“Abbott Elementary” is back in session for its fourth season, much to the delight of fans eagerly awaiting its return since the conclusion of the third season in May 2024. Premiering back in October, episodes are being released every Wednesday on ABC, with season four set to have 22 episodes.
From its debut, “Abbott Elementary” has captured the hearts of viewers and critics alike. The first season won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for its pilot episode and Outstanding Casting. The show has since garnered 18 nominations and two more wins for its second and third seasons.
The show follows the daily lives of teachers at an underfunded Philadelphia public school. Shot as a mockumentary, it pulls back the curtain to give viewers an intimate view into a setting where the day-to-day happenings of a school are not particularly well-known.
The show has been credited with reviving the popular mockumentary format, which has been popularized by shows like “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation” and “Modern Family.” The overwhelming support received by “Abbott Elementary” off the bat is unprecedented, as most sitcoms typically gain a cult following after at least the first season has aired.
In an interview with AV Club, series creator Quinta Brunson talks about how she always knew she wanted “Abbot Elementary” to be a mockumentary, noting that “it’s such a good vehicle for jokes.”
“It’s also a good vehicle for going behind the veil,” Brunson says. “I thought an elementary public school was the perfect setting to go behind. We all think we know what goes on there because we were a student once, but there’s so much going on in the lives of these teachers.”
To perfect the show’s mockumentary style, Brunson even sought out “The Office” alum Randall Einhorn. He has directed “Abbot Elementary” since its pilot and continues to be one of its main directors.
The third season left viewers on a cliffhanger regarding the show’s will-they-won’t-they couple, Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams). With the release of the newest season, viewers finally get a definitive answer on where they ended up. The show explores the changing dynamics of their characters, in addition to the usual character and relationship development that viewers have come to love and expect of “Abbott Elementary.”
However many viewers were critical of the show’s third season, as it was written quickly after the SAG-AFTRA writer’s strike. The season broke the show’s usual format of following the timeline of the school year, instead opting for a five-month time jump.
Though many recognized the effects of the strike, fans critiqued the season for having a weaker plot and lacking progression or any overarching plot points. Additionally, Brunson’s character Janine worked at the school district instead of at Abbott for the duration of the third season. Fans critiqued this, as she was frequently a catalyst for plot progression, and her removal resulted in a shift in dynamics at Abbott.
But if the first six episodes indicate anything, it’s that season four of “Abbott Elementary” is shaping up to be one of its best seasons yet. This season remains centered on Abbott and highlights the cast’s acting and chemistry with each other. The specificity in the writing of their characters allows for realistic relationships to develop because they’ve created space for their characters to grow. The human element of “Abbott Elementary” will always be its strongest facet, setting it apart from other sitcoms.
“Abbott Elementary” is known for its realistic portrayals, featuring dynamic and fleshed-out characters unwilling to stereotype, typecast or box in anybody on the show. In an interview with the New York Times, Brunson discusses how her priority was always going to be comedy first.
“We’re giving people slice-of-life stories,” Brunson said. “It’s a show about people’s lives … My generation was starting to get tired of race as the only focal point. The white shows got to just be white, but a lot of shows with people of color were about the color of the people and not about stories of the people, so ‘Abbott’ also feels like a shift in that way.”
The writers make the show feel real and relatable through their specificity when writing characters. Janine is naïve and overly optimistic, and while she is a vehicle for positivity and joy in the show, it doesn’t stop the other teachers from making jokes at her expense. They see her as uncool, much like one would typically find someone who is constantly overzealous at their workplace. But as she gains experience, especially with her time at the district in season three, she also gains confidence in herself.
Another example of the show’s well-written and dimensioned character growth can be seen in Principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James). Coleman is established as selfish and chaotically reckless from the get-go, only dropping some hints here and there that she has some tolerable qualities. But as time progresses, she comes to truly appreciate and respect her colleagues and is motivated to be a better principal for the school. She never loses her biting wit and sarcastic humor, keeping her status as a fan favorite by continuing to relentlessly joke at others’ expense.
Season four appears to be regaining its feet from its brief stumble in the third season by returning Janine to Abbott and introducing an overarching, across-season plot point: the bothersome construction of the new golf course near the school.
While the rest of the season remains to be seen, both audiences and critics approve of the six episodes released so far and are eagerly awaiting what’s next.
You can catch the newest episodes on Hulu every Thursday.
Ananya Kashyap is an Arts and Entertainment Intern for the fall 2024 quarter. She can be reached at ananyask@uci.edu.
Edited by Alaina Retodo and Jaheem Conley.