Interview with Abe: Moira Frazier

I had the pleasure of speaking with Moira Frazier, hair department head for “Abbott Elementary.” Check out our great conversation for Below the Line News.

Interview with Abe: Lisa Ann Walter

I spoke with two performers from one of this season's most acclaimed comedies, “Abbott Elementary,” for Awards Radar. Watch my conversation with Lisa Ann Walter below!

Interview with Abe: Chris Perfetti

I spoke with two performers from one of this season's most acclaimed comedies, “Abbott Elementary,” for Awards Radar. Watch my conversation with Chris Perfetti below!

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 21 “Mom” (B+)

Janine’s mom just showing up all of a sudden at the school was quite jarring, and everyone seemed relatively rattled by the experience. Taraji P. Henson was a fun choice to play Vanetta, someone who was much more like Ava than anyone else at Abbott and who was all about manipulating Janine into feeling like she should give up the money she had painstakingly saved for her “girl trip.” It was great to see Barbara swoop in and offer to give Vanetta the money so that she wouldn’t continue pressing Janine, and I’m glad that it didn’t turn into a moment where Janine thought Barbara was betraying her or trying to wade into something that didn’t concern her, which is how Vanetta responded. Deciding to give her only the first two installments of a payment plan that she was setting up felt like an appropriate middle ground, and it’s something that may even end up working for a bit. The intro with Jacob’s magic and Ava being astounded by it was fun, and I like that Melissa was genuinely shocked and freaked out that he was bending that spoon at the end of the episode. Gregory’s inability to connect with Shanae was awkward, but it was refreshing to see him manage to win her over just by connecting about sports, something that wasn’t all that expected but gave him a great deal of satisfaction after his previously unsuccessful efforts to be seen as somewhat cool and relatable to other people at school.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 20 “Educator of the Year” (B+)

I was pleased to see June Diane Raphael from “Grace and Frankie” at the start of this episode but assumed she would have a bigger role, only to see her being very direct and unfiltered about the angle they were looking to cast this whole thing in to drum up the best, most politically correct press possible. Gregory and Melissa were both equally unhappy about her being selected to present him with the award, and though she was working from a framework of things she had been told about herself, it ended up being a moderately sentimental and appropriate tribute. Expressing that you can’t choose when people acknowledge you was a great point, and she made it through the whole thing sincerely, even if she and Ava mocked Gregory and Janine together right after with their imitations of their voices. It was fun to see Ashley again, given the teacher’s aide award and definitely not even close to deserving of it. Janine getting ripped to shreds by an unhappy mother was a brutal and difficult moment to watch, and it was sweet that Gregory marched her right to Barbara for affirmation, even if her mentor was getting something out of making her feel good too. Mr. Johnson teaching an intergenerational relations class was an entertaining concept, and the acronyms for the courses, F.A.R.T. especially, didn’t suggest that the entire system was all that superb, and certainly not worth Barbara taking the taking the time and effort she did put into it.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 19 “Festival” (B+)

This episode had a fun trajectory with the fight to prevent Abbott from going charter, and I like that it was ultimately the overenthusiasm of the man trying hardest to push the charter change that ended up undoing it all. Janine expressing that she was very good at canvassing because people always open the door for her thinking she’s a lost child didn’t lead to much success, though everyone’s favorite parent Krystal was happy to take up the cause. Ava got very into AVAFEST even though she didn’t bother telling anyone else that she was listening to their idea about lying to the parents with a fake celebrity guest. It was surprising that Barbara was the one who suggested tricking the community into signing, something Janine objected to, and Gregory ended up saving the day by booking someone he really didn’t like to come as the entertainment. Tariq isn’t bright but he knows his audience, and he did a great job of challenging Draemond when he tried to upstage him. The scoreboard falling was not a great sign, but theoretically this crisis has been temporarily averted. I can’t imagine that Ava will con someone else into giving her a job she doesn’t deserve, but interviewing with Legendary to be their new Chief Marketing Officer shows that she is not at all tethered to her current position. Melissa stapling letters to her kids’ jackets and Mr. Morton hugging Jacob only to apparently still hate him were other dependable highlights of the episode.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 18 “Teacher Appreciation” (B+)

We don’t often get a chance to see all of the teachers together united in a cause, and this was a fun opportunity to see they both on the same page and at each other’s throats. It’s not much of a surprise that Teacher Appreciation Week is a scam, since it encourages parents to send their children with small gifts but doesn’t include anything substantial from the district. If anyone was going to change that, it would be Ava, but leave it to her to only do a tiny bit, getting two courtside seats so that the rest of the teachers went unrewarded and had to deal with the disappointment of not being able to use them. Things getting heated between Barbara and Melissa was a tense highlight, and I also enjoyed how Jacob knew that Mr. Morton was manipulating him but was into his logic anyway. Mr. Johnson ending up with the tickets because apparently everyone voted for him was a humorous result, especially since he managed to get an extra $1000 - plus Barbara’s much-desired $50 gift card - after being asked to name ten cleaning products. We didn’t get any more developments on the Janine-Gregory front aside from her jumping in on the insult train when he tried to pull off a new hat, but there was plenty of drama with Janine and her sister. It’s good to see Ayo Edibiri from “The Bear” as Ayesha, who was not very appreciative of her host and seemed interested in doing anything but hanging out with her. Things got intense and uncomfortable during game night, when apparently only Jacob knew the rules of the game they were playing, but it was a helpful setup for Janine and Ayesha to air their grievances by comparing them to the game. They do seem to be on better terms now, even if Janine continues to be the eternal butt of everyone else’s jokes.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 17 “Mural Arts” (B+)

This episode had some cringeworthy moments involving Jacob when he started trying to take charge of what his students were going to put on the mural. It’s unfortunate since it was his idea to have the mural arts guys come and it took so much effort to make it happen. It was good that he ultimately chose to embrace their sock show idea but did it in a way that allowed every student to have a voice and truly show what they wanted, which was quite sweet. Melissa was perfectly eager to help Jacob bully some artists into coming back, a better use of her talents than doing voices. Ava was far too on board with the idea of Abbott going charter when she heard what that actually meant, but fortunately Barbara and Melissa were able to talk some sense into her, aided by that one mom coming to re-enroll her son after Addington kicked him out. I enjoyed Barbara calling “Rugrats” rug vermin, another confusion of hers. Janine and Gregory were very awkward but it was good that they got past that quickly and that Maurice’s trip to Bone Town (the rib joint) ended up being the place that they rather clumsily decided to show up and tell him that they had kissed. Now, things are free and clear, but I imagine they’re not going to start dating right away. That would be far too easy, and there’s no way that smooth sailing is going to be the outcome after all this buildup.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 16 “Teacher’s Conference” (B+)

It finally happened! This show deserves a lot of credit for keeping Gregory and Janine apart for this long, and for making their first kiss as intense and passionate as it was (Janine grabbing him by the lanyard was a nice touch) only to then have the two of them both agree that it was a mistake. Amber had little trouble cutting Gregory loose when he proposed an activity-filled weekend in the Poconos that wouldn’t allow her to relax at all, and I feel like Maurice is at least a slightly better fit for Janine, even if he did still get her a bag with nothing in it since that was the gift. Let’s hope that Amber steps in to tell Maurice that he’s wasting his time, though having Gregory and Janine actually start dating could end up being very awkward. I did almost forget that Jacob was gay and in a committed relationship when he met what seemed like the female version of him, but the allure was cover for the fact that the very fate of Abbott is in jeopardy with a potential charter transformation coming soon. It wasn’t explicitly confirmed as the same game, but I’m a huge One Night Ultimate Werewolf fan, and it’s fun to think that Jacob is too. Despite their best efforts to avoid getting sucked into lackluster conference conversations, Barbara and Melissa got some crucial networking done and even got Melissa close enough to her sister for her to receive that extremely important information about the charter change right before Janine repeatedly shouted her name so that anyone could hear.

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.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 14 “Valentine’s Day” (B+)

It was inevitable that the attraction Janine and Gregory feel for each other but only the two of them don’t realize is a thing would come out, and now it’s happened in a way that doesn’t allow either of them to move forward in a very productive way. It wasn’t entirely Jacob’s fault that he accidentally confirmed something Janine hadn’t suspected, but the biggest surprise was that she refused to believe it. The most awkward moment was definitely the non-reaction Amber had to Gregory’s very thoughtful and purposeful gift, while Maurice was disappointed that Janine couldn’t even say the name of the bag that she thought was just a vehicle for the real present correctly. These four are obviously in need of a partner swap, but it’s surely going to take some time for them to realize that’s what’s supposed to happen. If nothing else, at least Gary came through by spelling out “I love you” in the vending machine with chocolates when Melissa was ready to give up all hope. I’m not sure whether this airport restaurant reservations thing is real, nor am I all that confident I’d be interested in trying it out. Ava getting into learning while making Jacob sweat that he was getting fired was a fun and unexpected innovation, and I liked how she shut down the parent who wanted to complain but didn’t realize just how good a job Jacob was doing of incorporating Black History Month material into his curriculum throughout the whole year.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 13 “Fundraiser” (B+)

We tend to see a lot of Ava going to war with Janine, which usually ends in somewhat of a draw since Janine ekes out a small victory that makes her feel good while Ava doesn’t actually manage to become a better person. It was fun, therefore, to see Barbara reluctantly accept Ava’s help and then get very angry with her for encouraging the kids to overcharge, resulting in Barbara’s church rival giving her a stern lecture about what she thought of her. To her credit, Ava fought back and expressed how things aren’t easier for everyone and it’s important to get creative. Lines like “Look at me, now I own a school” don’t help her case much, but she still does manage to try every once in a while. Jacob and Mr. Johnson got way too involved with that cat, which predictably ended up going back to its rightful owner, leaving Mr. Johnson quite devastated. I’m impressed with Jacob for actually being what he said was - observant and able to notice social cues - and therefore being the first to pick up on the fact that Gregory likes Janine. He overcompensated in a big way when he suddenly wanted to buy a lot of candy, and I appreciated that Janine didn’t stand for his “warnings” because he wouldn’t be friends with someone like that. Eating ribs on the date may not have been the best choice, but at least she’s forming a connection. Melissa being bad at impressions is not something I would have predicted, and Jacob was the unfortunate one to bring that up to her and lose his prized ddon’t in the process.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 12 “Fight” (B+)

It was fun to get to see Orlando Jones show up as Gregory’s father and to hear Gregory reluctantly acknowledge that he was actually happy for once. Jacob and Barbara couldn’t contain their shock and horror at the fact that Gregory was secretly gardening behind their backs, but it impressed Martin enough that he suggested the idea of officially going into business with his son rather than the actor he had hired to play his son for the flyer. Gregory’s realization that working at Abbott was what made him happy was an important one, even if that, for now at least, has nothing whatsoever to do with Janine, with their potential romance not a subject of conversation in this episode. Melissa teaming up with Ava to defeat Mr. Johnson in fantasy football might have worked if not for the unexpected involvement of Jacob, who got so much joy from that handshake that he was willing to do something that didn’t track with his usual interests. Janine was typically overconfident about the solutions she thought would work for her warring students, and things got especially bad when their older sisters started fighting too. But then things did end up resolving themselves, and it was sweet to see Barbara help Janine process her own relationship with conflict and the way it manifests itself with her mother and her sister. That’s exactly the kind of mentor moment that doesn’t have anything to do with teaching but which means that Barbara should be much less strict about her office hours with Janine.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 11 “Read-A-Thon” (B+)

I’m glad to see that the awkward out-of-school interaction between Janine and Gregory is still very much being discussed, but rather than it being addressed in a straightforward and productive way, it’s coming up at every juncture without them wanting to talk about it. Ava calling it a “Disney Channel grindfest” wasn’t nearly as great as the two podcasting students asking questions that neither Janine nor a horrified Gregory wanted to answer. Jacob’s enthusiasm for the podcast club was a recipe for failure, and I most enjoyed how Gregory got into the sound effects even as he grumbled about how he was only there because being involved in an extracurricular activity meant he got paid more. Janine was quite motivated to win the read-a-thon, and going up against Melissa, someone who regularly brags about cheating, was a tough challenge. But she did manage to do it, and of course the gloating did her in since Melissa was thrilled to have re-read the rules and realized that, by the parameters of the competition and based on her having two classrooms, she was the rightful winner. At least Janine didn’t have to go streaking, which felt like an aggressive punishment for losing. I very much enjoyed Barbara’s sideline contributions in this episode, like her lack of affinity for Ms. Frizzle and her appreciation for Colin Powell’s memorable performance in “The King’s Speech.” Ava having her own podcasts and having been forced to take down her ASMR content was not at all surprising, since she devotes so much time and attention to everything but her job.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 10 “Holiday Hookah” (B+)

It was fun to see Janine and Gregory outside of work and at the same place, though they were both pretty horrified to run into each other on the line that Ava wouldn’t even acknowledge since she doesn’t “speak line.” It’s a shame that Gregory is still dating Amber because he’s obviously into Janine, and she’s just not letting herself admit that she has feelings for him since she doesn’t want to get hurt, which is smart. After they danced so they could both be “normal together,” they almost killed when it started snowing, but then Amber had to go and screw it all up by texting at that very moment. Maurice sharing Snapple facts and science stuff was a good way to endear himself to Janine, and maybe she’ll try dating him, which is sure not to go too well. Ava commenting about how she was watching her work husband grind on her work nemesis was entertaining, as was the fact that she’s apparently dating a famous athlete who has also heard about Janine and how short she is. Jacob did do a pretty spectacular job of being a downer as an uninvited guest to Melissa and Barbara’s Christmas tradition, and I would not have put money on Mr. Johnson to be the one to open his eyes to what he was doing and how he should stop. Despite getting himself briefly locked out in the cold and almost hit by a car twice, he was able to make up for it just when Melissa was ready to punch him out.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 9 “Sick Day” (B+)

It’s helpful to remember that Quinta Brunson is the creator of this show, and therefore she casts herself in the role of the person who is perpetually made fun of, with Jacob there to defend her honor when he saw how Barbara and Melissa were gravitating to Tasha with Janine briefly out of the picture. Ava’s incompetence was on full display here as her face masks filling up the fridge were directly responsible for Janine’s sandwich going bad, and she had absolutely no idea what was going on with the shortage of subs at the school. Gregory watching Ava continually refuse to follow Janine’s carefully-prepared binder was entertaining since he’s always looking for something to find fault in everything that she’s doing, but he couldn’t help trying to set her up for success rather than pushing her further towards her downfall. Surprising him when Gregory went to confront whoever told the kids they could have recess at 8:30am was probably the best moment of the episode, and I like how he’s still not sure what to do with her. She did manage to grow over the course of the experience, but not quite enough to give Jacob a refund after he showed up with a clear adverse effect from the face masks. The fact that she refused to store Janine’s number in case she met a better Janine was also very much on-brand, as was her asking Gregory what time school ended, the one thing you’d think she would actually know given that it would mean she too could go home.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 8 “Egg Drop” (B+)

Janine does always go all in on just about everything, and Gregory correctly diagnosed her as having toxic positivity. He really was rooting for her in this case after she inserted herself into the science experiment that Mr. Morton was trying to do with his eighth graders, and the fact that Melissa cheated by hardboiling eggs so that her class wouldn’t be dismayed by all their eggs breaking didn’t help since Janine’s repeated efforts ended in miserable and chaotic failure. Having her kids shout “science!” when all the balloons violently popped and destroyed the eggs was entertaining if not all that accurate. I do love watching Gregory nearly go insane when people around him say absurd things, like Jacob insisting that science equals history and match, and it was also entertaining to hear him react to having his voice mocked. Barbara being upset about by Krystal’s wardrobe was fun to watch because she wasn’t necessarily overreacting but because she thought she knew how to fix it. Ava’s take was enlightening since she, unsurprisingly, was almost more impressed by Krystal’s business savvy than irritated by her disruptive clothing. Barbara listing her favorite B words was an amusing start, and it was nice to see her ultimately apologize and express some positive sentiments towards Krystal. Jacob did seem crazy for repeatedly insisting that Mr. Morton disliked him and was constantly feigning being nice to him, and that made the episode-ending disclosure from Mr. Morton that he did actually hate Jacob all the more hilarious.

What I'm Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 7 “Attack Ad” (B+)

I feel like this show’s episodes often begin with its teachers hopelessly unaware of what is happening around them, not yet equipped for the latest new challenge but already annoyed to have to deal with it. Starting with Jacob’s iffy gossip given to Gregory during an intense game of Red Light, Green Light (though considerably less intense than the one featured on “Squid Game”) was a misdirect, and instead, each of them, Barbara aside, had their worst moment used against them in that condescending commercial. When even Ava is on the same side as the people who are good at their jobs, it’s clear there’s a crisis, though Melissa’s lawyer friend was initially ready to help before she realized that they had signed over all their rights and might even owe the camera crew $200. It’s amusing to have a brief acknowledgment of this show’s mockumentary nature, with everyone assuming that the camera crew had been their team and not Draemond getting ready to take down Abbott. His reverence for Barbara might have stopped him briefly, but he seems set on converting the place that didn’t help him get anywhere into the opposite of what all the teachers, Barbara included, want. It is fun to see Leslie Odom Jr. though, and I imagine he’ll be back after this. Tariq’s return was predictable, and it was good to see Janine made the right call on her own to cancel dinner, but lashing out at Gregory for interfering means that eventual relationship just gets kicked down the road even more.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 6 “Candy Zombies” (B+)

I’m not always fond of Halloween episodes, but this one worked very well, playing to each of its characters’ predispositions and uniting them in an effort to stop the free-flowing distribution of candy that was keeping all the kids far too energized. It was fun to start with everyone’s Halloween costumes, with Gregory in particular having trouble with anyone correctly identifying that he was dressed up as Sully Sullenberger (superbly portrayed by Tom Hanks in the underrated “Sully”). Ashley and Melissa both dressing up as Scarlet Witch was an amusing lead-up to Ashley’s total incompetence that had her sitting guard with the candy and not paying enough attention to realize that it was all being taken without her noticing. Louis’ Baby Thanos being the menace was entertaining, though not quite as much as Chad going fully method to play the janitor and crack the case. Mr. Johnson did have fun with Jacob, tormenting him with stories of the Ghost Janitor. Ava stepping in to actually be helpful as Storm when she needed to get control of the kids was a great moment, and I also like Barbara’s descriptions of how her church shows only the edited parts of some very non-religious movies. Janine seeing the note with Amber’s number that she wanted her to pass to Gregory could have been bad for the relationship that still has yet to start between them, but it actually was a good conversation, and Janine was prompted to have plans with Erika, which could instill in her a newfound and very welcome sense of self-confidence.

What I’m Watching: Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary: Season 2, Episode 5 “Juice” (B+)

Janine does tend to get ahead of herself when she has a new idea that no one else latches on to, and Barbara refusing to elaborate beyond “don’t fix what’s not broken” only added to her resolve to prove her mentor wrong. Those extra two ounces of liquid had a disastrous and rather immediate effect on the bladders of all the students and a resulting stop-up in the bathroom supply chain. Mr. Johnson didn’t seem too fazed by all of it, but he was also more than ready to race to Barbara’s secret bathroom when she said it was reluctantly available for use. It didn’t take long for Barbara’s bathroom to also get broken, and it seemed very therapeutic for her to take out some pent-up rage on the upstairs toilet to ensure that something would finally be done if they were completely out of options. Janine and Gregory definitely thought she was coming for them with the baseball bat, and I enjoyed Janine managing to get one “office hour” per month with Barbara as the mentor that she never had. It was understandable that Melissa couldn’t get anything done thanks to her new teaching assistant, Ashley, played by the very funny Keyla Monterroso Mejia from “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Her quick gravitation to Ava was not good news, and I like that Melissa was eventually able to get through to the adult who had essentially become another kid for her to manage and figure out how to distract long enough to get something accomplished.