S02.E17: Mural Arts

[DearEvette]

Quote

Jacob secures a visit from a mural arts program for his students but doesn't agree with their chosen design and attempts to influence their decision. Barbara and Melissa learn parents are petitioning to turn Abbott into a Legendary charter school.

Airdate: 03/01/2023

[Annber03]

"If I'm gonna do this, I want to be full of meat and covered in sauce."

Holy shit, that whole bit with Janine and Gregory...I about fell over laughing XD. That was hilarious. 

But yeeeeeeeeeah, that whole situation with them telling Maurice what happened definitely could've gone better, to say the least :p. Talk about awkward. I think Erica's advice (nice to see her again, by the way!) was spot on, but I also understand Janine wanting to tell him, too. Same with Gregory, given he and Maurice are friends, or were, at least. And at least they ripped off the band-aid, which is also good. Still...

I also loved the scene with Jacob's students reacting to his hypothetical scenario of them seeing their mural in the future. "What has gone wrong in my life that I would send my kids to Abbott Elementary?" But awwww, I loved what they did with the mural in the end. The bit with the kids each having a tile highlighting their dream professions was wonderful and actually got to me a little :'). 

I love Ava, Barbara, and Melissa teaming up to take on Legendary and calling out charter schools. I look forward to seeing how that fight continues to play out. 

 

[Crashcourse]

I thought this silly sock episode was kinda meh until the end with the display of the mural (never heard of silly socks, but I'm old).  It was nice to have the students have their personal aspirations included on the mural.

However, the best part was Maurice eating those baby back ribs and not giving a shit about those two dorks Janine and Gregory.  You go Maurice!  I'm pretty sure he won't be alone too long, and maybe he hits up Amber.

[miasth]

This is why I did not want Janine to get involved with Maurice. Don't blame him for telling them to leave. I agreed with Erica no details needed. But if Gregory needed a clear conscience then they could have handled it way differently.

I cut up my Janine/Gregory shipper card in egg drop episode because I do not see them working long term. This episode reiterated why I do not think they would make a good couple.

Those 3 teaming up to stop abbott becoming a charter should be good. 

Edited March 2, 2023 by miasth

[kathyk24]

I understand why Maurice was upset but it would have been wrong for Janine to date him while she has feelings for Gregory. I knew that student would go back to Abbott. I'm sure Barbara won't mind Ava scheming to benefit Abbott.

[SHD]

“OK, Robert DeNono…”

”Then paint an eggshell blizzard on my wall!”

[sweetandsour]

Mimimimimi mi mimi mimimi mi mi mimimi mimi.

That means, Maurice is the most mature person in that triangle.

[tennisgurl]

"We might lose half the students at Abbot!"

"Which half?" 

Ava, Barbara, and Melissa teaming up to save Abbot from charters is going to be awesome, if I were the charter guy I would be very very afraid. I especially like how much the show calls out the obsession with testing students and celebrating how kids are great at all kinds of things, some of which you cant traditionally test. Coming up with great nicknames is a skill! 

Maurice is a shockingly mature guy, he really took that kiss in stride and even when Janine said she didn't want to date him anymore he was really chill about it, even if he was upset. You go ahead and eat those ribs Mo. I hope he hits Amber up, they seem like they would be a great match. He's certainly got it more together than Gregory or Janine, who are still doing this "I don't like you like that" song and dance even though they're both single now, have already kissed, and there are literally no obstacles to them dating now beyond a workplace romance possibly becoming awkward. 

The silly socks and the mural were funny, poor Jacob was really struggling. It can be hard to get kids to do inspirational stuff when they just want to do silly kid stuff, but Jacob did manage to find a compromise. He even got a kid to say that he inspired him to become a teacher, probably his Stand and Deliver dream come true. Even if that kids going to grow up to be broke. 

There is something to be said about people coming back to remember what they loved as kids, that nostalgia can be meaningful even if its less inspirational. 

[MicheleinPhilly]

13 hours ago, Annber03 said:

"If I'm gonna do this, I want to be full of meat and covered in sauce."

I screamed. 

Is the silly sock show an actual thing? I was as lost as I was with the super heroes at Halloween. I hope, like with the podcast, that Jacob finally begins to learn that the way to engagement is not via edict. Let the kids have their silly mural. 

While I like Gregory and Janine, I hope we're not going to jump immediately into them starting a relationship. I'd rather they both be single for a bit. 

Rug vermin! Oh Ms. Barbara, never change. 

[Snapdragon]

Thank you, Janine's friend whose name I can't remember!  There was no reason to tell Maurice about the kiss.  Just break up with him and schedule a date with Gregory like, a month later.  

And I know we're supposed to be on Abbott's side with this whole charter school thing, but I've got kids in elementary school and public schools have been such a train wreck post-pandemic, that I just can't.  

[Harvey]

I knew there was reason I liked Mr. Johnson, he's funny and gets along with the kids.

[mrsbagnet]

18 hours ago, miasth said:

This is why I did not want Janine to get involved with Maurice. Don't blame him for telling them to leave. I agreed with Erica no details needed. But if Gregory needed a clear conscience then they could have handled it way differently.

Gregory needs to learn that you don't get to clear your conscience by making the other person feel bad. You're just transferring the negative feelings from yourself onto them. Your guilt is the price you pay for wronging someone. The kiss was such a minor indiscretion that the guilt wouldn't have lasted too long, esp since he knew Janine was going to break up with Maurice anyway.

Edited March 2, 2023 by mrsbagnet

[LydiaMoon1]

 Episode Highlights:

• Barb's email got hacked and was sending out porno! Heh, heh, heh.
• The AUDACITY!
• How many accents did Barb use in that one phone call?

• I think the Silly sock show was created by the show, just like desking. I'm not sure, but I think so.

• "What has gone so wrong in my life that I have to send my kids to Abbott? Daaang!

• 16 hours ago, Annber03 said:

  "If I'm gonna do this, I want to be full of meat and covered in sauce."

  Why is Janine like this????  OMG. That whole Bonetown sequence, starting with Maurice and ending with Janine and Gregory, was comedy gold!

• Mural Arts Guy: "Again, we do not do private residences. We're a non-profit. Ava: Who said I was gone pay you?

• Ava: Well, if it ain't the white man making decisions for everybody. What other people just think, Ava don't mind saying.

•  Look at Melissa giving Jacob the guidance he needs to satisfy both him and his students.

• A team-up of Barbara, Melissa, AND Ava? Legendary Schools is in trouble.

• 16 hours ago, Annber03 said:

  But yeeeeeeeeeah, that whole situation with them telling Maurice what happened definitely could've gone better, to say the least :p. Talk about awkward. I think Erica's advice (nice to see her again, by the way!) was spot on, but I also understand Janine wanting to tell him, too. Same with Gregory, given he and Maurice are friends, or were, at least.

  See, Erica told her what to do, but Janine NEVER takes sound advice. She always does the exact opposite. Janine is a dork, but SHE IS very messy.

• Rug vermin? Once again, Barbara was thiiis close.

• I really, really enjoyed Jacob and his 6th grade class. I hope we see more of them.

• LOVED the mural. In the end, it was the perfect compromise.

 

Another great episode. Looking forward to next week.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bookish Jen]

This was a wonderful episode. First, it was great when Erika showed up. I like seeing recurring characters. But she was right. Janine should not tell Mo she kissed Gregory. Of course, Janine shows up to Bone Town with Gregory in tow, and they spill the beans about their kiss in the flower classroom. Mo took it really well. But ribs and jalapeño poppers do soften the blow.

But a restaurant called Bone Town? I think I did a Gregory look at my TV when Janine mentioned her covered in meat and sauce, going to Bone Town with Mo. At first I thought Bone Town was a euphemism for sex, and I know I'm not the only one.

Like many of you I wondered if Silly Socks was a real thing so I googled it and came up with nothing. I guess the writers made it up. I can understand Jacob wanting his students to do a mural more inspirational, but it's okay to indulge in some pop culture silliness. If I had been a part of a mural when I was in grade school, I probably would have suggested Fonzie, the Sweat Hogs, and Star Wars. And I liked how the students' future aspirations were a part of the mural. I actually got a bit verklempt and teary-eyed when one student said he wanted to be broke, I mean a teacher.

 And I can't wait to see how Barbara, Ava, and Melissa teaming up will turn out as they fight to make sure Abbott doesn't turn into another charter school more considered with test scores than their students. Their hijinks will be legendary. (See what I did there?)

[Crashcourse]

So when Janine and Gregory told Maurice that they kissed, did they expect him to start bawling over his plate of ribs? 😭 I was especially pissed off at Gregory because Maurice didn't even need to know that, and Janine should have just gone alone to talk to him.  If she had just given him the usual "it's not you, it's me" speech, he would have been fine with that.  I'm just glad he enjoyed his food.

[sistermagpie]

2 hours ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

• See, Erica told her what to do, but Janine NEVER takes sound advice. She always does the exact opposite. Janine is a dork, but SHE IS very messy.

•  

And in this case she even tried to do the right thing and then Gregory weirdly ruined it by insisting on "confessing" to clear his conscience. And wound up making Janine look a lot worse than she needed to look.

Typical Toeseph move.

[BAForever]

Public school teacher here.  Love that Barbara and Melissa are advocating for their public school for the right reasons- funding, accepting all students and some control over curriculum. Whoever writes this show is a public school fan.

[bettername2come]

Maurice actor did a good job with his "I'm staying. Please leave." 

I liked that they were able to find a compromise on the mural and get something meaningful and with the characters they enjoy. I agreed with Janine that Jacob's little table hopping move was impressive.

As someone who's taught in public and charter schools, I'm shocked at how easy it is to get kids kicked out of the charter school. That never would've happened where I taught, and I don't think it legally could (I know rules vary from state to state). But teachers who didn't get good test scores were another thing. Those contracts sucked. I watched a dozen teachers get hired and fired (midyear!) in my two years at one. 

[kitkat343]

7 hours ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

 

• See, Erica told her what to do, but Janine NEVER takes sound advice. She always does the exact opposite. Janine is a dork, but SHE IS very messy.

•  

 

 

 

 

 

Especially when Maurice described them as enjoying their "situationship."  I could understand if they were married, or even in a long term committed relationship, but I'm not even sure they have had a discussion about being exclusive.  

I also really liked Maurice's story about waking up in a package after the UPS holiday party.

I think Amber loving the purse Janine hated was a sign that Maurice and Amber would be endgame.  Interesting to see it referenced here again (Erica hinting she'd like it for her birthday, since Janine hates it)

[emma675]

40 minutes ago, kitkat343 said:

I also really liked Maurice's story about waking up in a package after the UPS holiday party.

On his front porch! But it was okay because his coworkers used packing peanuts. 🤣 I was rolling. 

[ribboninthesky1]

46 minutes ago, kitkat343 said:

Especially when Maurice described them as enjoying their "situationship."  I could understand if they were married, or even in a long term committed relationship, but I'm not even sure they have had a discussion about being exclusive.  

Yep, that's why he wasn't upset about the kiss.  With Janine's limited dating experience, I understand why she thought it would be a big deal. Maurice seemed more annoyed that she broke up with him with Gregory in attendance. I suspect he wouldn't have cared that much if he was absent. Maurice wasn't exactly discerning at the club where they met.  He conveniently popped up "looking for Gregory" after Gregory and Janine had a moment outside said club.  

I do think Gregory should have stayed out of it and let Janine handle it on her own (I think she intended to follow Erica's advice), although the Bonetown bit was indeed hilarious.   

There was a genuinely sweet moment with the student who said Jacob's class was his favorite, and he wants to be a teacher.  Terrific bit of acting there by Chris Perfetti, with the range of emotions across his face in a span of seconds.  And of course...the student is immediately clowned, ha! 

Edited March 3, 2023 by ribboninthesky1

[Phebemarie]

51 minutes ago, kitkat343 said:

I think Amber loving the purse Janine hated was a sign that Maurice and Amber would be endgame.  Interesting to see it referenced here again (Erica hinting she'd like it for her birthday, since Janine hates it)

I think Janine was just clueless about how "on trend" those Teflar bags are right now.  I don't think she hated the bag, but she didn't get its hype because she values things like Lego bouquets.  I mean, even I knew Teflar bags are hot stuff, and I'm a retired English teacher.

Jacob's kids were awesome.  I liked how they teased him about the socks without making fun of him.  I think it shows the students respect him, even though he disappointed them for a bit.  

 

[kathyk24]

I think it would be messier for Janine to date Maurice when she has real feelings for Gregory. That was a passionate kiss not one by accident. Maurice might be hurt by Gregory since they were friends first.

[lovinbob]

On 3/2/2023 at 9:45 PM, bettername2come said:

As someone who's taught in public and charter schools, I'm shocked at how easy it is to get kids kicked out of the charter school. That never would've happened where I taught, and I don't think it legally could (I know rules vary from state to state). But teachers who didn't get good test scores were another thing. Those contracts sucked. I watched a dozen teachers get hired and fired (midyear!) in my two years at one. 

I guess this show is painting with a pretty broad brush about charters, for dramatic effect. I have a friend who is the CEO of a charter school in Philly. She was a huge fan of this show until the Leslie Odom Jr. episode. She felt like the characterization of charter schools as being so predatory, and of the teachers as being so desperately unqualified, was really unfair. Her teachers are from the neighborhood and extremely committed both to their students and to education in general. She, as CEO, has more integrity and commitment to the kids and the faculty than any educator I know. 

I did like the way they showed charter schools from Ava's perspective, because it's pretty typical for how they come across to the general public. Seem like a great idea, very marketable and able to generate some awesome results, but once you scratch the surface, it can get pretty ugly. 

I do feel like Janine and Gregory are two misfit toys who ultimately belong together.

Barbara's accents were hilarious. 

I don't think the silly sock thing is real. Anyone know for sure? 

Jacob slowly becoming my low-key favorite character. I do love this show. 

Edited March 7, 2023 by lovinbob

[Maren]

Jacob tries so hard and he is so well meaning and sincere, it's nice when he gets some validation from his students. I like that they can see the good guy who cares about them. And I loved how he validated the returning kid Josh. After his mom said he was so upset about getting kicked out of the charter school, you could see it meant a lot to him to be welcomed and included. 

I really love the kids they cast for the students. Young and old.

I am so down with Barbara and Melissa teaming up, it's always awesome!

Edited March 4, 2023 by Maren
Word correction

[Toothbrush]

On 3/2/2023 at 5:03 PM, sistermagpie said:

Typical Toeseph move.

And then thinking he’s a Toenesha. Another typical Toseph move. 

On 3/2/2023 at 10:31 PM, Phebemarie said:

I think Janine was just clueless about how "on trend" those Teflar bags are right now.  I don't think she hated the bag, but she didn't get its hype because she values things like Lego bouquets.  I mean, even I knew Teflar bags are hot stuff, and I'm a retired English teacher.

 

I have seen the bags but I guess hadn’t looked at the logo closely because I thought they were Tory Burch. I have 2 pairs of her shoes and now realize the ‘T’ logos are totally different. I had been thinking what a nice gift that was from Mo because I have to wait for a sale to buy anything from Tory Burch. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 3/2/2023 at 12:39 AM, sweetandsour said:

Mimimimimi mi mimi mimimi mi mi mimimi mimi.

That means, Maurice is the most mature person in that triangle.

He's so funny and cute.

On 3/2/2023 at 11:03 PM, emma675 said:

On his front porch! But it was okay because his coworkers used packing peanuts. 🤣 I was rolling. 

Thank you for the laugh again

And for anyone here talking about Bone Town 😄

[Blakeston]

I loved the last few episodes, but I wasn't crazy about this one.

Mostly because the Jacob storyline was the podcasting storyline all over again. Jacob starts a project, is disappointed when the students take it in a silly (but acceptable) direction, and then he completely vetoes them and forces his own idea on them, until Ava comes in as the unlikely voice of reason and calls him out.

I realize that the writers have to create a lot more episodes per season than most other sitcoms, so of course not everything is going to feel totally fresh. But the heartwarming "teacher learns a lesson" storylines mean less when the teacher makes the exact same mistake a few episodes later.

Also, Janine, how clueless can you be? She thought Mo was talking about sex when he mentioned going to Bonetown, so how could she not realize that Gregory thought the same thing when she used the exact same phrase? Especially seeing the horrified look on his face!

[Ms Blue Jay]

The actor who plays Mo is a rapper named Vince Staples.  I had no idea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Staples

Vincent Jamal Staples (born July 2, 1993) is an American rapper and singer. Staples was once a close associate of Odd Future, Mike G and Earl Sweatshirt in particular. He is currently signed to Motown and Blacksmith Records.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Gangster Looney Tunes. Please tell me that's a real thing.*

Janine is a messy dork. Erika knows.

Mr. Johnson can hit a curveball, unlike the other bald MJ. 😏

Only Jacob would mention Will Smith in the same breath as John Contrane. 🙄

I didn't realize how mechanical charter schools are. Teaching on a script? Sounds like they want to churn out little robots.

I was really hoping after Janine and Greg confessed to him, Mo would sarcastically suggest a 3-way. They were so wrong for tag-teaming him like that just to relieve their guilt.

Buzzfeed has done several Abbott Elementary-related quizzes so IMO it was nice of the show to give them a little nod back.

*ETA: It is!

Edited March 4, 2023 by Joimiaroxeu

[Imara219]

On 3/2/2023 at 11:24 AM, Snapdragon said:

Thank you, Janine's friend whose name I can't remember!  There was no reason to tell Maurice about the kiss.  Just break up with him and schedule a date with Gregory like, a month later.  

And I know we're supposed to be on Abbott's side with this whole charter school thing, but I've got kids in elementary school and public schools have been such a train wreck post-pandemic, that I just can't.  

I'm a public school educator and my son attends an elementary school charter. It's close to our house but would not be our assigned school. Our assigned school is not the best and further away. His charter is minority focused. I see both sides of the debate. 

[irisheyes]

On 3/2/2023 at 8:05 PM, BAForever said:

Public school teacher here.  Love that Barbara and Melissa are advocating for their public school for the right reasons- funding, accepting all students and some control over curriculum. Whoever writes this show is a public school fan.

Quinta Brunson’s mom was a public school teacher in Philly. That’s why the show feels SO real. I ❤️ their love for public schools that are full of kids who aren’t perfect and teachers who are doing their best without the resources they need. 
 

On 3/2/2023 at 3:13 PM, LydiaMoon1 said:

Rug vermin? Once again, Barbara was thiiis close.

I love the continuity with this. It wasn’t just a throwaway opening. 

[Lois Sandborne]

On 3/2/2023 at 10:07 PM, ribboninthesky1 said:

There was a genuinely sweet moment with the student who said Jacob's class was his favorite, and he wants to be a teacher.  Terrific bit of acting there by Chris Perfetti, with the range of emotions across his face in a span of seconds. 

He's really great. I also loved his reaction when Ava said, "I thought you thought you were one of the good ones." How he says "I am!" really earnestly and then looks directly into the camera for a split second; that cracked me up. I was familiar with everybody else in the main cast before the show, but he's been a real discovery.

I thought the whole Janine/Gregory/Bone Town saga was a little dumb. Maurice deserved better. However, as somebody ostensibly in the target demo for Telfar bags, I wouldn't have loved to get that bag he gave Janine. I'd feel like I'm carrying around a hunk of foil paper. (But I also am speaking as somebody who already owned that exact Lego set that Gregory gave Amber lol)

I don't have kids, but I'm personally interested in educational equity. The charter school issue is an enormous one; all of the arguments involve such high stakes. Kids are going through this in real-time, learning how to think, and learning how to engage with the world while grown-ups go back and forth. There's nuance and a lot of passion on all sides. Honestly, I don't expect this show to come up with any real solutions or even to go very deep into the convo. It's a sitcom; our heroes are a ragtag group of public school true believers, and Legendary is coming for them. I'm ready to see Barbara, Melissa, and Ava kick some charter butt.

[Ms Blue Jay]

22 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Buzzfeed has done several Abbott Elementary-related quizzes so IMO it was nice of the show to give them a little nod back.

Quinta had a long relationship with them.

Quote

She went on to produce and act in content for BuzzFeed Video, and developed two streaming series with BuzzFeed Motion Pictures.

 

[pasdetrois]

I love when they let Miss Barbara build up a full head of steam and then turn her loose. "I will NOT use two-step authentication."

[kathyk24]

On 3/3/2023 at 10:56 PM, Maren said:

Jacob tries so hard and he is so well meaning and sincere, it's nice when he gets some validation from his students. I like that they can see the good guy who cares about them. And I loved how he validated the returning kid Josh. After his mom said he was so upset about getting kicked out of the charter school, you could see it meant a lot to him to be welcomed and included. 

I really love the kids they cast for the students. Young and old.

I am so down with Barbara and Melissa teaming up, it's always awesome!

Jacob should be validating his students not the other way around. He and Janine have similar personalities yet he isn't seen as a trainwreck and she is.

[Empress1]

Late to the thread but just wanted to point out that while the silly socks aren’t real, Mural Arts is!

On 3/2/2023 at 10:22 PM, kitkat343 said:

Especially when Maurice described them as enjoying their "situationship."  I could understand if they were married, or even in a long term committed relationship, but I'm not even sure they have had a discussion about being exclusive.  

Yep, there really was no confession needed. A situationship is basically seeing someone non-exclusively. Janine and Mo were seeing each other, he wasn’t her boyfriend. She didn’t cheat. For all she knew he was seeing other people. Janine has only ever had one long monogamous relationship that began when she was a literal child; she has a lot to learn about modern dating.

[Featherhat]

On 3/6/2023 at 5:35 AM, kathyk24 said:

Jacob should be validating his students not the other way around. He and Janine have similar personalities yet he isn't seen as a trainwreck and she is.

I personally think he does validate the kids, or at least try to as much as he is able. But I think he is often needy and uncertain of his place in the world or his role as a new teacher. It's a part of the reason that he reads/listens to every progressive thing he can and obsessively quotes it - remember the 100 white podcasts on triple speed? I think he was definitely seen as a trainwreck last season, with more of his stories than Janine's coming off as well meaning but clueless. Even this season he was shocked that Story Samurai (where he was trying to validate the kids' lives and imaginations) came off as corny and even potentially offensive (Rosa Parks and Rec) and was completely shocked that he was very nearly Sandra Bullock in Blindside but had to deal with being Hilary Swank in Freedomwriters. He did own it in the end but it was a trainwreck to get there. 

Last season Janine had more wins and I think the story telling for her was slightly different. I wonder if QB is perhaps following the maincharacter-itis code that thinks it's more funny/meaty for the show if the main character is a mess who has a lot of people against them and fails a lot of the time. All to build her up for later seasons I guess. 

Zach and Jacob seem to have similar personalities but each has different trigger points for their meltdowns/obsessions and are able to calm each other down or ignore each other's extraneous BS because they are focused on their own personal BS. 

I like Janine and Gregory fine. I wasn't thrilled when the pilot made it clear that it would probably be a slow burn/WTWT but work place romance is a fact of life, I think I read 1/3 of UK couples met at work or via work (not sure about the US) so I think it has it's place in a work place show. IMHO what makes a lot of people groan when they see it is that it's often the main thing the media will talk about IRT a show even if it's only 1 scene every episode or so, especially if it drags on for so long it becomes utterly stupid or the only audience who are left are the die hards who want to see them get together. We can all name both dramas and comedies in that category.  So far I think it's okay but IMO this show would be wise to pull a B99 and have them get together at the beginning of the 3rd season and work on growing up together in a low key way. Jake/Amy were often voted one of the best couples on TV despite (because of) the show often having them in different storylines and barely referencing their relationship in many eps after they got together. 

I think this ep did do a good job of showing that Janine had only ever been in one other relationship before since 8th grade and maybe didn't even realise that a few weeks dating didn't necessarily mean in a relationship or exclusive. But that's why she needs to listen to awesome Erika in all social related things. Gregory really shouldn't have come and made it a big deal. TV shows and movies really push the idea that "clearing your conscience" is the best thing but it's really not if it's going to cause more drama and hurt to someone else for no reason. It's not like Mo and Janine were married and his friend Greg slept with her. 

[meep.meep]

On 3/5/2023 at 1:51 PM, pasdetrois said:

I love when they let Miss Barbara build up a full head of steam and then turn her loose. "I will NOT use two-step authentication."

And in true Miss Barbara form, she got it wrong.  Two Factor Authentication!

[Dancingjaneway]

On 3/5/2023 at 4:51 PM, pasdetrois said:

I love when they let Miss Barbara build up a full head of steam and then turn her loose. "I will NOT use two-step authentication."

If you are Ciara it's One, TWO step authentication. *ducks tomatoes*