Abbott Elementary Recap: The Kids Are All Right

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Over the past week, I was truly inspired by how swiftly the team at Abbott stepped up to shield their students from Girard Creek’s antics. It underscored for me how deeply they care for their young cast members, both behind and in front of the camera. Tonight’s episode mirrored Abbott’s dedication to empowering youth, focusing entirely on the children who bring this show to life. Landing a role here is a fantastic opportunity for child actors, especially given the scarcity of such roles in today’s bleak television scene. The kids on Abbott not only demonstrate their comedic timing and physical acting abilities but have mastered that signature deadpan look towards the camera, honed from their daily interactions with teachers. After four years, which is a significant period of growth at this stage, many of them are blossoming right before our eyes. This gives them ample opportunities to renew their portfolios as they grow older, a rare chance in an industry that’s seeing fewer and fewer child-centric shows.

It was quite surprising to see Courtney looking so composed and mature in comparison to the unruly character we first met in season one. I even let out a surprised “My Shayla!” when she appeared on screen, similar to Tyrese’s exclamation. However, despite her transformation into a more sophisticated version of herself, Courtney still manages to stir up trouble, albeit in a more cunning way that allows Lela Hoffmeister to demonstrate her acting range and ability to portray long-lasting characters.

During the annual science fair, instead of a typical project, Courtney decides to use her knack for mischief to conduct a social experiment that takes advantage of the teachers’ competitive nature. Throughout the episode, she keeps everyone guessing about the details of her experiment, saying “it would compromise my results if I told you any more at this point.” But it’s all right because the teachers are more than capable of turning an educational lesson into a full-blown conflict without any outside help.

In this narrative, we find Mr. Morton, the school’s science guru, presiding over the fair, relishing his role as leader, a position he seldom experiences in his private life. Tonight, Abbott delves deeper into Morton’s past, revealing an intriguing detail – this is his second divorce. Jacob comments wryly that it’s “still twice as much as you deserve.” The tension between colleagues escalates when a revolt by the teaching staff leaves Jacob and Barbara stuck as joint judges alongside Morton. The science fair holds no greater importance to anyone than it does to Morton, evident in his need to repurpose an aged basketball trophy as a prize. His irritating demeanor fails to stir the teachers’ enthusiasm. To steer clear of working with Morton, Melissa and Janine promptly offer assistance to the students and the rest of the staff, secretly writing Jacob’s name instead of their own on slips of paper that Morton draws from a hat. Jacob, being shrewd, understands he would be sacrificed if they failed and pens Barbara’s name instead, ensuring at least one more person shares his fate.

Initially, Janine and Melissa encourage the children to follow their curious minds in science, but when Ava takes over as guardian for Tyree, a student lacking the necessary permission slip to handle hazardous substances, tensions rise. Affected by unresolved emotions of neglect from her absent father, Ava finds herself projecting through Tyree. An extraordinary man named Frank, portrayed brilliantly by Keith David, is not only Tyree’s barber but also sponsors the barbershop for Abbott’s science fair. Ava remains aloof when Frank attempts to connect at school, though she accepts the funds. Janine witnesses their exchange and comforts Ava, who sarcastically mentions a “void” in her heart before mocking Janine, demonstrating her reluctance to mend ties with her father. However, upon hearing Tyree’s complaints about his father forgetting things, Ava becomes invested in the competition, teaming up with him as they search for the optimal water filtration method using Abbott’s questionable tap water as a reference. Disappointed that Tyree is motivated by an upcoming camping trip rather than preparing for potential water scarcity and global conflicts, Ava nonetheless pledges to ensure he wins first place.

Ava elevates Tyree’s project, provoking rivalry among her peers under the watch of Melissa and Janine. When Ava boasts about her superiority not only in science but also in being trendy, the teachers are put on the spot. Melissa and Janine try to explain to their superior that this is just an elementary school science fair, but Ava’s assertions spark a race. Melissa collaborates with a student working on lighting a bulb with a potato, while Janine joins forces with another to construct a model volcano. Mr. Johnson also participates, claiming to be one of NASA’s hidden talents and helping a student design a robot for cleaning spills. However, Melissa and Janine end up dominating the projects, suppressing the students’ ideas to present what they believe the judges prefer. They go as far as undermining each other after learning that other teachers are teaming up with students in an attempt to win the trophy.

In this scenario, Melissa, Janine, Ava, and Mr. Johnson are all encouraging their students to excel in a competition, whereas Morton strictly enforces the scientific method on Barbara and Jacob. Barbara is keen on making presentations appealing and Jacob prefers evaluating based on social impact, but Morton disregards aesthetics and morals. In a fit of frustration, he compares their concerns to building an atomic bomb without worrying about its consequences, and they find his attitude condescending. As a result, they abandon their judging roles and demand that Morton stays away from them. However, when the science fair arrives, Barbara reconsiders her stance and suggests that they should act compassionately towards Morton to ensure a positive experience for the children. She believes that by working together, they can strike a balance between Morton’s strict scientific standards and create an enjoyable judging process. They eventually apologize for their earlier outburst.

It takes some back-and-forth discussions for Morton to acknowledge Barbara and Jacob as peers in their judging roles, with him initially arguing that “meritocracy” means they’ll be treated equally if they prove themselves equal. However, he eventually relents. There’s a humorous outburst from Jacob (played by Chris Perfetti), but the trio manages to maintain composure and agree on judging the projects comprehensively while maintaining high standards for learning. They critically assess every entry, even going as far as criticizing Abbott’s Tiniest Kid’s adorable flower project as culturally insensitive, and claiming the model volcano was a case of cultural appropriation. Their criticism is so severe that they announce no one met all of their diverse judging criteria. Courtney takes charge, encouraging the students to rework their projects to reflect their original ideas instead of those imposed by teachers. She then takes the teachers’ authority and suggests the kids judge the science fair themselves.

The teachers acknowledge their mistake and let students take over with their innovative plans, except for Ava who claims she’s the one wronged. Morton, moved to a corner, confesses to Barbara and Jacob that he spoils everything he gets involved with. Barbara, in a caring manner, tries to help Morton by using an algebra formula to suggest that maybe it’s him causing the issues. However, their conversation doesn’t grow deeper, as when Morton proposes spending time together, they leave. At the end of the science fair, Courtney is declared the winner for her experiment about power dynamics in competitive settings, and she thanks the teachers who proved her theory that adults can’t handle competition. One day, we might all be under Courtney’s leadership!

Teacher’s Notes

I can’t help but yearn for more instances featuring Gregory and Frank in the barbershop setting. The way Gregory calls out Frank on his misogynistic hypotheticals (“Say, Gregory, would you let a woman treat you to dinner?”) truly captures the essence of the man Frank appears to be.

• There were so many great lines, but here are the ones I loved the most:

Ava, puzzled as to why the science fair demands a permission slip: “I can’t help but think that one needs permission to be a science enthusiast.

Ava, hearing about Frank and Greg’s conversation: “I am so tired of men talking to each other.”

Barbara: “You are tap-dancing on my last nerve, and I don’t like the choreography.”

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2025-02-06 06:54