S03.E04: Smoking

[DanaK]

Quote

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 21

9:00-9:32 p.m. EST 

After a student is caught smoking, the Abbott staff come together to revamp the outdated drug policy. Meanwhile, Janine tries to prep the new substitute teacher for her class but finds it challenging to give up her former role.

 

[Annber03]

LOL, oh, Jacob. 

"I do not want to live in a world where white people explain dance moves to me." 

That cracked me up XD. That and Ava's, "Wooooooooow, he just made drugs boring." in response to Gregory's thing about the protein bar stuff. 

Also LOVED the kids during the anti-drug assembly, they were hilarious and their reactions to everything were perfection. The look on the little boy's face when the guy on stage was like, "You feel me?" XD.

But man, Melissa nailed it with the "F.A.D.E. is the government's fault" line. She's not wrong. Total flashbacks to D.A.R.E. and random locker searches from my school days, and indeed, they did absolutely nothing to stop kids at my school from drinking or doing drugs. I loved Gregory and Melissa taking the time to talk to Curtis, and working with Janine to get his suspension lifted. Would that more adults could be like that with children when it comes to stuff like this. 

So Jess..ca...is a lot :p. I agree with Barbara's thing about how every teacher does things differently in and of itself, but in this case, Janine's also right to be, "Ehhhhhhh...I don't think that's how that works" with her methods. Barbara is right that she needs to step back with her class, but I can't blame Janine for wanting to check in and see how they're doing, too. 

[chitowngirl]

Eh-not the strongest episode for me. I did laugh at the speaker outing the mom with herpes and Jacob diving after his vape pen.

[Galileo908]

"Church and home are the only places where I'm lit." I liked the callback to the fire episode.

"I do not want to live in a world where white people explain dance moves to me." Barbara saying "GYAN-JA" and "THE DEVIL'S LETTUCE!" were just the best. I don't think she had a bad line tonight. She was on fire this whole episode.

Janine smokes weed?! Wasn't expecting that. I loved that Mr. Johnson thinks that's why "her feet so big."

That FADE assembly was wonderfully cringey. And Aparna Nancherla was there! She is of course an Energy Vampire (see this past season of What We Do in The Shadows), so she was perfect here.

"That belief interferes with my perception of reality." Mood, Janine.

3 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

LOL, oh, Jacob. 

"This oxygen is bussin'!" He got got with a $200 oxygen whistle.

4 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

But man, Melissa nailed it with the "F.A.D.E. is the government's fault" line. She's not wrong. Total flashbacks to D.A.R.E. and random locker searches from my school days, and indeed, they did absolutely nothing to stop kids at my school from drinking or doing drugs. I loved Gregory and Melissa taking the time to talk to Curtis, and working with Janine to get his suspension lifted. Would that more adults could be like that with children when it comes to stuff like this. 

Oh yeah, that was all incredibly sweet.

And I went to a college where the one big major was child study, so I have tons of stories of now-teachers drinking and doing every drug under the sun.

[Crashcourse]

There are so many characters who have lines in a 25-minute (?) time period, so they have to talk fast.  So, I couldn't understand what they were saying about why Tariq wasn't there. 

I liked Gregory and Barbara in this episode.  Too bad the show probably isn't getting rid of Ava, because I think Gregory would make a good principal.  

[shapeshifter]

This reminded me of pulling up next to the HS Biology teacher at a stop light in the 1960s and seeing her chewing gum!

[mrsbagnet]

I find it hard to believe that Jacob (who made fermented no-bake cookies) vapes or that Janine smokes weed.

[possibilities]

Is this the first time Gregory and Melissa teamed up on anything?
 

[Blakeston]

I think Jeannine's complaints about the subs were pretty legitimate. Her methods weren't just unorthodox, she was straight-up teaching them to write improperly. And it sounds like Jeannine is going to be teaching these kids again, and she'll have to deal with them calling her by her first name.

[Galileo908]

1 hour ago, mrsbagnet said:

I find it hard to believe that Jacob (who made fermented no-bake cookies) vapes

I think in season 1 he mentioned switching from cigarettes to herbal vapes.

[Phebemarie]

I thought Janine was going to be in the classroom with her students twice a week.  
 

 

[mrsbagnet]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

Is this the first time Gregory and Melissa teamed up on anything?
 

It wasn't really voluntary, but they had some good scenes together when she had to introduce him for the Teacher of the Year award.

[Badsamaritan]

Everybody catching strays in the teachers lounge, I was hollering while they were throwing each other under the bus! 

These kids, man. They are a GOLDMINE for this show. 

I am not at all surprised Janine smokes weed, she was with Tariq for ages. That man would make anybody smoke having to deal with him on the regular. Besides, it's from the earth. God put it here for me AND you. 😉

[gesundheit]

I did bristle for half a second when Melissa was "covering" and pretending she waited 2 more years after 14 to smoke and got called out that that would only make her 16 -- but 16 absolutely was the smoking age when Melissa was 16! Her cover was fair!

52 minutes ago, Badsamaritan said:

I am not at all surprised Janine smokes weed, she was with Tariq for ages. 

I was going to say the same thing -- there's no way they didn't smoke together. For comedy's sake they're complete opposites in every way, but we have to picture something they actually did together that would lead to that many years. I can definitely picture him getting her to try it and then Janine realizing exactly what she explained -- that it calms down her neuroses and anxiety. (But not something she does at parties!)

I didn't really buy the serious FADE woman being so utterly unprepared to answer a single question, but it was funny nonetheless!

Jessca was hysterical, and in just the right dose. Wouldn't want her to be recurring because the shtick would get old, but it was perfect for one episode.

[joanne3482]

37 minutes ago, gesundheit said:

I did bristle for half a second when Melissa was "covering" and pretending she waited 2 more years after 14 to smoke and got called out that that would only make her 16 -- but 16 absolutely was the smoking age when Melissa was 16! Her cover was fair!

I had to Google this because where I grew up it was 18. Interesting that until the late 80s it was 16 in PA. 

I didn't like this episode. Pot is still illegal for recreational use in PA so it seems out of character for Janine to smoke it daily. 

[Harvey]

Janine and Jacob's drug use seems inconsistent with their characterization on the show so far.

[shapeshifter]

52 minutes ago, joanne3482 said:

Pot is still illegal for recreational use in PA so it seems out of character for Janine to smoke it daily. 

Medicinal with a prescription maybe?

[MicheleinPhilly]

It is exceptionally easy to get a medical marijuana license in PA. Also in Philly, our DA's office has basically stopped prosecuting possession and consumption of a certain amount of pot so for all intents and purposes, it's practically legal. 

The F.A.D.E. folks were a hot ass mess. Once again the kids were the highlight with their questions. 

I sincerely hope that Jessca 🙄 is genuine in that she won't be returning to Abbott. I don't need to see her again.

[Phebemarie]

I'll have to rewatch the first episode to see if Manny told Janine she would be in her classroom two days a week.  If that's the case, she would have to prepare lesson plans for her students and would be justified in advising Jessca.  

Suspending a 7th or 8th grader for a few days for a mistake like smoking in the restroom wouldn't appear on any permanent record that a university or college would see.   With the support of teachers who cared, it would be a life lesson...not a sentence to juvy.  If there was no school wide rule against smoking (hard to believe), the student couldn't be disciplined anyway.   I really think show was trying to equate what happened to the student with what has happened to people caught with marijuana in the past (and in some states that still have laws against it).  The teachers' room confessional seemed a bit heavy-handed to show 'everyone does it'. 

In all my years of teaching, smoking in the restroom never tripped the smoke alarm.  

[Crashcourse]

I love this show, but I didn't like this episode about smoking and drugs. 

Melissa and the firefighter made eyes at each other, so I wonder if there will be a story about them, although I liked the vending machine guy. 

I don't like the substitute teacher, she's annoying, and I hope she's not around for long. 

I'd like to see an episode where the kids go on lunch strike because the food is so bad, and the cafeteria workers strike back. 🤣 

 

Edited February 22 by Crashcourse
Melissa, not Michelle

[DearEvette]

The kids this episode were top tier.  Just everything about them made the episode stellar.  Their facial expressions during the F.A.D.E. assembly were spot on.  They were savage in their own way.

Barbara: 'REEFER.  GAN..JA.  The Devil's LETTUCE!  I suggest you all DROP your VICES and take a hit of my DRUG of choice: J-E-S-U-S. Street  name. ..... " Spreads arms 'CHRIST'

I died.  And Rose on the third day!  LOL.

The entire scene in the lounge was chaotic with the snaps, snapping.  Loved it.

Jess...Ca was giving me Gina Linetti flashbacks.  I was so triggered.  The actress was great but damn... the character .. uh uh.  No ma'am.  I am glad she is just a day sub.

Who would have thunk that Tariq's appearance would have been the high bar F.A.D.E?

I really like Janine having enough muscle to overturn a possible suspension for that poor kid.  Also, once again Ava shows her humanity when it comes to the kids.  I like it that she was also disgusted by having to suspend him and was looking for an out.

[ribboninthesky1]

I thought this episode was funny.  I will always remember "The Devil's Lettuce" ha!

I was pretty sure the Jessca actress was from Tiktok, but I'm not invested enough to verify that. 

I agree with others on: 

15 hours ago, mrsbagnet said:

I find it hard to believe that Jacob (who made fermented no-bake cookies) vapes or that Janine smokes weed.

I was more surprised about Jacob because I thought he was health-obsessed. 

5 hours ago, Badsamaritan said:

I am not at all surprised Janine smokes weed, she was with Tariq for ages. That man would make anybody smoke having to deal with him on the regular. 

Listen! Carrying a household on a teacher's salary when an able-bodied man refuses to get a job? She needed something to take the edge off, no doubt. 

14 hours ago, Galileo908 said:

I think in season 1 he mentioned switching from cigarettes to herbal vapes.

I missed that he mentioned cigarettes in the 1st season.

2 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

I'll have to rewatch the first episode to see if Manny told Janine she would be in her classroom two days a week.

I thought he said something similar as well. 

Edited February 22 by ribboninthesky1

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

I'll have to rewatch the first episode to see if Manny told Janine she would be in her classroom two days a week.

28 minutes ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

I thought he said something similar as well. 

• [MANNY TO JANINE] I know that you don't want to be away from your class, so would it help if I told you that you would get to be at Abbott once or even twice a week?

So, I guess that just explains why Janine was there at all???

 

1 hour ago, Crashcourse said:

I don't like the substitute teacher, she's annoying, and I hope she's not around for long. 

I, OTOH, hope JessCa substitutes at least a few times per season — whenever the writers come up with some new crazy teaching method for her to trigger poor Janine with.
I wouldn't want a whole JessCa episode. And once she's established as the Woowoo-style teacher, her bits could be just cameos for laughs. She could sub for Barbara and Melissa too, who would react to her in their own ways.

Maybe there'd even be a kid “on the spectrum” who would respond well to Jessca's style, which one of the teachers would witness.

 

Edited February 22 by shapeshifter

[I Want My MBTV]

29 minutes ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

I'll have to rewatch the first episode to see if Manny told Janine she would be in her classroom two days a week.

My recollection is he said she'd be at Abbott two days a week not that she'd be in her classroom two days a week.  I thought it was her in capacity in her new role she'd be stopping by the school and on those days she could check in.  I assume she's supposed to go to various schools at certain times and check in on them and assess needs.  I think she's probably spending too much time at Abbott.  I think it would be very disruptive to the kids to have a teacher two days a week and rotating subs the other day.  

 

JessCa was from Tiktok or YouTube or whatever.  There was a story about it on my local news this morning.  They showed a clip from her channel which I didn't find funny at all and have no idea how that would have gotten her a part but I did think she played it well and I also have no need to ever see her again. 

[libgirl2]

3 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

In all my years of teaching, smoking in the restroom never tripped the smoke alarm.  

In my high school days of seeing girls smoking in the restrooms, it never did either. 

[peeayebee]

1 hour ago, Crashcourse said:

Michelle and the firefighter made eyes at each other, so I wonder if there will be a story about them, although I liked the vending machine guy. 

Mike O'Malley! Love him. Seems pretty clear he'll be back.

1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

Jess...Ca was giving me Gina Linetti flashbacks.  I was so triggered.  The actress was great but damn... the character .. uh uh.  No ma'am.  I am glad she is just a day sub.

Yeah, I immediately thought of Gina. Ugh. I didn't find Jessca funny. I actually think a different actress could have made her funnier. Anyway, hope it's a one and done.

What did it mean when Jessca said, "This week has been exceptionably mid." What is mid? Midling?

 

I loved when Ava sarcastically said, "Gee willikers! I have nothing helpful to say, so I guess I'll just restate the problem that we're all aware of." That was so true.

Ava: Attention, Abbott Elementarians…

Barbara: Spill the peas.

[joanne3482]

3 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

It is exceptionally easy to get a medical marijuana license in PA. Also in Philly, our DA's office has basically stopped prosecuting possession and consumption of a certain amount of pot so for all intents and purposes, it's practically legal.

She's always struck me as such a rules follower that even if it was practically legal she'd still not do it. Plus, isn't her mom and/or possibly her sister a hot mess? If I remember right she had to parent her parent which tends to make a person less inclined to do the things that caused that. 

[mrsbagnet]

7 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

What did it mean when Jessca said, "This week has been exceptionably mid." What is mid? Midling?

It's Gen Z speak meaning "average" or "mediocre."

Edited February 22 by mrsbagnet

[JeanJean]

Was anyone else distracted by Jessca's teeth?

It might just be me. I'm kind of teeth obsessed.

[Crashcourse]

26 minutes ago, JeanJean said:

Was anyone else distracted by Jessca's teeth?

It might just be me. I'm kind of teeth obsessed.

I was.  To me, she just wasn't pleasant to look at.

[Empress1]

20 hours ago, Annber03 said:

"I do not want to live in a world where white people explain dance moves to me." 

Literal laugh out loud.

3 hours ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

I was pretty sure the Jessca actress was from Tiktok, but I'm not invested enough to verify that. 

She is. I became aware of her when she posted a video about when a friend invites someone else to hang out without telling her and it made its way to Twitter. Her “oh!” reaction is a meme. People were talking shit about her being on the show, but Quinta got her start in Buzzfeed videos. Issa Rae started on YouTube.

5 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

The F.A.D.E. folks were a hot ass mess.

I loved that the FADE … administrator, or whoever, was mad at Janine for subjecting them to Tariq.

Jacob vaping was pretty surprising! Jacob with the many multi-step carrot cookies.

Edited February 22 by Empress1
“Made” and “mad” are different words

[kathyk2]

1 hour ago, joanne3482 said:

She's always struck me as such a rules follower that even if it was practically legal she'd still not do it. Plus, isn't her mom and/or possibly her sister a hot mess? If I remember right she had to parent her parent which tends to make a person less inclined to do the things that caused that. 

Janine has stated that she likes order and routine that doesn't sound like a drug user to me. I'm sure she would have to pass a drug test in order to be employed by the school system. I believe it makes more sense that her mother was an addict.

[Crashcourse]

I don't buy Janine smoking weed or Jacob vaping either.  I thought this was a weird subject for an episode, and other than the expressions on the kids' faces, I didn't find it funny.  

[Annber03]

3 hours ago, joanne3482 said:

Plus, isn't her mom and/or possibly her sister a hot mess? If I remember right she had to parent her parent which tends to make a person less inclined to do the things that caused that. 

That might be another part of the reason she does it, too- to take the edge off the stress involved with all that family drama. 

I can't remember, did she say she smoked pot regularly? 'Cause I could see her being the sort to have done it , but only ever great once in a while, not as some kind of regular daily thing. And Jacob may be health-obsessed, but even health-obsessed people have their vices. 

I think the main reason Janine and Jacob admitted to their own vices was to highlight another point of the epsiode, that you can't always judge people based off things like that. So many people grow up getting the message that only bad, scary people or lazy bums or whatever do drugs and vape and so on, and that's just not hte case. 

[possibilities]

What I liked was the conversation with the kid, and how grateful he was to be talked with kindly and how that all resolved. This kind of harsh reaction happens to real kids and traumatizes rather than educating or sobering them up. So imagine if you were a kid who had been in a similar situation, and seeing the show model an alternative way for the teachers to teach, and treat you like a person, rather than just punishing you and being on a freak out binge. It's a service. Representation matters.

 

[peeayebee]

2 hours ago, Annber03 said:

I can't remember, did she say she smoked pot regularly?

I believe she said she smoked every night. 

[possibilities]

Living with Traiq she was probably getting the equivalent of hotboxed every night, and now that he's gone, maybe she realized she misses it.

 

[kathyk2]

1 hour ago, peeayebee said:

I believe she said she smoked every night. 

That doesn't make sense. If Janine was using pot every night she would be teaching while still under the influence. She loves her job too much for that.

[peeayebee]

Would one joint still be in your system the next day? Long ago I dated a math teacher who smoked weed every night. I don't think it affected his teaching. He seemed fine in the morning.

[Enigma X]

Maybe, I am a weirdo, but I do not find anything farfetched about Jeanine or Jacob smoking or vaping. Many different personalities partake in those things.

I am a person who does neither but know many people (even teachers) who do.

[Badsamaritan]

As someone who may or may not be a regular smoker, Janine most definitely would NOT still be under the influence the next day. One of the entire reasons for medical weed is for a lot of folks with anxiety, which Janine has in spades precisely because she's an orderly person. Folks who 'go with the flow' are usually not anxious people, it's those of us who do like 'order' who get anxious when things aren't 'orderly'. So the weed helps quiet her mind and settle that anxiousness. I highly doubt she's at home by herself blowing huge clouds of smoke with Cheech and Chong-sized doobies in rotation. Honestly, she could take 2 or 3 hits of a cone and put it out and be done. No different than somebody taking something to help them sleep, and less side effects than Ambien. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[Blakeston]

I'm thrilled that the writers were willing to call out D.A.R.E. as total BS, and that they were willing to acknowledge the reality that there are responsible professionals who use drugs. (Even - gasp - people who work with children!)

But realistically, I think it would be a very big deal if there was a viral video, shared widely among the students of an elementary school, showing teachers discussing what drugs they take. Especially considering they were talking about it in school.

I would expect there to be a certain amount of heat on them from the district, if nothing else.

[MicheleinPhilly]

While I do think the video could prove to be problematic given the environment in which the conversation was taking place, let's remember: 

With the exception of Janine, none of what the teachers were describing is illegal. Vaping, edibles, CBD oil, drinking, etc. are all legal activities. Well, maybe not Ava's micro-dosing or Mr. Johnson's blunts...But it's not like they were discussing hitting the pipe. 

[DearEvette]

Even Janine's wasn't illegal if it was medical marijuana. .

But y'all are not asking the right question.  Namely, did Ava and Jacob watch Saltburn together?  And if so,  how?  Why?

[possibilities]

That's the beauty of it, though: nothing the teachers were discussing was illegal (with the previously noted exceptions) and moreover they were discussing it in the teacher's lounge.

You'd think that rational people would understand this, and that what is ok for adults is not always the same as what is ok for children.

But we live in an irrational society where the whole approach to this and several other issues is: freak out and over-simplification and demonization and punishment, rather than nuanced, reasonable, contextualized, and sensible.

So, yes, the way the episode showed panic over the conversation being exposed, and over the entire issue in general, it was ridiculous. But also, realistic. 

[Blakeston]

"Elementary school principal caught talking about microdosing in teacher's lounge" could easily be a TMZ headline. Fox News could also easily go nuts with it, particularly because it involves the Black principal of an inner-city school.

There are parents who would flip out if their kid came home from elementary school and showed them a viral video of their teacher (or principal) talking about smoking weed, taking edibles, or microdosing - regardless of whether it's legal.

I suspect that people are probably less uptight about this in inner-city Philadelphia than in more conservative areas, but I also think that school administrators in general would have an issue with this.

[Annber03]

6 hours ago, Blakeston said:

I'm thrilled that the writers were willing to call out D.A.R.E. as total BS

I remember our class being part of that progam when I was in elementary school, and I also remember coming back in from recess one day and seeing an officer who would come in for the D.A.R.E. lessons standing off to the side - he was talking to some kid who, from what I caught of the conversation, had apparently been caught with alcohol. 

I also remember my class walking in our local parade that year decked out in our D.A.R.E. T-shirts. It started POURING rain halfway through the parade, and as a result of the rain, by the end of our walk, my white shirt with red letters had turned pink with orange letters :p. 

[possibilities]

13 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

It started POURING rain halfway through the parade, and as a result of the rain, by the end of our walk, my white shirt with red letters had turned pink with orange letters

Yikes!

 

[shapeshifter]

12 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Would one joint still be in your system the next day? Long ago I dated a math teacher who smoked weed every night. I don't think it affected his teaching. He seemed fine in the morning.

My understanding is that yes, it would be detectable in a hair sample for a long time after, but also, Janine's tolerance and the amount she consumed might mean she had no residual effects the next day. 

How long ago was your math teacher date smoking? In the 1970s, pot wasn't very potent. Or was he smoking hash oil? That would be more like today's pot. (Do they still call it “pot”?)

But why is Janine smoking and not consuming a pill or gummy? 
Lungs, people! They need to keep breathing for another 40+ years.

[BAForever]

Appreciate the theme of this epi- teachers are human and have habits that we don't necessarily want our students to see. My school is near by neighborhood and I often swing by this local Wal-Mart after work. I run into current or former students at times. If I have beer in my cart, I'm uncomfortable. I know I shouldn't be, but I am.