Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 7 Review: Librarian

Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 7, “Librarian,” is yet another example of why the Quinta Brunson-created comedy is here to stay.

At times, it is funny and clever, but it is also heartfelt and gives the actors plenty of interesting material. This episode, written by Morgan Murphy, introduces us to a new and unexpected friendship, mostly played for laughs. It also stays true to the characters we’ve come to know and love while giving them room to grow. 

After seeing Brunson’s Janine explain what Abbott means to her on the previous episode, “Librarian” presents us with a conflicted yet determined Janine. 

Janine has experienced quite the career transition this season, with her new pilot librarian program as the latest accolade.

It’s great to witness her taking initiative and for her ideas to see the light of day, as opposed to before the fellowship, when her ideas essentially went unnoticed.

She also tries to be official, saying things like “Hear ye, hear ye,” to get people’s attention. Brunson always makes Janine’s attempts at being authoritative and/or funny appear sincere, even when the character is doubting herself. 

Janine seems extra hopeful for a win — especially after previous failures on Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 6, “Willard R. Abbott.”

On this episode, we get a new, unexpected friendship pairing: Jacob and Melissa, who unintentionally end up becoming roommates. 

It’s also a chance to travel outside the school and into new settings. We rarely see the teachers’ home lives, so it’s a delight to watch Jacob and Melissa connect while discovering how much they have in common. 

This is a fun pairing, as they are both quirky characters. It also makes sense that these two would bond, especially since they both recently experienced tough breakups. 

The friendship is mostly played for laughs, such as when the pals try to hide their friendship at work as if it is a secret romantic relationship.

Actors Lisa Ann Walter and Chris Perfetti have such great comedic timing, and their chemistry together in these scenes makes this friendship work spectacularily. 

Unsurprisingly, Barbara does not like the new library program. As someone who has been teaching for so long and is set in her ways, it makes sense that she’d struggle with change. 

Sheryl Lee Ralph is at the top of her game here, and even though Barbara is almost annoyingly stubborn, Ralph gives her the right amount of authenticity and gravitas. 

She is also incredibly funny, such as when she attempts to make animal noises and then makes fun of the new librarian.

At this moment, it’s clear that she’s not just upset with her routine being disrupted but also envious of the new librarian’s ease at connecting with her class. 

This episode also sees the return of Josh Segarra’s Manny, who has been absent for several episodes. Unfortunately, Segarra is given little to do, although his earnest talk with Janine does force her to second-guess herself about the library program. 

The character motivations throughout the episode are somewhat surprising at times, even if they eventually make sense. 

For example, Gregory convinces Janine to stand up to Barbara, which at first seems like a type of betrayal. However, by the end of the episode, when Janine reads Barbara’s positive review of the library program, it’s clear that Gregory gave Janine the motivation she needed to stand up for herself and her ideas. 

On that note, it’s delightful seeing both Gregory and Janine be so pleased with the new librarian. Gregory seems especially giddy with excitement when he sees how organized the library has become, which is in character with his fascination for botany. 

Stray Observations:

• The show often pokes fun at teaching as a profession, like when Melissa says that becoming a teacher was “A terrible financial decision.” 
• When Ava teases Mr. Johnson for his shoes, and it makes him cry, fans everywhere surely want to hug him, even though it’s the kind of snarky remark we can expect from Ava. 
• Barbara mistaking “Google Docs” for “Google Doctor” is another hilarious example of how she’s often behind the times. 

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

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