S03.E01/E02: Career Day Part 1/Career Day Part 2

[DanaK]

Quote

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 7

9:00-10:02 p.m. EST - Abbott Elementary: "Career Day Part 1/Career Day Part 2" (301/302) (Season Premiere)

It's a new year at Abbott Elementary, and Janine is as eager as ever. She plans a district-wide initiative - Career Day - and is anxious for it to be a success. Meanwhile, Ava has a new approach to her job, and Melissa is asked a surprising question. 

 

[JeanJean]

So nice to have this show back!

"Jeremy Allen Black" -- hee!

Looks like sweater dresses are back, too.

Edited February 8 by JeanJean

[irisheyes]

Love how they got the old Ava back. 😀😀

[buttersister]

Welcome back, best show currently on TV.

[Annber03]

Hey, welcome back, "Abbott Elementary"!

Awwwwwwww, Melissa and her boyfriend. I'm sad because they were really cute together - their banter when he was bringing the stuff into the classroom was so fun - but I also fully agree with Melissa standing her ground with her stance on getting married again. I'm glad she stuck to that. The fact the proposal was public really didn't help matters, either - dude, if she was saying no before, she's not going to be all the more eager to do so when she's under pressure with an audience watching. I appreciate Janine subtly allowing them to leave to continue the conversation, too. 

So yeah, it'll be interesting to see how Melissa deals with this going forward, and what she takes away from it. 

Also glad that Janine and Gregory were able to get past some of their initial awkwardness and clear the air about that uncomfortable moment that was captured on camera. I like Janine getting to implement some of her ideas and having a little more say in how the school is doing things, but yeah, I also don't blame her for missing her friends and students. I do wonder how sincere this group is that's helping her out, though - they seem almost TOO friendly. I'm just saying, I won't be surprised if Barbara's initial suspicions prove accurate. I'd like to think they'll be genuinely helpful, but I'm bracing, just in case. 

Ava as a super competent principal was fun :D. And I loved Gregory's whole thing with showing off his arms. Jacob's reaction to that was mine XD. 

Good to have the show back! Look forward to what they've got planned for this season. 

[BAForever]

Long time elem teacher here. Loved the true depiction of resource people from the district. Usually energetic people with all kinds of ideas and no or little practical teaching experience to back it up. It's hard not to be jaded like Barbara was. 

Overall two great episodes. Best comedy on TV. Welcome back old friends.

[Galileo908]

10 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Ava as a super competent principal was fun :D. And I loved Gregory's whole thing with showing off his arms. Jacob's reaction to that was mine XD. 

"My boy, my king!"

"Roll up those sleeves and respectfully welcome her to the gun show."

This whole episode was a roller coaster of emotions. And I agree, Manny is suspicious as hell.

It was so weird hearing Janine swear! Of course Melissa thought it felt forced. 

Loved that Ava was wearing a Harvard sweater with the bedazzled "AVA." And that gif of her saying "she mad" while eating popcorn is gonna go places, I guarantee it.

Melissa might've gotten the Eagles, but Jacob and Mr. Johnson won Career Day. I'm officially on team "Mr. Johnson is probably not even his real name."

[Annber03]

5 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

It was so weird hearing Janine swear!

Gregory's reaction to that was perfect :D. 

[JeanJean]

Doesn't Barbara teach kindergarten? So she wouldn't be teaching cursive, I think...

[Galileo908]

4 minutes ago, JeanJean said:

Doesn't Barbara teach kindergarten? So she wouldn't be teaching cursive, I think...

On that same note, Jacob teaching elementary school kids about the Korean War.

[possibilities]

I hate that they've stopped teaching cursive. That's a real thing. Cursive is so much faster! realize everyone is using a keyboard these days, but I'm 58 and I still use actual pens and paper a lot and almost never write anything but cursive.

[JeanJean]

16 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I hate that they've stopped teaching cursive. That's a real thing. Cursive is so much faster! realize everyone is using a keyboard these days, but I'm 58 and I still use actual pens and paper a lot and almost never write anything but cursive.

Also, isn't it good for motor control that's more advanced than printing?

Edited February 8 by JeanJean

[Blakeston]

48 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

On that same note, Jacob teaching elementary school kids about the Korean War.

His students are significantly older than the other main characters' students. If I recall correctly, they're young teenagers.

Jacob's admiration for Mr. Johnson is one of my favorite parts of the show.

[Annber03]

13 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

Jacob's admiration for Mr. Johnson is one of my favorite parts of the show.

I also liked his reaction to Janine working with that group. He's proud and excited for her but will also miss her. Their friendship is really cute. 

[Cotypubby]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

I hate that they've stopped teaching cursive. That's a real thing. Cursive is so much faster! realize everyone is using a keyboard these days, but I'm 58 and I still use actual pens and paper a lot and almost never write anything but cursive.

I’m 41 and even though I was taught cursive, I only ever use it to sign my name. It’s so much slower than just writing normally. I never understood why it was taught to begin with. It’s usually not as legible either.

[kathyk2]

4 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Hey, welcome back, "Abbott Elementary"!

Awwwwwwww, Melissa and her boyfriend. I'm sad because they were really cute together - their banter when he was bringing the stuff into the classroom was so fun - but I also fully agree with Melissa standing her ground with her stance on getting married again. I'm glad she stuck to that. The fact the proposal was public really didn't help matters, either - dude, if she was saying no before, she's not going to be all the more eager to do so when she's under pressure with an audience watching. I appreciate Janine subtly allowing them to leave to continue the conversation, too. 

So yeah, it'll be interesting to see how Melissa deals with this going forward, and what she takes away from it. 

Also glad that Janine and Gregory were able to get past some of their initial awkwardness and clear the air about that uncomfortable moment that was captured on camera. I like Janine getting to implement some of her ideas and having a little more say in how the school is doing things, but yeah, I also don't blame her for missing her friends and students. I do wonder how sincere this group is that's helping her out, though - they seem almost TOO friendly. I'm just saying, I won't be surprised if Barbara's initial suspicions prove accurate. I'd like to think they'll be genuinely helpful, but I'm bracing, just in case. 

Ava as a super competent principal was fun :D. And I loved Gregory's whole thing with showing off his arms. Jacob's reaction to that was mine XD. 

Good to have the show back! Look forward to what they've got planned for this season. 

I hope Janine's new job isn't a joke she deserves to be respected. I thought it was funny that the teachers used to complain that Ava was too lax when she was strict they wanted the old Ava back. I felt bad for Melissa she had a valid reason for not wanting to get married again.

[Seelouis]

Loved the whole sequence with Jacob quietly correcting everything Barbara said. “Napster. Spotify”. 

[dmmetler]

10 hours ago, JeanJean said:

Doesn't Barbara teach kindergarten? So she wouldn't be teaching cursive, I think...

Cursive first is a thing-i want to say that traditional Montessori is cursive first. Motor skills wise, it's easier in many ways than print, and is less prone to reversals. The reason for doing print first is to make learning to read easier so you don't have as many  forms of each letter at once. (There are already multiple ones just in printed text that kids will encounter while learning to read). 

[OLynn33]

I was looking for a new show to get into and had read good things about this one but I literally can't with the one camera quick zooms and violent panning. When I was working in TV we called this vomit cam. I don't know why camera in perpetual motion has infiltrated nearly every form of production now even interviews. But here we are. Maybe it's just to give me one more thing to hate about this world. 

[libgirl2]

I am so not trusting Manny and the other two. 

[MicheleinPhilly]

Did Manny play a serial killer in something recently? Because that's the vibe I get from him. I love this new twist of Janine working for the district, but hope the other district folks are less prominent in subsequent episodes. 

I'm sad about Gary and Melissa as I loved their relationship, but I am thrilled that Melissa stuck to her guns about getting married. 

I grinned from ear to ear throughout this entire episode. They really were firing on all cylinders. 

"Princeton is the Temple of the Ivies!" I flipping CACKLED. 🤣

[Crashcourse]

1 hour ago, OLynn33 said:

I was looking for a new show to get into and had read good things about this one but I literally can't with the one camera quick zooms and violent panning. When I was working in TV we called this vomit cam. I don't know why camera in perpetual motion has infiltrated nearly every form of production now even interviews. But here we are. Maybe it's just to give me one more thing to hate about this world. 

As much as I love this show, I have to agree with you about the camera quick zooms.  Sometimes, I actually feel kind of dizzy. 

Along with the quick zooms, there's also the quick quips they say that I'm slow to pick up on sometimes.  What did he/she say?  Did I miss something?

In the end, though, I still love this show.

[DearEvette]

12 hours ago, Galileo908 said:

On that same note, Jacob teaching elementary school kids about the Korean War.

They are 8th graders.  I don't know about PA, but the Korean war is definitely on the 8th grade history curriculum in NYS.

[libgirl2]

20 minutes ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

Did Manny play a serial killer in something recently? Because that's the vibe I get from him. I love this new twist of Janine working for the district, but hope the other district folks are less prominent in subsequent episodes. 

I'm sad about Gary and Melissa as I loved their relationship, but I am thrilled that Melissa stuck to her guns about getting married. 

I grinned from ear to ear throughout this entire episode. They really were firing on all cylinders. 

"Princeton is the Temple of the Ivies!" I flipping CACKLED. 🤣

I want to say he played a bad guy in something. Or maybe it was a racy role? I'm not that familiar with him. I also could use less of the district people. They bugged me. And I like the one actor from Never Have I Ever but it is hard to reconcile this role with who he played on that show. 

I'm glad Melissa stuck to her guns too. She told him from the onset she didn't want to get married. Accept it or move on. 

[Phishbulb]

I'm mostly familiar with him from "The Other Two", where he played the dopey ex-boyfriend of the lead actress on the show. It's one of those roles where it has kind of defined how I think of him, to the point where it's hard for me to take him seriously in any other role. He just has that particular delivery that makes him suited to playing dumb-but-sweet characters. 

[DanaK]

Yeah, the 3 district visitors, especially their leader, were giving me major negative vibes. They came off as both too smooth and too smarmy, and maybe artificial. The leader says all the right things but I just don't trust any of them. Though to be fair, Janine did get to do her fellowship for a few months and return to Abbott to do career day

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1 hour ago, Phishbulb said:

I'm mostly familiar with him from "The Other Two", where he played the dopey ex-boyfriend of the lead actress on the show. It's one of those roles where it has kind of defined how I think of him, to the point where it's hard for me to take him seriously in any other role. He just has that particular delivery that makes him suited to playing dumb-but-sweet characters. 

I also remember him from Sirens, where he had the same kind of delivery. (He was a good guy, not smarmy, so I'm predisposed to trust him.)

[peeayebee]

Loved Ava's "sleeping" glasses with the eyes. Her Harvard sweatshirt was great, too. AND the way she pronounced Harvard every time she said it.

I'm not sure about the district trio. They may just be exactly who they appear to be: happy, optimistic, eager to help. But, yes, each one of them gives off a weird vibe. That could just be part of the joke.

Career Day is a great idea. I don't remember ever having one of those at any time in my school days, which dates back to the '60's. 

Since I'm not big into football, I felt detached thruout the whole "Oh wow! The Eagles quarterback!" bit. It didn't help that the QB was a terrible actor. (Handsome as heck, though.)

Happy the show is back.

[Crashcourse]

For me, the kids are still the stars of this show (followed by Mr. Johnson, lol).  I wonder how the kids are selected, since I imagine there are hundreds in Philly who'd love to be on the show?

I didn't understand why Ava was wearing those weird glasses. 

Gregory gave the side eye to the school administrator dude, so I wonder if there's going to be a love triangle in the future.

[Seelouis]

11 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

 

I didn't understand why Ava was wearing those weird glasses. 

 

They had eyes printed on them so she could fall asleep and still look awake 

[Crashcourse]

Ok, thanks.

She stupid.

 

[JeanJean]

1 hour ago, DanaK said:

Though to be fair, Janine did get to do her fellowship for a few months and return to Abbott to do career day

Didn't they tell her she could teach at Abbott twice a week?

[libgirl2]

14 minutes ago, JeanJean said:

Didn't they tell her she could teach at Abbott twice a week?

yes

 

[possibilities]

So far the district people haven't done anything bad, but I agree there is something that makes them hard to trust.

For one thing, why are there three of them, just kind of hanging around while Janine does everything? They had no ideas of their own and they didn't do anything but stand around in a group and praise Janine. I have never known any admins to chronically stand around in a group praising anyone, to be honest.

And they also didn't seem to have any agenda-- usually consultant types come in with a philosophy and an axe to grind, and aren't so bright-eyed, open-hearted, and and open-minded. Maybe Janine is dreaming and next week she wakes up to reality? She's in a coma? I don't know.

I do think, though, that them all being SUPER young, and so OPENLY and OBVIOUSLY inexperienced, is part of the joke: that these clueless inexperienced newbies might actually be tasked with running anything.

BUT: they actually did pick the right person for the fellowship, they actually did let her do what she wanted, and they praised her for all the things she did.

So... ??? 

This is not the kind of show where Our Hero will get nothing but wins, so I'm waiting for the shoe to drop.

 

[MicheleinPhilly]

15 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

I’m 41 and even though I was taught cursive, I only ever use it to sign my name. It’s so much slower than just writing normally. I never understood why it was taught to begin with. It’s usually not as legible either.

Unless you went to Catholic school and were taught cursive by nuns. Then your handwriting matches the poster on Ms. Barbara's wall. I'm not speaking from experience. 

(I am. Those ladies were scary!)

[libgirl2]

32 minutes ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

Unless you went to Catholic school and were taught cursive by nuns. Then your handwriting matches the poster on Ms. Barbara's wall. I'm not speaking from experience. 

(I am. Those ladies were scary!)

Catholic school here..... and yes, cursive and cursive done exactly like the poster was a big deal. 

[Crashcourse]

I still remember my teacher who taught cursive writing, and I think when done correctly, it's beautiful.  Waaay back in the day, there was the Peterson School of Penmanship (called Peterson Directed Handwriting now), and I still have my mom's certificate of "satisfactory degree of proficiency in writing" in 1937. 

Also, I loved Janine dressed in her grey suit.  She looked great and it was a nice change from those dorky outfits she used to wear. 

Edited February 8 by Crashcourse

[luckyroll3]

52 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

Also, I loved Janine dressed in her grey suit.  She looked great and it was a nice change from those dorky outfits she used to wear. 

She also looked really nice in the striped sweater dress. That $2 increase in pay is helping her up her fashion game!

 

[Crashcourse]

5 minutes ago, luckyroll3 said:

She also looked really nice in the striped sweater dress. That $2 increase in pay is helping her up her fashion game!

 

Yeah, I forgot about the sweater dress.  She's looking like a grown ass woman now!

[DavidJSnyder]

6 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I want to say he played a bad guy in something. 

He was the big bad on one season of Arrow.

[DanaK]

On 2/8/2024 at 4:05 PM, MicheleinPhilly said:

Unless you went to Catholic school and were taught cursive by nuns. Then your handwriting matches the poster on Ms. Barbara's wall. I'm not speaking from experience. 

(I am. Those ladies were scary!)

As a 4 grade attendee of Catholic school, I agree somewhat, yet one of my most favorite teachers was a nun, for my 1st and 3rd grades. But also I feel if a nun tells you to do something, you do it

Janine’s sweater dress was weird

Edited February 9 by DanaK

[meep.meep]

5 hours ago, peeayebee said:

 

Career Day is a great idea. I don't remember ever having one of those at any time in my school days, which dates back to the '60's. 

Since I'm not big into football, I felt detached thruout the whole "Oh wow! The Eagles quarterback!" bit. It didn't help that the QB was a terrible actor. (Handsome as heck, though.)

I lived on army bases when I was in elementary school.  We did not have Career Day!

If you don't follow football, you didn't realize that the bearded guy who showed up with the QB near the end was the Eagles center, Jason Kelce, who is the brother of Taylor Swift's new squeeze.

And I had to teach myself cursive because we moved between 2nd and 3rd grade and at the new school it was taught in 2nd grade.

 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

5 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Career Day is a great idea. I don't remember ever having one of those at any time in my school days, which dates back to the '60's. 

I kind of had the opposite reaction. In all the career days I've seen on television, multiple parents would come to talk to the class about their jobs.  This was only one speaker per class (although they did not appear to be parents, so I acknowledge that it would have taken some time to arrange it), and it was treated like a ground-breaking idea.

Also, shouldn't Janine have checked that all the iPads were working and fully charged before handing them out?  Why would one of them have been at 7% when she had 2 chargers?  Take turns charging them all before giving them to the class!

[Empress1]

8 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

Did Manny play a serial killer in something recently?

He played someone they thought was a serial killer in the most recent Scream movie.

[JeanJean]

4 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

yes

 

So why did the kids act like they didn't know her?

 

Line of the night for me: "Jeremy Allen Black."

[springbarb]

5 hours ago, JeanJean said:

Didn't they tell her she could teach at Abbott twice a week?

She was told that she could "be at Abbott" twice a week; I interpreted that as her being there in a district capacity, not as her teaching.

I know Manny from The Other Two, and he gives off the same vibe here--super nice if a bit dim. Though he, unlike the other district folks, seems to have some understanding of procedure, etc.

[SilverLake0315]

3 hours ago, DavidJSnyder said:

He was the big bad on one season of Arrow.

This was how I first became familiar with him (Josh Segarra). He was amazing on that show. My favorite big bad of the whole series. 

(On a side note: I’ve met him a ton of times and he is the absolute sweetest human being on the planet.)

[mrsbagnet]

I hope Manny doesn't turn out to be shady. I was super attracted to him because of his earnestness. Also, his Career Day outfit didn't hurt.

[mrsbagnet]

I felt so bad for Gregory having to demean himself in the effort to get the old Ava back. When Melissa told, "You know what to do," I was thinking, "Does he?" He was so sheepish and vulnerable afterward.

I was shocked that he turned Janine down flat when she mentioned the possibility of them dating. I took her rejection last summer as an "I can't now," not as a no. Not that I expected him to wait around for her to change mind, but from what he said, he's not willing to date her at all anymore. I don't necessarily believe that, but I'm surprised he even said it. 

My favorite scene was the kids' reaction to the suspense of the proposal. There was one kid with his hands on his forehead, with his mouth and eyes wide open. That was my exact reaction, too. 😂

[sweetandsour]

Josh Segarra (Manny) also played Voight's son in "Chicago PD."  He had a shady criminal past and for a while, it was ambiguous as to whether he really had turned over a new leaf or he was still the same person he had previously been.  Not exactly a villain in a strict sense, but if you'd seen that, it would leave an impression of "is he a bad guy? ..."

I really do not want to vilify the district people after we already vilified Draymond last year.  And season 1 clearly showed corruption at the district level in terms of how Ava got her job and fucked Gregory over.

I would prefer to have them shown as well-meaning but unable to execute due to lack of experience and knowledge.  With pops here and there of them doing something truly helpful because they can't always be useless.