Abbott Elementary Season 5 Episode 12 Review: Picture Day
Abbott Elementary Season 5 Episode 12, “Picture Day,” sees our teachers scramble when picture day catches them off guard. Naturally, shenanigans ensue. It’s not as strong as last week’s fare, but it’s a straightforward, lighthearted story bolstered by strong performances from this talented ensemble.
Abbott Elementary, “Picture Day”
It’s good to have a low-stakes episodic narrative in a sitcom. Considering the state of our country (if you’re in the US) — of our world — a bit of silly escapism is just the ticket. The creative team of this series knows how to take a simple premise and expand on it in delightful ways.
The picture-taking itself doesn’t even take up half the episode. It’s more about the aftermath. What starts as seemingly harmless photoshopping morphs into a necessarily blatant meditation on societal beauty standards. Our obsession with applying 20 filters to our Instagram photos and airbrushing ourselves into oblivion to achieve unattainable perfection.
Janine’s realization that this sends the wrong message to their kids is the true crux of this outing. Really, that’s how we should tackle this topic in real life. What happens when children don’t believe they look “good enough” because of unrealistic beauty standards on social media? It’s a crucial message that we could all stand to heed.
Smize-ing and the Art of War
“Picture Day” is also more proof that Tyler James Williams is the king of facial expressions. He had this writer in stitches during this episode. Gregory’s inability to smile is, again, such a low-stakes, silly idea that Abbott Elementary runs with to hilarious results. The scenes featuring Jacob and his students are also laugh-inducing, with Jacob playing the perfect “straight man” to the kids’ cyclone of chaos.
Ava’s war with the cafeteria workers is a fun side plot. It’s always great to see a perspective outside the teachers, and it’s the show’s way of paying homage to those who feed our children. They’re important, too. Nikea Gamby-Turner and George Sharperson are a delightful comedic duo whenever they appear on this show, and watching them go toe-to-toe with Janelle James is a blast.
“Picture Day” doesn’t stand out in the Abbott Elementary catalog as its best episode, but it gets the job done. It provides easy laughs and low stakes with a clear core message. Sometimes, that’s all one needs.
Stray Observations:
- As an Ohioan, Mr. Johnson can try till the cows come home to broker peace between OSU and Michigan … it won’t happen, though. That rivalry runs deep (and it’s not even heated).
- A Larry the Cable Guy reference in the big ’26? What is this, 2005?
- Gregory and Jacob’s little fist bump is adorable. It warmed the cockles of my heart.
- How do we know if Mr. Johnson and Idris Elba are two different people? Has anyone ever seen them in the same room?
- Anthony Mackie always looks like he’s plotting something in his photos. I love it.
What did you think of this episode of Abbott Elementary? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Abbott Elementary airs new episodes Wednesdays at 8:30/7:30c on ABC, with next-day streaming on Hulu.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.