If Barbara were a track on Beyoncé's album "Renaissance," she would undoubtedly embody "Church Girl"—a woman of unwavering faith, who places Jesus at the core of every decision she undertakes. Within the confines of Abbott, her piety might be perceived as somewhat sanctimonious, yet Sheryl Lee Ralph's portrayal infuses her character with a heartwarming empathy akin to a tender embrace from your beloved aunt. Compared to her fellow staff members, Barbara stands out as the most conservative and virtuous; however, tonight's episode peels back the curtain to reveal a side of her that doesn't neatly fit into her school-day persona. As Bey's song suggests, not every church girl adheres to the buttoned-up stereotype. Barbara would likely cringe at the notion of "dropping it like a thotty" (though perhaps a wildcard version of Barbara might embrace it), but you grasp the essence.
When mold invades Barbara's church choir's rehearsal space, Ava generously offers them the school's gym, offering a rare peek into Barbara's extracurricular life. Her adversary, Delisha Sloss—whom Barbara blackmailed in season one—looms over her with a condescending smirk, quipping that with a bit of practice, their voices might outshine Barbara's lipstick. Her barbed remark is met with giggles from the choir members, highlighting the dynamics of power within this church community faction. In this setting, Barbara appears vulnerable and hesitant, her voice taking on a self-conscious tone uncharacteristic of her professional demeanor.尽管如此, her vibrant personality still shines through—her enthusiasm is palpable when Sister Sip, the choir leader, announces Mary Mary's "Shackles" as the grand finale for their upcoming concert. However, her excitement fizzles when Sheila is chosen for the solo, and Barbara offers her a forced, dejected congratulation.
Ava, who shares the rehearsal space with her cheer team, witnesses the exchange and, after hearing Barbara sing "Shackles" solo in her classroom, takes it upon herself to spur her on to vie for the lead role. She draws a parallel between Barbara's church choir and her sorority, both tight-knit groups of women united by a sense of community, despite internal dissension. Ava declares, "What is a choir if not a sorority for the Lord?" To empower Barbara to confront the choir's mean girls, Ava imparts the wisdom of another Beyoncé anthem: "I'm That Girl." It takes Barbara a moment to embrace the message, preferring to substitute "That Lady" or "That Woman," but eventually, she adopts it. Though I'd dare her to embrace the empowering spirit even further and embrace being "That Bitch," progress comes in steps.
At the subsequent rehearsal, Barbara endures more of the choir women's prickly behavior. Delisha, rhetorically inquiring about Barbara's new piercing, draws attention to her array of earrings, seen as daring within the choir's conservative norms. Barbara shrugs off the hate and musters the courage to ask the choir leader to reconsider her for the lead role, impressing Ava, who is busy hanging a banner for The Ava Coleman Memorial Museum—her renamed gym. The choir leader describes Barbara's bravery as "unorthodox" but grants her an audition by singing "Oh Happy Day." Barbara manages only to utter the song's title before Sister Sip cuts her off abruptly, deciding to stick with Sheila. Ava can't stomach the injustice, and Barbara has to physically restrain her passionate advocate from storming out of the gymnasium.
Meanwhile, Gregory and Jacob's bromance deepens with every frequent visit to their local watering hole. One fateful evening, Jacob persists in their prolonged stay, eventually confessing that he's been dodging his return to Zac, amidst their relentless squabbles that have persisted for what he lightly terms as "the last seven months." Jacob finds himself ensnared in the stifling fog that shrouds the waning days of a relationship, a fog all the more challenging to escape when the roots of the partnership have burrowed so deeply that one forgets their lives aren't irrevocably intertwined—especially when you're literal roommates, as Jacob and Zac are. So entrenched is he in this mindset that he rationalizes it as the natural progression, uttering, "You have your honeymoon phase, followed by your 'I'm in hell' phase, then the 'I guess we're stuck here' phase, and finally, you marry and perish." Unaffected by the pre-breakup fog, Gregory posits that it's time to call it quits.
As Jacob comes to grips with the dire state of his relationship, he acknowledges the necessity of ending things with Zac. He resolves to do so by provoking every one of Zac's pet peeves—like leaving the car without a goodbye and attending the Eras Tour without him, strategically forcing Zac to initiate the breakup. Gregory attempts to step in, arguing that it's dishonorable to sever ties in such a manner with someone he loves deeply, but Jacob is convinced it's the swiftest way to rip off the band-aid. This devolves into a spat, with Jacob accusing Gregory of knowing so much about breakups because he's "the only person who's been dumped more times than I have." Pressing ahead with his plan, Jacob focuses his efforts on the "most passive-aggressive" room in their one-bedroom apartment: the kitchen. He embodies every roommate's worst nightmare—failing to wring out the water-logged sponge, leaving the microwave door ajar, sprinkling crumbs across the counters, and leaving an incriminating knife smeared with jelly and butter amidst toast-making chaos.
Unsurprisingly, Zac storms into the apartment, losing his composure. Instead of engaging in Jacob's passive-aggressive antics, Zac proposes couples counseling. Despite the maturity of this gesture, he chooses Jacob's classroom to broach the subject—with Gregory awkwardly standing between them, unable to discreetly exit. Jacob blurts out his genuine feelings, and Zac, acknowledging the relationship's expiration date, reluctantly agrees. Jacob, relieved to have unburdened himself, confesses to his childish behavior, extinguishing any hope of an amicable separation. The pendulum swings dramatically, and Zac exclaims that Jacob has unleashed "The Kraken." Zac embarks on a revenge spree, shrinking Jacob's sweaters, evicting him from their apartment, and penning a play with an intriguing title, setting the stage for more shenanigans and perhaps fostering a Jacob-Gregory roommate moment.
In a separate, albeit less central, plot thread, Melissa and Janine's substitute teacher for the week, Cassidy, an indifferent yet enthusiastic young educator, enters the scene. It's somewhat of a redux from the previous week, a retelling of the established narrative of an established teacher versus a young, rebellious substitute. Melissa introduces herself to Cassidy, but the initial encounter leaves Melissa bewildered as Cassidy stumbles over their words, comedically substituting "gift card" for "teaching certificate" and referring to themselves as a temp, not a substitute. Cassidy indulges the students in anarchy, allowing them to scream at the top of their lungs, reinforcing Melissa's belief that they're ill-suited for subbing. Melissa calls Janine, cautioning her that a "phony" is running her class and she should look into Cassidy. Janine searches for Cassidy Jeffery but finds no trace of them in the system, prompting her to storm the halls of Abbott, demanding answers from the sub. She's already overstepped her bounds when she catches a glimpse of the chalkboard, which reads: "Mx. Cassidy Geoffrey." Realizing her spelling mistake, Janine must swallow her pride and brace for the potential后果 of Cassidy filing a complaint with the district.
Later on, Barbara confides in Ava about feeling alienated, as the women in her choir perceive her as overly modern and insufficiently Christian. Matters deteriorated further when the demands of nurturing her newborn babies made it challenging for her to attend church weekly, a guilt that cast doubts over her faith. Yet, it was through singing that she always felt an unparalleled connection to God, with the song "Shackles" serving as a pivotal moment of self-realization. This revelation is a profound awakening for us observers, but the church ladies remain unperturbed by Barbara's heartfelt plea for the lead role once more, prompting Sheila to retain her position.
To Ava's disappointment, she fails to unlock Sheila's car, so she spontaneously organizes a concert in the gym. It's here that Barbara unleashes her vocal prowess on "Shackles," not stopping there but instead embarking on a medley of every gospel song she knows, even attempting to introduce the students to the wonders of whistle tones. As Beyoncé famously sang, "Church girl, don't hurt nobody!" Indeed, Barbara's passion and talent are on full display, captivating everyone present in an impromptu musical extravaganza.
