Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Abbott Elementary Season 4 Episode 4.
Once again, it’s Halloween atAbbott Elementary! While viewers didn’t get a glimpse at the school’s holiday tradition in Season 3 due tothe WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike, Season 2’sspooky installmentwas one of the series' best. Given how well Season 4 hastackled its newandexisting storiesso far, it’s safe to say thatAbbott’s audience was certainly looking forward to another Halloween outing. But what should have been a joyous special turned out to be something unexpected — something that, in all honesty,didn’t make a whole lot of sense. In an outing filled with insults, competition, and confusion, though,Abbottstill managed to pull off a new level of joy for two of its most beloved players, even if their efforts should have been embraced all along.
Janine and Gregory Have a New First in ‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 4
Anyone who’s watchedAbbott Elementaryknows what a long road it’s been for Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams). Evenrecent additionsto the series have added nuance to their relationship. However, now that it’s otherwise flourishing, this year’s Halloween episode, “Costume Contest,” introducesan exciting opportunity for them to make their first-ever couple’s costume. Viewers previously learned about Gregory’s unique taste in costumes when he dressed asSulley Sullenbergerfor Halloween during Season 2. Despite everyone acknowledging it as a unique (and slightly odd) costume, he is proud to wear it. Meanwhile, Janine has always been a movie buff, often expressing her love for Marvel, referencingStar Wars, and being outspoken about her love forWe’re the Millers.
‘Abbott Elementary’ Just Gave Us the Team-Up We Didn’t Know We Needed
We need to see more of these two ASAP.
The two come up with an awesome mash-up that brings together Gregory’s unique interests and Janine’s love of film with creativeJurassic Parkcostumes. Gregory dons an elaborate Mr. DNA costume, while Janine is the picture’s infamous mosquito. It’s off-kilter, a little dorky, and so perfectly them. It’s another fantastic way to further their relationship in everyday life.The costumes represent how much they truly understand each otherand the lengths their willingness to go to help each other feel comfortable and seen. But what should be a heartwarming day for the couple quickly turns into one that is negative, and that, frankly, doesn’t make sense.
Janine and Gregory’s Costume Criticism Doesn’t Make Sense
After revealing their costumes to their fellowAbbott educators, Janine and Gregory are met with surprisingly unsupportive rhetoric. Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) straight-up calls the looks bad, while everyone else struggles to figure out who they are even supposed to be. While viewers might expect such a reaction fromsomeone like Ava (Janelle James),it not only seems cruel from everyone else, it doesn’t make sense. Gregory’s costume looks exactly like Mr. DNA in the movie, while Janine’s detailed collection of elements is hard to mistake. Making matters even more confusing is that Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) knows all aboutJurassic Park’s box office statistics, but not two of the most recognizable plot devices. One could even argue that, while the costumes aren’t necessarily characters, the imagery is far more iconic than if, say, Janine and Gregory had dressed as actual players from the film.
Even when the two participate in the school’s costume contest, they’re treated as if the looks make no sense.While Melissa and Sweet Cheekswin the couple’s contest, understandably so, there are plenty of other looks on the very same stage that are supposedly identifiable. It doesn’t help that Janine’s speech about the film clearly insinuates thatJurassic Parkis as equally successful in theAbbottuniverse as it is in real life. However, this would be understandable if the confusion was only limited to the school, butit only gets worse for the couple when they take their costumes out into public.
Discouraged by their icy reception at school, Gregory and Janine buy generic peanut butter and jelly costumes from Spirit Halloween in hopes of winning a costume contest at a bar. For some reason, those less-than-impressive looks get a warm reception, until Janine and Gregory realize they want to change back into their original costumes. Surely, a bar full of millennials who, like Janine and Gregory, would have also grown up with the movie, would recognize the costumes. Not only are they once again unrecognized, butJanine and Gregory are met with a bar full of silencewhen they go up on stage. It seems like no one in Philadelphia has ever seen one ofthe most beloved movies of all time. But while their friends and fellow partygoers are missing out on what makes the costumes so great, there is a delightful moment built-in for the couple.
Janine and Gregory’s Confidence Has Deeper Meaning for Their Relationship
The rest ofAbbott’s characters may be blind to what great costumes the show’s main couple have chosen, but their decision to brave ridicule and change back into their original looks shows how far they’ve come. A big part of what made their journey to romance so long was their respective lack of confidence. While dressing in apparently niche costumes may seem rather minuscule, it’s a wonderful way to show how much the two care for each other. When it comes to having fun together and living their lives,Janine and Gregory are finally ready to move past what everyone thinks and just enjoy being together. It’s gratifying to watch as a viewer and continuesAbbott’s forward momentum, even if the couple’s experience throughout this week’s episode was a little discouraging.
Abbott Elementaryis available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
Abbott Elementary
A workplace comedy centered around a group of dedicated teachers - and an oblivious principal - in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life.
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