Abbott Elementary Recap: Glam-ma

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In a polite society, there’s an unwritten rule that we avoid addressing elderly individuals as ‘old’ and young children as ‘babies.’ However, this rule doesn’t apply to them. An elder person might refer to those younger than themselves as babies, while a child may label any adult as old.

Lately, I found myself astonished as my nephew learned that his parents and aunts were born in the 1900s – a striking realization for me, being only 30, that aging isn’t an abstract concept but a tangible reality others can experience, particularly those just starting their lives. Similarly, Barbara experiences this awakening when her daughter Taylor announces a new family member, thereby making Barbara the most fashionable grandma at Abbott Elementary.

At first, Barbara is overjoyed by the news, strangely coming just before the 100th day of school, a significant event for her kindergarten class, where they will pretend to be centenarians to celebrate. She gets excited about potential baby names and has her students dance for a minute to represent their joy. However, when thoughts of Taylor moving back home cross her mind, and the words of her daughter helping out “every day” echo in her ears, Barbara begins to question if she’s truly prepared to embrace the role of a grandmother. This doubt arises from her colleagues’ reactions to the news, which often involve sharing stories about their own grandmothers, most of whom are deceased or senile, especially Ava’s case. The final blow is when Ava states that all good grandmas need only two things: “hypertension and a muumuu.” Naturally, Barbara would never be seen in a muumuu (only caftans for our queen!), and her youthful skin certainly doesn’t suggest old age, but she can’t shake the outdated image associated with the title of grandparent.

Suitably speaking, Sheryl Lee Ralph is an ideal fit for this storyline: Her illustrious career serves as a testament to the fact that longevity is both a blessing and a gift. She has previously expressed that growing older is something to be eagerly anticipated compared to the alternative. As a 67-year-old Emmy winner, Ralph understands better than most that reaching the summit of one mountain merely means starting the descent on another — advice she would undoubtedly share with her younger self.

Ralph demonstrates this wisdom through her portrayal of Barbara, who struggles to grasp that grandparenthood signifies the commencement of a new journey instead of an end. However, it can be challenging to arrive at such an understanding when enveloped by youth, as on a day when pupils dress up as elderly individuals for cosplay, entering her classroom adorned with gray wigs, miniature walkers, and wrinkles artfully drawn onto their youthful faces using makeup. One student named Margaret even exclaims, “I’m dressed like you! Because you’re a hundred years old! You’re the oldest person we know,” driving the nail further into Barbara’s proverbial coffin.

Barbara is taken aback by the suggestion that she appears youthful for someone a century old, so Melissa tries to comfort her, explaining that children often have a distorted sense of time and aging. She then asks a student to guess their ages, and he responds with Melissa being 45, Gregory being 37, and Janine being 19, supporting Melissa’s argument until he takes an unexpected turn by stating Barbara is 63. He clarifies that it’s not her skin that gives her away but rather her overall demeanor – from her cardigan and pearls to her speech patterns – that makes her seem older. Exasperated, Barbara seeks advice from Ava on rejuvenating her appearance, and the two scour through Ava’s closet, allowing Ava to fulfill her dreams of a movie makeover. However, the outcome is more like watching a reverse version of “Pretty Woman” with Barbara emerging as a City Girl rather than a grandmother. In bedazzled low-rise jeans and a cropped denim jacket adorned with fur lapels, she unveils her new style just in time for the 100th-day parade, even receiving compliments from Crystal, the mother who runs Forever Bitch Apparel.

In their new phases of life, Barbara adjusts, while Jacob unwittingly causes chaos for Melissa – let’s keep our secret that I called her pet guinea pig a rat, but it was quite obvious – as he inadvertently sets free the beloved school mascot. His comment about Sweet Cheeks being a “rat with a tiny brain” is what led to this predicament, worsened by students preparing for a parade that could potentially trample them. To make amends for his insensitive remark, Jacob bought a ball for Sweet Cheeks to boost its heart health and help combat its laziness. However, the pet managed to slip out of the ball, causing Melissa to frantically search for it before the parade begins. Mr. Johnson lends a hand in the hunt, comically knocking off a cafeteria worker’s hat in anticipation of a “Ratatouille”-like situation.

As Janine and Gregory continue their romantic journey, the focus now moves to Ava and O’Shon, who are gradually becoming interested in each other. With O’Shon frequently visiting the school and their conversations steadily increasing, he decides it’s time to ask Ava out on a date. Ava is eager for their relationship to advance, as she makes clear with her colorful language expressing her desires towards O’Shon (Daia’s HR case is growing more complicated by the day).

On his recent visit to Abbott, O’Shon confides in Gregory about his plans to ask Ava out. This news unexpectedly prompts Janine to rush into Gregory’s classroom, eager to meddle in Ava’s love life after noticing the tension between her and the principal. Janine and Gregory then offer O’Shon a barrage of advice for Ava’s first date, suggesting high-end restaurants, premieres, and large golf courses instead of mini ones. O’Shon brushes off their suggestions, using them as a guide on what not to do, and straightforwardly asks Ava out on a date, thereby taking their relationship to the next level.

In a gymnasium, everyone gathers for a procession as students march in their costumes while “Forever Young” blares from speakers. Meanwhile, Melissa, Jacob, and Mr. Johnson persistently hunt for Sweet Cheeks until the very brink, narrowly escaping a perilous encounter with the step team performing to Kirk Franklin’s “Stomp.” Eventually, they discover the guinea pig concealed beneath a mop head. As the parade concludes, Janine privately confers with Barbara in her classroom about her transformation. Barbara confesses that she’s struggling with the idea of becoming a grandmother, fearing it will force her to pause her life and hasten the approach of old age. She expresses reluctance to grow old quickly, but Janine encourages her by suggesting that Barbara decides what kind of grandmother she wants to be by establishing boundaries. Janine recalls her mentor being too cool and stylish to wear a muumuu as a grandma, so she dubs Barbara the “Glam-ma.” However, there’s one complication — the baby’s paternal grandmother is also vying for that title, leaving us hopeful that Taylor’s future mother-in-law will make an appearance and witness the two contenders face off.

Teacher’s Notes

I’ve thought of several options for who could play the other grandmother in Taylor’s child’s story, but my ultimate wish (wink wink) is to invite Loretta Devine or Jennifer Holliday to collaborate again, creating a small Dreamgirls reunion!”

In this version, I aimed to maintain the original meaning while making it more conversational and engaging by adding a bit of informal tone with “wish” and “reunion”.

• Finally, the silliest lines of the episode:

Melissa recalls her grandmothers: One had an eagle-eyed sight, able to detect even a wire hidden beneath a woolen sweater. The other possessed ears as sensitive as a wax moth’s, capable of hearing the subtle sound of a wire rustling under a silk blouse.

Ava’s speculations about Barbara’s upcoming announcement: “Are you getting married, or did the inversion table arrive, or is Janine expecting another child?

Do you realize that the woman you are dating now, who is also Barb’s pretend daughter, will become an aunt to Taylor’s baby? That connection makes you an uncle figure to a child that could have been yours.

Barbara, upon seeing Ava’s transformation inspired by “White Chicks”, expressed her feelings differently: “That’s not the film I’d associate with this look! The Olsen twins give me the creeps.

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2025-02-27 06:54