S02.E15: Fire

[DearEvette]

Quote

Barbara’s candle accidentally starts a small fire in the teacher’s lounge and a counselor suggests that she might not be handling the aftermath well. Meanwhile, Melissa rekindles her childhood dream of being a firefighter.

Airdate: 2/15/2023

[Crashcourse]

It was nice to see a room full of the other teachers, even if it was brief.

That last kid Barbara was talking to was adorable.

I hate candles.

Oh, and Ava should be fired for running off.  Immediately.

[Annber03]

"This is what you use if you want to destroy a car...if you want to get someone out of a car..." XD. Melissa geeking out over firefighter stuff was so fun. I like the backstory of her family having a long history of being firefighters...or, in the case of her one uncle, starting a fire, because of course they would :p. Her family sounds wild :D. 

But oh, Barbara :(. Ouch. I thought maybe we'd learn that she had some traumatic experience with a fire, but nope, this was equally as heartbreaking, if not more so. I'm glad that her husband's okay, and I hope that continues to be the case. Certainly understandable why she reacted as she did as a result. I really liked the moment with Melissa being there for her as she opened up about her husband's situation, that was sweet. 

In lighter moments again, LOL, nobody wanting Jacob's cookies. But hey, they're actually good! I like that he has these hidden talents like that. Also laughed at Gregory's face when that lady mentioned that Mr. Johnson was the most well-adjusted person at the school, and Ava comparing Janine's face to that of the Teletubbies baby :D. 

 

[possibilities]

Only crazy people turn down cookies. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

All episode I was wondering where I know that guest actor from.  I was pretty sure that it's Shalita Grant from "You" Season 3.

Google'd:

https://www.tvinsider.com/1081573/masked-singer-abbott-elementary-full-swing-african-queens/

I found Barbara refusing to feel guilt over potentially putting those kids in danger weird, and a little creepy.

Edited February 16, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[kathyk24]

I don't understand why Barbara is so mean toward Janine. Barbara should have known better to have a lit candle in the classroom. I'm surpised that the fire alarm didn't go off.

[JeanJean]

17 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

 

I found Barbara refusing to feel guilt over potentially putting those kids in danger weird, and a little creepy.

It seemed out of character.

[Aileen]

1 hour ago, kathyk24 said:

I don't understand why Barbara is so mean toward Janine. Barbara should have known better to have a lit candle in the classroom. I'm surpised that the fire alarm didn't go off.

It did. That’s what made everyone do outside.

[hula-la]

2 hours ago, possibilities said:

Only crazy people turn down cookies. 

I taught Home Ec for over 20 years. Trust me—there are some cookies that it would be wise to turn down. 
 

So many great lines in this episode “it’s a 57 step recipe”. And Ava’s last outfit? I love it. I aspire to so many of her clothes. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

The actor who plays Jacob is really good at facial expressions.  I get such a kick of how he delivers lines especially to the camera.

Janine and Gregory had some good moments together too, when they both gave the "Gregory" face during the assembly and when Jacob asked if they saw that.  Even though, it definitely immediately reminded me of Andy texting Darryl too much in The Office:

Darryl:  "Are you watching this?" Seriously?
Andy:  Well, are you?
Darryl:  I'm sitting right here.

Edited February 16, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[EtheltoTillie]

Gregory was all set to be substitute principal. He’s like Melissa Fumero with binders on B99. But Janine also likes binders and lists. They’re both nerdy. 

[BAForever]

 PreK teacher here. A few years ago, we were sitting in a faculty meeting discussing curriculum ideas. One teacher who was doing a unit on nursery rhymes  said she had a lit candle in her room while reciting "Jack Be Nimble" as students jumped over the candle.  Not sure what was worse- the fact that she did it or the fact that she didn't see anything wrong with it.

Edited February 16, 2023 by BAForever

[Empress1]

“Are you sure you don’t mean Janine?” as he holds his hand two feet off the ground. DEAD.

[Blakeston]

I think Barbara did feel guilt about starting the fire. She was just in complete denial about the whole thing. After dealing with her husband's cancer scare, starting a fire at the school was something she just couldn't deal with.

Also, under normal circumstances, I can't imagine she would light a candle and walk away from it. But I can buy that under these circumstances, she felt the need to light a prayer candle, and then forgot about it when she got a call about her husband's test results.

I thought this episode was a riot. Everyone had something funny to do - including Shalita Grant as the counselor. (She's played multiple self-absorbed characters with extreme vocal fry, and she's brilliant at it, but I'm glad to see that she's getting the chance to play other kinds of roles too.) Barbara with her insistence that she's FINE, Gregory on a power trip, Melissa with her firefighting obsession, Jacob with the 57-step carrot/oat pulp cookies, Janine going on about her sister, Ava pulling a George Constanza and fleeing the fire without any concern for the kids, and Mr. Johnson claiming he lost diamonds. 😄

And yes, Gregory's refusal to accept that Janine wasn't the one with the mental health emergency was hilarious.

[Seelouis]

This was Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Emmy submission reel for sure. 

[LydiaMoon1]

A more somber episode tonight than usual, but enjoyable nonetheless.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS (in reverse order)

Jacob tried to give away those carrot cookies to the very end. Turns out, they were good (according to Melissa). I don't believe her.

It was lovely of Jacob to arrange for Melissa to get the frisbee off the roof. Melissa got to live out her firefighter dream.

Solo frisbee, Jacob???

Awww. I love this episode's emphasis on mental well-being. Barbara's I'm fine, I'm Fine, I'M FINE! attitude, was a sure sign that she wasn't. People always expect the person who is "the rock" to sail through every situation unassisted. Truth is, everybody needs help now and then. I wish we all normalized treating the mind when it's sick the same way we do about treating a sick or injured body.

Barbara taking that cute kid's little hand and telling him (and herself) that it's okay to not be okay made me tear up a little.

Not Gregory referencing Barbara being old and forgetful in the fire safety meeting. Bish, how dare you?

Lawd, Mr. Johnson and his never-ending conspiracy theories.

Is anyone surprised that the Counselor suggested therapy for Janine? She really needs to talk to a professional, because if she don't stop trauma-dumping on everybody...I swear.

Gregory could benefit from a few sessions as well, and he can take his cardigan and his blazer with him.

Melissa playing with the fire truck while the babies just wanted to get out of the cold and go inside. LOL

Now, for Ava:

That fire alarm sounded and Ava basically said 'phuck them kids!' and got Thee Hayle out of Dodge, Oh, Ava. You'd been doing so well. SMH

Hootie Hoooooo!!!!

I'm just thankful that she didn't run over one of the children during her getaway. 

Ava wouldn't stay and protect the children, but she did take the time to upload a "What's in my bag?"  video. What can I say? Priorities.

 

Looking forward to next week.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by LydiaMoon1

[Annber03]

15 minutes ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

Not Gregory referencing Barbara being old and forgetful in the fire safety meeting. Bish, how dare you?

Hahaha, yeah, My reaction was similar to that of everyone in that meeting, we were all basically sitting here like, "Oh, my god, Gregory, stop talking..." XD. 

[rollacoaster]

20 minutes ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

Now, for Ava:

That fire alarm sounded and Ava basically said 'phuck them kids!' and got Thee Hayle out of Dodge, Oh, Ava. You'd been doing so well. SMH

Hootie Hoooooo!!!!

I'm just thankful that she didn't run over one of the children during her getaway. 

And went to the spa! 

I mean...can she recover from this? The counselor seemed to make note of Ava's absence. I hope there are consequences, cuz her bailing like that was pretty irresponsible. 

Speaking of the counselor...I  loved that character so much! She just cut through all the noise and nonsense. And her facial acting was stellar. 

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by rollacoaster

[Empress1]

50 minutes ago, Seelouis said:

This was Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Emmy submission reel for sure. 

She made a whole meal out of “You are but a child.”

1 minute ago, rollacoaster said:

I hope there are consequences, cuz her bailing like that was pretty irresponsible. 

Wholly, but her driving off was hilarious. Her facial expression!

[rollacoaster]

1 minute ago, Empress1 said:

Wholly, but her driving off was hilarious. Her facial expression!

Oh, it was wholly hilarious, but DAMN! 

[BAForever]

1 hour ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

Awww. I love this episode's emphasis on mental well-being. Barbara's I'm fine, I'm Fine, I'M FINE! attitude, was a sure sign that the wasn't. People always expect the person who is "the rock" to sail through every situation unassisted. Truth is, everybody needs help now and then. I wish we all normalized treating the mind when it's sick the same way we do about treating a sick or injured body.

Wish I could like this a million times.

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, rollacoaster said:

Speaking of the counselor...I  loved that character so much! She just cut through all the noise and nonsense. And her facial acting was stellar. 

She's a really good actor!  We were all delighted by her on "You" as well.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

NM!

Edited February 16, 2023 by ItCouldBeWorse

[LydiaMoon1]

1 minute ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I thought it was strange that when Barbara passed through Gregory's classroom to reiterate to him and the counselor how "fine"she was, she was clearly wearing a ruffled shawl that matches her sweater. That's the only scene in which she was wearing it. Did the writers forget how the fire started? It wouldn't make any sense for her to have 2 shawls with her that day.

Wasn't the shawl burnt around the edges though? I just took it as another indication that Barbara was definitely not fine.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

7 minutes ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

Wasn't the shawl burnt around the edges though? I just took it as another indication that Barbara was definitely not fine.

Right you are! I missed it the first time. I'm going to delete my original post so others won't be confused, but thanks for the correction. (I guess I thought that the firefighters would hold on to the shawl in question as evidence, not return it.)

Edited February 16, 2023 by ItCouldBeWorse

[marceline]

One of the things I adore about this show is that no matter how quirky these characters are, we see that they really do care about each of these children. That's why I was so disappointed in Ava. We've seen that for all her shenanigans she really does want school to be a safe place for the kids so the idea that she would leave them dealing with a burning building didn't feel funny.

I don't know where we're headed with Janine and her sister and honestly, I'm not looking forward to it.

[LydiaMoon1]

38 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Right you are! I missed it the first time. I'm going to delete my original post so others won't be confused, but thanks for the correction. (I guess I thought that the firefighters would hold on to the shawl in question as evidence, not return it.)

Understandable. I'm not ever sure I'm reading that scene right because, even though I thought the shawl looked burnt, the ensemble was still bomb and the color was FABULOUS on Barbarba. *shrugs*

[Corgi-ears]

2 hours ago, rollacoaster said:

Speaking of the counselor...I  loved that character so much! She just cut through all the noise and nonsense. And her facial acting was stellar. 

The one thing I didn't like was the whole "I already put your name on the form" bit. The only reason for the counsellor to do that, and to tell Barbara that, was to prove that she was right and knew all along that Barbara would benefit from a day off. A good counsellor wouldn't privilege this kind of I-told-you-so gesture over just helping Barbara.

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, marceline said:

One of the things I adore about this show is that no matter how quirky these characters are, we see that they really do care about each of these children. That's why I was so disappointed in Ava. We've seen that for all her shenanigans she really does want school to be a safe place for the kids so the idea that she would leave them dealing with a burning building didn't feel funny.

Janelle James also speaks so fast that I really had no understanding of Ava's reasoning for it, either.  She was simply just trying to save herself from the fire?!

[Phebemarie]

I wonder if the writers (or maybe the directors) are not all on the same page regarding Ava's character growth.   It would have been in character for Ava to nervously hurry the kids out of the building and then spend the rest of the day taking a spa day once the kids were safe.  

Maybe Janelle James wasn't available for some reason during filming of this episode, and they had to write Ava out of most of the show.  

I think the inconsistency is the thing that doesn't work (for me at least).  

[MicheleinPhilly]

I adore Melissa and Barbara's friendship. 

[Crashcourse]

3 hours ago, rollacoaster said:

Speaking of the counselor...I  loved that character so much! She just cut through all the noise and nonsense. And her facial acting was stellar. 

When I saw her talking to Gregory, the thought crossed my mind that maybe they should get together.  I loved her character, and she could just pop up now and then like Zack does for Jacob. 

Sometimes Gregory looks at Janine like she's his adorable little sister and I don't get any chemistry between them at all. 

[Abra]

39 minutes ago, Phebemarie said:

I wonder if the writers (or maybe the directors) are not all on the same page regarding Ava's character growth.   It would have been in character for Ava to nervously hurry the kids out of the building and then spend the rest of the day taking a spa day once the kids were safe.  

I think with Ava we are definitely seeing that progress isn't linear. Also, didn't she freak in season one when the power went out? (She thought zombies were coming?) If she thinks she's in any kid of physical danger she is OUT of there.

Sheryl Lee Ralph delivers on every level. I especially love to watch when she's in a scene but the focus isn't on her; her facial expressions are an art. (The "Disgusting" at Jacob's cookies had me cackling.)

[possibilities]

This episode made me realize the school doesn't have any office staff or an Assistant Principal.

[LydiaMoon1]

Venus is the school secretary, but we already know that Ava fires her once a week.  

[Ms Blue Jay]

2 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

Sometimes Gregory looks at Janine like she's his adorable little sister and I don't get any chemistry between them at all. 

Yeah.  That was really apparent this episode, with the way he talked about Janine to the counsellor, especially.

That's why I really liked the nightclub episode.  It showed them both in a whole new light.

[ribboninthesky1]

6 hours ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

Jacob tried to give away those carrot cookies to the very end. Turns out, they were good (according to Melissa). I don't believe her.

I was also skeptical! "Probiotic" and "cookies" should never be mentioned together! 'Tis sacrilege. 

Also, those cookies reminded me of the salmon patties my mama used to fry up, and that's not the visual to go for! 

Shout out to the bald firefighter - he did a lot with his scenes. The way he physically deflated after Melissa's "Would you look at this big hunk of.....metal" spiel had me rolling.  

 

[tennisgurl]

"Get the most flammable kids out first!" So many great lines in this one, I almost feel like I need to take notes, there are just so many great lines and expressions being tossed out left and right. This one was a bit more somber, with everything that was happening with Barbara, but it was still hilarious as always. I really liked getting some more of Melissa's family history, they have spent generations starting and fighting fires! I wonder if, as much as she loves being a teacher, she ever feels regret that she never got to be a firefighter? 

I would think that Barbara would know better than to light a candle in school, and that she would be pretty quick to take responsibility, but she wasn't exactly on her game. She was so stressed about her husband and so upset about what she could have done, she just could not deal with anything and went hard into "I'm so totally fine" denial mode. It can be so hard to admit that you need help, especially if you have a reputation as being together. Barbara telling that cute kid at the end that its ok to be scared and that even she's scared sometimes, was such a great way to end her plot. Its ok not to be ok and to take care of yourself. 

Gregory really had that principle blazer ready to go at a moments notice! Its like his own fire extinguisher, break in case of being an emergency interim principle.

I'm not surprised at all that Mr. Johnson is the most well adjusted person the counselor has met. I really liked the counselor, I hope that we see her again.  

[Crashcourse]

2 minutes ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

I was also skeptical! "Probiotic" and "cookies" should never be mentioned together! 'Tis sacrilege. 

Also, those cookies reminded me of the salmon patties my mama used to fry up, and that's not the visual to go for! 

Shout out to the bald firefighter - he did a lot with his scenes. The way he physically deflated after Melissa's "Would you look at this big hunk of.....metal" spiel had me rolling.  

 

My mama used to fry salmon patties, and I cook them occasionally now.  Sometimes they taste good; sometimes they taste nasty. 😅

That firefighter really rocked his scenes.  I loved his deflated look when Melissa was talking about the metal and not him.  Firefighters are well regarded, and he was kinda bald head cute, so surely he can get some love somewhere.  🥰

[JeanJean]

13 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

The actor who plays Jacob is really good at facial expressions.  I get such a kick of how he delivers lines especially to the camera.

 

I have a hunch he's really good at live theater, too.

[JeanJean]

9 hours ago, BAForever said:

 PreK teacher here. A few years ago, we were sitting in a faculty meeting discussing curriculum ideas. One teacher who was doing a unit on nursery rhymes  said she had a lit candle in her room while reciting "Jack Be Nimble" as students jumped over the candle.  Not sure what was worse- the fact that she did it or the fact that she didn't see anything wrong with it.

Did she get fired?

Edited February 16, 2023 by JeanJean

[JeanJean]

My favorite line of the night was Melissa's "flammable kids" line right at the top.

 

I also loved when Jacob enthused about having a cow at the meeting.

[buttersister]

When I heard Ava say y'all know what to do, I thought, yikes, she doesn't, so got out of the way.

I may have pulled a muscle stretching for that.

[Annber03]

5 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

I adore Melissa and Barbara's friendship. 

That scene really highlighted just how deep their friendship is. That's the kind of conversation I can hear longtime friends having with each other. 

[ribboninthesky1]

5 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

My mama used to fry salmon patties, and I cook them occasionally now.  Sometimes they taste good; sometimes they taste nasty. 😅

Ha! I remember it being a toss up - it's why I never cooked them as an adult.

5 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

That firefighter really rocked his scenes.  I loved his deflated look when Melissa was talking about the metal and not him.  Firefighters are well regarded, and he was kinda bald head cute, so surely he can get some love somewhere.  🥰

And he just wanted to be loved for himself, not the truck.  Bless his heart, I am rooting for him. 😍

[DearEvette]

What a great Barbara episode.

Gregory was channelling All About Eve.  Ava better be careful, LOL.

"What is the number one cause of fire in a school?"

"The CIA" -- Oh Mr. Johnson, never change with your conspiracy theory loving self!  Although I a not surprised he is so well adjusted.

21 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

All episode I was wondering where I know that guest actor from.  I was pretty sure that it's Shalita Grant from "You" Season 3.

Shalita Grant was great in this.  She really made her small scenes work.  She was on Season 3 of the show 'Search Party' and she killed as the lawyer. And then she topped that with her suburban wife role in Season 3 of YOU.

Actually, all the guest stars were great, including the two firefighters that got most of the face time.

13 hours ago, Empress1 said:

“Are you sure you don’t mean Janine?” as he holds his hand two feet off the ground. DEAD.

Favorite line hands down this episode.  I DIED!

12 hours ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

Jacob tried to give away those carrot cookies to the very end. Turns out, they were good (according to Melissa). I don't believe her.

I believed her.  Her facial expression showed disbelief.  Also she told them to cut the tape after she said it.

Also one of the firefighters who had used the cookies to try to knock off the frisbee on roof, licked off some of his fingers and he did a "hey this is actually good" facial expression.  It really was a nice blink and miss it moment.  I think it was supposed to be a quick foreshadow that the cookies were good.

8 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

I adore Melissa and Barbara's friendship. 

Yup, yup, yup.  I loved her running after Barbara and Barbara opening up to Melissa and not hiding behind her facade with her.

[Irlandesa]

6 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Barbara telling that cute kid at the end that its ok to be scared and that even she's scared sometimes, was such a great way to end her plot. Its ok not to be ok and to take care of yourself. 

It was a good Barbara episode but as the child of two teachers, I was scratching my head at Barbara listing how few times she took off of school as in she doesn't take a day off unless she's sick or on vacation.

My parents never took a vacation during the school year unless it was over a pre-scheduled school break like the holidays or Spring Break. They had a decent amount of sick days but only 2 personal days.  I think the show wanted to portray Barbara as a martyr there but a teacher taking days off to go on vacation gave me the opposite impression. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

21 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

Shalita Grant was great in this.  She really made her small scenes work.  She was on Season 3 of the show 'Search Party' and she killed as the lawyer. And then she topped that with her suburban wife role in Season 3 of YOU.

Thanks for reminding us.  I've been meaning to check that out forever.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[BAForever]

5 hours ago, JeanJean said:

Did she get fired?

No. She's actually a good teacher. She told the story weeks after the incident. Am certain she was spoken to by administraton, but any discipline was confidential. You could have heard a pin drop in a room full of teachers after she told her story. We were all thinking is she serious?

[kathyk24]

I have a degree in Social Work and I hate the refuse to talk to a therapist plotline. What was the harm in talking to the counselor? Ava wasn't going to fire anyone. I thought the subplot with Melissa wanting to be a firefighter went on too long.