This Abbott Elementary Character Arc Proves That Friendship Has No Boundaries

Summary

• Abbott Elementary is full of remarkable characters.
• Melissa and Jacob have a captivating dynamic that defies all odds.
• The characters' relationship is endearing.

When Abbott Elementary premiered in late 2021, it quickly proved popular with audiences thanks to its mockumentary format, which seemed to have fallen out of favor after Modern Family ended in 2020. Set in a fictional Philadelphia public school, the show is presented as a television documentary that explores the hardships of public educators' professional and personal lives. On the surface, however, AE is a hilarious sitcom that pokes fun at the ugliest parts of American public education.

There are currently three seasons of Abbott Elementary, the latest of which premiered just a week ago. The third season continues to tell the stories of the sitcom's memorable main character, whose relationships make AE the comedy we love. But there's one particular storyline that audiences can't help but swoon over, as the friendship it portrays fills viewers with hope.

Friends Despite All Odds

Abbott Elementary features a diverse cast in terms of race and age. As a result, we see teachers of different generations and ethnicities in the show, which defines its dynamics in the most natural way. For example, the characters are divided into peer groups, with Barbara and Melissa being the mature best friends of the faculty and Janine and Jacob being the younger friend pair.

Certainly, these two groups have many interactions with each other. But while Janine perceives Barbara as a mother figure and their relationship is more mentor-student, Jacob and Melissa have a much lighter and warmer relationship. In fact, the two characters could be called friends, despite all the differences they have - and they have a lot.

A Brother From Another Mother

Melissa Schemmenti has a notoriously rocky relationship with her relatives. For example, she and her sister fought for years over a pasta recipe before finally reconciling at a teachers' conference. But her friendly relationship with Jacob has a strong sibling vibe.

The two characters get on each other's nerves a lot, as siblings often do, making fun of each other, but ultimately looking out for each other. For example, in Season 2, Jacob helped Melissa's childhood dream of becoming a firefighter come true when he convinced the firefighters who came to put out a fire at the school to let her use their ladder. In return, Melissa got Mr. Morton to apologize to Jacob after the two characters had a falling-out earlier in the season.

What's most heartwarming about Melissa and Jacob's relationship is that it proves that friendship really has no boundaries when they can put aside their differences in age, gender, and background to be friends.

Episode 3, Season 3 of Abbott Elementary premieres tonight, February 14th on ABC.