Imagine the sweet melody of school bells echoing through the air, heralding the return of learning and laughter! Tonight, the delightful sitcom "Abbott Elementary" graces our screens once more with its highly anticipated third season premiere, fresh off an Emmy-laden triumph. Before diving into the episode's hilarious escapades, let's pause to celebrate Quinta Brunson's groundbreaking achievement as the second Black woman to claim the Best Comedy Actress Emmy; a feat first accomplished by Isabel Sanford of "The Jeffersons" in 1981. And Quinta isn't the only one scaling new heights; the season premiere introduces a fresh challenge for Janine, one that showcases her enduring charm and ingenuity in a whole new light.
With a new superintendent at the helm, the district's up-and-coming workforce is eager to usher in much-needed improvements for the public schools under their watch. Enter a trio of fresh faces—Manny, Emily, and Simon—who arrive at Abbott Elementary to observe Teacher Development Day before the school year kicks off. Armed with iPads and Smart Boards for every classroom, they wander the halls, encountering teachers who've long grown accustomed to being overburdened and underappreciated by the district. Even Janine, after a summer of introspection, vows to abandon her battles against the odds and focus solely on being an exemplary educator. However, her ingenuity cannot be silenced, as she proposes a Career Day during the morning orientation.
Though met with swift dismissal from her colleagues, Janine's idea catches Manny's eye. Intrigued, he requests to shadow her for a day, discovering they share a common ground as avid contributors to the Chalkbeat comment section. He even revives her old dream of painting the classroom walls blue, which begins to thaw Janine's reservations towards Manny. Before long, he extends to her the Robeson Fellowship within the district, inviting her to leverage her firsthand experiences to optimize school efficiency.
The episode actually begins five months into Janine's new role, with her arriving at the Career Day she envisioned during her fateful meeting with Manny. She bursts into the library, resplendent in a tailored two-piece skirt suit, her hair sporting a striking middle part. Recall last season's premiere when a mere switch of her side part signified a new beginning for her? This dramatic transformation speaks volumes about her stepping into a fresh chapter in life. The narrative then rewinds five months, revealing the journey that led Janine to accept the fellowship and bid adieu to her classroom, a decision she initially hesitated to make.
What truly distinguishes "Abbott Elementary" from its mockumentary predecessors is its emphasis on the documentary aspect, imbuing the cameras and their unseen operators with a clear purpose and narrative thread, evident right from the pilot episode. The cameras in "Abbott Elementary" serve a defined role, transcending mere storytelling devices. This approach grants the writers of "Abbott" greater latitude to explore the mockumentary genre, effortlessly weaving humor and convenience into the narrative tapestry to keep the jokes flowing with effervescent ease.
Take, for instance, the clever explanation for the five-month gap between the season two finale and the commencement of this episode. We learn that the camera crew took a fateful wrong turn one evening post-filming, resulting in their equipment being stolen. Ava succinctly rationalizes their extended absence by quipping, "That’s how long it takes for three people with art degrees to scrape together enough for new cameras." As a journalism degree holder, I can attest to the veracity of her statement.
So, what adventures did our beloved Philly educators embark upon during the inter-season lull? Gregory found work with the Orioles' grounds crew, while Melissa and Gary's bond grew ever stronger. Ava, meanwhile, flaunts her new Ivy League-adjacent education degree, proudly proclaiming her status as "engaged, alert, and by-the-books." While ostensibly studying at Cambridge – albeit within Harvard's legal property boundaries, mooching off their free Wi-Fi – Ava actually earned her degree from Grand Canyon University. Now, eager to implement her newly acquired skills, she sports wide-framed glasses as a badge of her professionalism, buzzing around the school like a whirlwind. She ensures that all teachers optimize their classrooms and adhere strictly to the curriculum in anticipation of the new school year. This entails forcing Barbara to rearrange her desks into a communal setting, installing omnipresent security cameras, banning off-campus lunches, and doing away with free periods.
By the first day of school, Ava's transformed demeanor and rigid adherence to district mandates threaten to dampen everyone's spirits. United in their determination to thwart this Harvard-educated bogeywoman, they hatch a plan to "reset Ava." Meanwhile, Janine collaborates with Manny, Emily, and Simon to refine the changes they've implemented, including ensuring sufficient chargers for all iPads. To their surprise, they warmly embrace and eagerly solicit her advice. In response, Manny offers concessions that sweeten Janine's fellowship deal, such as allowing her to teach for two days a week and increasing her pay by a whole two dollars. Revealing that he hails from an educator's family, Manny confides in Barbara that his dream is to make life easier for students and teachers alike. When Janine seeks Barbara's wisdom regarding the fellowship, Barbara's trust in the new district employees has blossomed. So much so that she encourages Janine to accept the job, uttering our first Hallmark-worthy quote of the season: "Dreamers are the only people who can bring about a different reality."
