Abbott Elementary Season 5 Episode 13 Recap: Gregory and Janine Take the Biggest Step Yet
- Jazz
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
We open with Gregory visiting Janine, who has apparently adopted a stray cat. Sweet, right? Except Gregory clocks a grown man eating sardines straight from the can like it’s a food pyramid staple. The man explains that he spotted the sardines and could not resist. He asks Gregory to ask Janine if she could leave bread and mustard so that he can make a sandwich. It was funny, reminiscent of Brother Man from the fifth floor.
Back at Abbott, Gregory gets the dreaded email: rent increase. The universe wastes no time. Before he can spiral, Janine casually offers that he could move in with her, something she’s clearly been thinking about already. Gregory agrees.
Valentine’s Day is approaching, and Abbott is celebrating with “give candy to someone you like” day. Ava’s office is overflowing with gifts. O’Shon asks about them, and honestly? When O’Shon presses about whether she plans to keep gifts from other men, Ava doesn’t see the issue. Of course she doesn’t.
Jacob, meanwhile, corners Gregory to talk about moving in with Janine. Jacob does what Jacob does best: rambles himself into a philosophical cul-de-sac that plants doubt where none previously existed. Then Tariq pops in to remind Gregory that he’ll be moving into his apartment, making him… Gregory’s landlord? Somehow this turns into a discussion about sentient walls and whether they’d speak “Wallenese.” Abbott, never change.
Melissa notices one student, Trevis, hasn’t received any Valentine’s candy. She and Barbara decide to fix it by sending him some, completely ignoring Jacob’s warning that this is a bad idea. It is. Trevis’ girlfriend shows up ready to square up, and the truth has to come out. Lesson learned: mind your business, even when your heart is in the right place.
Back on the Gregory/Janine front, Janine is adamant about keeping all her furniture. Gregory notices there’s still a lot of Tariq in the apartment, spiritually and otherwise. He suggests apartment hunting “for ideas,” but Janine is not picking up what he’s putting down. Gregory finally admits he doesn’t want to move into her place, he wants a place that’s theirs.
O’Shon finally gets real with Ava. He feels disrespected by her accepting gifts from other men and acting like it’s no big deal. For once, Ava doesn’t deflect with humor, the tension lands and it matters. Shocking the audience, she puts herself and her materials after O’Shon’s needs. She gives the gifts away.
Janine and Gregory go apartment hunting, framed as inspiration but very clearly a decision point. Gregory finds a place he loves and is forced to be honest. They talk it through like adults (growth!), and Janine agrees they should find something together. There’s an apartment right above Janine’s place, but she’s worried she can’t afford it. In a genuinely sweet moment, Gregory reminds her they’ll be splitting expenses. Janine realizes she’s so used to supporting Tariq that it didn’t even occur to her.
Cue joy. Cue relief. Cue progress.
They move into their new place. This relationship milestone feels earned instead of rushed.
Final Thoughts:This episode balanced comedy and emotional clarity really well. Gregory and Janine didn’t stumble forward blindly, they talked, adjusted and chose each other with intention. Ava and O’Shon’s tension has teeth and showed that Ava can grow and be selfless
Solid episode. Thoughtful, funny and quietly mature.
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