Abbott Elementary Season 5 Episode 5 Review: Camping

Abbott Elementary Season 5 Episode 5, “Camping,” whisks our crew away on a camping trip for Halloween courtesy of Barbara. Surprisingly, the getaway is Barbara’s idea, and she subverts expectations by ensuring she’s prepared for absolutely everything imaginable. That alone is evidence that this series continues to keep us on our toes regarding character growth. 

Abbott Elementary Goes Camping 

For much of the show, Barbara Howard has been a bastion of wisdom and pragmatism. Yes, she occasionally veers off course if prompted, but, for the most part, she’s fairly levelheaded. Season 5 sees her let loose and take bigger risks. In “Camping,” Janine and the others assume she’ll abandon the endeavor once she has to (literally and figuratively) get her hands dirty. 

However, Barbara proves them wrong, unlocking yet another facet of her personality. Her determination wins the day. It’s always great when a comedy can surprise you five seasons in. 

Costumes and Pop Culture 

In true sitcom fashion, “Camping” brings all the spooky season vibes. It’s not Abbott Elementary‘s best Halloween outing (that honor goes to Season 2’s “Candy Zombies”), and it meanders somewhat on the narrative front. Seldom do we get the entire ensemble together for the central (and only) plot. While there’s a beautiful simplicity in how straightforward and to-the-point the story is, previous episodes, like “Ballgame,” tackle that single-story approach better.

“Camping” is really driven by Barbara’s exhibited growth and the Halloween aesthetics. There isn’t much substance beyond that. However, the costumes are utterly delightful, from the teachers to the students alike.

These costumes lend themselves to plenty of pop culture references, which is a fun change of pace for the show. That’s not to say that this series doesn’t reference pop culture; it’s just not in the same ballpark as, say, a Tina Fey project in that regard. And that’s okay; its humor lies more in the characters’ interpersonal relationships and the — wait for it — situational comedy. 

“Camping” might not make your favorites list for the show, but Abbott Elementary is already breaking records for being in its fifth season and having 76 episodes under its belt thus far. That’s a rarity in today’s sitcom landscape. However, it’s a low-stakes, cute, lighthearted episode that doesn’t need to be more than what it is — easy escapism, complete with scary Squonks and wriggling worms. 

Stray Observations: 

• The “Halloweentown” trilogy idea is actually pretty brilliant. The kids are so bewildered by the cognitive dissonance between Halloween and The Town, but then you win them back with the closer, Halloweentown. 
• Janine and Gregory’s couple’s costume is so damn cute and creative. Sinners for the win. 
• Jacob introducing the Squonk lore is reminiscent of taking someone snipe hunting. Sure, snipes are real, but the hunt itself is a practical joke meant to send one in search of a mythical creature. 
• Gregory’s never cried before? The math checks out. 
• Ava’s Darth Ma costume is hilariously on brand for her. Absolute perfection. Also, the others glossed over her being a secret Star Wars nerd too quickly. 
• Gregory asking the student dressed as an Oompa Loompa why he’s wandering around “willy-nilly” is such a clever, potentially under-the-radar joke. 

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Abbott Elementary drops new episodes every Wednesday at 8:30/7:30c on ABC, with next-day streaming on Hulu. 

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