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Ross Bonaime is the Senior Film Editor at Collider. He is a Virginia-based critic, writer, and editor who has written about all forms of entertainment for Paste Magazine, Brightest Young Things, Flickchart, The Free Lance-Star, and more. Ross graduated from George Mason University with a focus in communications and journalism and a minor in film and video studies.
Ross is a Tomatometer-approved critic, a member of the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association, and a member of the Critics Choice Association. He has loved movies ever since he saw Cinderella in the theater as a kid, he can quote 10 Things I Hate About You and Wet Hot American Summer from memory, and is fascinated by all things Georges Méliès and Charlie Chaplin.
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Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Abbott Elementary Season 5, Episode 9.For a show called Abbott Elementary, it’s unusual how much of the show’s fifth season has taken place outside the walls of this school. Abbott has always gone on excursions outside the titular school, but it’s felt more pointed in this latest season. “Ballgame” shook things up by taking the Abbott teachers to an actual Philadelphia Phillies game. “Game Night” took half the cast to the home of Gregory (Tyler James Williams), with the other half going to the DMV. Even “Camping” brought many of the students to the woods as a “recharge” for our characters (how you sleep outside, keep an eye on dozens of students, and still wake up refreshed might be the most absurd thing the show has ever done).
But the last episode, “Birthday,” seemed to find an answer that would allow Abbott Elementary out of the school, while still letting them play in new environments: shut down Abbott and run the school out of an abandoned mall. It’s a solution that allows for wild antics and new places for this story to go, while still centering Abbott around the students and highlighting the difficulties of running a public school with lackluster funding. While this will almost certainly be a short-term issue for the students and teachers of Abbott (the titles of the next two episodes seem to imply they’ll be here for at least two more weeks), it still seems as though it's a temporary solution for a much bigger Abbott problem.
What Is ‘Abbott Elementary’s Episode “Mall” About?
For the staff of Abbott Elementary, winter vacation has been cut short in order to turn an abandoned mall into a functioning school. Janine (Quinta Brunson) is naturally optimistic about everything, Ava (Janelle James) has taken to trying to find the right store for her office, Gregory has taken to helping new teacher Dominic (Luke Tennie) get used to the unexpected demands of being a public school teacher, while Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) waxes nostalgic about how she used to run this mall back in her younger days.
But once the students show up at this makeshift school, all hell naturally breaks loose. They stream in from every door, as though they’re in Dawn of the Dead, the “cafeteria” food is disgusting, and it’s understandably hard for the kids to pay attention — or not just disappear altogether. Who would’ve thought throwing a bunch of elementary school students into a deserted mall would go poorly?
Yet these are the types of situations that make Abbott Elementary so great, where we see the teachers determined to put up with the nightmare they’re thrown into, only to give their students the best education they can, even with their meager means. This is particularly the case between Janine and Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph), as Janine tries to see the positive in their new location, while Barbara addresses that it’s a terrible scenario, but they can make it work. For example, when both Janine and Barbara’s classes have to take a bathroom break in the one working toilet, Janine freaks out about how much time it’s taking, yet Barbara takes the more practical “it is what it is” point of view and does what she can. They’re both trying to do the best they can; it’s just that Barbara is the only one willing to admit just how dire the situation truly is.
“Mall” is also an episode that finally gives Luke Tennie’s Dominic something to do, as the rest of the season, he’s mostly been relegated to a background character, occasionally getting a line. While he’s been presented as a teacher who Janine is apparently mentoring, it’s Gregory who helps him out the most in this episode, for better or for worse. Dom is understandably in over his head and freaking out about the unusual teaching operation they’ve got going for them. By the end of the episode, it seems as though Dom might be getting a bit too stern with his class after the advice from Gregory, but Gregory chalks it up to being fine, since at least he doesn’t quit. Dom does present an intriguing character that we haven’t seen on this show before, one who might not have what it takes to succeed as a teacher in such a troubling position. But after the show hasn’t really known what to do with Dom for the last few months, here’s hoping that they don’t waste an actor like Tennie, who is wonderful on Apple TV’s Shrinking, just for him to rage-quit at the end of these mall episodes.
But Where Is ‘Abbott Elementary’ Heading?
Five seasons in, Abbott Elementary is still arguably the best comedy series on network television. Each episode is still charming and hilarious, and the series has done a wonderful job of creating a cast that you want to spend time with week in and week out. However, this season also makes one wonder where this show is heading if it’s mostly focused on moving these characters out of the classroom. Even though the concepts for this season have led to some solid fun, it hasn’t been all that focused on character development or where these characters might be going. Sure, there’s new blood being added to the cast, like Dom and Marcella Arguello’s Elena, but they rarely feel integral to the story going forward. We have a great cast and great scenarios that they keep getting thrown into, but is that enough?
With the relationships in the show all in good places, with Gregory and Janine better than ever, and Ava basically having won everyone over, the main source of drama centers around the school. Recently, we’ve seen the show have to worry about charter schools and receiving bribes from a nearby golf course. And yes, the school falling apart has been a part of the show since the beginning, not to mention it was reiterated with the ceiling of the break room collapsing in the season’s first episode. With Abbott struggling to have the supplies they need, and with the school literally falling down around them, it’s hard to imagine where else Abbott could go in making the school central to its drama. It’s worth reiterating the problems within the school system, but it’s unclear where the show goes from here.
Related
Whenever I think of Abbott Elementary, I can’t help but think of the American version of The Office. Part of that is obviously the mockumentary sitcom style that both shows work within; another is that Randall Einhorn, who has directed most of Abbott’s episodes (including “Mall”) also directed 26 episodes of The Office; and part of that is how the Janine and Gregory relationship mirrors the one between Jim and Pam iin oddly specific ways (both started with the female lead in a relationship with a not-great boyfriend, both couples shared their first kiss near the end of their second season, both couples tried to play off dating to a workplace that figured it out fairly quickly, etc.). But they’re also shows with a large ensemble of characters where the place of business is integral to the story at hand. Yes, we care about the drama between these characters, but also how the place of work functions is also a key factor in where the show will go and how it will impact these characters. Their jobs are essential to who they are (and in The Office, that’s not always a good thing).
Many would argue that The Office went on for too long and forgot how to balance the individuals, their relationships, and the work side of things as well as it once did, with the sixth season being where many thought the quality dipped. Hell, it’s the season with “Scott’s Tots.” Granted, five seasons in, Abbott Elementary is still maintaining its quality to an impressive level, and it’s still a joy to watch each week. But with references in past interviews that the cast might want to go on to do other things, and about half the episodes of this new season not even taking place within Abbott Elementary itself, not to mention the characters themselves not having much drama, it does make one wonder how much longer Abbott will go. Or whether it’s time to get out while it’s still on top, before we get the Abbott Elementary equivalent of the post-Steve Carell era.
“Mall” Is a Reminder of ‘Abbott Elementary’ at Its Peak
Image via ABCBeyond just looking at the larger scope of where Abbott Elementary might be going in the future and for the rest of the season, “Mall” is a reminder of what this show does so well. It’s particularly amusing to see Gregory losing his mind in this nightmare, talking about kids doing long division in an abandoned Hollister, and we absolutely need a flashback to the years when Jacob (Chris Perfetti) was a Juggalo. And between Janine and Barbara’s different ways of looking at things, to Gregory trying to help Dom find his bearings, Abbott Elementary is getting back to the core of what makes this show so great. The way the show combines fun characters, finding new angles on their dynamics, and taking an honest and critical look at our school system, is all present in “Mall.” Hopefully, Abbott Elementary can keep this level of quality going throughout the rest of the season, instead of just hitting a few of these notes each episode.
New episodes of Abbott Elementary premiere on Wednesday nights on ABC and Hulu.
Release Date December 7, 2021
Pros & Cons
- "Mall" brings Abbott Elementary's focus back to the school.
- "Mall" does a great job of balancing all these characters and getting into intriguing dynamics.
- Finally, Season 5 gives Luke Tennie something to do.
- It does really feel like Abbott doesn't want to be in that school this season, right?
English (US) ·