Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 6 Review: Willard R. Abbott

Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 6, “Willard R. Abbott,” is yet another solid addition to the show’s third season. Its 21 minutes are filled with heart, humor, and a surprising celebrity cameo. 

This episode, written by Ava Coleman, airs directly after the 96th Academy Awards. As such, it contains [brief] references to Hollywood and this season’s award contenders while remaining true to the characters and their relationships.

After taking on a smaller role during the previous episode, Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 5, “Breakup,” Janine plays a much more significant role one here. It gives actor-creator Quinta Brunson plenty of great moments to champion.

Janine’s career transition has been one of the star plot points this season, giving Brunson some excellent material as a performer to execute.

“Willard R. Abbott” is a great example of that. At one point, she sing-talks when getting ready to announce something exciting — in this case, the plaque that will accompany Abbott Elementary’s soon-to-be designation as a historical landmark.

Later, you can see the tears in Brunson’s eyes when she speaks about how much the school means to her. It’s evident that her time away from Abbott has affected her both negatively and positively, and it’s heartwarming to see her describe why the school is so special to her.

Brunson’s comedic timing is on point. However, her more heartfelt, dramatic moments are just as noteworthy.

On this episode, it’s great to see characters like Jacob as invested in Janine and Gregory’s “will-they-or-won’t-they” relationship as most fans of Abbott Elementary are. 

While this outing demonstrates that there’s still a strong connection between the two co-workers, there’s also a fair amount of friction.

In particular, Janine’s decision not to tell Gregory about her library plan upsets him.

Obviously, due to the episode’s short runtime, there is only so much time the comedy can allote to their relationship. Impatient fans may want to know more, but because this isn’t the focus of the episode, we should be grateful that we get such a tasty morsel here.

Of course, Janelle James is a scene-stealing delight, as ever. She manages to get in a few zingers, like when Janine says, “I can feel a but,” and Ava responds with “You creepy.” 

We’ve also seen a lot of growth from this character, who previously seemed apathetic about her work. Sure, she’s still her snarky, eclectic self. But this episode also gives us moments such as Ava excitedly sending the teachers to the library to do research.

It seems strange that there’s no mention of Jacob’s breakup with Zach. That storyline gave Chris Perfetti a lot of great material to work with, whereas he is mostly sidelined during this episode.

Perfetti’s quips still soar, though, and his friendship with Gregory has really blossomed in such a charming, authentic way. This is also thanks to Tyler James Williams, with whom Perfetti shares such stellar chemistry.

“Willard R. Abbott” also acts as a sort of history lesson on the fictional school. We find out that the school’s namesake, the aforementioned Willard, was supposedly a racist. 

Abbott Elementary does not shy away from difficult topics. And, because it’s a show comprised of a diverse group of creatives (both in front of and behind the camera), it always handles them with grace and cleverness. 

We also find out that Willard’s descendant, Willy, is not as wholesome and well-intentioned as he seems.

The decision to make him a so-called “flat earther” fits in with the kind of last-minute bombshells that this show loves to drop. 

The previews for this episode kept that big celebrity cameo a secret, and because “Willard R. Abbott” aired right after the Oscars, the cameo makes a lot of sense. 

In the opening scene, multiple Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper appears as a guest of a student in Melissa’s class.

Cooper, a Philadelphia native and avid Eagles fan, is the perfect choice for a star-studded cameo. The actor is unafraid to poke fun at himself and to lean into his well-known roles, such as his Rocket Raccoon voice. This adds to the star’s likability factor, but it also showcases the teachers’ relative unfamiliarity with Cooper’s work. 

Barbara and others confusing The Holdovers with The Hangover, and assuming that he was in Best Picture winner Oppenheimer, fits in with these characters’ eccentric personalities.

Plus, we’ve seen Barbara do this before, and Sheryl Lee Ralph’s line delivery is pitch-perfect, as always. 

Stray Observations:

• The show never fails to use the mockumentary style to its advantage, such as when Cooper bluntly asks, “Why are there cameras here?” Obviously, the teachers are accustomed to it at this point, so it’s fun to see new characters react to this. 
• Janine referring to Barbara and Melissa as “clouds” and “meatballs,” respectively, is a fun pop culture reference that is a great example of how Janine often tries too hard to make those kinds of references. 
• The show also doesn’t shy away from physical comedy regarding Janine’s height (Brunson is under 5 feet tall) as she hilariously receives an awkward hug from a fellow school district employee. 

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Abbott Elementary airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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