Review: Abbott Elementary, "Teacher Appreciation" | Season 2, Episode 18
Abbott’s teachers fight (each other) for courtside NBA seats and an ounce of acknowledgment
It’s a smart decision on Abbott Elementary’s part to use an episode about teacher appreciation (and titled “Teacher Appreciation”) to segue into a reminder of the looming force that threatens just what it is we appreciate about the teachers at Abbott. Abbott Elementary is at its best when it reminds the audience and its characters why what they do is important and special, and that’s exactly what this episode does—before progressing the Legendary Charter plot further and making every “win” for Abbott feel like it could easily be short-lived and temporary.
If I have any real issue with “Teacher Appreciation,” it’s that the episode’s balancing act between the teachers’ competition and Janine’s family reunion with her sister Ayesha (Ayo Edibiri) means that it can’t go full tilt on the former. Because even with uneven storytelling at times, the competitive aspects of the plots in episodes like “Egg Drop” and “Read-A-Thon” have been a reliable and effective source of comedy t…