Season 2 - 22 episodes (2022-23)
Rent Abbott Elementary on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Quinta Brunson
Starring: Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, Sheryl Lee Ralph
Rated: TV-PG
Watch the trailer
Plot
Follows a group of teachers brought together in one of the worst public schools in the country, simply because they love teaching.
Verdict
This show is a lot of fun while also exploring a major cultural issue. Schools have problems. They're underfunded. This also feels like a slight admonishment to anyone that blames teachers. The heavy concepts are subtext. At the core this is a workplace comedy with a diverse group. This season does string out a certain potential relationship the entire time which is just too much, but thankfully that's usually not the primary focus.
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Review
This is an easy watch. We get to see the teaching from the teacher's lounge. These teachers are working within a system. They do the best they can, helping each other, and celebrating small victories. It's an uphill battle. At the center is Janine (Quinta Brunson), her fervent enthusiasm and desire to fix the system yields both results and often comic problems. It's the veteran teachers that remind her sometimes it's best to choose your battles instead of trying to correct every injustice.
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| Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Quinta Brunson, Chris Perfetti, Tyler James Williams play Barbara, Melissa, Janine, Jacob, Gregory |
It's a great show, but it lives in the shadow of The Office. That series did the work place faux documentary so well. You can't beat it, you can only hope to match it. It doesn't help that the central characters are teasing a relationship just like The Office. It's effective, but unoriginal. You could easily go further with the comparisons, like the inept bosses.
The awkwardness between Janine and Gregory (Tyler William James) persists throughout the season. They're both afraid to admit their feelings and make the first move. You know it's going to happen, but the show has to ship. I was surprised it drug it out the entire season. Even when it almost comes to a point, it pulls the punch.
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| Tyler William James, William Stanford Davis play Gregory, Mr. Johnson |
One of the big subplots this season is a potential charter school taking over. The teachers and parents band together to stop it. This show is always focused on the future, even if they get sidetracked with everyday problems.
This season features a few cameos. We see Melissa Schemmenti's (Lisa Ann Walter) sister, also a teacher at another school. They're two tough talking Philadelphians and the two together are quite the team. This season also features Ayo Edibiri as Janine's sister. As funny as this show is, it's these family moments that ground it, making it real. My favorite episode might be the eighteenth episode when Gregory tries out wearing a hat. Of course many a joke are made at his expense. Yet the janitor Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) manages to pull it off remarkably. He's usually the comic relief. His best episode might be episode six about Halloween.
The ensemble cast mesh well and the characters are complex. You'll find an aspect of all the characters to which you can relate. This show remains wholesome, even when the characters are joking with each other. The one thing they all have in common is that they want to do a great job to benefit the kids.
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