S02.E13: The Fundraiser

[DearEvette]

Quote

Barbara organizes a candy-selling fundraiser to raise money for a school field trip to the science museum. When sales don’t go as planned, Ava steps in to teach the students new, unconventional selling tactics. Elsewhere, Mr. Johnson and Jacob butt heads about how to take care of a cat found in the janitor’s closet.

Airdate: 01/18/2023

[Bookish Jen]

I can't wait to see the cat. Ava better not hurt it.

[Annber03]

"No donut for you!"

"Okay, now that was good." 

LOL, Melissa's attempts at impressions was fun. I also laughed at Ava's "Hemsworths" joke :D. She had a lot of good one-liners this episode. I liked the debate between her and Barbara this episode over the fundraiser - Barbara was in the right, but I also understood where Ava was coming from, too, and it was sweet how she was helping Henry with things.. Barbara's offer to him at the end was nice ,too. 

Loved the storyline with Mr. Johnson and Jacob and the cat. The reveal at the end, oh, my god... 

So Janine is hitting it off with Maurice, then? Interesting. I'm glad Gregory came around as he did at the end. I am a bit surprised that Jacob didn't realize that he liked Janine before now...not exactly like Gregory's been all that subtle about it, after all :p. 

[possibilities]

Gorgeous cat. Mr Johnson crying over him was the best thing yet.

[irisheyes]

“Oh my God is a woman!” ~ Jacob’s reaction had me cackling!!  Someone is finally catching on. 🤣🤣

Mr. Johnson’s reaction to giving the cat back - priceless. 
 

This episode ranks up in the top ten. 

[SilverLake0315]

“Gregory Gregory Gregory! Stop or I’ll scream!” 😆

[Crashcourse]

I'm sorry but the more I see of Ava, the more she gets on my last nerve.  For me, she is definitely the weakest link of this show and she spoils it for me.

[kathyk24]

I loved Ava in this episode there really is a method to her madness. I'm so glad Janine is dating and not waiting for Tariq to come back. Barbara was holier than thou in this episode. I lost respect for her after Sick Day. How long was the cat in the school before he was found?

[peridot]

I laughed at Ava's advice to the kids on how to sell the chocolate.  I couldn't believe they sold that guy a chocolate and didn't give him his change back.  I'm surprised the guy kept walking on, I thought he would interrupt Ava's speech.

I don't really enjoy Jacob much, but I loved his line to Gregory about stopping or he'll scream.  It was unexpected and funny.

I don't really like the situation between Janine and Gregory - why is Janine confiding in him about her date after grinding on him at a club? I think they almost kissed that night too.  This pretending they are both doing is annoying.

I thought Janine deliberately sabotaged her date with Maurice since she decided to eat the ribs after being advised not too.  It also seemed like he was trying to open up to her, and she was moaning over the food instead.

[Blakeston]

If a kid came up to me on the street, and said, "Excuse me sir, ma'am, or otherwise identifying-human. Sorry to interrupt your day. My school is raising money to see science. Would you consider buying a chocolate bar?", I would totally buy some.

I'm usually one of the bigger detractors of the Ava character and how she's used, but I thought she was hilarious here. ("We sold out faster than a Black politician!") And we got to see her genuinely caring about the students, too. Having pants on hand for Henry was very sweet.

[Empress1]

49 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

If a kid came up to me on the street, and said, "Excuse me sir, ma'am, or otherwise identifying-human. Sorry to interrupt your day. My school is raising money to see science. Would you consider buying a chocolate bar?", I would totally buy some.

I have done this many times. Yeah, you pay more than you would buying it from the drugstore, but it’s for the kids!

I was trying to think if Janine’s date behavior was a callback to her “Girl Who’s Never Been on a Nice Date” series.

There were so many great one-liners!

[mostlylurking]

Oh my god so many good lines in this episode!

“Cats are pescatarians.” “You’re telling me this cat believes in God?!”

”Stop or I’ll scream!”

And Mr. Johnson crying at the end was the best. I also liked that Janine was eating ribs while Maurice had a salad. Ava grows on me more and more with each episode.

[BAForever]

Episode hit close to home. As a teacher, I HATE fundraisers because we are asking for money from our parents/gparents. My district doesn't allow "street selling." Ava is a good fundraiser, but I understood Barbara's integrity. That being said, today our SPED dept raised several thousand dollars in one swoop. Pay to jump into an outdoor pool. Proceeds all go to competition uniforms for our Special Olympians. Temp was almost 60 (well above average), pool was cold. Great community support, teachers  students, firefighters, police- my ♥️ is full.

 

[SHD]

12 hours ago, Annber03 said:

LOL, Melissa's attempts at impressions was fun. I also laughed at Ava's "Hemsworths" joke :D.

I had to rewind and listen to it again to get it - she rattled it off so fast!

[Phishbulb]

Ava calling Jacob "Conan O'Cryin'" also funny 😄

[EtheltoTillie]

Everyone seems to be assuming that Janine purposely sabotaged the date by eating ribs.  But she really went to town.  I did not expect that visual! 

[tennisgurl]

Ava can be pretty off the wall, but there is sometimes method to her madness. I totally get Barbara's point of view, but Ava was trying to do a nice thing in her own weird Ava way. If kids asked me to buy chocolate on the street so that they could go to a science museum, I would buy one without having to get a whole song and dance. Although, I don't carry much cash on me, I would probably ask if the kids took Venmo. 

Jacob and Mr. Johnson with that cat was too much fun, I love that they have been using that pairing so much lately. That cat was so cute, if he was taken away from me I would be crying too. 

Jacob and Gregory's expressions when Jacob realized that Gregory liked Janine were amazing. Jacob looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his head and Gregory looked like he was in a blind panic, it was amazing. Yeah, Gregory was not exactly being subtle, especially in this one, he was just about pouting when everyone was going on about Janine's date. 

She really was just going to town on those ribs! To be fair, Janine hasn't really had a date with someone who wasn't her manchild boyfriend of ten years before. 

[LydiaMoon1]

Best line of the show:

Ava saying that Barbara was still using the tactics of a man who could turn water into wine, but still only had 12 friends-  Well…. uhhhhh… dayum.

Melissa is bad at impressions.

So Maurice is sweet and charming to Janine's face, but not nearly as nice behind her back? Oh, Janine. You in danger, girl.

It’s sweet that Ava keeps extra uniforms on hand for the kids. Quiet as it’s kept, she’s becoming a pretty effective principal. She needs to stop roasting the children though.

Second best line of the show:

“These sold out faster than a black politician”- Ava stays spitting bars.

What to do with a problem like Ava??  She is a walking moral dilemma. Barbara and Ava working together to fundraise was like watching Eve and the Serpent in the Garden of Eden. They exceeded their fundraising goal and will get their field trip, but at what cost?

Not that I think Ava is completely wrong. Her unconventional, out-of-the-box thinking did allow the children to cut through the noise and succeed. They would not have been successful without her guidance. Ava excels at bending the system and she wasn’t wrong when she talked about how the system condemns certain people to poverty (and then shames those same people for being poor, I might add), so those people are left to circumnavigate that system in order to survive. That’s why I’m torn as to whether I mind that she advised the children to upcharge the candy bars to pay them on commission, or not. That is capitalism, after all. It’s somewhat unethical and a tad exploitative, but both the school and the children benefitted. Still, I imagine Barbara will have some sleepless nights wondering if the lessons the children learned from that fundraiser will help them or hurt them in the end.  It’s a dilemma.

And Gregory? If you consider Janine your friend and you really have reservations about Maurice, you should tell her. And why ARE you friends with him? I mean, you’re right. Dating and friendship are two different things, but who you hang with says a lot about you. You know, birds of a feather and all. I am side eyeing you right now.

Jacob’s reaction to learning that Gregory likes Janine was adorable.

The Jacob/Mr. Johnson/Milton subplot was fun. Loved Mr. Johnson stroking the cat like a Bond villain when he overheard Jacob and Gregory discussing Gregory’s feelings for Janine.

Gotta love these A, B, and C plots this show’s been giving us. The writing continues to be terrific.

After going to bed last night, I burst out giggling in the dark at Janine tearing into that rib like a rabid wolf on her date with Maurice. Obviously, nobody ever told her to keep it cute on the first date. Lawd, my girl is so stunted socially.  OMG.

With this show, I ALWAYS look forward to next week.

[MicheleinPhilly]

14 hours ago, irisheyes said:

“Oh my God is a woman!” ~ Jacob’s reaction had me cackling!!  Someone is finally catching on. 🤣🤣

Mr. Johnson’s reaction to giving the cat back - priceless. 
 

This episode ranks up in the top ten. 

I will second this! I howled with laughter so many times that I had to keep rewinding to catch what I missed. 

Jacob and Mr. Johnson bickering like a divorced couple over custody of their child was golden. I was actually surprised that Jacob didn't immediately recommend putting up flyers and posting on social media about the cat. 

Gregory needs to put or shut up with Janine. He's been freely dating and as soon as she shows interest in someone, he tries to sabotage it. 😒 I'm glad that Janine pushed back when he was talking smack about Mo. Let her enjoy herself! And her ribs! 

Ava was on fire in this episode. And I appreciate that they are showing her exhibit some sensitivity and wisdom so she isn't just a cartoon character. 

Melissa sucks at impressions but her Philly accent just keeps getting better and better. 👍

[possibilities]

I hate those fundraisers. They are always selling crap I would not only not want but would actually hate, like gross candles and ugly wrapping paper. I wish they would just let us give them cash. Or, better yet, fund the damn schools so we aren't sending kids out begging like that.

I agree that Gregory is out of line dating others but wanting Janine not to. I wish they hadn't gone that way with him, because it does make me question his character.

I loved Janine with her ribs. I don't know if she decided to sabotage the date because she figured out Gregory was upset about it, or if she decided she wasn't going to try to impress any guy by being someone she's not, and make sacrifices like she did with her ex, so he can take her as she is or she's not interested. But, either way I thought it was funny. I almost felt sorry for Mo because he was being serious and she was barely even listening. 

Mr Johnson and Jacob both need to adopt some cats. They clearly want them. 

 

[Empress1]

45 minutes ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

Best line of the show:

Ava saying that Barbara was still using the tactics of a man who could turn water into wine, but still only had 12 friends-  

When I tell you I CACKLED. I’ve never heard that before, it was hilarious!

[JeanJean]

The kids seem to be in danger of becoming too precocious, which I don't like. It kind of undercuts the realism. Case in point: The student who said "What's the difference?" about Jacob being liberal or progressive. Or the student using Shakespeare in a cutting remark - these are only elementary students, not high school. On  the other hand, the little girl asking if Barbara and Ava wanted to pinch her cheeks was realistic to her age and cute.

Has anyone else noticed that Melissa's aide is gone...?

Because I'm old, I wish they would talk a bit slower. (Too bad they can't do that and make the show 40 minutes to get everything in.) I miss some things the first time around.

Not my favorite episode. But even "not my favorite" for Abbott is good. And I did love it from the "Ava owns the school" scene on. That happens to me a lot with the show, which says a lot about how good the build is.

Edited January 19, 2023 by JeanJean

[MicheleinPhilly]

45 minutes ago, JeanJean said:

Has anyone else noticed that Melissa's aide is gone...?

Thank Ms. Barbara's Jesus! 🙌

[DearEvette]

Another top notch episode with good use of the cast in their different plots. 

Ava was on fire this episode.  This was her wheelhouse and they used her well and effectively.  I really liked her in this.  I especially loved the scene of her teaching them selling tactics.

I especially loved all the quips and verbal word play.  The writers have really upped their game in this.

One of my favorite lines was from the above mentioned scene:

“Some people might ask for change, but those people are not Sam Cooke. So change is not gonna to come.”

Some of my other favorites have also already been mentioned:

 

1 hour ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

Ava saying that Barbara was still using the tactics of a man who could turn water into wine, but still only had 12 friends"

Yup.  I think I gasped-laughed when she said that and I had to rewind.  Then I also cackled.

16 hours ago, irisheyes said:

“Oh my God is a woman!” ~ Jacob’s reaction had me cackling!!  Someone is finally catching on. 🤣🤣

The line delivery is what really sold this as was the dawning realization in his face.

I was so happy to see Courtney. Of Course she is Ava's go-to.  And her smile was both innocent and shark-like at the same time.

Put me down as one who does not think Janine self-sabotaged.  I think Janine has never been on a date with anyone but Tariq and it is looking like she never had any real girlfriends or even regular social interactions of that sort to give her the cues -- remember her friend Sarai from last season, Janine would wait outside of clubs while Sarai partied.  So I just think she would think nothing of eating some good ribs.  I do like how they are writing Maurice.  He is a funny surprise.  And I liked how invested Melissa was in 'Mo' and Janine's date.

The Jacob/Mr. Johnson plot was great.  I liked them acting like bickering parents who couldn't agree on how to raise their child. It also reminded us of Mr. Johnson's love of conspiracy theories .. hence his refusal to get Milton micro chipped.  The end tag of Mr. Johnson crying was hysterical.  But I wonder if he already knew whose cat that was?  He insisted on calling the cat Milton and that was the name on the missing cat poster as well.

 

54 minutes ago, JeanJean said:

The kids seem to be in danger of becoming too precocious, which I don't like. It kind of undercuts the realism. Case in point: The student who said "What's the difference?" about Jacob being liberal or progressive. Or the student using Shakespeare in a cutting remark - these are only elementary students, not high school. On  the other hand, the little girl asking if Barbara and Ava wanted to pinch her cheeks was realistic to her age and cute.

I think the kids are the most realistic thing about the show.  Even elementary school kids can be wise-asses  I also think they are right on about the kids in Jacob's class and older being much more snappy with the comebacks.  this school goes up to the eighth grade so the kids are gonna run the range on personality, how sophisticated some of them are based on home life,  and their access to social media. 

We already saw last season that the kids in Jacob's class absolutely killed him in the Dozens. And we know the ones this year listen to Budden podcasts. So that crew is gonna be more precocious.  But then we get a Henry who is also in that age range who is super sweet.  And reading between the lines, he doesn't seem to have much at home so he doesn't come off as confident as the other boys.  And yet a younger Courtney, who we know is killer smart and specializes in 'Psychological Warfare' is gonna be a pistol.  One of my top five favorite lines on this show ever is from last season's Zoo Balloon episode where Mr. Johnson was with the kids who could not go to the zoo and he told them to keep out of his hair and that one little girl said 'Sir, you are bald."  That line takes me out every time I see that scene because her line delivery was funny as hell and it that felt 100% authentic.

Speaking of Henry, I liked that his circumstances showed yet another softer side of Ava.  She had clothes in her office to give to kids who might not have them.  Sure she cracks wise while she is doing it (btw, do they still call short pants like that 'Floods' or 'Highwaters?')  but she handed it over with no judgement.

So yeah, this was a great episode, imo.

[Crashcourse]

1 hour ago, JeanJean said:

Because I'm old, I wish they would talk a bit slower. (Too bad they can't do that and make the show 40 minutes to get everything in.) I miss some things the first time around.

I feel the same way.  I'm tired of having to rewind, just to understand some of the quips.  Sure, they're funny, but it's getting old (like me 😊 ).   

And even though I love the kids, I agree that some of the younger kids are a little too precocious for their ages.   Courtney would not want to meet my aunt.  LOL 😱

Seriously though, while I'm pretty sure this show will get another season, it could be my last time wanting to watch it. 

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

I think Janine has never been on a date with anyone but Tariq and it is looking like she never had any real girlfriends or even regular social interactions of that sort to give her the cues -- remember her friend Sarai from last season, Janine would wait outside of clubs while Sarai partied.  So I just think she would think nothing of eating some good ribs. 

Right - and she started dating Tariq in 8th grade. First they were kids, then he was broke, so she may not even have gone out on many dates at all, despite being in a long relationship.

[JeanJean]

4 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Another top notch episode with good use of the cast in their different plots. 

Ava was on fire this episode.  This was her wheelhouse and they used her well and effectively.  I really liked her in this.  I especially loved the scene of her teaching them selling tactics.

I especially loved all the quips and verbal word play.  The writers have really upped their game in this.

One of my favorite lines was from the above mentioned scene:

“Some people might ask for change, but those people are not Sam Cooke. So change is not gonna to come.”

Some of my other favorites have also already been mentioned:

 

Yup.  I think I gasped-laughed when she said that and I had to rewind.  Then I also cackled.

The line delivery is what really sold this as was the dawning realization in his face.

I was so happy to see Courtney. Of Course she is Ava's go-to.  And her smile was both innocent and shark-like at the same time.

Put me down as one who does not think Janine self-sabotaged.  I think Janine has never been on a date with anyone but Tariq and it is looking like she never had any real girlfriends or even regular social interactions of that sort to give her the cues -- remember her friend Sarai from last season, Janine would wait outside of clubs while Sarai partied.  So I just think she would think nothing of eating some good ribs.  I do like how they are writing Maurice.  He is a funny surprise.  And I liked how invested Melissa was in 'Mo' and Janine's date.

The Jacob/Mr. Johnson plot was great.  I liked them acting like bickering parents who couldn't agree on how to raise their child. It also reminded us of Mr. Johnson's love of conspiracy theories .. hence his refusal to get Milton micro chipped.  The end tag of Mr. Johnson crying was hysterical.  But I wonder if he already knew whose cat that was?  He insisted on calling the cat Milton and that was the name on the missing cat poster as well.

 

I think the kids are the most realistic thing about the show.  Even elementary school kids can be wise-asses  I also think they are right on about the kids in Jacob's class and older being much more snappy with the comebacks.  this school goes up to the eighth grade so the kids are gonna run the range on personality, how sophisticated some of them are based on home life,  and their access to social media. 

We already saw last season that the kids in Jacob's class absolutely killed him in the Dozens. And we know the ones this year listen to Budden podcasts. So that crew is gonna be more precocious.  But then we get a Henry who is also in that age range who is super sweet.  And reading between the lines, he doesn't seem to have much at home so he doesn't come off as confident as the other boys.  And yet a younger Courtney, who we know is killer smart and specializes in 'Psychological Warfare' is gonna be a pistol.  One of my top five favorite lines on this show ever is from last season's Zoo Balloon episode where Mr. Johnson was with the kids who could not go to the zoo and he told them to keep out of his hair and that one little girl said 'Sir, you are bald."  That line takes me out every time I see that scene because her line delivery was funny as hell and it that felt 100% authentic.

Speaking of Henry, I liked that his circumstances showed yet another softer side of Ava.  She had clothes in her office to give to kids who might not have them.  Sure she cracks wise while she is doing it (btw, do they still call short pants like that 'Floods' or 'Highwaters?')  but she handed it over with no judgement.

So yeah, this was a great episode, imo.

Whups, I thought Abbott was just elementary, which these days goes up to 4th grade.

I totally agree that kids can be wiseasses and have inherent comic ability. It's just occasionally, things the Abbott kids say seem too advanced for their ages, like the Shakespeare and political disses. I taught those ages for a bit (and so loved it) but the wiseassery (??) was never that advanced, although they could be hysterically funny. (A lot of times it came out of them being unintentionally funny and just from their kids-eye view of the world.)

On the other hand, the kid saying, "Suck it, boomer" worked for me because that's something easily picked up via social media or via an older sibling who picked it up via social media. That's all just me, though. And I do realize kids are more sophisticated these days because of the internet.

I also usually like each episode better on the 2nd (or sometimes 3rd) viewing, because then I can catch all the funny stuff I missed originally due to my old ears. And after my 3rd viewing of this episode (and with some closed captions), I love it.

I also loved Henry and hope we see him again.

Edited January 20, 2023 by JeanJean
missing word

[AD35]

18 hours ago, Annber03 said:

She had a lot of good one-liners this episode.

"You couldn't sell scarves to Lenny Kravitz with that pitch".  Ava was on fire during this ep with the one liners. I also liked that there was a serious side of her as well. I know dealing with her in real life would be a pain, so I'm glad she's just a tv character.

[Annber03]

6 hours ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

“These sold out faster than a black politician”- Ava stays spitting bars.

Yes! That was another favorite. And then Ava's whole thing about finding liberal white people to sucker into buying candy...as someone who is about as white as it gets and who fits that general description...yeah. I felt called out, LOL. That was great. 

Quote

 

Jacob’s reaction to learning that Gregory likes Janine was adorable.

 

I loved when he pointed out the difference between liking Janine and loving her, and acknowledged his own love for her. It's really sweet how he looks out for her and cares about her so much :). 

[DearEvette]

I jsut thought of some other great lines.

When Gregory was low key trying to tell Janine that Maurice may not be the best guy (seriously, Gregory not cool)  Janine asked

"Is he a derelict?  Is he a ne'er do well?"  I was like, what in the 1800s...?

When Henry was giving his sales pitch to Ava:

"Excuse me sir, ma'am, or otherwise identifying human.”

Also Ava referred to the candy bars as Wonka Bars.  The only Wonka Bars I know that are still for sale are those that are made with cannabis.

[xaxat]

This episode brought back some great memories.

When I was a kid, our school had a fundraiser for a field trip to the Franklin Institute, just like the Abbott kids.We didn't sell candy though, we sold hoagies begged our parents and their coworkers to buy bags of sandwiches.

The giant heart was the best.

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by xaxat

[JeanJean]

11 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

I jsut thought of some other great lines.

When Gregory was low key trying to tell Janine that Marcus may not be the best guy (seriously, Gregory not cool)  Janine asked

"Is he a derelict?  Is he a ne'er do well?"  I was like, what in the 1800s...?

When Henry was giving his sales pitch to Ava:

"Excuse me sir, ma'am, or otherwise identifying human.”

Also Ava referred to the candy bars as Wonka Bars.  The only Wonka Bars I know that are still for sale are those that are made with cannabis.

I loved "Ya know, there's a type of nap that's actually named after cats."

[Dancingjaneway]

Janine has HORRIBLE taste in men. Her eating the ribs was hilarious. Poor Gregory. Tyler James Williams has the BEST reaction faces. 

Jacob & Ava had me cracking up!  "Oh my god is a woman!"   "Conan O'Cryin" Also thought it was really sweet how Ava has spare clothes for the kids. I like that they are taking the time to flesh out Ava instead of just making her a one dimensional joke. 

Poor Mr. Johnson. I would love to see him at some point get a replacement cat.  Also this is the 2nd week we've gotten Mr. Johnson & Jacob teaming up. I really like it. They have great comedic chemistry. 

I appreciate that the show doesn't focus on just one or two characters at a time. I also like that they aren't afraid to mix it up with who partners with who. The whole cast is so strong & it's nice to see everyone getting decent screentime. 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Dancingjaneway

[possibilities]

That Giant Heart looks awesome!

[EtheltoTillie]

Did I miss something about Marcus?  Why is he not the a good choice?  Or is it just Gregory being competitive? 

Edited January 20, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[ItCouldBeWorse]

9 hours ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

The Jacob/Mr. Johnson/Milton subplot was fun. Loved Mr. Johnson stroking the cat like a Bond villain when he overheard Jacob and Gregory discussing Gregory’s feelings for Janine.

7 hours ago, DearEvette said:

But I wonder if he already knew whose cat that was?  He insisted on calling the cat Milton and that was the name on the missing cat poster as well.

Yes.  How did Mr. Johnson know the cat's real name?  Does the cat just look like a Milton?

9 hours ago, possibilities said:

Mr Johnson and Jacob both need to adopt some cats. They clearly want them. 

Before they found the owner, why couldn't the cat come to work on work days, with Mr. Johnson in charge, and go home with Jacob evenings and weekends?  Too hard to bring back-and-forth?

7 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Put me down as one who does not think Janine self-sabotaged.  I think Janine has never been on a date with anyone but Tariq and it is looking like she never had any real girlfriends or even regular social interactions of that sort to give her the cues -- remember her friend Sarai from last season, Janine would wait outside of clubs while Sarai partied.  So I just think she would think nothing of eating some good ribs.

I agree.

19 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Did I miss something about Marcus?  Why is he not the a good choice?  Or is it just Gregory being competitive? 

I thought Gregory was saying that he (Maurice) would get too serious, too fast.

 

 

[hula-la]

7 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Another top notch episode with good use of the cast in their different plots. 

Ava was on fire this episode.  This was her wheelhouse and they used her well and effectively.  I really liked her in this.  I especially loved the scene of her teaching them selling tactics.

Speaking of Henry, I liked that his circumstances showed yet another softer side of Ava.  She had clothes in her office to give to kids who might not have them.  Sure she cracks wise while she is doing it (btw, do they still call short pants like that 'Floods' or 'Highwaters?')  but she handed it over with no judgement.

So yeah, this was a great episode, imo.

I noticed that those pants were from her “Ava-licious” line. Always hustling! 

[sistermagpie]

23 hours ago, peridot said:

I thought Janine deliberately sabotaged her date with Maurice since she decided to eat the ribs after being advised not too.  It also seemed like he was trying to open up to her, and she was moaning over the food instead.

I wasn't sure if it was on purpose, but it seemed like Gregory was right on both counts. Her eating the ribs was a bit aggressive and Maurice laying out his sympathetic life story while Janine was eating them seemed like it was validating what Gregory implied about him going all in or nothing. At least, if I was correctly understanding him. 

[possibilities]

The thing that made me think Janine was sabotaging instead of naive was that Gregory specifically warned her not to get the ribs, and she thanked him for the good advice. For her to then go an ignore it, to me seemed rather pointed. Unless they cut a scene where the explains why she thinks Gregory was wrong, I took it to mean she heard him, got the message, and did it anyway, knowing the effect.

[MicheleinPhilly]

13 hours ago, xaxat said:

This episode brought back some great memories.

When I was a kid, our school had a fundraiser for a field trip to the Franklin Institute, just like the Abbott kids.We didn't sell candy though, we sold hoagies begged our parents and their coworkers to buy bags of sandwiches.

The giant heart was the best.

 

11 hours ago, possibilities said:

That Giant Heart looks awesome!

The giant heart was always my favorite part of The Franklin Institute but it did, and probably still does, smell like feet inside. 😖

[Kip Hackman]

I lol'd at Ava's "liberal white people" look.

 

[Crashcourse]

I'm tired of Janine and Gregory making googly eyes at each other like two middle schoolers.  I hope there's a resolution by the end of the season--either get together or decide to remain friends. 

Ava looks like a crazy woman in that wig.

[jah1986]

2 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

The giant heart was always my favorite part of The Franklin Institute but it did, and probably still does, smell like feet inside. 😖

They have updated the heart since I was a kid, I'm not a fan of the new, safer version. But I do love the Franklin Institute's brain exhibit, the whole section is awesome. FI is one of those places I take my friends when they visit from out of town.

Loved this episode, Ava didn't get on my nerves and Barbara found a good way for Henry to earn some extra money. And Mr. Johnson saying the three of them should have just gotten in the car and drove away was hilarious.

I can't tell if Mo is just playing Janine or if he really likes her.

[kathyk24]

On 1/19/2023 at 4:35 PM, Empress1 said:

Right - and she started dating Tariq in 8th grade. First they were kids, then he was broke, so she may not even have gone out on many dates at all, despite being in a long relationship.

If Janine and Tariq went on a date she paid. I thought Gregory was trying to sabotage the date why should he care what Janine eats? 

[kwnyc]

I also share the love for the Franklin institute! When I was a kid, it was by far the favorite field trip we took every year. I remember buying a little gadget which let you figure out the day of everyday until the year 1999. I am old.

[Empress1]

The Franklin Institute is AWESOME. Everyone should go!

[cincivic]

The Sam Cooke/change line, from Ava, took me out. It was awhile until I recovered and could resume the show. 

[Bookish Jen]

I almost did an Ava, and nearly fell out of my chair when Mr. Johnson said, "This cat believes in God?" after Jacob claimed the cat was a pescatarian. And Mr. Johnson's tears when he and Jacob had to give Milton back? Oh, I felt all the feels.

I hope Melissa's bad impressions is a running gag like Barbara mixing up celebrities' names.

Jacob now knows Gregory is all woodgie-coo over Janine. I wonder how this will play out?

Having been in a relationship for ages with Tariq and probably not schooled on first date etiquette by her mom, I'm not surprised to see eating those ribs while on her date with Maurice. Another thing I noticed? How Janine (well, Quinta actually) is so tiny, she barely makes it over the table. I noticed this when she was on the date and in the teacher lunch room.

And Ava was on fire this episode. As obnoxious as she can be, she does know how to hustle, and I thought she showed a sweet moment when she gave Henry a new pair of paints, from her own exclusive line, of course. And she had some of the best lines of this episode as many of you have mentioned.

The Franklin Institute sounds awesome. I love how Abbott Elementary gives shout outs to things near and dear to Philadelphia.

[Joimiaroxeu]

I think Janine's friend Maurice is a bit of a jerk, at least to kids.

Not all cats are pescatarians, Jacob. No comment on any religious affiliations; however, most of the cats I've known have generally worshipped themselves.

"...only had 12 friends." Did Ava actually throw shade on Christ? 😯

ACLU: American Candy Lovers United.

Oh no no no, don't give milk to adult cats! Not unless you're ready to clean up poop spray everywhere. I doubt even Mr. Johnson would want that.

Sister Church Lady needs a stiletto-heeled boot introduced to her saditty behind.

OMG, Jannine should've listened to Greg's advice about not ordering ribs on her date. She looked like a zombie feasting on a carcass. Lucky for her Maurice is too self-involved to care.

My take on Mo is that he moves fast to create a heightened sense of closeness so he can get sex easier and quicker from "nice girls" like Janine. He's not a player per se, but he has a high body count. IMO that's what Greg was alluding to. He doesn't want to see innocent Janine become another notch on Maurice's virtual bedpost.

[Bookish Jen]

Note to self: Look up saditty.