'Abbott Elementary' Season 5 Episode 2 "Cheating" Recap

Ava, being Ava, finds yet another creative way to make her job easier: she connects the school's loudspeaker to Bluetooth so she can make announcements straight from her phone. Of course, she forgets to password-protect it, and the students quickly take over. Chaos ensues as the students use the loudspeaker to make all kinds of disruptive and hilarious announcements, turning the school day upside down. This prank perfectly showcases Ava’s inventive spirit, but also her tendency to overlook important details, leading to unintended consequences. It’s classic Abbott Elementary humor, mixing lighthearted fun with the challenges of working in a school environment.

A new counselor, Elena, joins, adding Abbott to her rotation of 20 schools. While everyone is initially excited to welcome her, the enthusiasm quickly fades. Being responsible for the well-being of twenty schools is clearly overwhelming, and Elena seems burnt out and over it. This sets up an intriguing dynamic for the series as we get to learn more about her character and how she fits into the Abbott community. Jacob proudly takes credit for finding Elena, while Ava immediately clashes with her because Elena loves following rules and we all know how Ava feels about rules. This clash highlights Ava’s rebellious streak and sets the stage for some interesting interactions between the two.

Meanwhile, Tariq’s girlfriend’s son ends up in Janine’s class. Janine is impressed by how Tariq has stepped up to his responsibilities and tells him this, which leads to an awkward moment when Gregory walks up, followed by Ava, who is eager to stir the pot and find drama in what feels like a love triangle. Abbott Elementary excels at handling these awkward, tense moments with humor and heart, making the characters feel real and relatable.

Melissa’s students ace a math test, but she soon learns there’s more to the story, leading to a valuable lesson for both her and her class. This subplot adds depth to the episode, showing how success in school isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. Over in the teacher’s lounge, Barbara and Jacob drive the new counselor up the wall as they drag her into their ongoing battle over the school dishwasher. Oddly enough, Elena bonds with Ava instead, mainly because she praises her, instantly flipping Ava’s opinion of her. By the end of the episode, the differences are settled, the laughs are earned, and Abbott once again delivers its signature balance of humor and heart.

Rating: 9/10

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