Abbott Elementary aired tonight after the Oscars, but we didn’t mind staying up a little late to catch up with our favorite teachers.
After a fantastic episode last week, we were hoping that the new episode would keep the momentum going. Good news: it did!
Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 6 brought up some heavy topics, but as always, the writers dealt with tough subjects with respect and just the right amount of humor.
This show tends to deliver really funny cold opens, and this episode was no exception — in fact, it was a little special due to an unexpected cameo.
Any Bradley Cooper fans out there? He’s from Philly, so it’s pretty cool to see him get in on the action! He was a great addition to the episode.
After the Bradley Cooper fun, the episode dives in with some slightly less famous special guests. Janine introduces Elizabeth from the Board of Education and Joan from the city.
These two are here to announce that Abbott Elementary is being honored with a designation as a historical landmark, which is not only a big honor, but will come with extra funds for the school to use for some updates.
Unsurprisingly, Ava is stoked about the money, but Janine is mostly overcome with pride for her school.
Barbara and Melissa give Janine a little bit of a realistic view of the “honor” — it’s meaningless, according to the veteran teachers. Janine wants none of that attitude.
This is where we see classic Janine: optimistic, always, but maybe even a little naive. Barbara and Melissa have been around for a long time and they know that designations like this are generally just for show.
But Janine is positive that it’s an incredible honor, and it obviously means a lot to her.
To their credit, Barbara and Melissa don’t try to ruin the experience for Janine, which is a nice display of how much they care about their colleague.
Ava throws a party to celebrate the designation (at which Elizabeth slips up and calls it a “press opp,” which kind of confirms that Barbara and Melissa were totally right).
Still, Janine excitedly gives a speech about how proud of Abbott she is.
But the celebration doesn’t last long, as demonstrators show up from an anti-racist organization to inform everyone that the historical designation shouldn’t be awarded because Willard R. Abbott was, in fact, a pro-segregation racist.
This is clearly terrible news.
In a bid to avoid losing the designation, everyone starts brainstorming a solution. They’re told that renaming the school won’t work because that process could take up to five years.
So instead, they decide to try and find another person named Willard R. Abbott — if there’s one out there who isn’t terrible, the school can be named after him, and everyone wins.
This solution is objectively hilarious — what are the odds that someone has the exact name they’re looking for and is also a thoroughly decent person?
Jacob, Gregory, and Janine work together on some research. It was really fun to watch them together, as it always is. The three of them have great chemistry and the evolution of these characters’ friendships has been so satisfying.
If you were worried that the writers forgot that Janine and Gregory had a “thing,” Jacob is here to make sure no one thinks that got swept under the rug.
Jacob took a break from the research session to leave Janine and Gregory alone and took the opportunity to remind the camera crew of the “will-they-won’t-they” situation his friends were in.
Back in the room, Janine and Gregory are as chaste as ever. You could maybe stretch and say they were mildly flirting, but that might be generous. Honestly, they can stay friends — there’s nothing wrong with that!
Miraculously, a direct descendant of Willard R. Abbott is located. He goes by Willie, but he has the exact same name as his ancestor, and as it turns out, he’s spent his life working to undo the terrible legacy Abbott left.
When we meet Willie, he seems great. He’s been vetted by the government officials and even grilled by Melissa (he passes her tests, even though she comes on pretty strong).
Unfortunately for everyone, Willie’s acceptance speech reveals that he’s a giant flat-earther and conspiracy theorist.
We didn’t see this coming.
No one else did either, and there’s a touch of physical comedy as he’s forcibly removed from the area and Elizabeth and Joan take off running.
Poor Janine is more discouraged than ever, and Barbara and Melissa do what they can to make her feel better. They tell her it’s okay to just let it go.
But if she did that, she wouldn’t be our Janine, would she?
She disappears, having clearly come up with a new idea, and then ropes Gregory and Jacob back in.
The episode comes to an end with a history lesson. Janine gathers teachers and students in the hallway, where she’s installed a framed photo.
She goes over a brief history of the first Black teachers in Philadelphia, including the ones at Abbott Elementary.
Janine has realized that the historical designation never mattered — the actual history is what was important. And Willard R. Abbott’s legacy wasn’t what made the school special.
No, Abbott Elementary is special because of the Black teachers who built it into the place it is today, and the teachers who continue to bring their best to the students in their classrooms.
The episode was overall a feel-good reminder of how even terrible blights in history can be overshadowed by the important work being done to correct wrongs.
This show has never shied away from difficult topics, and that’s part of why we love it so much. It’s a slice of real life, with all the truths and laughter and hard things that entails.
Thanks for joining us for another week in school! While we wait for the next episode, watch Abbott Elementary online to catch up on any episodes you’ve missed and read our reviews from the rest of the season.
Haley Whitmire White is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow her on X.