Abbott Elementary season 3 premiere: Just what TV needs right now

Everything might be going to hell, but at least there’s much-needed respite in the form of Abbott Elementary. ABC’s award-winning sitcom returned in all its glory tonight with its third-season premiere. And truly, I’m grateful to press play and immerse in the delightful Quinta Brunson-created world. There’s nothing like cackling at Ava’s (Janelle James) one-liners, getting anxious over Janine (Brunson) and Gregory’s (Tyler James Williams) slow-burn romance, or simply enjoying the ensemble’s heartfelt banter. Thankfully, the two-part “Career Day” delivers Abbott’s charming qualities while pushing the narrative forward (and, yes, providing sporty cameos too).

Now, of course, in the show’s absence since the season two finale aired in April 2023, much has gone down in the real world. Last year’s WGA and SAG strikes delayed season three (for good reason!), and now it’s back for 14 episodes instead of the usual 22. Meanwhile, Abbott also earned various nominations at the Critics’ Choice Awards, the Golden Globes, and the Emmys, with Brunson winning Outstanding Comedy Actress last month at the latter. It’s safe to say Abbott’s acclaim has only gone up even if no new installment aired in 10 months. The long break is unusual for a network comedy, but now that it’s back and the ABC series hasn’t missed a single beat, kicking off with an hour that’s funny, sweet, and exactly what TV needs right now.

The episode begins with a “new and improved” Ava ushering the documentary crew into the hallowed halls of the Philadelphia public-elementary school. Five months have passed in Abbott’s world with one major shakeup. Okay, two, because Ava is a committed principal now. She’s undergone a Harvard program and wants to do her job as best as someone like her can. Her team painfully learns, though, that an involved Ava is worse than a distracted Ava. She’s changing things too much, and Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) is in no mood to rearrange her desks or give up on outdoor lunches.

Nothing deters Ava, not even Gregory flexing his muscular arms! It’s an interesting approach to her character development, especially if viewers are wondering, “How the hell does she keep this job?” In its run so far, Abbott has successfully toed the line by gradually evolving her without making it seem unbelievable. Case in point: Ava goes back to normal when “Back That Azz Up” plays on the speaker, compelling her to ignore her duties and dance it out. (Good thinking, Barb.)

As for the second major shakeup: We quickly learn that Janine Teagues is no longer working full-time at her beloved Abbott Elementary. I won’t lie, for a minute, this revelation shook me in the sense that her actions don’t align with her personality. It’s like if Jim Halpert took that job in the Dunder Mifflin New York City branch or if Leslie never ran for City Council. There’s no way Janine would voluntarily depart from her job, right? Right! Once again, Abbott takes familiar notions of the mockumentary genre and turns them into something wholly original and lovely. It’s the show’s greatest strength: to be proper comfort TV yet just inventive enough to keep things interesting.

The audience needs to be surprised after being away from their subjects for so long. But the jolt isn’t too earth-shattering, either, as this is a sitcom after all. So, no, Janine isn’t entirely gone. She’s accepted a prestigious fellowship with the school district for a few months to implement creative ideas to help educational institutions. The flashback-set first episode reveals she’s encouraged when three other district employees arrive to observe and shadow the teachers. One of them, Manny (Josh Segarra, a treat as always), is particularly impressed by her dedication.

Janine denies this, but another reason for her to take some space from Abbott might be Gregory shutting down her idea of potentially exploring a relationship. They decided in the season-two finale that they shouldn’t get romantically entangled, so in his endearingly awkward way, he denies her when she brings it up again at school. And you know he’s internally jealous now because he senses a vibe between Janine and Manny. He knows it’s his fault he’s not smooching her right now. They could’ve been watching Jumanji together at this moment, damn it! (Sorry, I’m just counting down the days till they embrace their Ben and Leslie-like fate.)

Meanwhile, her first big task while working at the district is to bring Career Day to Abbott. The pressure is on, but her bond with her co-workers means she knows exactly what profession to bestow on each teacher. For example, Gregory’s class gets a botanist, while Melissa (Lisa-Ann Walter) gets a marketing head for the Philadelphia Eagles to talk to her students. It’s nothing short of a miracle for her when he brings in surprise guests via a Zoom call, including footballers Jalen Hurts, Brandon Graham, and Jason Kelce. She’s initially excited, but Melissa’s joy turns into sadness when her boyfriend, Gary (Bruno Amato), proposes in front of everyone, including the Philly Eagles. He didn’t take her seriously when she said multiple times she didn’t want to get married. And now, Melissa has to break his heart in front of Jalen freakin’ Hurts.

At least “Career Part II” ends on a somewhat comforting note of Janine and Gregory slowly reconnecting after spending months apart. They have an honest, brief conversation about where they stand, and it doesn’t seem like anything is going to happen. For now. As for the rest of season three, Janine better be back to Abbott full-time soon. I think we all want—no, we need—this entire ensemble together on our screens.

Stray observations

• Let’s get to the big one: How do we feel about the love triangle forming between Janine, Gregory, and Manny? It’s Abbott, so they might not even go there, but Segarra has a charming chemistry with Brunson so far.
• Jacob remains a steadfast supporter of Gregory and we have to respect him for it. I’m on the same side, so I nodded heavily when he said to Janine about Manny: “He’s no Gregory, my king, my guy.”
• I thought it was a pretty big revelation that Abbott casually dropped who was filming the documentary about the school. It’s just three (talented) people with arts degrees.
• For Career Day, Jacob wants Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) to talk to the students because he’s had around 400 jobs over the years and the kids need to be trained for the gig economy. That made me chuckle in a sad way.
• Barbara calling her husband after getting dolled up (a cosmetologist was in her class for Career Day) and telling him to get ready to go on date night was the sweetest thing. Sheryl Lee Ralph was glorious in this episode.
• Ava invited everyone into Abbott again with the perfect line, one that I want to repeat as the recap ends: “Welcome back to the house Ava built.”

New episodes of Abbott Elementary air weekly on ABC, and are available to stream next day on Hulu.