S02.E02: Wrong Delivery

[peachmangosteen]

Quote

After Janine gets a look at the new charter school down the street, she becomes determined to fix up Abbott and make it just as good. Gregory goes out of his way to avoid Barbara due to an awkward situation with his personal life, and Ava takes to the school library to host a “Shark Tank”-style pitch to decide what to do with the rest of the funds from the grant.

Airs September 28th.

[chitowngirl]

Perhaps you wouldn’t be sweating Gregory, if you took your sweater off! It’s September in Philadelphia 🙄

[BAForever]

The cold open was amazing! Barbara getting all the names mixed up. The Office had a lot of great cold opens as did Parks and Rec. Great job show.

I called it that the blonde teacher was Melissa's sister!

Edited September 29, 2022 by BAForever

[Annber03]

LOVED the running joke with Barbara confusing various actors. I laughed so hard at that Back to the Future one at the end XD. 

Also loved Melissa's line about how, when the world ends, it'll just be cockroaches and Janine holding a sign that says, "Turn that frown upside down!". 

I did sympathize with Janine's desire to want the school to have something nice and fancy, though. It absolutely sucks that they have to fight to get things like that, and that their grant money can only go so far. But leave it to Ava to turn the whole thing into a "Shark Tank" competition. The water ice at the end...it may not be a fancy computer room, but a good treat is a good treat :). 

So Gregory and Taylor are over, eh? Not surprised. I can see Taylor being the one to end things just 'cause I sense she kinda wanted to keep things casual from the get-go. Still, though, calling him a "broke boy"? Ouch :(. 

[Crashcourse]

Barbara confusing those names was hilarious!

When Jacob said he couldn't stand Chris Pratt, I did a fist pump.  I love Jacob!

Mr. Johnson saying he dated Martha and the other Vandellas vandalized his car! 🤣

I wonder if we'll see Melissa's sister again.  I'm guessing she screwed Melissa's husband which led to their breakup.  She looks like the type.  LOL

It was sweet of Janine to bring over the water ice to Gregory.  I like them as a couple but I don't know how that would work as co-workers because things could get pretty awkward.

[JeanJean]

Very good episode.

I realized afterward that I seemed to notice characters looking to the camera less. Did it seem like that to anyone else? Maybe it's just getting less intrusive? Or maybe I'm just noticing them less.

Edited September 29, 2022 by JeanJean

[peridot]

It's sad that the grant money can't really do much.  Cleaning supplies and wet wipes?  Ouch.  Saying that, it was hard to follow Janine's train of thought for buying 1 computer. It seems like a waste of money and could better be used elsewhere.

I loved that Courtney called Ava an old version of herself and then Ava snapped back at her.  I also loved all of her looks to the camera this episode.

The mice infestation was so gross.  I was gagging when I saw that the cafeteria workers were using tongs to catch the mice.

I wonder what Jacob was telling his kids about Gregory? 

[BAForever]

6 minutes ago, peridot said:

It's sad that the grant money can't really do much.  Cleaning supplies and wet wipes?  

Sad to say, but many teachers at my site spend their own money on wipes, hand sanitizer, basic supplies like tape, scissors, staplers, pens, etc. Not to mention snacks for hungry kids. There's a old saying, Teaching is the only profession where employees take supplies from home to work. Yep.

[Mountainair]

Yet another episode that resonated with me.I work at a Charter school and it’s not lost on me  that we have some advantages over the public school system in terms of funding and as someone on the episode said, different qualifications for teachers. 
 

seeing the difference is jarring as I’ve never worked in a public school system but my oldest has attended. At my current school each elementary classroom has 10 iPads per 22 students. I couldn’t imagine fighting for one computer for a few hundred students to share! 

I did enjoy the full circle story arc of the ice water guy though! That made me smile :)

[emma675]

I'm still laughing over Jacob getting so worked up over hating Chris Pratt. He is the worst of the Chrises.

I'm happy Gregory and Taylor are over but I hope they don't rush him and Janine. They are both going to be recovering from failed relationships now.

Barbara not knowing actor's names was hilarious and I loved that Janine was in on the joke.

I'm floored the teacher from the series premiere is now teaching at a charter school. She KICKED A KID. And is obviously still on the brink based on her behavior.

I forgot to add, I cracked up hard over Melissa having a court date for throwing a corn cob at Ben Simmons. As a Sixers fan, I felt that. 

Edited September 29, 2022 by emma675

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 9/28/2022 at 9:45 PM, Crashcourse said:

It was sweet of Janine to bring over the water ice to Gregory.  I like them as a couple but I don't know how that would work as co-workers because things could get pretty awkward.

It was sweet, but would a guy who doesn't like pizza like piña colada ices, though? I don't know the available flavors, but it seemed like not the right choice.

On 9/28/2022 at 10:18 PM, Mountainair said:

seeing the difference is jarring as I’ve never worked in a public school system but my oldest has attended. At my current school each elementary classroom has 10 iPads per 22 students. I couldn’t imagine fighting for one computer for a few hundred students to share! 

Yes, I thought it a bad choice to spend all the remaining money on one computer. Would each child get 10 minutes a week to use it? Whereas a bunch of new basketballs and some new kitchen equipment would consistently benefit everyone (except Ava.)

Seems like Ava could at least make another viral video to get those basketballs.

On 9/28/2022 at 10:21 PM, emma675 said:

I'm floored the teacher from the series premiere is now teaching at a charter school. She KICKED A KID. And is obviously still on the brink based on her behavior.

At a charter school there's a lot less oversight in the hiring process!

Edited October 3, 2022 by ItCouldBeWorse

[Minneapple]

Ava: I see you as a young me

Courtney: I see you as an old me.

Hah! Love it. I also loved Melissa having to appear in court for throwing a corncob at Ben Simmons, I could totally see her doing that.

I had to look away at the mouse scene. Nope. Nope. 

ETA I forgot Ava’s last quote! “Kids happy, Janine quiet, Gregory fine.”

Edited September 29, 2022 by Minneapple

[possibilities]

I love that they're bashing charter schools.

[dcalley]

53 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

It was sweet, but would a guy who doesn't like pizza like pina colada ices, though? I don't know the available flavors, but it seemed like not the right choice.

I thought the same thing!

What actor was Barbara mistaking for Michelle Williams? I loved this bit. She'll be upset if she ever finds out!

[kathyk24]

The Abbot version of Shark Tank was hilarious. I felt bad for Gregory having to avoid Barbara. I want the backstory between Melissa and her sister. 

[possibilities]

I think the pina colada ice was Janine's version of buying him a drink.

[BAForever]

7 hours ago, dcalley said:

What actor was Barbara mistaking for Michelle Williams? I loved this bit. She'll be upset if she ever finds out!

Two different women named Michelle Williams. One actress played on Dawson's Creek (White) and has done other film work. Second (Black) was in the group Destiny's Child and has been successful in musicals.

Edited September 29, 2022 by BAForever

[Empress1]

46 minutes ago, BAForever said:

Two different women named Michelle Williams. One actress played on Dawson's Creek (White) and has done other film work. Second (Black) was in the group Destiny's Child) and has been successful in musicals.

White Michelle Williams is a very decorated actress - she’s got awards over awards and has been nominated for an Academy Award several times. She got her start on Dawson’s Creek. Black Michelle Williams has been in musicals, a Lifetime movie or two, and I think she’s had some solo success in gospel music. So it’s not entirely inappropriate to suggest Black Michelle Williams for an acting role … but then the other shoe dropped. (I don’t think she’d be upset - I’ve seen some interviews with her and she seems to have a good sense of humor. The show is beloved in the Black community in particular so she might be happy for the shout-out!) When she said Brian Austin Green I was thoroughly confused, because who is checking for Brian Austin Green in 2022? Is he working?

8 hours ago, Minneapple said:

I had to look away at the mouse scene. Nope. Nope. 

Me too, that was horrifying. In an urban building as old and not-well-kept as that one probably is, it’s to be expected to some extent but to THAT extent? They’ve been thriving unchecked for years. No ma’am, no sir.

Seeing Courtney again was great. Keep ‘em on their toes, Courtney!

[jah1986]

Loved this episode! I think I laughed more this week than last week. I also called right away that the teacher at the charter school would be Melissa's sister and yes to the Ben Simmons thing. Ava thinking she'd make a good school president or mayor was hilarious. The mice scene freaked me out, I would have gone home and not come back until that was handled.  

As a Philly girl I can say pina colada water ice is delicious. The thing with Philly is all water ice is not the same, you have a lot of mom and pop stores that do their own thing to make it special. So yes, Janine may know that pina colada is Gregory's favorite.

"Michael J Fox" it was the way they all said it that was great. I love that they respect Barbara enough to just let it go and not even try to correct her. Even Mr. Johnson was like don't mess with Barbara.

[Empress1]

14 minutes ago, jah1986 said:

As a Philly girl I can say pina colada water ice is delicious. The thing with Philly is all water ice is not the same, you have a lot of mom and pop stores that do their own thing to make it special. So yes, Janine may know that pina colada is Gregory's favorite.

So is margarita. Some of the unconventional flavors are misses but the drink-inspired ones are good. And you’re completely right about not all water ice being the same. Different textures, flavors, amount of flavoring…

[MicheleinPhilly]

This episode was perfect.

I started cackling from the jump with Barbara's mis-identifications. When she said "Brian Austin Green" I was like "Huh?" 

The entire Shark Tank segment was comedy gold, including Ava playing the theme song on her phone and bopping to it. Janelle James was on fire this episode. 

I can't wait to watch it again. 

[MicheleinPhilly]

11 hours ago, BAForever said:

Sad to say, but many teachers at my site spend their own money on wipes, hand sanitizer, basic supplies like tape, scissors, staplers, pens, etc. Not to mention snacks for hungry kids. There's a old saying, Teaching is the only profession where employees take supplies from home to work. Yep.

I may get dinged for posting this but I would recommend everyone check out donorschoose.com. If you have the means to financially donate, you can find wishlists from teachers in your area and pay for these and other supplies for them. 

[shapeshifter]

10 hours ago, Minneapple said:

I had to look away at the mouse scene. Nope. Nope. 

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

Me too, that was horrifying. In an urban building as old and not-well-kept as that one probably is, it’s to be expected to some extent but to THAT extent? They’ve been thriving unchecked for years. No ma’am, no sir.

The writing for the mouse scenario deserves some kind of writing award for demonstrating how a group (Addington Elementary) can pat themselves on the back for making righteous decisions (catching the mice and letting them go outside their school) and the effects such narrow-sighted policies have on neighboring communities (Abbott Elementary).

I did squint my eyes during the mouse scene, telling myself it was just CGI, while also trying not to recall the mouse that ran across my basement floor in front of the washing machine one night, and then turned up dead a few days later. I didn't do laundry at night after that for as long as I lived there.

Hey, at least it wasn't rats.

[SHD]

12 hours ago, peridot said:

The mice infestation was so gross.  I was gagging when I saw that the cafeteria workers were using tongs to catch the mice.

That’s why the lunch lady wanted the grant money for new utensils and tongs - the mice keep slipping out of the old ones! 

[DearEvette]

11 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

Barbara confusing those names was hilarious!

Fantastic cold open!  So funny. And then the end tag brought it home.

3 hours ago, BAForever said:

Second (Black) was in the group Destiny's Child and has been successful in musicals.

"She is arguably the third best Child of Destiny."

The moment of awkwardness at the beginning with the first mention o Taylor and the look on everyone's face was priceless.

Fun call back to the pilot with the teacher who couldn't hack it.  And could only get hired by a charter school.  She still has issues LOL. 

'Baby Shark'  <-- perfect name for Courtney.

For once Janine's earnestness didn't make me exasperated, I felt that for her.  But I liked the end solution and it worked out so well for everyone.

Great episode.

[BAForever]

2 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

I may get dinged for posting this but I would recommend everyone check out donorschoose.com. If you have the means to financially donate, you can find wishlists from teachers in your area and pay for these and other supplies for them. 

I'm so lucky to have amazing parents and a small but mighty PTA, plus our school foundation awards grants, but mostly for non-consumable items. I spend more on snack items than anything else. My husband KNOWS not to comment on the grocery receipts. Hungry kids can't learn. Sigh.

I love this show, lots of real education topics. Their lunches are way too long though. Most elementary teachers barely have enough time to throw down some food and use the bathroom. Visiting another school or a  trip to get nails done (last season)- no way. 

Edited September 29, 2022 by BAForever

[dcalley]

14 hours ago, dcalley said:

What actor was Barbara mistaking for Michelle Williams? I loved this bit. She'll be upset if she ever finds out!

7 hours ago, Empress1 said:

(I don’t think she’d be upset - I’ve seen some interviews with her and she seems to have a good sense of humor.

I see how what I wrote (top) was not as clear as it could have been. Please note I was talking about how I thought the character Barbara would be upset to learn that the other teachers were amused by the name confusion, never letting Barbara know that she was getting names wrong. I don't think Barbara would like that.

[marceline]

This episode fired on all cylinders for me. It was a just a really satisfying bit of television.

I'll be honest, Janine got on my nerves with her insane insecurity around the charter school but that all changed when she took Gregory a water ice at the end. That was Janine stepping out her comfort zone. That was growth. (Although I'm grateful for the show addressing the issue of charter schools. I hope that continues.)

Gregory and the petering out storyline cracked me up. I'm so glad I gave up on dating ages ago. But I have to ask: what's the issue with small plates? What does that mean? Confession: I haven't done indoor dining since pre-pandemic so I'm not up on the trends.

Barbara and the actors was hilarious. That said, mixing up Michael B. Jordan with Michael J. Fox is more than my brain can take.  I watch all of Barbara's scenes now through the prism of Sheryl Lee Ralph's Emmy win.

Nice to see Courtney again.

[Night Cheese]

16 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

It was sweet, but would a guy who doesn't like pizza like piña colada ices, though? I don't know the available flavors, but it seemed like not the right choice.

I said out loud, "Pina colada? For the guy that eats boiled chicken sandwiches? Really?" But I agree that it was sweet.

[DearEvette]

I don't think Janine has any idea of Gregory's bland food preferences.  She wasn't part of the Pizza convo and remember, she asked him later if he wanted to go out for Pizza and he said yes, even though we all know he hates pizza.  So obvi he would suffer down a bite or two to cheer up Janine. 

We didn't see him eat the Pina Colada flavored water Ice , but I'll bet he let a few swallows slither down for the cause.

[notagain]

1 hour ago, marceline said:

Small plates, or tapas, are tiny plates of food that can get very expensive. The dining experience is based on tasting different dishes. They are marketed as being for foodies, or the very least people who enjoy food other than boiled chicken. So Gregory definitely wasn’t enjoying the experience at whatever tapas joints Taylor was dragging him to.

Edited September 29, 2022 by notagain

[notagain]

I enjoyed seeing Courtney again, and Sidney letting out her inner-Disney Princess. I was hoping to see that level of continuity, now all I  need is Will still dancing in the first grade. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

20 hours ago, Annber03 said:

So Gregory and Taylor are over, eh? Not surprised. I can see Taylor being the one to end things just 'cause I sense she kinda wanted to keep things casual from the get-go. Still, though, calling him a "broke boy"? Ouch :(. 

Am I the only one who looked up "Broke Boy" and found this?: https://www.google.com/search?q=broke+boy+lyrics&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS820US820&oq=broke+boy+lyrics&aqs=chrome..69i57.6451j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I assumed Gregory thought that Taylor was referencing this song, although Barbara certainly wouldn't.   Quite the lyrics. (The singer has decided that money is not everything in a relationship.)

Edited September 29, 2022 by ItCouldBeWorse

[DearEvette]

Barbara pronounced it 'Broke Bwah'  So it was probably written as 'Broke Boi' (not "boy").  There is a much different (and waaaay less complimentary) song called 'Broke Boi'

[ItCouldBeWorse]

8 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

Barbara pronounced it 'Broke Bwah'  So it was probably written as 'Broke Boi' (not "boy").  There is a much different (and waaaay less complimentary) song called 'Broke Boi'

I looked it up, you are almost definitely correct, and Barbara certainly had no idea what the reference was!

[rlc]

20 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

It was sweet, but would a guy who doesn't like pizza like piña colada ices, though? I don't know the available flavors, but it seemed like not the right choice.

Yup, he's definitely a lemon ice kind of guy. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

16 minutes ago, rlc said:

Yup, he's definitely a lemon ice kind of guy. 

I was thinking that lemon might be too tart-maybe cherry, since vanilla ice water is probably not a thing?

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

Vanilla water ice is definitely a thing, but my neighborhood place had vanilla chips mixed in. Gregory would hate it. Lemon and piña colada being white might make sense for him, since he doesn’t have to run the risk of weird colors? Idk. 

[cincivic]

I lol so hard watching the male cafeteria worker during the mouse scene. He was behind Jacob readying for a fight with the mice. I caught it during my second viewing. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

Ava: "Classroom décor is set by the Philadelphia Department of Education, Animal Shelters, and Traffic."

[ItCouldBeWorse]

20 hours ago, possibilities said:

I think the pina colada ice was Janine's version of buying him a drink.

Good insight.

Edited September 30, 2022 by ItCouldBeWorse

[JakeyJokes]

The Shark Tank concept had me DYING. I loved how into the concept Ava, Janeane, and the other sharks were. Did anyone else catch the visual gags of Janeane’s posters of Steve Jobs and Elon Musk? My nerd heart also grew for her when she was excited that the new social studies books had Brexit. 

For two apartments in a row, I had a mouse problem and for the last one I still occasionally get automated text messages about it. The first time you see one in your home is a really icky feeling. 
 

I love that this forum has so many Philly natives that explain the certain nuances to me. I have never heard of “water ice”. Is it like a Sno-Cone?

I also liked that the tag was a callback to the teaser. I can’t think of a sitcom since the original run of ROSEANNE where the writers consistently put the effort in to make the tag scene funny and memorable. It’s especially gone away in the days of streaming.

[shapeshifter]

10 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Barbara pronounced it 'Broke Bwah'  So it was probably written as 'Broke Boi' (not "boy").  There is a much different (and waaaay less complimentary) song called 'Broke Boi'

I only got Broke “Boi” from the closed captioning (and did Google later), but Gregory’s (Tyler James Williams’) facial expression and verbal reaction at least explained the significance of being called a Brok[en] Boi. 
I only know “Shark Tank” from sitting with Mom near the end of her life. 
And I did not know most of the famous people Barbara was confusing for each other, but Janine told the imaginary camera what Barbara was doing.

I hope not all episodes are going to be so heavy with pop culture references; it felt a little like I was watching Jeopardy!, which I am really terrible at. I suck at Trivial Pursuit too.

[luckyroll3]

On 9/28/2022 at 9:36 PM, Annber03 said:

So Gregory and Taylor are over, eh? Not surprised. I can see Taylor being the one to end things just 'cause I sense she kinda wanted to keep things casual from the get-go. Still, though, calling him a "broke boy"? Ouch :(. 

How did Taylor not know he was a "broke", though? Gregory's a first year teacher. Scratch that, he was a first-time sub! All kinds of broke! If she was expecting expensive gifts, fancy dinners, and to be flewed out (as the kids say), says a lot more about her than it does about Gregory. 

[Black Knight]

3 hours ago, luckyroll3 said:

How did Taylor not know he was a "broke", though? Gregory's a first year teacher. Scratch that, he was a first-time sub! All kinds of broke!

She may have thought originally he came from money, or given his age, that maybe he did something more lucrative first before transitioning into teaching.

[Kate47]

I love that we now know these characters so well, when they were touring the charter school I immediately knew what Janine was going to do, was irritated she couldn't keep it in, understood that she herself knew it and was unable to stop herself, and loved her for it. Of course she'd immediately think "how can I make it so my kids aren't feeling less than" and just go way past the bat for them.

[MicheleinPhilly]

8 hours ago, JakeyJokes said:

I love that this forum has so many Philly natives that explain the certain nuances to me. I have never heard of “water ice”. Is it like a Sno-Cone?

It is WAAAAAAAY better than a Sno-Cone. 

From NPR: It's a frozen treat made from water, sugar and some sort of flavoring — usually fruit. It is firmer than a slushy, softer than sorbet and smoother than granita. Unlike with a snow cone, the flavor is mixed in before freezing, instead of being poured over a frozen ball at the end. 

And the "proper" pronunciation is wooder ice. 😊

[Blakeston]

9 hours ago, JakeyJokes said:

I love that this forum has so many Philly natives that explain the certain nuances to me. I have never heard of “water ice”. Is it like a Sno-Cone?

Are you familiar with Italian ice? It's similar, but a little icier.

1 hour ago, Black Knight said:

She may have thought originally he came from money, or given his age, that maybe he did something more lucrative first before transitioning into teaching.

How old do you think he's supposed to be? I assumed that he was supposed to be in the 25-27 range. He has a masters, and it doesn't sound like he has much work experience (aside from landscaping).

Also, did we know before that Janine went to Penn?

[Enigma X]

1 hour ago, Blakeston said:

Are you familiar with Italian ice? It's similar, but a little icier.

I am from Chicago and we have Italian Ice. I like Italian ice better because it is less sweet and icier than water ice. I tried water ice while on a quick trip to Philadelphia.

I really think it could be as simple as Taylor not thinking through what she wanted in a partner or thinking Gregory not making more money was going to be ok. Gregory was also thinking of a way out of the relationship for reasons he also did not seem to think about when starting a relationship with Taylor.

Edited September 30, 2022 by Enigma X
Typo from the Typo Queen

[Bookish Jen]

I loved this episode, too. The Shark Tank bit had me reeling. And Barbara getting black and white actors mixed up? Ha!!! And the interaction between Melissa and her sister was comedy gold.

And on a shallow note, the pink dress Ava was wearing was so pretty!