S01.E08: Work Family

[msani19]

Ava falling out of the chair laughing sent me into ridiculous laughter, then when she asked for another chair to fall out of, I was done!

If I knew her in real life, she'd drive insane. But in this show, she's gold! 

I agree with all the other posts about the episode so I won't add anything further. 

[chediavolo]

On 2/16/2022 at 2:52 PM, kwnyc said:

We're getting to see why Janine might not have many friends...she is very needy and somewhat controlling (along with her great heart and eagerness to help). She's a real human, as are her colleagues. It takes a LOT for her to give up on someone (like Sahar and Tariq).

I hope we get more of her background; why is she so nerdy & sweet? Did she grow up in Philly or a suburb? What do her parents do? 

All of this makes me feel like I'm going to enjoy watching the show for a long time.

Interesting questions. I love her though. I’d be her friend. I like gentle & kind people. I’ve  had enough snarky , tough, etc friends in my life. 

[chediavolo]

THE BEST Show to come out in a long time. I love  the feel of it. I thought I would grow up to be a teacher when I was small. Things happened in life and I never did. I should have. It seemed like my calling. This is the kind of work life I imagined.  Love Janine, everyone had something to offer. It is just wonderful.  It had better get renewed. Kudos!!! To the writers! 

[Phebemarie]

5 hours ago, chediavolo said:

THE BEST Show to come out in a long time. I love  the feel of it. I thought I would grow up to be a teacher when I was small. Things happened in life and I never did. I should have. It seemed like my calling. This is the kind of work life I imagined.  Love Janine, everyone had something to offer. It is just wonderful.  It had better get renewed. Kudos!!! To the writers! 

Teaching is a wonderful profession.  It can also be very lonely and difficult...especially right now.  However, if you're not retired, and you feel it's truly your calling, it's not too late to go into teaching.  Good educators are needed everywhere.

Maybe in a future episode, Gregory can file a grievance for harassment against Ava.  Someone mentioned upthread how inappropriate we would find it if a male principal was harassing a young female teacher in the same way.  

 

 

 

[mansonlamps]

2 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

Teaching is a wonderful profession.  It can also be very lonely and difficult...especially right now.  However, if you're not retired, and you feel it's truly your calling, it's not too late to go into teaching.  Good educators are needed everywhere.

Maybe in a future episode, Gregory can file a grievance for harassment against Ava.  Someone mentioned upthread how inappropriate we would find it if a male principal was harassing a young female teacher in the same way.  

 

 

 

As much as it pains me to admit it, this double standard exists every day in the real world.  At our annual Christmas party,  one 55 plus year old woman goes around insisting everyone has to hug her and will not take no for an answer even if someone seems uncomfortable.   I tried to speak appeal to our management to speak to her knowing there would be hell to pay if one of the older men made the younger girls hug him,  but everyone else seems to think it's funny to watch them squirm.

[LydiaMoon1]

On 2/17/2022 at 5:49 PM, Bookish Jen said:

Regarding Tariq and Janine, I can imagine Janine clings to him and their relationship because it's familiar. They've been together for a very long time and she's never been with another guy. And Tariq isn't awful; he just lacks ambition other than rapping. Janine can't carry the heavy load forever. And I liked how Jacob gently implied that some relationships just aren't meant to be. 

Actually, Tariq is quite awful. He is not Janine's BF. He is her dependent. He didn't even secure the school gig for himself. Janine arranged it for him. He barely helps with the bills. He drives her car around all day while she works. She shoulders all of the burdens of the relationship while he enjoys an extended childhood. Men like him are energy vampires who suck the life out of any woman who deals with them.

Edited February 19, 2022 by LydiaMoon1

[Neiman]

Melissa’s secret that her cousin turned down a hit on Bobby Kennedy 😂

I was hoping Janine would break up with her boyfriend by the end of the episode.

[chitowngirl]

I see Janine breaking up with Tariq at the same time that Gregory starts seeing someone…

[Constant Viewer]

34 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

I see Janine breaking up with Tariq at the same time that Gregory starts seeing someone…

Me too, but at the end of the season.

[peachmangosteen]

If that happens, I hope the person Gregory starts seeing is that mom who was bringing her kid to school late.

[Empress1]

On 2/16/2022 at 2:52 PM, kwnyc said:

I hope we get more of her background; why is she so nerdy & sweet? Did she grow up in Philly or a suburb? What do her parents do? 

I think she said in the pilot that she’s a product of Philly public schools (like Quinta Brunson herself). We don’t know anything else aside from her being with Tariq since eighth grade.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

12 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I think she said in the pilot that she’s a product of Philly public schools (like Quinta Brunson herself). We don’t know anything else aside from her being with Tariq since eighth grade.

I believe she might have mentioned being in a gifted program.... doubt she met Tariq there, though.

Edited February 22, 2022 by ItCouldBeWorse

[possibilities]

8th grade isn't even high school, and she said they've been together since 8th grade. Could have met in the neighborhood, if not at school, though.

[Moose135]

8 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

If that happens, I hope the person Gregory starts seeing is that mom who was bringing her kid to school late.

I don't know, dating the mother of one of your students sounds like it's crossing a line...

Edited February 21, 2022 by Moose135

[peachmangosteen]

I don't care personally lol. They had great chem in the very little screen time they had together and I really liked her character so I’d like to see her again.

[Crashcourse]

2 hours ago, Moose135 said:

I don't know, dating the mother of one of your students sounds like it's crossing a line...

Maybe they could transfer the student to another class?

[ItCouldBeWorse]

7 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I don't care personally lol. They had great chem in the very little screen time they had together and I really liked her character so I’d like to see her again.

4 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

Maybe they could transfer the student to another class?

The mother didn't have a great understanding of what happens in school; she thought it was glorified babysitting.  I don't know that she's a good match for a teacher.

Edited February 22, 2022 by ItCouldBeWorse

[peachmangosteen]

I don't see how that's a problem personally.

[Crashcourse]

14 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

The mother didn't have a great understanding of what happens in school; she thought it was glorified babysitting.  I don't know that she's a good match for a teacher.

Maybe I missed it, but I don't remember her being dismissive of her child being in school, or of teachers.  I thought she turned out to be a harried single mom who was juggling working and getting her child to school.  

[SmithW6079]

Color me surprised that Jacob is gay. ("But he doesn't look gay." 😉 ) I thought they were setting him up to be a romantic rival to Gregory for Janine's affections, and at first I thought he was joking that he had a boyfriend so he could get out of being set up. How could she not know he had a boyfriend? It seems to me the "softest" way to tell her he was gay would have been to work into conversation "My boyfriend and I..." as opposed to "I'm gay..."

Jacob's relative openness about being gay also raises an unpleasant thought regarding Gregory's dislike or antipathy toward him: that Gregory has issues with gay people. 

Reaction to Jacob's casual outing of himself from Pink News:

Abbott Elementary fans praise refreshingly casual gay teacher reveal: ‘Shows could learn from this’

I like that they haven't made Tariq into a total loser. He had a genuine connection with those kids, even if Janine was the one who set up the whole gig. She's definitely his enabler and he doesn't really have any ambition, but he's not evil. I got a kick that he was self-bleeping himself because he knew not to be inappropriate with kids. Maybe Melissa could use one of her "connections" to set him up as a children's entertainer.

I thought Jacob's explanation of why he was reluctant to tell her he had a boyfriend -- so he wouldn't have to weigh in on her relationship -- was well played. I like that they're starting to flesh him out a little more. (Also, spelling it "Zak" would also be totally awesome.) It was kind of sad that Janine's realizing that she's moved beyond her 8th-grade boyfriend. 

Got a kick out of Barbara acknowledging that Ava's "Mormon/more men" quip was clever.

17 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

The mother didn't have a great understanding of what happens in school; she thought it was glorified babysitting.  I don't know that she's a good match for a teacher.

 

3 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

Maybe I missed it, but I don't remember her being dismissive of her child being in school, or of teachers.  I thought she turned out to be a harried single mom who was juggling working and getting her child to school.  

And when Gregory explained to her at the nail salon why it was so important to get her kid to school on time, she understood and said that she would get him to class when he was supposed to be there.

 

 

Edited February 22, 2022 by SmithW6079
Fixed link

[peachmangosteen]

Just now, SmithW6079 said:

Jacob's relative openness about being gay also raises an unpleasant thought regarding Gregory's dislike or antipathy toward him: that Gregory has issues with gay people.

To me, Gregory seems to be antipathetic towards everyone but Janine, including even his students until this ep. It’s part of why I’m having a hard time warming to him.

[SmithW6079]

2 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

To me, Gregory seems to be antipathetic towards everyone but Janine, including even his students until this ep. It’s part of why I’m having a hard time warming to him.

He's the only character who doesn't work for me. I dislike Ava for her corruption and sexual harassment of Gregory, but at least she can be funny in an over-the-top way. He's just a black hole of negativity, despite this episode's attempt to show that he's dealing with pressure from a father who doesn't understand that education can be a career or calling.

[Crashcourse]

It's been slow for me to warm up to Gregory but I'm beginning to like him more.  I think he's just a reserved person, and I get that.  Surely, he could have found some other occupation than teaching, so I do think he likes kids.  

Honestly, the character I like the least is...Janine.  She just annoys me.  I'd never heard of Quinta Brunson before this show, but I give her major props for coming up with the idea for this show.     

[chitowngirl]

I can see Gregory’s standoffishness…he’s a sub who doesn’t want to get too attached. But he’s coming around…he’s dancing and taking care of the gardening, which he hates, all for his co-workers. Wonder if he’ll always be a Permanent Sub??

[possibilities]

I agree it's harder to warm up to someone who's as aloof as Gregory, but I also get it because sometimes I've had a job where I just really want to do my job and not get into the emotional drama swirling around me. So I sometimes may come off a little cold, but mostly it's because I'm concentrating on my tasks, or I'm nervous and just want to stay out of the drama. Especially with a boss like Ava, I can see him deciding not to engage more than necessary.

What makes it harder to handwave is that he does the looks to the camera, which shows he isn't just reserved, he's actually scornful. They need to resolve this, because it does make him harder to sympathize with. I don't think the rest of the show supports the idea that we should look down on the rest of the characters. Ava aside, everyone seems to be really decent and committed to the kids under tough circumstances. It's not The Office, where Pam and Jim were supposed to be the sane/audience viewpoint to the surrounding chaos. Abbott has hardships, and it has Ava, but I don't think it's primarily a "laugh at the dysfunctions of the teachers" kind of show. 

There may be a little cringing, with Janine and Jacob. But they're more competent than Gregory, more experienced with teaching, so he can't be legitimately posed as "the sane one" or the sensible viewpoint.

[DearEvette]

On 2/22/2022 at 7:49 PM, possibilities said:

What makes it harder to handwave is that he does the looks to the camera, which shows he isn't just reserved, he's actually scornful.

I have been doing a rewatch (and it is worth it, there are so many great throw away lines & funny moments that I missed upon first viewing)  and most of Gregory's looks at the camera are in response to something Ava did or said.  Almost 100% of the time.  The first time he explicitly asked the film crew 'Are y'all getting this?' after Ava said something suggestive.  But thereafter it was just the stares as if he is reassuring himself they are there and to give some outlet to his disbelief that someone would behave that way.  One time he did it when Melissa alluded to a vibrator.

The only character on the show Gregory is really stand-offish with is Jacob.  He is respectful to Barbara.  He doesn't have much to do with Melissa.  He tries to keep his distance from Ava.  But to be fair with Jacob, he does have grounds.  When they first met, Jacob came straight up to Gregory and went in for a hug and called him 'My dude.' He was all up in Gregory's personal space before he even met the man.  And when Gregory went for handshake instead, Jacob did a "homeboys from 'round the way' chest pound which was super cringey.   In the second episode Jacob walks into the lounge and loudly calls Gregory his "broseph" and claims they are BFFs and he is the cream to Gregory's coffee.  Which again, cringey.  Also he don't know Gregory like that.

In hindsight, I think the show did Gregory's growth arc a disservice by showing the episodes out of order, especially the 'New Tech' episode because it represents a huge step back, where if it had been shown in order it wouldn't have been as jarring.  Up to the episode where he puts the kids art work up,  he had viewed himself as a just a sub.  You can tell he thought he was just a warm body.  He didn't think he could talk to that mother because he was 'just a sub' and they don't talk to parents.  But he was shown to be visibly proud of himself and delighted that he made a difference after the talk with the mother. And  after Janine is exasperated with his room, he later says he is willing to see what kind of teacher he could be.  It represented a turning point in his character, imo.  Only to be undercut in the very next (out of order ep) where he is back to saying he is just a sub who is just supposed to show movies.

I cut Gregory a lot of slack because I just see an introverted person who is more comfortable with structure and rules until they understand and fit into their environment. 

[Meedis]

On 2/22/2022 at 6:01 PM, Crashcourse said:

It's been slow for me to warm up to Gregory but I'm beginning to like him more.  I think he's just a reserved person, and I get that.  Surely, he could have found some other occupation than teaching, so I do think he likes kids.  

Honestly, the character I like the least is...Janine.  She just annoys me.  I'd never heard of Quinta Brunson before this show, but I give her major props for coming up with the idea for this show.     

I love this show but yes Janine is the character I like the least.   Every week when starting an episode, I'm always wondering what is she going to do to annoy me 'this week'.   *LOL*.

[cinsays]

1 hour ago, Meedis said:

I love this show but yes Janine is the character I like the least.   Every week when starting an episode, I'm always wondering what is she going to do to annoy me 'this week'.   *LOL*.

huh

and i just love her and pretty much all the cast except for Ava

[Meedis]

On 3/7/2022 at 2:41 PM, cinsays said:

huh

and i just love her and pretty much all the cast except for Ava

Of course we wouldn't have a show w/o any of the characters antics but I felt the other character's (mainly Barbara and Melissa) annoyance of Janine when as senior teachers they try to instill their experiences in dealing with the administration and Janine poo poos all that because she just HAS to make it right even if it winds up causing worse problems (i.e. the new carpet and light fixtures).   My partner's also a school teacher (for high school math) and being in the school system for many years he identifies more with Barbara and Melissa.    And since I get to hear his tales on a daily basis, I relate more to them as well.

I do love the actress Quinta and am so happy that she was able to get the show on a major network.   It's a premise that hasn't been done to my knowledge and it's enjoyable for me.

Edited March 9, 2022 by Meedis
grammar fix

[Annber03]

On 2/17/2022 at 8:18 AM, peachmangosteen said:

Also, I thought Gregory and Janine were fine and he's at his best with her but I wasn't necessarily invested in them but when he ran out and put the umbrella over her ... SWOON!

Yes! I think that scene really nicely highlighted why they click so well - he's the matter of fact, to the point balance to her bubbly energetic rambling self. After she was rattled by the others' thoughts about her and Tariq*, he was the calming, focused presence she needed at that moment. 

(I also LOL'd when Tariq pulled up and was like, "What are you doing out here? It's raining harder than an Usher video!" XD. I am glad that he's not a jerk. I like that we got to see some of why Janine likes him and has stayed with him for so long.)

*It's funny, though, 'cause for all of Janine's feeling like she and the staff needed to be more like a family and whatnot, I mean...they were all genuinely curious and asking questions about her relationship with Tariq, and offering up their own genuine thoughts and opinions on the topic, in a way that showed that they cared about her situation. Sounds pretty familial to me, no :)? Even their teasing felt like them ribbing a little sister/daughter. 

On 2/17/2022 at 10:45 AM, krankydoodle said:

I also agree with what everyone else has said about Jacob. I liked that he was honest but carefully worded his opinion of Tariq in deference to Janine. I especially loved the scene where he reveals that he didn't tell Janine about his relationship because he didn't want to be asked to weigh in on hers.

Agreed. It was good to see them connecting on this level, and I like that Jacob respects Janine enough to know where the boundary is in terms of when to step in and when to just keep his thoughts to himself. I love how we got to learn about his boyfriend Zach, too :D. 

Gregory dancing was cute. And I liked the scene at the end with the kid asking more details about that math problem. I probably would've enjoyed doing math problems more if I got to talk them out that way :p. 

[lucindabelle]

On 2/19/2022 at 2:48 PM, Phebemarie said:

Teaching is a wonderful profession.  It can also be very lonely and difficult...especially right now.  However, if you're not retired, and you feel it's truly your calling, it's not too late to go into teaching.  Good educators are needed everywhere.

Maybe in a future episode, Gregory can file a grievance for harassment against Ava.  Someone mentioned upthread how inappropriate we would find it if a male principal was harassing a young female teacher in the same way.  

True!! I went back to school in my 50s. I began teaching full time last year! It’s my third career. I love it.