Summary
One ofAbbott Elementaryseason 3’s subplots took place entirely off-screen, but this was a surprisingly good call for the sitcom. Most ofAbbott Elementary’s cast of charactersgot a chance to shine in season 3. Janine’s tenure at the school district meant that supporting stars like Melissa, Barbara, and Mr. Johnson got more screen time, while Gregory and Jacob’s complicated love lives gave them both solid subplots of their own. Part of what makesAbbott Elementaryseason 4so exciting is the chance to see the series follow up on the character arcs of the supporting cast.
That said, not all of the show’s subplots worked perfectly. Gregory’s failed date with Lana Condor’s sweet EMT was comically disastrous, but the plot barely gaveTo All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’s star anything to do. Similarly, Janine’s relationship with Josh Segarra’s Manny was a good red herring that kept her away from Gregory, but the subplot fizzled out into nothing as the season wrapped up. Luckily,Abbott Elementarymade the wise decision to keep another subplot off-screen, so the show’s workplace sitcom hijinks weren’t overwhelmed by a deluge of minor romantic side stories for its many supporting stars.
Abbott Elementary’s Biggest Season 4 Change Is Great News After One Season 3 Problem
Although Abbott Elementary season 3 had very few problems, the show’s creators have already promised that season 4 will address one recurring issue.
Melissa’s Abbott Elementary Relationship With Captain Robinson Happened Offscreen
Barbara Discovered Melissa Hiding Her Romance With Mike O’Malley’s Character
Although the pair hooked up a few times during the season,Abbott Elementary’s Melissa/Captain Robinson romance happened almost entirely off-screen. What made this so strange was the fact that Mike O’Malley’s Robinson appeared in two episodes, once when he answered a fire drill at the eponymous school and again when he administered emergency first aid training to the staff. However, he barely interacted with Melissa outside a brief flirtation during his first visit. The romance was subtly foreshadowed back in season 2, episode 15, “Fire,” back when Melissa was still dating Gary the Vending Machine Guy.
Thanks toAbbott Elementary’s mockumentary format, it made perfect sense for viewers to miss out on the couple’s hook-up. Melissa and Gary had broken up after a disastrous failed proposal a few episodes earlier. Since the camera crew rarely enters the homes of the heroes, the audience didn’t find out about Captain Robinson and Melissa’s secret trysts until Jacob spilled the beans on the first aid training day. This was also a good thing for the series itself, since focusing on Melissa’s new beau could have distracted her from the burgeoning love triangle between Manny, Janine, and Gregory.
Melissa’s Romance Avoided An Abbott Elementary Season 3 Problem
The Sitcom’s Third Outing Relied Heavily On Celebrity Cameos
There is no denying that season 3 had plenty of impressive celebrity cameos, butAbbott Elementary’s most underrated supporting charactermissed out on valuable screen time due to this deluge of famous faces. This was most notable when Kevin Hart and Bradley Cooper showed up as themselves, but Condor’s role as Gregory’s short-lived love interest was another instance of the show devoting its focus to a superfluous subplot. As such,keeping Melissa’s romance off-screen was a good call. This approach allowedAbbott Elementaryto focus on how the twist impacted its main characters, instead of centering on another new supporting star.
