Abbott Elementary – Holiday Hookah

By starrymag | December 13, 2022

By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

 

 

Tis the last day of school before holiday break at Abbott Elementary and things are festive. If you walk into Jacob’s (Chris Perfetti) room like Janine (Quinta Brunson) does you can see Jacob’s boyfriend Zach (Larry Owens) leading the students in singing “Go Tell it on the Mountain.” It’s very cute and we learn that Zach takes caroling very seriously. So much so that last year when his grandma had throat surgery, he demoted her to only being allowed to ring the bells. No one is guaranteed a part. Ouch. They tell Janine that every year Zach’s family goes to Pittsburgh, but Jacob is not going with them. He says it’s because he doesn’t want to share Grandma’s fate, his singing voice is meant for spoken word only.

 

In Janine’s class she tries hard to be inclusive because it’s not Christmas for everyone. We see her passing out personalized cookies to reflect the traditions of the student. There is a Star of David cookie for a child that celebrates Hanukkah. There are a couple of Kinaras for the little ones whose families opt to celebrate Kwanzaa. And because Janine never fails to plan, she brought in blank cookies to include the Jehovah Witnesses.

 

Around the school we see everyone’s getting into the spirit. Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) is hanging up the cards her kids made. Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) is teaching the kids the words to “Jingle Bells.” And Gregory (Tyler James Williams) even lets his students decorate him like a Christmas tree, tinsel and all. Janine says she’s looking forward to having some time off and having some fun. It’s her first single holiday and her friend Erika (Courtney Taylor) says she needs to have some fun, so after school they’re going out to a Hookah bar.

 

It’s time for the teacher’s pre-holiday party and Ava (Janelle James) shows up dressed like Mrs. Claus. The teachers have a Secret Santa of sorts. Janine gives Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) a bust of his head. Mr. Johnson gives Melissa Dallas Cowboy bobbleheads, which at first feels like a weird gift for an Eagles fan, but Mr. Johnson says she can think of creative ways to break them. Melissa is excited to test out her blowtorch on them. After that there’s a lot of gift-giving to Ava because she rigged the Secret Santa to have everyone choose her. Except Jacob, who just gives Barbara a red poinsettia. She loves it.

 

It seems every year Barbara and Melissa have a Christmas lounge dinner. Jacob hints about his lack of holiday plans since Zach’s going out of town. Melissa doesn’t seem to want to invite him. However, Barbara seems to be considering it. Midway through the party Janine has to go meet Erika. Gregory comments on how unusual it is for her to leave a school function early, but Janine says that she’s trying to have a life outside of school.

 

In an unforeseen turn of events though, Janine’s school life and attempt to have a personal life collide. While she and Erika are all glammed up outside the club, they see Gregory. He’s surprised to see Janine with more makeup and wearing a glittery dress that teacher Janine would never wear. They’re both even more surprised when they see Ava walk by and skip the line altogether with a group of friends. It’s going to be a wild ride.

 

Back at the club everyone is inside, and Janine is uncomfortable. She tells Erika that she did want to cut loose, but she just feels a little weird around her co-workers. Erika explains that she’s a grown woman, so she’s allowed to have fun. She adds that this will only be a big deal if she makes it a big deal. Plus, Ava is out on the dance floor and totally unbothered by her employees being there. Then, she goes to dance with a guy who could be her next mistake.

 

It’s time for the Christmas lounge dinner and Barbara did in fact give Jacob an invite. Melissa isn’t thrilled. Jacob is not exactly feeling the holiday spirit either. He has a never-ending list of not so fun facts about Christmas from the pagan roots to racist figures in holiday history. Mr. Johnson is there too and takes it in stride, but Barbara and Melissa find it such a downer that they decide to go outside where it’s bitter cold.

 

At the bar Gregory is feeling the awkwardness and his friend Mo (Vince Staples) is expressing interest in Janine. Gregory gently dissuades him from approaching her because she’s a relationship girl. He also warns him off of Ava because “you’ll regret it.” Also, he’d rather his buddy not date anyone he works with. Then, Mo sees another random pretty girl and goes to talk to her. Gregory decides to go over to Janine. They make small talk. Gregory explains that Amber (the girl he’s dating) is at home. They both awkwardly agree to go be normal and dance together.

 

Once Barbara and Melissa are gone Mr. Johnson asks Jacob about his problems. He says that he doesn’t like Christmas either, but he doesn’t try to ruin it for people who do. Jacob says he’s not ruining anything, but Mr. Johnson points out that the ladies chose the possibility of frostbite over being inside while he outlined every bad thing about Christmas. When pressed Jacob admits that he doesn’t have a ton of good Christmas memories. However, Mr. Johnson points out he had the chance to finally make a good Christmas memory and he blew it with his withering takes. With that in mind Jacob resolves to try and salvage the night for Barbara and Melissa and himself, too.

 

Jacob resolves to quit being a Grinch and runs across the street to the liquor store. Meanwhile, Barbara and Melissa resolve that next year they’ll keep the celebration private. Barbara and Melissa are shocked at Jacob, and they decide to head back inside. Back at the club we see Janine and Gregory try to overcome their awareness and dance together.

 

When he comes back Jacob apologizes to Barbara and Melissa. He admits that the holidays are tough for him as most of his Christmas memories revolve around dysfunction and fighting, so it’s not a time of year he looks forward to. In the interest of trying to reclaim Christmas and atone for being a downer he brought tasty cakes, candy and scratchers as a peace offering. Barbara and Melissa accept his apology and thank him for being honest with them. It’s a Christmas miracle! Also, Melissa wins three dollars.

 

After a somewhat awkward encounter on the dance floor with Ava both Janine and Gregory head outside. They have a moment watching the snowfall and then Amber calls. She decided to come out after all, apparently.  So, he’s going to go to meet her at a bar. With that said, he and Janine wish each other a happy break and he leaves. Then, Mo shows up and introduces himself. He and Janine bond over some fun snowflake facts. Mo says he thought she’d like it because Gregory told him about her egg drop with the kids.

 

At school Jacob’s heart seems to have gone back to his original size and he is feeling less Grinchy. He decides he’s going to join Zach and his family in Pittsburgh, even if it means he is only allowed to ring the bells during caroling. After the call he, Mr. Johnson, Barbara and Melissa dance around the lounge to some Christmas music. Jacob finally has a good Christmas memory.

 

Outside of the club Ava finds Janine standing alone. And she’s ready to call it a night. It seems that the Christmas spirit has gotten into Ava. She surprises Janine by inviting her out to hang out with her and her boyfriend. Jannie is surprised both by the offer and the fact that Ava is in a relationship (flashback to her flirting with Gregory). Ava just says who knows when Janine will actually look good again.

 

When he shows up Janine is surprised that Ava’s boyfriend is a basketball player. He is Andre Iguodala, to be exact. Janine is a fan and apparently Ava has told him about her colleagues. Andre says Janine is even shorter than Ava said. Merry Christmas!