When Abbott Elementary first debuted a few short years ago, I instantly fell in love with the Quinta Brunson comedy.
For starters, I appreciated seeing the young comedian who used to entertain me with her Buzzfeed shorts front and center on a sitcom about teaching in modern-day Philadelphia. There was something incredibly nuanced about it, as it was genuinely funny and stood out among its contemporaries like The Bear, which tackles darker storylines (although I like The Bear, I’m one of those disputing if it’s a true comedy). Additionally, as a man of color, how can I not be thankful for Abbott Elementary telling culturally relevant stories with its predominantly Black cast.
Fast forward to the premiere of Abbott Elementary season 4, I had some pretty high expectations for the season. I anticipated the show would return to form, offering my usual Wednesday night laughs for the week, but was also curious to see how Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory’s (Tyler James Williams) new romance would play out. And boy were my expectations met in spades, making season 4 the best of the series. Before you attempt to refute my claim, hear me out.
The cold opens
Hands down, season 4 had the best cold opens of any of them. They were largely unexpected, yet always funny. My favorite one was the cold open of Abbott Elementary season 4 episode 2, “Ringworm,” where the teachers were attending a PTA meeting and that somehow led to Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) kicking off a line dance to Will Smith’s “Wild Wild West.” Check out the clip below.
I’m also partial to the cold open of the season 4 premiere, "Back to School,” where a panicked Ava (Janelle James) runs to recruit the staff for help in fear she saw a ghost. Of course, there was no ghost but rather a student who differed from the school’s usual demographic. Again, a hilarious moment that can be seen below.
@stacktv ♬ original sound - STACKTV
The storylines
Not since my days powering through The Office for the first time have I been so frustrated (in a good way) by two lead characters dancing around their feelings for each other. So I was incredibly thrilled this season to see Janine and Gregory finally be in a relationship. Them exploring this path of being a couple is cute, yet comical, to watch as they are definitely one of TV’s quirkiest duos.
Ava’s overall evolution this season was also nice to see. She’s still very much the Ava fans have come to love, but with her exploring a real relationship with someone that’s not NBA champion Andre Iguodala, a slightly softer side of her has emerged. Heck, Ava wasn’t even as mean to Janine as she traditionally has been. Plus, how nice to see Ava actually care about being principal.
Then there’s the overall strategic storyline of gentrification that was at play. That’s something that many cities across the US face, and Abbott Elementary was able to place a funny spin on it, without coming across as offensive.
The awards potential
Now it’s too early to call what awards the series will rake in for the most recent slew of episodes. However, I’d venture to say that it has a real shot of making a bigger splash at the Emmys and Golden Globes next time than it did during its first few seasons. If I had to guess, the season will have to contend with shows like Hacks season 4, The Studio, Nobody Wants This and more. However, with Abbott Elementary season 4 offering up the show’s best all-around, hardware could be imminent.
All episodes of Abbott Elementary are available to stream on Hulu and Disney Plus (season 4 episodes are also expected to become available on Max in the future).
