Abbott Elementary is consistently a solid laugh-out-loud thirty minutes of comedy.

Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 13 gave the audience precisely what they wanted.

We saw Principal Ava Coleman scamming and being vain. We saw Mr. Jacob Hill and Mr. Johnson being zany and bizarre. We saw Mrs. Barbara Howard being prim, proper, and pious. 

These elements of the show make it a joy to watch and this week was no exception!

First thing first, this episode gave the fans what they needed regarding confirmation of Gregory's feelings for Janine.

As Janine was courted and wooed by his close friend, Maurice, we saw Jealousy rear his ugly head.

The ordinarily level-headed Mr. Eddie could not keep his feelings to himself as he listened to his co-workers supporting Janine in preparation for her date with Maurice.

He was visibly annoyed when they all kept calling him the uber-familiar moniker of "Mo," as though they all knew him profoundly and personally.

His efforts to one-up or outdo Maurice were awkward and telling. He attempted to warn her of Maurice's tendencies to go all in, but it honestly didn't seem like the insult or warning he intended it to be.

And surprisingly, Janine did not adhere to his warning! She rebuked Gregory for his attempts to down-talk his close friend.

As loyal as Janine is, he may have inadvertently hurt his chance with her. He warned against the blowback and got a perfectly awkward reply.

Their romantic story is a slow burn. The writers are allowing them to admit their attraction to themselves slowly. With each of their characters being awkward and somewhat timid, it will take someone else intervening and telling them like it is.

Who will spill the beans? Jacob has discovered the truth, and Mr. Johnson has overheard it. Could one of them act as the matchmaker?

Speaking of Jacob and Mr. Johnson, the show writers love to toss these two together. Their chemistry is impeccable. They are as different as night and day.

Jacob, with his liberal (he calls it progressive) views and passion for all things corny and educational, typically annoys the highly suspicious Mr. Johnson and Episode 13 was no exception.

Weirdly enough, in this episode, they bickered like former spouses. Seeing them argue about what was best for the cat found in the janitor's closet was hilarious.

The cat, named "Cinnamon" by Jacob and "Milton" by Mr. Johnson, was the subject of a hotly contested "custody dispute."

They each passionately accused the other of being a lousy cat dad time after time, and Melissa became the mediator for their disputes.

The amazingly talented Lisa Ann Walter did not have a storyline in this episode, but she supported each storyline as the instigator we know Melissa to be.

It was downright hilarious how intense their fights were. So much so that you forgot to question if they would teach any classes in this episode. Spoiler -- they did not.

The show shows more of the character's personalities outside of the classroom. In the previous season, we got to see how passionate and outstanding they were as educators, and it's nice to see them in some seemingly typical sitcom tropes.

What was surprising and notable was the compassionate display of Principal Ava Coleman. She may seem clueless about school administration, but she cares for the students.

Ava always calls the students by name. As much as she disregards Janine and others, she does not disregard the children.

A student named Henry approached her with no embarrassment to admit that he had outgrown his pants due to a recent growth spurt.

Did she relentlessly mock him? Yes.

Did she call attention to his short pants upon his entrance and exit of her office? Yes.

But did she also have a reserve of spare, clean, and folded uniforms in her desk drawer readily available? Yes.

We see that she relates to the poverty and hardship of many of her students. Viewers finally get a glimpse into why she is always scheming to get ahead.

In a rare moment of vulnerability, she admits that her financial difficulties growing up made her the woman she is. She owns what could have been a traumatic backstory and claims victory instead.

This is why we secretly want to be Principal Ava when we grow up.

Her storyline with Mrs. Howard found Barbara in a moral problem. She wanted to earn enough money for the students to go to the museum, but they were grossly disappointed with her methods.

Enter Principal Coleman! Her methods, while illegal and morally bankrupt, were astoundingly effective!

As much as Mrs. Howard did not want to admit it, but Principal Coleman was able to do what she could not do.

We see levels of humility in Mrs. Howard that we haven't seen before. She has often been portrayed as a know-it-all because she was the resident expert on everything education, but alas, sales were not her forte.

So she went against her better judgment and allowed Principal Coleman to help her. She also profoundly and immediately regretted it when the truth of the scam came out.

But ultimately, she was humbled by Principal Coleman's admission. She saw that some moralistic values weren't always so black and white. And she apologized.

What was not present in this episode was Janine's awareness of Gregory's feelings for her. His behavior was a bit much, and at this rate, she will indeed find out soon how he feels about her.

The questions then are: will she still be involved with Maurice?

Is there a bro code that forbids Gregory from dating someone his friend dated? Will she soon feel pressure to admit her feelings for Gregory?

We know Janine is an intensely loyal person. Her one solitary relationship lasted most of her life, and this is her first foray into dating since their breakup.

What are the fans hoping for? Could Maurice be a rebound, or do you see him as a viable partner? Tell me in the comments. How did you like Season 2, Episode 13?

Brandi Powell was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in April 2023. Follow her on Twitter.