Get the latest gossip

Abbott Elementary: Ava and Her Band of Teachers

The Abbott community takes a stand for a real one.

The initial meeting with the board is one of those external issues that brings a sardonic realism to Abbott’s idealistic world; despite their best efforts, including Janine donning an adorable three-piece suit, the powers that be (we welcome back June Diane Raphael as Elizabeth Washington) won’t budge on their decision to fire Ava for bribery. First, the teachers argue that they shouldn’t fire Ava because she was merely doing what was best for the school with the minimal resources they had, suggesting it would be a bad look to terminate someone “for caring too much.” When this brand of saccharine humanitarian doesn’t move the district, Janine lies to stall for more time by declaring that they have “smoking gun” evidence. Closing the episode with Tariq filling in as a substitute so Melissa and Barbara — who wanted to catch up on the spirit tunnel on the “Kate Hudson Show,” though she meant Jennifer — can still have time off despite no longer being suspended was the perfect ending; I’d love to see the text they drafted to his landlord requesting a rent reduction.

Get the Android app