that the camera crew got their camera equipment stolen, and it took them five months to get new equipment. The characters of the show act like this is normal, even mundane, and the whole exchange is hilarious to watch, and their delivery makes it all believable.
In addition to this, Jenine has also been working in the district. The show cuts back and forth from five months before to the current time. I personally really liked this for Jenine, and seeing her frustrations with bureaucratic practices in the district adds layers to her character, which we have not seen before. The spark from the first two seasons doesn’t feel the same with Jenine working at the district, but we get to explore more new plots this season. In episode three, Jenine tries to get an ALS interpreter for a student at Abbott. She is met with unforeseen obstacles and almost quits until Ava gives an uncharacteristic pep talk and convinces Jenine to keep trying. In the end, Jenine succeeds. I thought this episode was very interesting because it showed how hard it is for a district to get support for students even if they really want to.
Ava’s stepping up to push Jenine was due to selfish circumstances, but it still shows a significant shift in her character. Over the summer, she is shown trying to better herself. I like how the show doesn’t try to change her character completely and reverts to most of her old habits by the end of the premiere. Changes are not made overnight, but she is trying to be a better principal.
Jenine and Eddie, another teacher at the school, will-they-won’t–they romance that has been a slow burn since episode one. This season feels like the writers are almost drawing out, keeping them separated to keep the plot going. Last season, the two shared a kiss and many romantic moments, ultimately confirming their feelings for each other. I was deeply disappointed that they decided to stay friends since this didn’t seem realistic. If the two both want to be with each other, what is stopping them? The writers of the show! The plot around their romance this season feels like a poor attempt at drawing this whole thing out to keep viewers hooked. Regardless of all this, their relationship feels genuine and very heartfelt.
The new season has all the same characters but with new plot developments and struggles. I look forward to seeing where the show goes as the season progresses.