The Big Picture

The writers of Abbott Elementary know their characters inside and out, resulting in depth and unique quirks. The talented cast is all perfectly suited for their roles, adding to the show’s comedic magic that never gets old. While the Season 3 double premiere is filled with laugh-out-loud moments, some storylines feel rushed and underdeveloped.

In a time when there are more shows available for us to watch than we could ever possibly have time to view, it’s a feat for any program to have a second season, let alone a third. Even tougher? Doing so on broadcast television, an ever-dwindling viewing option for most audiences who only watch shows they’re familiar with the next day via streaming apps. Abbott Elementary’s ability to dominate the network space while consistently generating fresh and funny episodes makes it a unicorn of a show in 2024, and Season 3 solidifies it as one of the great comedies of the decade so far. Created by Quinta Brunson, who also stars in the show as teacher Janine Teagues, Abbott Elementary has been an award show favorite, with Season 2 winning three Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actress for Brunson, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for fellow cast member Tyler James Williams, and Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. Brunson also won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2024 for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, the first Black woman to do so in forty years.

Abbott Elementary A workplace comedy centered around a group of dedicated teachers – and an oblivious principal – in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Release Date December 7, 2021 Main Genre Comedy Seasons 3

‘Abbott Elementary’ Has Mastered Doing The Same Thing, but Different in Season 3

When watching a show like Abbott Elementary, audiences come for their favorite characters and the familiarity of the setting; however, it’s clear that the writers know that sticking too long in the same situations and highlighting the same character traits will make that same audience drop off due to boredom. The double-sized Season 3 premiere, titled “Career Day: Part One” and “Career Day: Part Two,” treats the audience to new sides of familiar characters. The usually dispassionate Principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James) returns from summer break with a new, no-nonsense attitude, while Janine finds her opinions and ideas valued by the visiting school district representatives, a rare feeling for the often overlooked teacher.

Another impressive feat is that Abbott Elementary’s writing team manages to find new ways to utilize the “mockumentary” camera crew as a vehicle for storytelling without completely breaking the fourth wall. This is expertly shown in Season 3 when a time jump in storytelling is explained through a mishap with the camera crew’s equipment. Later, in “Part Two,” Ava utilizes school security cameras to fill that footage gap in a way that doesn’t feel forced or overly orchestrated. Previous shows with a similar style, like the American version of The Office, often had cameras conveniently located in situations they couldn’t possibly have been prepared for, distracting some viewers because of a lack of believability. Abbott Elementary’s impressive use of the camera crew in Season 3 proves that they’re not looking to make a similar mistake, and it’ll be fun to see if the filmmakers continue to find unique ways to tell their story through the documentary crew.

‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 3 Could Prolong Its Storylines More
Image via ABC

For all of Abbott Elementary’s achievements in the documentary-style sitcom space, it could benefit from taking an extended exhalation with some of its plotlines, playing them out over several episodes and trusting that its audience will stick around to see them through. The show currently has very few conflicts that continue throughout a season: there’s the will-they-won’t-they romance between Janine and Gregory, Gregory’s desire to one day become principal, and the school’s lack of funding and resulting financial issues. However, most of the fun clashes set up in “Career Day: Part One” are resolved by the end of “Part Two.” While it’s usual for a sitcom to have an A-plot that begins and ends within the space of a single episode, it’s just as important to have threads that weave throughout an entire season, if not longer. This brings viewers back and makes them invested in the outcome, and, more significantly, it gives that extra bit of dimension to a show.

One particular choice Janine makes in Season 3 — a decision that seemed grueling at the moment — is largely over by the premiere’s end. Additionally, another member of the teaching staff has a similarly resolved internal conflict within the season premiere. Letting that character sit with their inner turmoil over several episodes is not only more true to life but would allow the actor portraying them to have something more interesting to work with. Most disappointingly, Ava’s new stringent approach to running the school is gone just as quickly as it hilariously arrives. Getting to explore more of that side of Ava throughout two or three episodes with a more natural decline to its end would’ve been an interesting twist (not to mention a delight to watch). In a single episode, we are both introduced to and say goodbye to an intriguing and thought-provoking alter ego of arguably the show’s funniest character.

The supersized premiere also sets up and dissolves a tension between Janine and Gregory that would have been compelling to explore throughout several episodes, but we don’t get the chance to watch it play out, as they make up almost instantly. This is an area where fellow mockumentary Parks and Recreation succeeded, as Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) had long periods when their disagreements caused major rifts in their relationship, complicating the show in a way that made their making up all the more deserved. Being home always feels better after a trip away, and Abbott Elementary might want to explore taking its audience on an unfamiliar path for a bit longer than it generally does.

‘Abbott Elementary’s Cast and Writers Are Key to Season 3’s Success

Pacing aside, what Abbott Elementary Season 3 continues to prove is that a perfect cast counts for a huge portion of a comedy report card. Each staff member is cast so perfectly that at times, it’s hard to wrap your mind around the fact that they are all actors who won’t be found in any schoolroom in Philadelphia five days a week. It’s true sitcom magic when funny writing is delivered by perfectly cast actors, and it remains the secret sauce that makes each new episode of Abbott Elementary something to look forward to. Season after season, the show’s writers prove they are sharply aware of what works for the actors playing the school’s faculty, and it’s clear how much fun it is for them to write for this group. Janine is the perfect example of this, as Brunson’s bright eyes and big smile perfectly match her character’s unending optimism and enthusiasm for the school. These same qualities are what make her “trying out cursing” in the Season 3 premiere so laugh-out-loud funny, as they are in direct conflict with her persona.

Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Barbara is the perfect mixture of stoic and curious, with her continuing inability to know the modern-day names for things subtly done so that it doesn’t become a tired bit. One of the Season 3 premiere’s funniest moments has Barbara mentioning the early 2000s music downloading site “Napster,” a reference just wrong enough that we believe it’s an honest mistake. Lisa Ann Walter’s Melissa Schemmenti is the perfect no-nonsense teacher brimming with Philadelphia pride, and Chris Perfetti’s Jacob, while always attempting to fit in, knows how to do it in just the right way to not have it be wearisome. James’ Principal Ava still remains the standout of the teachers, her boisterous nature seeming so effortless that it’s a real treat when we see her with a new attitude at the opening of Season 3, even if it didn’t last long enough.

The decision to have the school doors open up Season 3 with a feeling of intimacy that requires no need for the audience to find its footing is a gift only a well-oiled show like Abbott Elementary can give. As Ava greets the documentary camera crew, she’s really greeting the excited viewing audience ready for more time in this world. As Jacob hugs the camera, we feel immediately welcomed onto the now-familiar school grounds. More importantly, we’re thrilled to be back.

Abbott Elementary – Season 3 REVIEWAbbott Elementary Season 3 brings lots of new laughs and brilliant writing, although some storylines feel rushed and one-dimensional. ProsThe show’s writers are masterfully aware of what works for their characters, and bring depth to each one’s unique quirks. The cast of Abbott Elementary are all incredibly well-suited for their characters. ConsThere are some interesting storylines that aren’t given the time they need to be explored. The pacing of the series often seems rushed in an attempt to resolve issues between characters too quickly.

Abbott Elementary Season 3 premieres on February 7 on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu in the U.S.

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