The lovable cast of Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary has returned for a fifth season this fall, with new episodes airing every Wednesday at 8:30 PM on ABC and available on Hulu the following day. This season has had a bit of a different feel than the others, with many changes such as Melissa beginning to teach sixth graders, a new teacher named Dominic, who is an alumnus of Barbara’s kindergarten class, and Ava’s new romance with the tech guy, O’Shon. It has also taken our teachers out of the classroom more than any other season, with episodes taking place at a Phillies game, Gregory’s apartment, the DMV, and more.
The first episode features Development Day at Abbott, filled with mandatory team-building exercises that the staff has to participate in to prepare for the new school year. Barbara is ecstatic to work alongside her former student; however, Janine begins to spiral after Dominic’s arrival, as she realizes she is no longer a new teacher. Furthermore, Jacob and Mr. Morton get surprisingly along in this episode as they prepare (and warn) Melissa for teaching sixth graders. I thought that this episode was a great start to season 5, as it introduced new, interesting storylines while continuing old ones. It was also really funny and unhinged, especially with Gregory teaching Mr. Johnson how to ride a bike, even though it was only the first episode.
The second episode follows Melissa and her new sixth-grade class. She is confident in her teaching skills, as her students keep getting amazing scores on her quizzes. However, she is forced to rethink her confidence when Gregory informs her that her students have been cheating. Tariq’s girlfriend’s son is also now in Janine’s class, which causes chaos. Moreover, the episode features a new counselor, who Barbara and Jacob repeatedly ask unnecessary questions. I also enjoyed this episode because I love Tariq’s character because he is able to make any scene hilarious. Additionally, I enjoyed watching Barbara and Jacob’s beef unfold and eventually get resolved.
The third episode follows the teachers, Mr. Johnson, Ava, and O’Shon as they attend a Philadelphia Phillies game for Teacher Appreciation Week. Janine is excited to attend her first baseball game, yet she is worried she will not like it. Melissa challenges Jacob to the beer and hot dog 9-9-9 challenge for a spot in their shared fridge. Barbara is excited to meet Kyle Schwarber, as she is a big fan of his. Furthermore, Ava hyper-focuses on getting on the kiss-cam with O’Shon, which causes some tension between the two. I thought that this was a really cool episode as it was filmed during a real baseball game, where Kyle Schwarber actually hit four home runs. It was also funny, like all Abbott episodes, and I loved the cute small moments between Janine and Gregory.
The fourth episode of the season features Gregory volunteering to host game night with Janine, Jacob, and their friends. However, his questionably plain apartment creates an uncomfortable vibe for the party. Meanwhile, Mr. Johnson, Ava, and the other teachers visit the DMV to renew their licenses, yet they face some difficulties along the way. While I thought the game night plot was a little hard to watch, it still made me laugh. I also loved the DMV part of the episode because it was hilarious to see Barbara fail her driving test, Melissa crash out over her turn in line, and Ava fighting with the person taking her picture for her ID.
To summarize, as someone who has loved Abbott Elementary since its first season, I thought that the first few episodes of season 5 were definitely worth the watch. Filled with many funny moments, they never failed to make me laugh and keep me entertained. I am excited to see how the rest of the season unfolds and what else Abbott has in store for its viewers.