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S04.E21: Rally

chitowngirl

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Galileo908

Galileo908

Eagles fans trashed the aquarium freed the fish in the aquarium after the Super Bowl. And of course Melissa took that personally.

Gregory know his way around a bribe deal with the Country Club. He has a way with numbers. I loved that they addressed his new shirt. And it was great and oh so sad when he saw his first Principal paycheck. Well, it was nice while it lasted. Gregory's gonna try to become a principal again, and we don't have to worry about the power dynamic between him and Janine. For now.

Had a feeling the gang pleading their case to the board was not gonna go well. The kids are just so precious, threatening to walk out and put the blonde lady in her place. Jacob and Janine were just so proud. RJ spoke up at the rally! And they were gonna miss Earth Day! Even Sweet Cheeks got suspended! How dare they?! I cackled at even the kids being tired of Mr. Morton.

LOVED the Avengers Endgame moment of all the supporting characters speaking up for Abbott: The PTA! The B.L.A.C.K.S.! Ava's dad! The SEPTA workers! Mr. Bribe! Crystal!

Loved seeing Tariq again and having everyone's back. Of course he zooms from the toilet. And loved that he subbed for kindergarten of all classes. I'm gonna be laughing at "Mr. Coach Temple" for a while.

"How many damn doors do we have in this gym?!"

Of course Mr. Johnson eats sharks that were in the aquarium, and invokes squatters rights so nobody gets suspended. 

...I'm sorry, I can't really see him the same way again after that tag from last week.

lol-ing at Barbara wanting to watch the "Kate" Hudson show. Love that runner.

  • Like 6
Annber03

Annber03

16 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

Gregory know his way around a bribe deal with the Country Club. He has a way with numbers. I loved that they addressed his new shirt. 

I got a really good laugh out of the State Farm line XD. I do wonder if they will come back to this whole thing of him wanting to be principal again down the line, 'cause yeah, he was getting quite comfortable there. 

Quote

lol-ing at Barbara wanting to watch the "Kate" Hudson show. Love that runner.

I don't know what was funnier, that line or Melissa's brief confusion before she realized who Barbara was actually talking about :D. 

Loved all the kids and parents rallying together on behalf of the teachers. I also loved that even the kids started rolling their eyes at the whole "my ex-ex wife..." thing :p. 

  • Like 8
txhorns79

txhorns79

(edited)
59 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

Plus, he's a good negotiator and, unlike Ava, he really cares about his students.

I will say I think we've seen examples where Ava did show she cared about the students.  That isn't to say she's a great principal, because she's mostly on the average to mediocre scale, but I do think she does occasionally show she cares. 

I thought the episode was kind of dumb.  Of course these idiots scheduled an appeal for Ava without any real plan for what would be said, or how to get Ava back her job.  Maybe I also didn't love it because the teachers and Ava did what they were accused of doing, and the punishments seemed generally fair?  

On the positive side, I did like Ava's rival addressing Ava as SOROR, then trying to say BOARD in the same way.  I also was amused at Sweet Cheeks being suspended along with Melissa.         

Edited by txhorns79
  • Like 6
peeayebee

peeayebee

11 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

Maybe I also didn't love it because the teachers and Ava did what they were accused of doing, and the punishments seemed generally fair?  

I agree, although I just put that all down to sitcom logic. 

On the one hand, I do enjoy Ava even though IRL I would want her fired. On the show I find her attitude funny, and she delivers great one-liners. She does often show concern for the students' welfare. On the other hand, sometimes I get a bump into reality and wonder how the teachers can be so supportive of her. Again, sitcom logic.

I found the school board members to be pretty funny. My favorite part was the woman throwing her pen at the window to let the teachers know that time was up.

Jacob is probably my favorite character. 

Gregory: I heard even Morton's interviewing.
Jacob: I will RIOT!

And then when Morton's name is mentioned, Jacob gags.

Loved how much his students love him, and that he's so affected by that and by how much they've grown and learned from him. I guess the same can be said by the other teachers. Except Morton. *gag*

Oh, and the students being as fed up as the adults with Morton talking about his ex-ex-wife cracked me up.

When Jacob looks up how to become a charter school, Barbara reads the screen and says, "Make an account? Never mind."

Loved all the different groups coming in to support and advocate for the teachers and Ava. Mr. Johnson saying, "How many damn doors do we have in this gym?" was exactly what I was thinking.

I actually teared up when Ava's dad spoke to her. I hope they reconcile soon.

I didn't realize that there are two Crystals, or at least Crystal and Krystal. 

  • Like 7
DearEvette

DearEvette

I thought this episode was funny with some feels.

Janine is the MVP for this one, imo.  She got the best lines.  I especially loved her little 'Uh' gasp when Barbara said she didn't want to listen to Janine's 'Rollin' with the Homies' playlist.  Also, a shout out to Dirty Dancing and Clueless!  Her cute little three piece suit and her explanation about her nightmare v. dream coping mechanisms on getting suspended.

Second place goes to Jacob for being so proud of his students.  And his continued gagging over Morton.

Speaking of the Morton annoyance being universal across all demographics is pretty hysterical.

The combo of June Dian Raphael, Jim Rash and Wayne Wilderson as the school board officials is the perfect casting of that group.  They ALL look like they could be officious, bureaucrats who don't care.

Another ding at why Charter schools are terrible and why the whole premise of the board being upset is completely fucked up.

I predicted it would be the community coming together that would get Ava her job back and sure enough!   I cracked up at the 'white savior' line from the golf course guy while the B.L.A.C.K.S. stood there looking at him like 'whut?'

I feel bad for Gregory he was growing into the job.  Why doesn't the school have a vice principal?  In our schools the VP does all the day-to-day admin work  (discipline, scheduling, running interference with the parents) while the principals do the higher level admin work (State required stuff, working with the board, the superintendent, hiring/firing).  Feels like it would be a good fit for Gregory.

Liked the little convo between Ava and her dad.

And finally, man I really wonder what Melissa's plan was? 

  • Like 5
ItCouldBeWorse

ItCouldBeWorse

37 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

I wonder how Gregory will feel about his coworkers--especially Janine--supporting having Ava back instead of him becoming principal.  I'd be giving them the Dia stank face. 

He addressed that. He was supportive of her coming back, as there was no guarantee he would get to keep the position. He didn't want to risk working for a random principal, either.

Asking Tariq to sub shows just how desperate Gregory was. It would have made more sense for him to go back to his own class for a week to free up his own sub. The teachers seem to have plenty of free time in their day (unlike in a real school); he could have done both jobs for a week.

30 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

And finally, man I really wonder what Melissa's plan was? 

Yes, what's the Schemmenti Diversion? Who only had 29 minutes of oxygen left?

  • Like 2
Crashcourse

Crashcourse

57 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

He addressed that. He was supportive of her coming back, as there was no guarantee he would get to keep the position. He didn't want to risk working for a random principal, either.

Oh, I know he said that, but I wonder how he really felt about the fact that none of his colleagues supported him.   They know Ava and how selfish she can be, even though she sometimes cares about the kids.

While it was nice that she seemed to reconcile with her father, I don't care about Ava at all.  

  • Like 1
tennisgurl

tennisgurl

Its great that everyone is back at Abbot, but I have one question...is Sweet Cheeks still suspended?! Is that sweet little boy going to have a blight on his permanent record? 

I think that Ava and Gregory would actually be a great team, Ava could handle most of the public facing parts of the job while Gregory could handle the more number crunching day to day parts of the job, which is what he's really good at. Ava is many things, but I do think she really has come to care about Abbot and the kids, it might actually be her best feature as a principle. She's messy, her interest in the day to day of running a school is minimal, she's selfish, but she really has shown up for the school and shown how much she cares, she's grown a lot since we first met her. Plus, the show needs her as a foil to the rest of the less wacky characters. 

The kids doing a protest was so sweet, they really love their teachers. Jacob was so happy he was about to cry, he inspired his students to hold a peaceful protest, this is probably the best day of his life. 

Even the students are over Morton, those little eyerolls. 

I admit that I got a little something in my throat when we had our Avengers Endgame moment and all of the supporting characters showed up to stand up for the teachers and Ava. The PTA! The B.L.A.C.K.S! The small business owners! SEPTA! Ava's dad! Even Crystal! Even the golf club bribe guy! He's bribed thousands of businesses around this city but only one benefitted children! I love that everyone came together and had their backs, acknowledging how much Abbot does for the community. And of course, "how many damn doors do we have in this gym?" I was just thinking the same thing. 

Dia and Ava really do deserve each other. 

  • Like 7
txhorns79

txhorns79

3 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Janine is the MVP for this one, imo.

I'm interested to see how the Janine/Ava relationship is going forward.  Janine really put herself out there for Ava.  I'll be disappointed if things just return to how it was before where Ava spends a lot of her time insulting Janine.  For me at least, the show seems to have trouble letting certain characters grow.   

  • Like 2
Sarahsmile416

Sarahsmile416

(edited)
1 hour ago, HelloooKitty said:

I admit, I did tear up during the gym scene. Even though I think Gregory is the better choice on paper as principal. And I agree that a VP position would be a good one for him. 

I agree...though I'm not sure what it's like in Philly, but where am I, the elementary schools don't have VP's, though I imagine in this case, they could create the position if they wanted to 

On a separate note, I also think that we don't really know if Gregory was vocal about how much he was enjoying being principal in Ava's stead, so I don't know that he would be likely to resent people for fighting for someone that until recently they were all fighting for. 

Edited by Sarahsmile416
  • Like 2
ItCouldBeWorse

ItCouldBeWorse

4 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I think that Ava and Gregory would actually be a great team, Ava could handle most of the public facing parts of the job while Gregory could handle the more number crunching day to day parts of the job, which is what he's really good at.

3 hours ago, HelloooKitty said:

I admit, I did tear up during the gym scene. Even though I think Gregory is the better choice on paper as principal. And I agree that a VP position would be a good one for him. 

1 hour ago, Sarahsmile416 said:

I agree...though I'm not sure what it's like in Philly, but where am I, the elementary schools don't have VP's, though I imagine in this case, they could create the position if they wanted to 

Of course, for the difference in salary between what Gregory would make as a Vice Principal and what he makes as a teacher, the school could probably more than replace all the lost equipment.

 

 

  • Like 4
ribboninthesky1

ribboninthesky1

I thought it was interesting that the kids and community didn't rally until the teachers were suspended.  I guess no one beyond Janine was that pressed that Ava was fired? (I mean, I understand why...) 

The conversation between Gregory and the golf course lawyer had me rolling.  

4 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Its great that everyone is back at Abbot, but I have one question...is Sweet Cheeks still suspended?! Is that sweet little boy going to have a blight on his permanent record? 

Justice for Sweet Cheeks! 

3 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I'll be disappointed if things just return to how it was before where Ava spends a lot of her time insulting Janine.

Given their last interaction in the episode, it may be a return to status quo. Unfortunately.  

I'm so pleased that Jacob's students were the first to get active with the protest. Of course, they're older, so it makes sense they got wise pretty quickly.  Still, it was sweet to see they love him as much as he loves them.  I also liked that Janine didn't shoot down his Broadway idea for the students. 

  • Like 9
DearEvette

DearEvette

21 minutes ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

I thought it was interesting that the kids and community didn't rally until the teachers were suspended.  I guess no one beyond Janine was that pressed that Ava was fired? (I mean, I understand why...) 

I think it kinda makes sense tho.  The students get really attached to their teachers.  But most students don't really interact with the Principal.   Going to the Principal's office was a thing you didn't want to happen. I always flash to that little kid from the Gifted episode that told Ava 'But you don't really do anything.' 

And yeah, I thought the show was smart to make Jacob's kids the more proactive ones, they understand the issue more.  Whereas Janine's students being concerned she wouldn't be there for Earth day (she probably had something fun planned) seemed really age appropriate.

  • Like 7
peeayebee

peeayebee

14 hours ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

The conversation between Gregory and the golf course lawyer had me rolling.   

Thanks for bringing that up. It was one of my favorite parts of the ep. It was nice to see Gregory coming up with a perfect solution that would appeal to the guy's terrible motivations.

The golf guy is a horrible person -- White Savior! -- but the character and actor are hilarious. 

11 hours ago, Fiftyninth said:

Soror Crystal showing up to support Ava made me wonder if maybe she wasn’t the one to rat Ava out to the board. The Recap Kickback podcast had previously been speculating that it was Dia who turned in Abbott, not Crystal, and that’s starting to seem like a plausible theory.

I guess that's possible. I was surprised that Crystal showed up to support Ava. She seems to really want what's best for the schools and students, so I can see why she'd rat on Ava, aside from their rivalry. Maybe she saw that Ava was devoted to the students and getting them what they need, and that made her show up at the meeting. Maybe she just hates the school board, which may be the most likely reason.

  • Like 4
ribboninthesky1

ribboninthesky1

14 hours ago, DearEvette said:

I think it kinda makes sense tho.  The students get really attached to their teachers.  But most students don't really interact with the Principal.

True.  I thought at least 2 of the adult groups that showed up to rally were there specifically for Ava (the other principals and her father's group).  But I may have misunderstood.  

11 hours ago, Fiftyninth said:

The Recap Kickback podcast had previously been speculating that it was Dia who turned in Abbott, not Crystal, and that’s starting to seem like a plausible theory.

I thought the admin staff had benefited as well with those fancy monitors they covered up when the District showed up to audit. But then, Dia clearly was not a fan of Ava, so the theory works. 

6 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

It was nice to see Gregory coming up with a perfect solution that would appeal to the guy's terrible motivations.

Yep, Gregory was definitely settling in to the position even while acknowledging it was temporary. 

The VP idea others mentioned would work for Abbott - could see that written in next season, perhaps. 

  • Like 4
DearEvette

DearEvette

3 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I guess that's possible. I was surprised that Crystal showed up to support Ava. She seems to really want what's best for the schools and students, so I can see why she'd rat on Ava, aside from their rivalry. Maybe she saw that Ava was devoted to the students and getting them what they need, and that made her show up at the meeting. Maybe she just hates the school board, which may be the most likely reason.

I am thinking they all do it and Ava just so happened to be the one that got caught.  It isn't in their best interest for one of them to get caught because it opens the rest to scrutiny.  Remember, Crystal wanted to get in on what Ava was doing, she wasn't mad, she wanted a piece of the action.

It really is a sad state of affairs that they have to plead like supplicants for even one school to get less than the bare minimum, but receiving donations or rather "donations" of that sort  makes you a villain.  And yet, it is perfectly fine for charter schools to do.  Meanwhile, the board  confiscated all the stuff, but what did they do with it?  Did they give it back to the golf course guy or did they themselves take it all?

I am I am glad Gregory got to see what it was like to be principal, but I kinda wish we had gotten the carousel of bad principals.  That said, I am glad Ava is back.  She is a good puzzle piece in this particular  ensemble.

  • Like 10
qtpye

qtpye

On 4/10/2025 at 11:55 AM, Crashcourse said:

I wonder how Gregory will feel about his coworkers--especially Janine--supporting having Ava back instead of him becoming principal.  I'd be giving them the Dia stank face. 

I think Ava can be funny, but I am wondering if Janine is stupid. 

I do not understand why she would be willing to put everything on the line for a woman who is a scammer/thief and relishes calling her a loser all the time.

It would make much more sense if Janine put that energy into Gregory, who:

1. Trained to be a principal

2. Cares genuinely for the kids

3. Is her boyfriend that loves and cares about her a lot. 

I need Janine to stop being such a giant doormat.

 

  • Like 5
  • Love 1
Joimiaroxeu

Joimiaroxeu

Never put baby in a corner. Ehhh, I'm not sure that catchphrase has aged well.

Jacob watched episodes of Law & Order to prepare for the district meeting. Even Dick Wolf rolled his eyes at that.

Sanctified Barbara had no leverage with those district board heathens. (This is the part of Barbara's characterization I wish the show would tone down. She's starting to look like a Pharisee IMO and I don't think that's intended.)

Dia stays taking no prisoners, especially with Former Temporary Principal Eddie.

The kids risked losing IQ points with Tariq as their substitute teacher.

This was one of my favorite episodes of the season.

  • Like 5
kathyk2

kathyk2

On 4/14/2025 at 12:00 PM, qtpye said:

I think Ava can be funny, but I am wondering if Janine is stupid. 

I do not understand why she would be willing to put everything on the line for a woman who is a scammer/thief and relishes calling her a loser all the time.

It would make much more sense if Janine put that energy into Gregory, who:

1. Trained to be a principal

2. Cares genuinely for the kids

3. Is her boyfriend that loves and cares about her a lot. 

I need Janine to stop being such a giant doormat.

 

I think if Gregory were the principal permanently Janine would have to leave Abbott. I thought Dia was so rude to him. I understand why she would talk back to Ava but Gregory was respectful to her.

  • Like 1
  • Useful 1
qtpye

qtpye

14 hours ago, LisaM said:

I loved the moment when so many of the supporting characters who have appeared during the year showed up in the gym to support Ava. 

June Diane Raphael tossing the pencil at the window to indicate that the 30 second break was over cracked me up. 

June Diane Raphael is one of the most gangsta people I have ever seen on the show.  That pencil toss scared me....

I replay the moment everyone came busting through the doors like I replay Tariq's rapping...music to my ears.

Abbot can make the corny so funny and endearing.

  • Like 1

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