School is back in session with the premiere of "Abbott Elementary"

October 10, 2024

Courtesy: Disney

School is back in session. The fourth season of the hit comedy Abbott Elementary premiered on Wednesday, October 9, and will have 22 episodes. It's not a moment too soon as fans eagerly awaited the follow-up to Gregory and Janine's passionate kiss in the exciting season 3 finale. Plus, the highly anticipated crossover episode with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, another comedic series, sees Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Danny DeVito visit Abbott Elementary, which will delight fans of both shows.

The highly acclaimed, multi-award-winning sitcom created by Quinta Brunson, which debuted in 2021, follows the teachers and their interpersonal relationships at Willard R. Abbott Elementary public school in urban Philadelphia in a mockumentary format. The show's official synopsis reminds us that they are passionate teachers with a slightly tone-deaf principal navigating the Philadelphia public school system. They love what they do even if they don't love the school district's less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children however, second-grade teacher Janine Teagues (Brunson) is the hopeful optimist who works with other teachers Jacob Hill, Barbara Howard, Melissa Schemmenti, Ava Coleman, and Gregory Eddie.

Executive produced by Randall Einhorn, Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary is produced by Werner Walian, Josh Greene, Brittani Nichols, and Scott Sites. Production companies are Delicious Non-Sequitur, Fifth Chance, 20th Television, and Warner Bros. Television Studios.

Courtesy: Disney

The cast includes:

• Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues

• Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie

• Janelle James as Ava Coleman

• Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa Schemmenti

• Chris Perfetti as Jacob Hill

• Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard

• William Stanford Davis as Mr. Johnson 

The gang is back in the first episode of the fourth season titled "Back To School," and Gregory and Janine are a couple! Thankfully, the premiere episode did not waste any time letting us know the status of their relationship and The Real Perspectives could not be any happier. The newly minted couple thinks no one knows and thinks they can keep their status under wraps; however, in hilarious talking heads, everyone already knows, judging by the fact they can't stay away from each other. While the love birds disagree in making their relationship public, it all comes to a head when Janine hilariously blurts out they're having sex! With a beautiful start to their relationship, Janine confesses her insecurities in not wanting theirs to be like her past relationships, and Gregory assures her they're not. Kudos to the show for knowing that this couple is one of the main attractions of the show and finally gave the fans the payoff they deserve.

Courtesy: Disney

It will be interesting to see how their new couple status affects their working environment at Abbott Elementary, especially since Ava warned them against becoming a couple and the complications that can arise. One thing we can rely on Abbott Elementary to provide is tons of laughs while staying culturally relevant, so the visit from District HR is sure to cause problems, along with gentrification, with the construction of a nearby golf course that creates issues, including bringing in new students, among whom are white, when Ava hilariously mistakes the first white student as a ghost.

Without revealing spoilers for this season, Brunson has gone on record stating that they are going to focus more on the characters so fans are going to learn more about Jacob and his family, with a focus on Melissa, Barbara, and Mr. Johnson as she continues to go deeper into their character development. As the genuine laughs continue throughout the season, Abbott Elementary remains at the top of its game. The dynamics between the characters continue to progress organically and feel authentic, making the series still the best comedy series on Television.

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All new episodes of Abbott Elementary will premiere on Wednesdays at 9 pm EST on ABC, with episodes available to stream on Hulu the following day.

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