Abbott Elementary Season 5 Spoilers Ahead
Abbott Elementary delivers another winning season that’s not only hilarious but continues to be both a love letter to education and Philadelphia. So much of that is more obvious throughout season five than in past seasons as the fight to secure funding heightens the stakes and forces characters into tough situations. Yet, as a true sitcom, the show never once loses its light as it gives us thought-provoking matters to ponder.
Interestingly, there are moments throughout Abbott Elementary Season 5 that almost take away the show’s charm when they temporarily move the characters out of the school and into an abandoned mall. As understandable as that narrative arc is for the purpose of storytelling, it’s so jarring that it tonally shifts the vibe in a way that’s actually unpleasant. At the same time, it’s those exact moments that then do such an effective job of revealing why the show works in the first place.
I’ve not been shy about vocalizing how awful my elementary years were and why a show like Abbott has helped heal the part of me that broke during those pivotal years. Yet, the fact that I now find myself missing those key moments inside an actual classroom is what effectively showcases just how significant the setting is. And yes, moments outside of the school hit just as hard, especially in episodes like “Ballgame” and “Night Out,” but the location is a gift, and it’s entirely because of all the ways the show shines a light on the important matters.
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Because of this, narratively, the decision to pull them out of the school is exactly what makes the events of the season finale feel more earned. The series has never shied away from showcasing how underfunded the system is—and especially schools in various districts with Black and other marginalized children—so in every way where it matters, this fight for equality is where its heart lies, allowing the stakes to grow higher five seasons in.
Quinta Brunson is undoubtedly aware of what makes the show special, and she continues to utilize the unique character journeys every time while underscoring why our attention to the education system matters. Now more than ever, our awareness of how awfully teachers are treated and how limited their resources are is something that deserves action. And while the series is a sitcom on the surface, there’s hope in how it can inspire more viewers to step up in their communities. To help out as much as they can. To support the causes that matter and to ensure that the kids growing up have the best kind of education possible.
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And then, of course, there’s the incredible work we get in between with all the teachers that continues to add layers that are worth analyzing for hours on end. Between the shocking moments like Gregory and Janine’s breakup in “Trip,” the series was already pulling punches to shatter us hard. That’s why, when it momentarily declared that Abbott would be one of the schools closing—especially after reuniting Gregory and Janine—it felt like we were going to stay in the trenches somehow.
You get one joyous thing, not two. And yet, at the last second, it reverses this decision with the new superintendent taking into consideration the repairs that went into this school year. Money talks. Still. Always. On any other show, the whiplash would’ve been both frustrating and irritating, yet with incredible writing at the helm, the finale mindfully ensures that Abbott Elementary Season 5 shines as an excellent season instead.
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Still hilarious, still warm, still full of solid holiday episodes, healing moments, and a stellar finale, Abbott Elementary’s Season 5 continues to prove that the show is one of the most endearing sitcoms on air. There’s really nothing quite like it in how it supplies us with content that’s both genuinely educational and acutely wholesome.
Abbott Elementary Season 5 is now streaming on Hulu.
First Featured Image Credit: ©ABC/Hulu