Halloween episodes serve as a timeless fixture in the realm of sitcoms, and "Abbott Elementary" didn't fail to deliver with its initial chilling installment. My personal favorite costume? Mr. Johnson's transformation into Lil Uzi Vert. Upon spotting him, I instantly grasped the reference and was momentarily startled, my mind flashing back to images of Uzi's diamond-adorned forehead. However, Jacob, upon catching sight of the third-eye embellishment, mistakenly assumed Mr. Johnson was portraying Vision. Before diving into this recap, let me issue a disclaimer: I'm not a Marvel enthusiast. When Jacob mentioned Vision, I was clueless until I laid eyes on Melissa dressed as the Scarlet Witch (my sole exposure to Marvel being "WandaVision" and "Black Panther"). No disrespect to the MCU, but it's just not my cup of tea, meaning I might have overlooked some overt references in tonight's episode. Allow me to piece together what little I know about the franchise from being an aunt to three nephews under ten. Bear with me, and feel free to contribute any details I might have missed in the comments; I'd love to hear them.
Now, back to the show. The "Abbott" writers cleverly set the stage for suspense to commence the episode. The school's Halloween celebration coincided with a thunderstorm, crafting the perfect atmosphere for eerie activities. Prior to the start of the school day, Mr. Johnson instructed Jacob to dispose of all his trash lest he be haunted by the janitor whose spirit now haunts the school's basement following his mysterious Halloween demise years ago. According to Mr. Johnson, "Every Halloween, if you listen intently, you can hear the wheels of his mop bucket rolling down there." Jacob, being his usual skittish self, was perturbed by this tale, especially after a thunderous clap echoed through the room upon Mr. Johnson's conclusion.
As the children trickled into school, we caught our initial glimpses of their Halloween costumes, some of which had been circulating on social media for nearly a week. Jacob donned a burglar costume as Wage Theft, complete with a sack of wages; Ava transformed into Storm from the X-Men; Barbara donned a bee costume with "ABC" emblazoned on her chest, making her a Spelling Bee; Janine embodied James Harden; Melissa and her aide both chose the Scarlet Witch (though one clearly outdid the other in terms of effort); and Gregory dressed as... Sully Sullenberger? The children also arrived dressed to impress, particularly the young boy who impersonated Mr. Johnson. Witnessing their costumes transported me back to my childhood, sitting in those blue plastic chairs and surreptitiously snacking on candy from the little cubbies attached to our desks.
Not much has shifted since my first-grade days: the students are still eager to shed their uniforms and are laser-focused on the candy awaiting them. Amber, Joel and Carolina's mother, who we first encountered in season one when Gregory approached her about her tardiness in dropping off her son, only exacerbated this sugary distraction. While Janine was chatting with another student's aunt, Amber prematurely handed out the candy intended for the end of the day. Janine was engrossed in catching up with Erika, her student's aunt and former high school acquaintance. Knowing Janine had recently ended her relationship with Tariq, Erika invited her to a Halloween party that evening. Declining due to her unfamiliarity with the attendees, Janine opted to spend the night monitoring her security camera to safeguard her house from vandalism. They were interrupted when Louis, clad as Baby Thanos and munching on a Ring Pop, wandered into Janine's peripheral vision. Amber apologized for distributing the candy so prematurely and slipped Janine a special candy bag for Gregory, containing her phone number.
After sampling the sweetest delights of Halloween, Baby Thanos found himself irrevocably enchanted by the allure of candy. As he declared, "It's Halloween, for crying out loud! We ought to indulge in sweets whenever the fancy strikes!" Temptation proved insurmountable when his eyes fell upon the school's candy hoard, nestled within the library's makeshift haunted house. Ashley, entrusted with guarding this sugary treasure trove, was engrossed in her phone, oblivious to Baby Thanos' daring heist. With impunity, he spirited away the entire stash, disseminating it across the school, transforming classrooms into sugar-induced zombie dens.
Soon, the students buzzed with an insatiable energy, their behavior so erratic that the teachers struggled to maintain order. The situation spiraled out of control, the children seizing the reins of the school with their unruly antics, prompting the teachers to corral them into the gym to exhaust their boundless, sugar-fueled vitality.
With the students temporarily subdued, the teachers embarked on a mission to uncover the candy thief and their benevolent yet mischievous beneficiary. As Melissa righteously exclaimed, only a twisted soul would share candy on Halloween. Meanwhile, Melissa concealed the confiscated contraband in her room's human-sized safe, first testing its ample dimensions by temporarily imprisoning Jacob within its sturdy confines.
As the teachers dealt with the confiscated candy, the sugary zombies devised a plan to lock them out of the gym. Baby Thanos seized the moment to proclaim his triumph from center stage. Now aware of the culprit, the teachers gave chase as Baby Thanos darted through the school, taunting them over Ava's office loudspeaker.
Ava stood her ground in the gym, engaging the students in a dodgeball battle worthy of Storm's prowess. The teachers raced to Ava's office but narrowly missed Baby Thanos, who had thoughtfully left a trail of candy wrappers and chocolate-smudged handprints. To Jacob's chagrin, this trail led straight to the basement—home to the enigmatic ghost janitor. The sound of thunder clapped ominously as Jacob, reluctantly and unwilling to show fear, agreed to venture into the basement with Gregory, while their colleagues scoured the corridors.
Navigating the eerie, frigid basement with caution, they encountered the shadowy figure of a janitor wielding a mop. Jacob bolted, but Gregory lingered long enough to discover it was none other than Mr. Johnson, who subsequently subjected Jacob to endless pranks for the remainder of the day.
Amidst the manhunt for Baby Thanos, Janine grappled with the realization that her social circle beyond work was sparse since her breakup with Tariq. She inquired about her colleagues' Halloween plans: Melissa was comforting her boyfriend, who found solace in the holiday that transformed every house into a candy-laden vending machine; Barbara was headed to a sanitized 26-minute church screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," devoid of sexual content and profanity; and Gregory was reluctantly celebrating his newfound singledom, dragged out by his friends.
Janine unleashed her frustrations to Melissa and Barbara about the challenges of starting anew, resonating deeply with each of them. (And with me too, as I embark on my second month in a foreign city, miles away from everything familiar.) Melissa's advice felt like a divine revelation; she was undeniably right—embarking on the unknown was daunting, but stepping out of one's comfort zone was imperative, for stagnation was an even greater terror.
Mini Mr. Johnson emerges as the unsung hero of the day. Donning a costume that mirrors my beloved character, this clever student maneuvers his trash can guise with adept precision through the bustling hallways, trailing a path of candy wrappers that lead directly to Baby Thanos's covert closet refuge. There, Baby Thanos revels in his plunder, basking in the glory of his Ring Pops, much like Thanos and his coveted Infinity Stones (a spot-on reference, if I may add). Adhering steadfastly to his janitorial creed, Mini Mr. Johnson promptly apprehends Baby Thanos and hands him over to the teachers, just as the candy-induced zombies stampede in, their sugar-fueled frenzy transforming them into irritable, hypoglycemic tykes. Mercifully, the school day concludes, sparing the educators from grappling with the aftermath of the students' sugary excesses.
Upon Erika's arrival to fetch her nephew, Janine seizes the moment, inquiring if she might still accompany her to the festivities, thereby venturing into uncharted territories of social interaction. Donning Ava's spare Marilyn Monroe ensemble for the party, Janine captures Gregory's gaze, rendering him utterly enchanted—a sentiment so palpable it brings a pang to my heart. Recall the gentlemanly gesture when he seized an umbrella for her in the previous season? Their心急如焚的 anticipation for a lip-locking moment is palpable. Their playful banter in the hallway, while standing sentinel outside the gym, exemplifies their electric chemistry and effortless camaraderie. I find myself conjuring up pet names for this promising couple. Additionally, let us extend hearty applause to the child actors portraying Baby Thanos and Mini Mr. Johnson—they truly shone in their roles!
