This Major Abbott Elementary Plot Inconsistency Will Ruin Season 3 for You

Summary

• Janine Teagues is the sitcom's main character, hated by her colleagues for loving her job too much.
• In Season 3, Ms. Teagues decides to leave Abbott Elementary to work for the local school district, despite her former devotion to the job.
• The character may yet become her former self or change forever in the next episodes of AE.

Although Abbott Elementary is meant to be a mockumentary about what happens in the fictional Philadelphia school, it is primarily about Janine Teagues, a young and hopeful teacher played by the show's creator, Quinta Brunson. In fact, Janine's dedication to her job, her students, and her never-ending optimism are the main source of the sitcom's hilarity.

The rest of the school's faculty finds Janine's constant exuberance annoying and often makes fun of her for it. The other teachers think that Ms. Teagues takes her job too seriously and is too idealistic. And it's true, there seems to be nothing she won't do to help her students and the school. So much so that it was considered part of the character. And yet Season 3 completely ignores it.

An Instant Jump at an Opportunity

Season 3, which was delayed due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023, premiered two weeks ago with some Philadelphia School District officials introducing changes at Abbott Elementary. Seeing Janine's enthusiasm, they quickly offered her a full-time internship with the agency, which would require her to stop teaching her students. And despite her notorious dedication, Ms. Teagues agreed, which was unlike her at all.

Well, it's fair to say that the internship was only supposed to last six months, and Janine had qualms about leaving her students for even that amount of time. She also didn't think she was worthy of the opportunity, which was very much in her nature. But in the end, Ms. Teagues left Abbott and seemed perfectly happy in her new job as an education official.

Possible Developments

Given that Abbott Elementary's third season has just begun, there are many directions in which Janine's character arc could go. Episode 3 suggests that she is none too pleased with the complexity and ineffectiveness of her new position, where she does more paperwork than helps schools.

Most likely, Ms. Teagues will return to teaching at Abbott after her internship has left her frustrated with all the bureaucracy of government work. This would resolve this inconsistency and prove that Janine is her old self, loving her students, always putting them first, and willing to do whatever it takes to help them succeed in life.

However, Season 3 of Abbott Elementary may continue to explore the character's journey into a government position. And just like leaving the school in the first place, that would ruin Janine's character and the entire show for many viewers.

Episode 4 will be released tonight, February 21st.