Abbott Elementary – 100th Day of School

By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

Jacob’s (Chris Perfetti) students are speaking Spanish. When they’re asked to translate what they’ve been practicing into English from murder plots to inheritances it’s pretty colorful. Jacob explains that speaking a second language increases students’ chances of getting into their high school of choice. However, Abbott Elementary doesn’t have a Spanish class so he’s getting creative by having the kids watch telenovelas. 

Elsewhere, Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) is preparing to celebrate the 100th day of school with her students. Barbara explains that it’s a good way to keep up morale between breaks and the students celebrate by dressing as a person who’s a century old. While Barbara is giving a lesson on the number 100, she’s interrupted by a Facetime call from her daughter Taylor (Iyana Halley). She initially struggles with the technology before a little girl named Margaret (Van Van) lends a hand. When she asks why Taylor’s calling in the middle of class, Taylor reveals that she has good news: Barbara’s going to be a grandmother. Plus, Taylor will be moving back to Philly so the baby can be close to their grandparents. Both pieces of good news thrill Barbara and she quickly starts going over potential titles her future grandchild can use for her. Then she asks Taylor if she missed the wedding and Taylor signs off. Lack of wedding aside, once Taylor is gone Barbara and her students have a 100-second-long dance party to celebrate. 

Later, because one of Gregory’s (Tyler James Williams) students poured water on his computer we get another visit from O’Shon (Matthew Law). He and Ava (Janelle James) talk briefly and then once he goes to attend to the water-damaged computer Ava tells Dia (Pam Trotter) that O’Shon is annoying. Her reasoning is that he won’t make a move, but he keeps texting her about her hobbies and interests. When Dia doesn’t see the issue, Ava explains that she is used to men being more forward. Then she goes through a list of explicit things she’d rather O’Shon texted her about and Dia warns her that she’s slowly building her case. 

In the teacher’s lounge, Gregory asks Ava what time the 100th day of school parade will be so he can figure out how much teaching he can get done beforehand. Then Jacob and Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) have a back-and-forth because Jacob insults Sweet Cheeks’, the guinea pig, intelligence. Melissa is prevented from murdering Jacob by Barbara announcing Taylor’s pregnancy. Ava uses the news as an opportunity to remind everyone that Taylor and Gregory dated. Janine (Quinta Brunson) thinks Barbara will be a great grandmother and wishes she had known her own grandmother. Gregory chimes in that he wishes he’d spent more time with his grandmother. Melissa had two lovely nonnas, but they’re no longer with us. This prompts Barbara to wonder if anyone’s grandmother is still alive and Ava explains that hers is, but she can’t remember Ava. Then she explains that every grandmother has a muumuu, but Melissa points out that Barbara is too young for muumuus. 

O’Shon and Gregory talk about the drowned laptop and we learn that putting drenched electronics in a bag of rice only works for phones and iPods. The conversation is interrupted by a very annoyed cafeteria worker named Wendall (George Sharperson) coming in to take the rice back. Then, Ava announces to the school that she needs to drink more water and it’d be nice if the students and staff helped her. Gregory finds the request bizarre, but O’Shon finds it funny. O’Shon tells Gregory that he finds Ava cute and hilarious, so much so that he wants to ask her out. Somehow, Janine overhears this and in her glee starts to give O’Shon advice for winning Ava’s heart. For example: Ava only goes to movie premieres and won’t go near restaurants without Michelin stars. O’Shon thanks them for the advice and says he’s thinking of a walk in the park. Gregory and Janine pretend to think that’s a good idea, but once O’Shon leaves they agree he’ll crash and burn and decide to help him. 

Melissa and Jacob reunite and Jacob apologizes for calling Sweet Cheeks a rat. Melissa reluctantly accepts that apology, but warns Jacob that in her culture he’d be wacked for such a transgression. As a peace offering since Melissa was worried Sweet Cheeks wasn’t active enough Jacob gifts her with an exercise ball with Sweet Cheeks already in it. Melissa finds it adorable but tells Jacob to never touch Sweet Cheeks’ cage again. Threats aside, Melissa apologizes for being so dramatic about Sweet Cheeks and explains he’s been a source of light when she needs it so if anything bad happened to him she might run into traffic. Which is why it’s unfortunate that Sweet Cheeks escapes from his exercise ball. Unsurprisingly, Melissa panics and threatens to break Jacob’s legs. 

Barbara’s class comes in dressed up like the elderly and it’s a sea of gray wigs and the occasional walker. Then Margaret decked out in pearls and bright colors, shocks Barbara by informing her that she’s dressed as her. This shocks Barbara because she’s nowhere near a 100, but Margaret insists that Barbara is the oldest person she knows and she’s a grandmother. Barbara points out that grandmothers can be old, but the kids say she’s older than Janine who is 50 in their minds.  Mr. Johnson (William Standford Davis) overhears this walking by the classroom and “helps” by saying Barbara looks great for 100. 

Sweet Cheeks is still MIA and Melissa is freaking out. Jacob tries apologizing again, but she just wants him found because in the world of missing rodents, the first 48 minutes are crucial. In her panic, she recruits Mr. Johnson to help look because he has to take the kids to the library. They split up and agree to meet in the cafeteria in 30 minutes. In the meantime, as the kids get their 100th-day pictures taken, Melissa is frantically looking under the chairs for Sweet Cheeks. Meanwhile, Janine is trying to figure out where Ava’s favorite places are but doesn’t get an answer better than the bank. 

In the midst of the chaos, Barbara is still freaking out about Margaret dressing up as her, but Melissa points out that none of the kids really know how old they are. To prove her point she asks Andrew (Abraham Jason), who declines, and then Stevenson (Vincent Kyrie Adams) who gives wildly off numbers for Janine, Gregory, and Melissa, but guesses 63 for Barbara. She doesn’t understand why, but he points out her cardigan, pearls, and her choice to wear her phone around her neck as reasons why.

Gregory talks to O’Shon again and asks if he’s sure about asking Ava out. At the moment, O’Shon doesn’t see the harm in asking, because if she’s not interested she’ll just say no. Then he gets confused when Gregory asks him if there’s any chance he can secure a boat, which is a long shot because they’re in Philadelphia. 

Mr. Johnson is looking for Sweet Cheeks in the cafeteria, which alarms Wendall because rodents (even when they’re pets) aren’t supposed to be anywhere near the kitchen. Melissa and Jacob arrive and Melissa’s still pretty frantic. Jacob tries to apologize again, but Melissa says if they don’t find Sweet Cheeks he really will be dead to her this time. Mr. Johnson doesn’t help when he points out that soon the cafeteria will be overrun with energetic kids wearing winter boots, which makes Melissa cry. 

On an unrelated note, taking the kids’ comments to heart Barbara goes to Ava’s office in need of a favor: She wants a makeover. At first, Barbara is worried Ava will say no, but Ava immediately agrees and reveals she’s been waiting for this moment since the day she met Barbara. She’s excited to toss Barbara’s pearls to the wind, but Barbara says her pearls will be put safely in her pocketbook. Barbara assumes the makeover will happen after school, but Ava says there’s no time like the present and takes her to her secret closet courtesy of the golf course. Then Ava says she’s going to Princess Diaries and or Miss Congeniality and the makeover begins. 

Lunch has begun and the search for Sweet Cheeks is still happening when Barbara walks in her new clothes courtesy of Ava. From the tight jeans to the streaks in her hair, it’s very different from her usual look. Barbara is trying to go on like nothing has changed, but her new look sparks questions and comments from parents and her coworkers alike.  

Meanwhile, the kids have their parade while “Forever Young,” plays in the background. Melissa and Jacob get a breakthrough in the form of being informed that something nibbled on the wires. Melissa is happy when she realizes that the something was Sweet Cheeks and then horrified again when Ava announces the step team will be giving a surprise performance. Their song of choice is “Stomp” by Kirk Franklin, which includes a lot of stomping. Worried about Sweet Cheeks, Melissa tries to beg the step team to stomp carefully to no avail. On the upside everyone who isn’t Melissa really enjoys the performance. 

Janine continues to be curious about where Barbara’s new outfit came from and Ava explains it’s from her closet. She explains that Ava asks for a makeover, but when Janine asks why, Ava says she doesn’t ask questions she just changes lives. Janine vows to get the root of Barbara’s new look and Ava isn’t surprised. 

After the parade is said and done, Melissa starts to lose hope that she’ll find Sweet Cheeks and worries that opening her heart was a mistake. Then Mr. Johnson points out the gray moving wig, which can only be possible if Sweet Cheeks were underneath it. Jacob catches Sweet Cheeks and hands him back to a grateful Melissa and Mr. Johnson just wonders why they didn’t tell him Sweet Cheeks was wearing a wig earlier. 

Janine goes to talk to Barbara and says she loves her new look, but wants to know what inspired it. Barbara says she wanted to try something new, but when she digs a little deeper it becomes clear that Barbara is struggling to adjust to her new title: Grandma. Not only that, but she explains that Taylor is moving back and she worries that she’ll want her to watch the baby all the time. Barbara explains that that’s not a bad thing exactly but it could easily become her whole life. She doesn’t feel ready to be retired, sitting in a muumuu, watching her grandchild, and waiting for death just yet. Janine reassures her that it doesn’t have to be that way. She can decide what kind of grandmother she wants to be and set boundaries with her daughter. Plus, Janine says she can’t see her in a muumuu because she’s glam, and tells her she can be a Glamma. 

Barbara commends Janine for how good she’s gotten at advice-giving giving and Janine attributes it to her amazing mentor (Barbara). Then she thanks Barbara for teaching her the importance of setting boundaries and Barbara starts embracing the title of Glamma. Later, Barbara will call Taylor and have a talk with her about how much childcare she’ll be able to provide.

By the end of the day, Janine and Gregory tell O’Shon they’ve come up with an extravagant way for him to ask Ava out. It involves a helicopter, but Gregory and Janine can’t agree on how to make a rideshare not seem like a rideshare. They start arguing about logistics and O’Shon slips by them and asks Ava out and she says yes. When he turns in his visitors pass the pair are still going back and forth, but he’s happy to report that Ava accepted his invitation. O’Shon pretends to have taken all of their outlandish advice. 

At her desk, Barbara has a Facetime talk with Taylor and explains that she wants to be involved in the baby’s life, but won’t be able to provide full-time childcare. Taylor says she and her boyfriend completely understand and his parents have already agreed to help them out in that department. This activates Barbara’s competitive streak because she still wants to be very close to her “glamchild.” When Taylor asks what a glamchild is, Barbara explains that she has decided she’d like to be called Glamma. Unfortunately, Paul’s mother would also like to be called Glamma, but it doesn’t look like Barbara will be giving that title up without a fight. 

Mr. Johnson approaches Ava and asks if he can a makeover similar to the one Barbara was given earlier. Ava says she only has women’s clothing, but Mr. Johnson is open to that. So, she disappears to her now not-so-secret closet and hands him a rodeo belt, which he loves.