Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 8 Review: Panel

Abbott Elementary Season 3 episode 8, “Panel,” is perhaps one of the funniest episodes of the season so far, with plenty of hilarious bits throughout. 

This episode, written by Kate Peterman and series creator Quinta Brunson, gives just about every major character something interesting and funny to do.

Plus, scene-stealing guest stars help make this eighth episode of Season 3 stand out as a comedic center point. 

“Panel” begins with an event seemingly unrelated to the rest of the episode but still fits what we usually find in the cold opens of Abbott Elementary.

This one, in particular, is random, but it is full of physical comedy that fits the characters’ personalities.

Watching a basketball game of the Abbott teachers vs. students is probably not something most we have had on their bingo cards for this season, yet we are sure glad it exists.

This scene is so silly, eliciting laughs every few seconds. Regardless of its true narrative purpose (or lack thereof), it’s incredibly enjoyable and amusing. 

On this episode, Gregory and Ava team up. As it’s a pairing of which we’ve seen very little — at least, one-on-one — it’s entertaining to see them take on the panel together, especially as it becomes clear that the audience prefers the two teachers sitting next to them.  

When Ava asks Gregory why he doesn’t “look better,” it is a reminder to us that she’s no longer lusting after him the way she did in earlier seasons.

In fact, Ava admits the teachers at Abbott are “sexy,” purposefully omitting Gregory while she includes Janine. 

Ava is a character who continues to evolve while still keeping her trademark wit. Janelle James nails Ava’s evolution, including when she humbly passes the mic to Gregory after admitting that Abbott isn’t what it is without its teachers. 

Tyler James Williams is also great at conveying Gregory’s increasing frustration at others not listening to him. But he also gets to shine when trying extra hard to be more charming and interesting. 

Fortunately, the other characters get their moments with the CPR scenes. Watching the gossip unfold is a pure delight, especially when you have gifted comedic actors like Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, and Chris Perfetti. 

After seeing Melissa and Jacob’s blossoming friendship as roommates, “Panel” showcases Melissa and Barbara’s friendship.

When Barbara finds out that Melissa has kept a casual relationship a secret, she’s understandably upset and worried that Melissa doesn’t trust her. After all, they’ve been close for years. 

On the flip side, Melissa’s reasoning makes sense: she didn’t think her old-fashioned friend would understand or even approve of that kind of casual relationship. 

For some reason, too, Jacob has decided to keep his fling with the EMT, Avi, a secret — sort of. He doesn’t go out of his way to hide anything and even texts the news to Janine. Perfetti once again reminds us that his comedic timing is as good as his castmates’. 

Ultimately, the heart of “Panel” lies with Brunson’s Janine. In the opening scenes, she’s struggling with high-level stress, which continues until the end. 

We’ve now seen enough of Josh Segarra’s Manny to know that he is a good person who is genuinely optimistic and happy for Janine. His cheerful, charming presence is particularly on display when attempting to convince her that an issue is just a “setback.” 

Janine gets so angry that she says, “Start the clock,” while practicing CPR on a dummy, then storms out of the room. This character prides herself on often being calm, cool, and collected. But, as we’ve seen throughout this season, she can only handle so much. 

Brunson is always charming and funny, but she’s also able to bring a lot of heart to the character. Even after a major success, Janine doesn’t appear truly happy, such as when looking at a photo of her with her class. 

In her eyes, we see a sort of feigned happiness — a longing, as she clearly misses being in the classroom. 

Even though the cast delivers, we’re also treated to some great, scene-stealing guest stars.

This includes the hilarious Keegan-Michael Key, who shows up in a couple of scenes as the superintendent who will only approve Janine’s library program if it’s free. 

We also see Mike O’Malley return as Captain Robinson, who previously flirted with Melissa on Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 15, “Fire.” It turns out that not only is he leading the CPR class the teachers are taking, but also that he has been casually dating Melissa. 

Zack Fox returns as Tariq, and apparently, he is now the president of the PTA. It’s a delight to see him attempt to lead the teacher panel, especially since he is not equipped for that role at all.

Tatyana Ali is pitch-perfect as Ava’s “sorority sister/rival,” who is both a people pleaser and a narcissist.

It’s beyond hilarious to watch Ali and James go toe to toe. 

Similarly, Brandon Kyle Goodman is perfectly snarky as [essentially] the complete opposite of Gregory. Both Goodman’s and Ali’s characters are over-the-top but deliberately so. 

Stray Observations:

• Barbara shooting a ball in the wrong basket is very on point with the character, who frequently confuses celebrities, movies, and the like. 
• It’s unclear how Tariq became the president of the PTA, although we’re meant to assume that he’s still dating the mother of a child in Barbara’s class. 
• Mr. Johnson pretending to be a teacher is in line with his typically unpredictable behavior, and then his appearance in the janitors’ panel is hilarious. 
• A pun joke like Tariq’s “You of all panels should know: we gotta keep it clean” wouldn’t work anywhere else, but on a show like Abbott Elementary, it fits right in.

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Abbott Elementary airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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