Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Abbott Elementary Season 5 Episode 1.When Abbott Elementary concluded its fourth season this April with the episode “Please Touch Museum,” it broached an issue that is inherent to the school experience, but in opposition to how sitcoms usually work. In the episode, we found the teachers saying goodbye to their oldest students, who would be going to high school next year, presenting the idea that some people may come and go, but (for now) Abbott Elementary will still be there.
It’s an interesting topic to delve into, considering there have been questions recently about how much longer Abbott Elementary will continue. In June, creator/writer/star Quinta Brunson said in an interview with Bustle that the cast would like to pursue other projects, especially with how time-consuming making a network sitcom can be. Considering the success of Abbott Elementary since its premiere in 2021, it’s no surprise that its cast might want to explore other stories outside this Philadelphia school. Whether or not Abbott is on its way out, or we could see a change in the lineup, is yet to be seen, but with the Season 5 premiere, “Team Building,” we’re reminded that change is always around the corner at Abbott Elementary.
What Is ‘Abbott Elementary’s Season 5 Premiere, “Team Building,” About?
Compared to previous season premieres like “Career Day” and especially “Back to School,” “Team Building” is a relatively low-key affair. After Abbott accepted bribes from the nearby golf course last season and were found out by the district, they sent over Craig (Mikey Day) to check in on the school and do some team-building exercises. As Gregory (Tyler James Williams) so astutely puts it, this is “punishment couched in team building activities.”
“Team Building,” as one would expect, is Abbott seemingly building up places for the show to go this season. In the cold open, the ceiling of the break room collapses, and later on, a gas leak from the cafeteria’s kitchen makes the cameraman pass out. Abbott has always been struggling to get by, but now the building is literally falling apart. Janine (Brunson) will now have a class with 40 students, Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) will be teaching math to older students than she’s used to, and Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) — after hinting at retiring last year — has found new life in teaching the music class, even keeping up on popular music trends. And, of course, Ava (Janelle James) can’t quit bragging about how she’s now in love with O’Shon (Matthew Law).
“Team Building” Introduces a New Teacher to Abbott Elementary
But maybe the most intriguing development in “Team Building” comes from the introduction of a new teacher, Dominic Clark, played by Shrinking’s Luke Tennie. Dominic was taught by Barbara when he was in kindergarten, and now, he’s getting his footing at this new teaching position. Dominic is looking for advice from Barbara, which Janine takes offense to, since she’s always the one asking for advice. In the end, however, Janine realizes she is no longer the new teacher who requires reassurances, but rather, she can be the Barbara to the new teachers coming up in the ranks. Once again, Abbott Elementary presents the idea of the cyclical nature of schools: students come and go, teachers’ jobs change, and positions within the school are always being altered.
“Team Building” is an interesting place to start for this season, as everyone in a relationship seems to be stable, leaving the real drama of the show specifically on the issues that plague teachers; the building is actually falling apart, there aren’t enough resources, and the district is now keeping a close eye on the school’s activities. After last season, when Abbott Elementary had the tools they needed for their jobs, it’s going to be quite a shift for this group to do without the money from the nearby golf course.
Written by Brunson and directed by Randall Einhorn — both of whom have handled the writing and directing duties of each season premiere — “Team Building” is a strong piece that is able to easily disseminate plenty of information to catch us up since we last saw this crew in April (well, technically July, if we include their It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode). But it’s also throwing these characters into places we’ve never seen them in before. Janine is now a mentor rather than a follower, Ava has actually found someone who can balance out her insanity, and Ava, Melissa, and Janine are all thrown into teaching challenges they haven’t had to deal with before. Yet it’s also an episode that shows once more that while this group might struggle and is probably on the way to some difficulties, they’re going to be able to make it with the help of each other.
‘Abbott Elementary’ Is Still at the Top of the Class
Brunson does all this in an episode that manages not to feel like it’s building stories for the fifth season, but is as funny and strange as we’ve come to expect from Abbott Elementary. Yes, the realities of teaching in 2025 are still there, but this is also an episode where Gregory spends the episode teaching Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) how to ride a bike, while Jacob (Chris Perfetti) and Morton (Jerry Minor) test Melissa on how difficult it is to deal with older students. “Team Building” is a cleverly constructed episode that shows how masterfully Brunson can balance a fun episode while setting up threads for the future.
As Abbott Elementary Season 5 begins with “Team Building,” it’s hard not to be excited about what’s to come this year. As a season premiere, “Team Building” hits you with everything you’d want from a show’s return: the dynamics you know and love, an episode that hits that sense of humor just right, but also gives us an episode that shows the potential for shake-ups and potential drama in the future. We still don’t know how the school year will go once students actually arrive, and how much that will impact these characters.
Season 4 ended with a reminder that things will change — that’s just the nature of being a teacher — but Season 5 starts by showing us how exciting potential change can be for these characters that we’ve already spent 71 episodes with. At this point, it’s uncertain if Abbott Elementary could be wrapping up, but it is clear that this show is still riding high as one of the best comedies on television.
Abbott Elementary airs on Wednesday nights on ABC and Hulu.
