Abbott Elementaryis one of the hottestcomedyshows in the game at the moment.It’s proof that network television isn’t deadand can still produce some amazing content if given the chance. Over its four seasons, the mockumentary-style series has produced some amazing seasons and episodes.Thanks to its sharp writing, great performances, and direction,Abbott Elementarycontinues to producetelevisionepisodes that are incredibly memorable.
With the end of Season 4 on its way, people are going to need episodes to hold them over while they wait for the already highly anticipated Season 5. Viewers can take solace in the fact that there are at least 10 episodes they can return to that are not only hilarious but capture and represent the heart of theseries. Worthy candidates for entries to hold everyone over.
Abbott Elementary
10"Desking"
Season 1, Episode 11
Everyone remembers the viral sensation many years ago, “planking”—or maybe the “Harlem Shake”. There have been a lot of trends over the years that kids get attached to and so it only made sense that a series likeAbbott Elementarycovered a topic like this with the kids in their series. It ended up providing some chaotic circumstances for the teachers at Abbott to deal with.
This type of conflict also allowed the entire leading cast to have their time in the spotlight,due to it being such a wide-scale problem for the school to face. The best part about the show is its cast of characters, so giving them all the chance to come together rather than havea few of their own side plotsfor the episode made for a very engaging runtime. It’s episodes like this that makeAbbott Elementaryone of the best ABC series.
9"Winter Break"
Season 4, Episode 8
Just becauseAbbott Elementarytakes place in, well, Abbott Elementary, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t sometimes take a step out of the school to see what the teachers are up to in their away-from-school lives. When Abbott goes on winter break, Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) decides she’s going to host her family Christmas dinner and Jacob (Chris Perfetti) thinks that her family member has died upstairs.
Ava is a character that typically doesn’t get a lot of development and seeing some is really satisfying.
Meanwhile, Ava (Janelle James) crashes Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams) and Janine’s (Quinta Brunson) Christmas night and fans got to see some serious character building with her, as the holiday brings out some things within her that she hasn’t been dealt with.Ava is a character that typically doesn’t get a lot of development and seeing some is really satisfying.Not to mention, the plot at Melissa’s is continuously hilarious.
8"Volunteers"
Season 4, Episode 9
Just one episode after its wonderful Christmas special,Abbott Elementarydelivered another phenomenal episode that was super populardue to it being a crossoverwith the iconic long-running comedy series,It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Television crossovers have always been really appreciated over the years.
What really madeAbbott ElementarySeason 4, Episode 9, “Volunteers"so entertaining, though, isthe dynamics between theIt’s Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaandAbbott Elementarycasts being so good.Together, the two casts made some great pairings that had people laughing all over the world. An episode’s writing can be amazing, but a series can only get an episode like this with actors that play perfectly with each other.
7"Work Family”
Season 1, Episode 8
Another great thing thatAbbott Elementaryconsistently does isgive commentary on subjects and handle them gracefully through comedy.One of the main points ofAbbott ElementarySeason 1, Episode 8, “Work Family”, is what the “right way” to teach children is, as Gregory Eddie struggles with kids underperforming in his class. Plots like this show whyAbbott Elementarybeing set in a schoolmakes it so special.
Being a teacher is not easy, and giving commentary on how a certain way of teaching can become a detriment to students is a risky subject, butAbbott Elementaryhandles it perfectly. The other plot of the episode, which consists of Janine realizing she doesn’t know her co-workers as much as she thought she did, adds a ton of comedy on the side, as well.
6"Teacher Conference"
Season 2, Episode 16
When the staff of Abbott Elementary take a trip all the way to Pennsylvania to attend an educational teacher conference, everyone finds themselves in shenanigans that make their trip harder. Melissa runs into her sister, Kristin Marie (Lauren Weedman), and their ongoing conflict with each other continues.
The highlight of the episode, however, comes whenthe tension between Gregory Eddie and Janine finally comes to a climax as they kiss—something fans had been waiting quite some time for. While this didn’t make them official, and they’d continue to have a “will they, won’t they” dynamic until the end of Season 3, this marked a huge step in their relationship that shocked fans everywhere.
Season 3, Episode 14
One thing that all great storytellers do is challenge their characters and their characteristics to both further their development and add conflict to the plot.Abbott ElementarySeason 3, Episode 14, “Party"is a perfect example of how theAbbott Elementaryteam can do exactly that with grace and ease.
Janine is notorious for being a bit of a controlling character (in the best and most warmhearted way), sothe writers decided that they were going to challenge this aspect of her when she decided to throw an end-of-the-year party.As she attempts to take everyone into consideration while having a good time, she pushes the limits of herself. The biggest shock of the episode, however, is the kiss sharedbetween her and Gregory Eddieat the end. This topped the season off with a moment people were waiting an entire three seasons for. Their favorite characters finally got together.
4"Festival”
Season 2, Episode 19
A bigger long-running conflict inAbbott Elementaryis the looming threat of other schools—charter schools in particular.The 19th episodeof the second seasondeals with this issue head on as while Janine tries to get students' parents to sign a petition, the Abbott teachers face issues coming from a nearby charter school.
The charter school conflict specifically is the highlight of this episode. Not only does it bring almost the whole cast together, but it also provides some subtle but great social commentary on the economic divide between schools across America—a common theme across the entire series.
3"Candy Zombies"
Season 2, Episode 6
Of the many holidays each year, a favorite among kids is most certainly Halloween.Abbott ElementarySeason 2, Episode 16, “Candy Zombies"cashes in on this fact and uses it to create a zombie apocalypse-esque story that is absolutely hysterical.As the students at Abbott break into and eat the gigantic stash of candy that was supposed to be guarded, they begin to go on a sugar rushand become zombie-like creatures (in a way).
This is one of the most cleverly written episodes of the entire series.With the teachers in humorous costumesand kids running wild, this episode delivers some of the most unique and funny situations in the show. It’s episodes like this that depict howAbbott Elementarycontinues to set itself apart from other shows from now and before.
2"Smoking”
Season 3, Episode 4
In both the world ofAbbott Elementaryand the real world, kids getting into drugs and substances is a huge problem that schools are consistently facing. So,when a student at Abbott gets caught smoking, the teachers have to come together to review the school’s drug policiesthat—they soon discover—are very out of date.
One of the highlights of the episode comes when a student overhears the teachers in the teachers' lounge talking about the things they’ve smoked and done, and they’re put into a very precarious position. This is another example of howAbbott Elementaryhandles real-world issues with comedy and grace. This makes it continue to be one of the most genuine and hilarious shows on the air.
1"Sick Day"
Season 2, Episode 9
The funniest episode of the series, without a doubt, isAbbott ElementarySeason 2, Episode 9, “Sick Day"and it’s pretty unanimously agreed upon on a plethora of internet forums. When people praise how great Season 2 of the show is, this is an episode that is commonly referenced as a peak of not only the season but the whole series, as well.
When—for the first time in the series—Janine is out sick for the day,Ava, of all people, needs to step in and take over for her class and experience firsthand how tough it can be to not only be a teacher but Janine in particular.As mentioned prior, Ava is typically a character (at least up until this point in the series) who has always been treated as more comedic relief, and this episode did a great job in making a shift in that status quo. She really shines here and her humorous nature is the highlight of the episode.
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