Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Abbott Elementary Season 4, Episode 21.Abbott Elementaryhas always enjoyed pushing its boundaries, but Season 4, in particular, has been straight-up unpredictable. FromBarbara’s (Sheryl Lee Ralph) emotional dilemmastoAva’s (Janelle James) firing, the show’s fourth season has been awash with change and twists. However, this year’sAva Festrevealed an even bigger twist: Despite allthe success she has outside of the school, Ava wants to come back to Abbott. At first, the show seemed as though it was undoing its biggest shock a little too fast, but this series revealed such an incredible payoff that it almost didn’t matter. In fact,the outing was so satisfying that it not only paid off the storyline but the season, and in some ways, the series as a whole!
Ava’s Firing Wasn’t What We Thought It Would Be
In many ways, we’re stillreeling from Ava’s firing, but that’s mainly because the storyline wrapped up far quicker than we expected. After all, the build-up tothe dismissal had been in the works for a number of weeks. One could even argue that the story had been brewing since the deal with the golf course began atthe start of the season. And, after just one week, it appeared as though Ava was actually better off away from the school. We see her enjoying riches and admiration, spoils that Ava has always been after. Yet, just one week later, she tells Janine she’s ready to return to Abbott. At first,it really did seem like the show was eager to undo its biggest reset ever far too quickly. Perhaps, in many ways, it did. But, in reality, it was never really about that.
‘Abbott Elementary’s 10 Best Episodes (So Far), Ranked
“You know, Thursday is low-key the sexiest day of the week.”
Ava’s journey as a whole has been difficult this season. We’ve seen her struggle with her father, Frank (Keith David), and try to navigate a more nuanced version of herself while courtingO’Shon(Matthew Law).In reality, the firing was never so much about her having to fight for her job; rather, it was a culmination of her journey this season. So, while three weeks may have seemed like a rather quick time to get through the story, it was just another chapter in her journey. What’s more, the event was neverevenjust about Ava.
‘Abbott Elementary’s Teachers Have Gone Above and Beyond This Season
Season 4 has really signified a massive shift forAbbott Elementaryin many ways. Not only did it finallypay off the multi-year arcbetween Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Jesse Tyler Williams), but it also revealednew sides to each of its characters. It’s certainly been interesting. We’ve hadteam-ups we’ve never expected, and, perhaps most satisfying of all, ourbeloved educatorstaking their impressive skills out into the community. Indeed, the Abbott teachers have always gone above and beyond to make their school a better place, but towatch them hit the streets of Philadelphia to help those in need has been nothing short of wonderful. And, yet it seemed any sort of reward or thanks was missing.
Heck, Janine found one of her most creative solutions when she found a way to help both her students and the community when the city-wide transportation strike was going on. But her combined efforts with Melissa to verify they were able to help the kids while still supporting the workers went largely unappreciated. Sure, they weren’t totally innocent this season. Theydidstill take illegal bribes, but the educators once again did the right thing and stepped up, only to be met with suspension.It was pretty disheartening to watch, especially considering how unwavering the district proves to be in the episode. However, this was only set up for the best payoff inAbbott Elementary’s history.
‘Abbott Elementary’s Big Payoff Moment Makes Season 4 One of Its Best
Just when it seems all is lost,everyone from the PTA to the community and even Krystal (Tatyana Ali) shows up to fightnot just for Ava but for the teachers. Even the students organize a peaceful protest. It’s an epic finale, but it’s more than just a great conclusion to Ava’s story or even the episode, but rather the first four years ofAbbott Elementaryas a whole! We’refinallyseeing Abbott win for real this time. Aftera year of hanging threadsandvarious threats, it’s so satisfying to see the school and its staff truly reign victorious, bribe-free!
Everyone truly gets a moment to shine and celebrate, from Barbara toMr. Johnson(William Stanford Davis). What’s more,Ava’s aforementioned storylineswere paid off in such a fantastic way that it really didn’t matter that her firing lasted less than a month’s worth of episodes. This battle, in particular, was about bringing the school’s multi-year struggle to a satisfying and exciting end. In fact, the episode wassofulfilling that it really could have worked as a series finale. Thankfully, though,Abbott Elementaryisn’t going anywhere, and this week’s episode indicates a bright future for the series.
‘Abbott Elementary’s Penultimate Episode Sets Up a Whole New Chapter
Given thatAbbott Elementaryhas already been renewed for a fifth season, this Wednesday’s episode sets up the possibility for even more dynamic stories. The show’s signature shtick has always beenthe continued strugglesof the teachers, whether they be comical ventures orhefty social topics. But now, with the school’s newfound support from their friends and neighbors, Season 5 has the opportunity to really shake things up for the characters. There will, of course, be struggles, but the extra support could lead to even bigger, better, and hopefully, more comical solutions. This payoff and the potential that comes with it really signifies thatAbbott Elementarystill has plenty of exciting tricks up its sleeve, and that’s just the way we like it.
Abbott Elementaryhas taken several big steps forward this season. From its character development to its storytelling shake-ups, the series was certainly spinning a lot of plates. But with its latest episode came one of the best moments of the series. Not only did it bring Ava’s arc for the year to a surprisingly satisfying end, butit also paid overdue tribute to the incredible characters we’ve followed for the last four seasons. As the season nears its finale, we can’t wait to see what the show has in store.
Abbott Elementaryis available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
Abbott Elementary
