As the countdown to the season finale commences, "Abbott Elementary" reverts to its pivotal narrative thread, where the ramifications of the hush-hush deal struck with Girard Creek and their conniving lawyer Miles climax. While I've savored the elongated season's episodes, allowing writers and actors ample breathing room to weave humor into the fabric, it's now time to address the gravity of the plot. This show, above all, honors the foundational principles of narrative television. Transitioning from last week's episode, the current one feels akin to the hushed silence that follows a teacher's stern reprimand after a classroom's frolic. Yet, unfortunately for our viewing pleasure, all good things must come to an end.
Throughout the season, a fierce rivalry laced with blackmail and negotiations characterized the standoff between Miles and Abbott, culminating in an uneasy truce that permitted coexistence. This covert agreement bestowed upon Abbott gleaming new computers, a sleek scoreboard, snug bean bags for the library, and an assortment of other perks. It also empowered Ava to negotiate better resources for other schools at the district budget meeting. This utopian sitcom scenario may be delightful, but "Abbott" steadfastly anchors one foot in reality. In the real world, a public school wouldn't skirt consequences so effortlessly. The harbinger of impending doom surfaced at the budget meeting's conclusion, when Ava's adversary, Crystal, harbored suspicions about Abbott's sudden generosity.
Upon personally visiting the school, Crystal's probing elicited an inadvertent confession from Ava about the Girard Creek connection. Crystal craved a slice of the pie, but Ava was reluctant to dilute her windfall, especially after her unprecedented magnanimity in sharing legitimate resources. The next day, O'Shon informed Ava that someone—presumably Crystal—had blown the whistle to the district, prompting a 24-hour audit. Though questioned, O'Shon remained tight-lipped, his loyalty unwavering towards Ava. All accepted the impending demise of their scheme, but Janine galvanized her colleagues to resist the district's interference. Until recently, Janine, the epitome of virtue, hadn't capitalized on Girard Creek's bounty. However, she mustered the courage to embark on the wild side, requesting electric spelling devices for her students, determined not to let the district dampen their excitement over the impending gadgets.
Janine proposed concealing the contraband long enough to sail through the audit unnoticed, thus evading the district's scrutiny. Despite devising a strategy for the impending audit, Barbara viewed the entire day as cursed, from oversleeping, battling chronic wrist pain, to being promptly sneezed on upon arriving at school. Ava then cornered her, offering her—unpaid, mind you—the role of substitute music teacher. Barbara, whose mantra "I'm a woman of God. I do my work. I go home" had become a meme, had zero interest in the position. Ava warned that without an instructor, the class, now an after-school program, would cease to exist. This meant Barbara would have to stay late and do more, a feat she deemed impossible given her depleted state. Matters worsened when Janine's plan for a truck to whisk away the contraband before day's end—enabling them to "resume our broke school persona"—fell apart at the seams.
Gregory draws Janine's attention to the impracticality of relocating such a vast amount of materials from the school within mere hours, lacing his observation with sarcasm as he facetiously suggests that Barbara and Mr. Johnson would be invaluable in transporting computers and an imposing scoreboard. Though Gregory faces the wrath of Mr. Johnson, who overhears his snarky remark, his assessment proves accurate. Matters take a turn for the worse for Barbara when two officials from the district, accompanied by Manny, arrive unexpectedly early, catching the school off guard. In a desperate bid to conceal the unauthorized items and divert the higher-ups' attention from any signs of bribery, the Abbott staff resorts to drastic measures. Daia and the secretaries cloak their state-of-the-art desktops with their coats, Ava covertly alerts the teachers via the loudspeakers, and Jacob, Melissa, Barbara, and Janine scramble to stash the illicit materials as Ava guides the tour. Amidst the chaos, Mr. Johnson quips about "hiding the white kid," only to follow up with a request for bronzer.
The district representatives' suspicions grow, fueled by the staff's odd demeanor. They grill Ava, who serves as their involuntary chaperone, as the staff struggles to find hiding spots for the larger items. With her options dwindling, Ava proposes concealing the desktop computers in her secret basement bathroom. Narrowly escaping detection as they descend to the subterranean level, the staff breathes a sigh of relief until Jacob recalls the fancy scoreboard still displayed prominently in the gym. Quick-thinking Janine grabs an old banner large enough to obscure the unauthorized donation, and Melissa volunteers to climb the ladder swiftly, inadvertently stepping on Barbara's hand, cementing her unfortunate day.
Despite successfully concealing the scoreboard, amidst the frenetic race against time, no one notices that the banner Janine chose bears a festive message celebrating Christmas 2009. Mr. Johnson, employing his eccentric personality and knack for diverting conversations to stall the district's progress, jumps in once more to save the day. Instead of indulging in another one of his outlandish tales, this time about the year 2009 involving a fish and the mortgage crisis, the representatives abruptly cut him off, sparing themselves the absurd detour.
As the staff prepares to bid farewell, with the district apologizing for accusing them of bribery, Miles breezes in with Janine's spelling team. He playfully dubs himself "the Abbott supply fairy," announcing his arrival with fresh bribes for his cunning school. Upon realizing the district's presence, he digs a deeper hole by inquiring if they'll start blackmailing him too. With the scheme exposed and the staff caught in the act, the district threatens to suspend any teacher accepting bribes. Before anyone can step forward, Ava takes the blame, shielding her colleagues by assuming full responsibility, believing her suspension to be a mere vacation in Cabo. However, the district promptly terminates her, explaining that the only reason they're not threatening termination for the teachers is due to union protections.
Stunned, the remainder of the staff launched a fervent campaign for reevaluation, yet Manny steadfastly upheld the district's stringent zero-tolerance policy towards such conduct. Subsequently, the representatives announced their intention to confiscate all contraband and rescind the funds approved during the budget meeting. With no further options left to explore, Ava began packing her office, allowing Janine a solitary tear to escape when her gaze was averted. Barbara hurried after her supervisor for a parting word, expressing her belief that Ava's selfishness would have led to this sooner, yet acknowledging with a hint of concession that Ava had been disproving her assumptions "for quite some time now." Barbara's words fostered a moment of vulnerability between the two women, prompting Ava to confess that she had offered the music teacher position to Barbara as a means to rejuvenate her spirits amidst the tough times, further underscoring Ava's exceptional prowess in her role.
With her head held high, Ava exited Abbott Elementary, optimism radiating from her as she declared, "It's never too late to embark on a new path as a sugar baby." Barbara watched her boss-turned-confidante embark on this fresh journey beyond the school's confines. Speaking to the cameras, Barbara pondered on the unpredictability of her career, remarking, "The art lies in navigating those irritating obstacles." She continued, "I've witnessed Ava transcend her comfort zone into genuine leadership, inspiring me to follow suit by stepping beyond mine." The episode transitions to footage of Barbara as the new instructor of the after-school music class, delighting one pupil who excitedly exclaimed, "I never thought I'd have you as my teacher again!" Ava's influence resonated throughout the corridors of Abbott Elementary, leaving me eagerly anticipating the team's efforts to restore her to her rightful throne.
