Abbott Elementary – Mom

By starrymag | April 18, 2023

By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

 

 

We open with Jacob (Chris Perfetti) putting on a magic show in the library for the kids and Ava (Janelle James). Somehow this isn’t the disaster you’d assume it’d be and everyone’s enjoying it. That is until Ava invites Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) to join the fun. She’s unimpressed by Jacob’s tricks and says she’s seen better at the boardwalk. So, Jacob tells her to pick a card and says he’ll make it reappear. He reproduces a card, but Melissa says it’s not her card. Ava says the magic doesn’t work if she lies.  But Melissa says it just wasn’t her card and leaves the library, as she’s walking away we see her card on the back of her shirt. Then, the library goes wild.

 

It’s almost Memorial Day weekend at Abbott Elementary and everyone’s got plans for the long weekend. Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and her husband are planning to go to South Jazz Cafe, Jacob’s helping his boyfriend clean out his shoe closet, Ava’s doomsday prepping, and Janine (Quinta Brunson) is planning a girl trip. You read that right as she’s taking a solo trip to Ocean City. She’s always wanted to go and she’s saved up enough money to treat herself. Everyone is supportive of the idea and Janine says she really needs it. Barbara tells Janine she’s proud of her and that this is a big step. Later in a one-on-one with the cameras, Janine says she’s trying to learn to like her own company, but she’s briefly distracted by a missed call from her mom.

 

Elsewhere Gregory (Tyler James Williams) is looking for almonds to put on his oatmeal. Jacob says that they’re out, but his girl Shanae (Nikea Gamby-Turner) who works in the cafeteria has a secret stash of almonds. He adds that they’re very close, which confuses Gregory because Jacob’s social cue reading abilities can be a mixed bag. Jacob greets Shanae in a super playful, friendly way. Shanae asks if it looks like she has time to talk right now and at first we and Gregory worry that Jacob rounded an acquaintanceship up to friendship. It turns out he didn’t though as Shanae likes Jacob and was just messing with him. But when they ask about the almonds though, she tells Gregory no.

 

In class Janine is giving the kids an Earth Day lesson but she gets distracted by the clicking of high heels. The kids seem unbothered, but then she quiets them to listen to it. The woman walking in the high heels is none other than Janine’s mother: Vanetta (Taraji P. Henson).  Janine is really surprised to see her for a number of reasons. First, she’s asked her to visit a number of times and wasn’t taken up on the offer. Second, she wasn’t expecting her. Third, Janine points out that they haven’t spoken in six months. However, Vanetta says that she tried calling her, and when she didn’t answer she got worried and had to come to check on her. The bell for recess rings and Janine decides to get her mother a visitor’s pass.

 

Jacob asks Gregory about the tension between him and Shanae this morning. He’s a little worried about why Shanae appears to dislike him and is wondering if he has a plan to win her over. Gregory says he doesn’t unless avoiding her forever counts. Jacob doesn’t love that plan, but Gregory doesn’t think it’s a big deal. He tells Jacob he doesn’t need to talk to every single person at the school. Melissa overhears and says that’s a poor strategy for an aspiring principal. Gregory doesn’t see the connection between leadership and talking to people. Melissa explains that not everyone has to be his BFF, but being able to shoot the breeze matters.

 

Janine is giving her mother a tour of the school and trying to catch up with her. They bump into Barbara and Ava. Barbara is happy to meet Janine’s mom and Ava is just surprised. Clearly, she imagined someone more uptight as Janine’s mother. Ava says genetics are wild because Vanetta is cool and before she can elaborate on what Janine is (or isn’t) she sizes her up and realizes that Vanetta would beat her up for insulting Janine. With that realization, Ava walks away and then tells the camera that the key to never getting your ass beat is knowing who can beat your ass.

 

Barbara asks Vanetta what brings her to Abbott and she says she’s just checking on Janine. Janine gently points out that Vanetta lives in the neighborhood, so she technically could’ve done that months ago. Vanetta chides her for being sensitive and once Barbara leaves Janine mentions her vacation. Apparently going there has been a lifelong desire for Janine, but her mother’s gone there a bunch of times…without Janine. The good news is that Vanetta says she has a new job. Janine is surprised but says that’s great. It’s a work-from-home position, but there’s a problem. Vanetta went over her data and her phone might get turned off unless she pays the $639.17. Janine is worried and asks if she only came to see her because she needs money. Her mother says no and she’s proud of her. Then, she takes a selfie with Janine and says she’ll send it, but now she can’t because her phone’s off. She tells Janine not to worry.

 

Later, Janine asks Barbara to watch her class so that she can check on her mother. Barbara agrees and asks how the visit is going because she knows things with Vanetta haven’t always been easy. Janine says it’s going great and her mother has a new job but explains that her phone situation is causing trouble. She’s worried about her mother not having a phone. Barbara thinks the timing of her visit and her phone drama is suspect, but Janine is just happy Vanetta is here.

 

In the cafeteria Gregory tries to work on the art of small talk. He’s probably bolstered by the realization that Ava can work a room and he can’t. Unfortunately for Gregory, his idea of small talk involves asking Nurse Makiah (Adargiza de los Santos) her opinions on air pollution. It’s about as awkward as you’d imagine. After saying that air pollution is bad, Makiah opts to be away from Gregory.

 

On the other side of the cafeteria Melissa, Barbara and Ava discuss Vanetta. Ava realizes she’s met Janine’s mom before as they’ve danced on top of the same tables. She thinks what happened to her is a shame, cool people, Ava says, should have cool babies. Barbara is just concerned that she’s taking advantage of Janine. She points out that taking time for herself is huge for Janine and worries she’ll use her vacation money to bail her mom out. Melissa agrees she gives off grifter vibes, but reminds her that getting involved in family situations like this can get messy.

 

After lunch Barbara goes to the teacher’s lounge and sees Vanetta going through a shelf of pills. When she asks if Vanetta is feeling sick, she simply says it’s cold and flu season somewhere. Barbara says it’s lovely Vanetta came to see Janine. Vanetta shares that she can’t believe Janine never invited her before. (Reminder: Janine has invited her multiple times) Barbara states Janine is wonderful and she should be proud while Vanetta takes things off the counter. Vanetta says she is proud of Janine, but her sister is a different story. Yikes. Barbara mentions Janine is really grown and this vacation is a sign of growth, she’s just worried she’s going to use her vacation money to pay Vanetta’s phone bill. Vanetta gets defensive and says it’s personal and she didn’t ask for Janine’s help. But Barbara says because Janine is Janine she wouldn’t even have to ask. Vanetta says her daughter will do what’s right. Besides, she points out that she has Tariq to split the rent. Barbara explains that they broke up a year ago and Vanetta figures it was probably Janine’s fault. Remember when the counselor from the fire episode said Janine needed therapy?

 

Opting to cut to the chase, Barbara says she just wants Vanetta to know how important this vacation is for Janine. Vanetta states that this isn’t any of her business and she doesn’t know her. Howeer, Barbara says that she knows Janine and she’ll help her at her own expense. Vanetta responds by saying she’s her mother and gave her life at her own expense. (Again, therapy.) Barbara offers to give her the money for the phone bill and Janine never has to know. Great plan, except Janine walks in and hears what was said.

 

It’s awkward now and Janine takes her mom back to her classroom. Vanetta tells Janine she’s too good for Abbott Elementary and she’s not a fan of Barbara who she calls nosey and judgey. She tells Janine that Barbara called her broke and then tried to give her a handout. Janine is doubtful and asks her mom why she came to see her. Vanetta says she missed her, but Janine says she’d been calling her for months. In response Vanetta weakly says that Janine didn’t leave her any messages. Janine sighs and says she can set up a payment plan and make her first two payments, but she doesn’t have anything else to spare. Janine tells her that it is it or she’s on her own. Vanetta thanks her and accepts the payment plan option.

 

Elsewhere Gregory connects with Shanae over their shared love of baseball. Maybe he’ll get his almonds tomorrow. And Janine goes to Barbara and they have a talk. Janine says she’s aware that her mother is a lot, but she’s also her mother. She also explains that she agreed to help her mom, but not in a way that sacrifices her vacation entirely. She’s still going, but she won’t be able to afford a massage. Barbara says she’s really proud of her. Janine appreciates that and says who knows, with the boundaries set she might end up going on vacation one day with her mother. Barbara changes the subject and gives her vacation advice which results in her taking her shopping for a swimsuit cover at Ross. This makes Janine very, very happy.

 

At the end of the day Gregory and Janine catch up a little. While Janine is telling him about her mom, they both ignore Jacob freaking Melissa out by bending a spoon with his mind.