After Abbott Elementary’s first breakout season, but just before its extraordinary Emmy success, it was renewed for a second season with a rare 22-episode order. It’s difficult to think of many new shows with more than 13 episodes, let alone 22, after this age of streaming, binging, and instant gratification. Most audiences these days seem to not have the patience for long seasons, preferring quick turnarounds and satisfying plots wrapped up as soon as possible. 22-episode runs are more reminiscent of older sitcom season lengths. If there is a modern classic sitcom, it is without a doubt Abbott Elementary, so the extended run is undeniably fitting. However, despite its endless charm, fantastic writing, and lovable characters, the second season of Abbott Elementary can’t help but occasionally fall victim to a few sitcom staples that its predecessor avoided. It is a wonderful season nonetheless, of course, but I had a few issues this season that I didn’t have for season 1. 

I want to preface this review by saying that I still quite like the second season of Abbott Elementary. It’s a charming, sweet show that I loved being able to unwind to every week. The acting is fantastic, particularly from Quinta Brunson and my personal MVP Lisa Ann Walter. The writing occasionally dips for reasons I’ll get into later, but for the most part, the jokes hit and the characterization is strong. Abbott Elementary’s second season is delightfully wholesome while not being afraid to expand on the more tragic aspects of each of its main characters. Janine and Melissa are the two who shine the most in this regard and leave the season feeling the most well-rounded. Janelle James’s Principal Ava also receives newfound vulnerabilities this season, but it’s not until halfway through it that she gets material as funny as her season 1 one-liners. And of course, Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph (who makes a compelling case to change her title to 2x Emmy winner after this season), Tyler James Williams, and Chris Perfetti are as enjoyable as ever! Abbott Elementary undoubtedly has one of the best ensembles in recent memory.

If I’m being honest, my main gripes with this season stem from how phenomenal its predecessor was. Few shows could even dream of reaching the highs Abbott Elementary has. However, while I will always prefer more of this show than less, the extended episode run has led to somewhat fluctuating quality episode-wise. While the freshman season had a tight 13-episode run with almost every episode being instantly iconic, true to classic sitcom fashion, this season has a lot of filler. There aren’t any bad episodes, per se, and each episode of the show still manages to make me laugh at least once. But I think the amount of filler episodes this season (especially in the first half) dragged it down a bit for me. It’s especially glaring when you remember the main external conflict this season — the charter schools dilemma — was only in a handful of episodes. When Abbott Elementary hits, however, it hits hard, managing to make you wheeze with laughter and smile at the antics of these characters you’ve grown to adore. Thus, even though I have to criticize the writing of its plots somewhat, I also have to praise its character writing, which was top tier this season.

The other sitcom staple that Abbott Elementary’s second season somewhat falls victim to is the tropes of the will they/won’t they. While the first season was chock full of genuinely wholesome platonic moments between Janine and Gregory as well as some more imbued with romantic tension, the second season trades most of the former away for more of the latter. I was still rooting for them, of course, but one of the best parts of their dynamic was how much fun they had as people. Their relationship takes a slight turn for the dramatic this season that I’m not sure it needed. 

Despite its flaws, Abbott Elementary’s second season is a bright, joyous show that proves how powerful 20-minute network sitcoms can still be when paired with incredible actors and great writers. It’s comfort television at its core, and I appreciate it all the more for that. And above all, Abbott Elementary’s sophomore season makes two things extremely clear: 1) that the success of its first season was no fluke and 2) that Abbott Elementary is here to stay.

8/10