What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 15 “Fire” (B+)

I must admit, I’m a bit intrigued by these carrot cookies that Jacob made that Melissa apparently thought were very good, though they do not sound tasty at all. It’s always sad and uncomfortable to see characters - namely Jacob and Janine - picked on and mocked relentlessly, especially when they’re sometimes the ones who have it much more together. Melissa’s firefighting obsession did get to be a lot for her students and for the firefighters, and Jacob devised the perfect way to give her a chance to shine and finally allow them to leave, even if the firefighters tried to throw his cookies at the frisbee first to get it down. I enjoyed seeing Mike O’Malley as the fire chief who had no patience for the many interruptions during his presentation and Barbara’s insistence on still being allowed to light candles. The best guest star, however, was Shalita Grant, who was one of the greatest things about season three of “Search Party,” as Janet, the counselor who gave the camera many terrific looks as she had to deal with all the personalities at the school. This would also be a good Emmy episode for Sheryl Lee Ralph, giving her some great scenes to showcase. Gregory appointing himself interim principal after Ava bolted was an entertaining storyline, one that saw him get very serious and ahead of himself. That it didn’t last is sure to make him angrier since, spa days aside, Ava doesn’t appear to be going anywhere, further proving that incompetence sometimes does manage to win the day.