Abbott Elementary Season 5 Hints At A Tragic Character Exit

Although Abbott Elementary season 5 only introduced Luke Tennie’s Dominic Clark in its first episode, the show may already be setting up his exit with episode 9. Abbott Elementary season 5 brought back Janine’s mom, Vanetta, before the show’s pre-Christmas hiatus, but the feud between mother and daughter wasn’t the biggest shock in that festive episode.

By the time Vanetta’s visit ended, Janine had given up on mending her relationship with her mother and had invited her workplace mentor, Barbara Howard, to a birthday dinner with her and Gregory instead. This was a tragic end to what was meant to be a sweet reunion, but Vanetta’s failure to support her daughter paled in comparison to the episode’s real twist.

After ignoring Mr. Johnson’s warning, Ava was horrified when the titular school was flooded thanks to a broken boiler. Ever the ingenious educator, the principal ended up securing a temporary new location for the students while the school was under repair. Thus, Abbott Elementary relocated to a dead mall for the second half of season 5.

Abbott Elementary Season 5 Episode 9 Implies Dominic May Leave The School

In season 5, episode 9, “Mall,” the teachers struggle to adjust to the reality of their new workplace, claiming old disused storefronts as classrooms and trying to navigate the treacherous space as they set up a makeshift school. Initially, Janine’s idealistic positivity irked Barbara, but that wasn’t the biggest problem among the teachers.

Luke Tennie’s new teacher, Dominic, struggled to build a classroom in an empty store with broken windows, and when the students finally did arrive, he had a hard time keeping them under control. Gregory tried to help him, but Dominic soon lost hope, and it became clear that he was almost ready to quit.

Fortunately for everyone involved, Dominic eventually took some inspiration from Abbott Elementary’s heroine Janine when he rallied and took on the students. He managed to silence them by threatening to break their beloved claw machine, a tactic that Gregory admitted was extreme but effective, given the faculty's compromised situation.

However, it was still clear that Dominic’s struggles weren’t over yet. He seriously struggled with moving to the mall and had a hard time with the transition, even talking about giving up at one point. As Gregory noted, this less-than-ideal setup wasn’t even unusual in the unpredictable world of Abbott, meaning Dominic may not be cut out for the chaos.

Dominic’s Departure Would Sadly Make Sense For Abbott Elementary Season 5

As Gregory noted when he spoke to Dominic, the public education system is known to chew up and spit out young teachers fast because of the many issues associated with chronic under-funding. Interestingly, Gregory said that this was true of the entire public education system and not just Abbott, hinting at broader systemic issues outside the show’s setting.

Since real-life schools have relocated to disused malls in recent years across America, it is fair to say that Gregory has a point. Throughout its first five seasons, Abbott Elementary has often shown the issues facing teachers and offered unsparing satirical commentary on the state of the education system, but the sitcom has not yet seen a teacher quit as a result.

Despite Abbott Elementary’s lack of Thanksgiving episodes, the show is a warm, heartfelt sitcom where the central heroes feel as much like a family as a set of coworkers. As such, the series may have steered clear of the harsh reality of teachers becoming burnt out to avoid the show feeling too downbeat. However, now would be the perfect time to address this theme.

Abbott Elementary Season 5’s Dominic Exit Would Be Heartbreaking For Two Characters

In the first episode of season 5, Janine reluctantly took on Dominic as her protégé. Meanwhile, in “Mall,” Gregory fulfilled a similar role for the gentle, inexperienced young teacher. Given how happy the show’s central couple has been throughout season 5, it would be a brutal reality check for them if Dominic left the school.

While this sounds sad, it could be a good thing for Abbott Elementary’s Janine and Gregory story more broadly. The duo still needs to face some conflicts, since conflict is at the heart of both dramatic and comedic storytelling, but few viewers would want to see the steady couple break up solely for the sake of drama.

As such, putting Dominic’s career in turmoil is the perfect way to get around this issue. The young teacher is a friend to Gregory and Janine, but they are also both rooting for him to succeed so they can prove themselves as mentors. If he has a hard time sticking to working in Abbott, this reflects poorly on them.

As such, it could be a good learning experience for the couple if Dominic ends up leaving the profession because he wasn’t cut out for the constant stress of teaching. This would remind both characters of their limits, both individually and as a team, and ensure that Abbott Elementary’s heroes still face challenges despite their reliable romantic relationship.