Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 14, “District Budget Meeting.”
Although newer ensemble sitcoms tend to leave supporting stars aside for entire episodes at a time,Abbott Elementaryseason 4, episode 14 managed to sidestep this fate with a clever twist.Abbott Elementary’s cast of charactersare all lovable, but the sitcom can’t focus on everyone at the same time. As Janine and Gregory’s tumultuous “Will they, won’t they” story from seasons 1-3 finally solidified into a stable romance early in season 4, the show shifted its focus to characters like Melissa and Principal Ava.
Storylines aboutAbbott Elementaryseason 4’s new character Frank, Ava’s estranged father, or the shady developers building a golf course near Abbott couldn’t have worked in earlier seasons since Gregory and Janine stole the show’s spotlight. Any good ensemble cast sitcom has to prioritize different characters in different episodes, although this can be taken too far. One part of what makesAbbott Elementary’s writing geniusis the show’s refusal to ignore minor characters in favor of more dramatic plots.
Mr. Johnson’s Absurd Season 4, Episode 14 Cameo Avoided His Absence
Abbott Elementary Sometimes Drops Supporting Stars From Some Episodes
It would have made perfect sense for Mr. Johnson not to appear in season 4, episode 14, “District Budget Meeting.” Not only does this episode take place in a new setting, but it also focuses on the titular dull administrative meeting. It is easy to wonder why the school custodian would bother to attend the school board meeting, but “District Budget Meeting” luckily sidestepped this with what Barbara dubbed some of Mr. Johnson’s trademark “Mr. Nonsense.”
Abbott Elementary’s cameo proved just how pivotal Mr. Johnson was on the series when his appearance provided a necessary vibe shift.
Abbott Elementaryfound an excuse for Mr. Johnson to appear in the school board episode, as he made a case for the budget including $50 and a sandwich for him.Abbott Elementaryseason 4’s biggest story, the aforementioned golf course plot, reared its head in the preceding scene when Ava was warned that the district would watch her and Abbott like hawks in the future. As such,Abbott Elementary’s cameo proved just how pivotal Mr. Johnson was on the series when his appearance provided a necessary vibe shift after this ominous ending for Ava and Jacob.
Why Newer Ensemble Sitcoms Tend To Always Have A Character Or Two Missing
Shows Like The Conners and Ghosts Have Massive Casts To Corral
Although “District Budget Meeting” made room for Mr. Johnson via his absurd mid-credits proposal, most other ensemble shows aren’t as lucky. Hit sitcoms likeThe ConnersandGhostsoften go entire episodes at a time without even mentioning some of their main characters. This is because their large casts all need storylines that prioritize them individually, meaning every episode must sideline a character or two to focus on someone else. Often, major characters can be absent for three or four episodes at a time before getting an episode that centers them.
Luckily, althoughAbbott Elementary’s Janineremains the show’s ostensible protagonist, the series largely avoids this pitfall.Abbott Elementarysplits its episodes into three subplots instead of only two, providing more room for the show to give everyone a chance to shine. A perfect example of this clever storyline style comes in “District Budget Meeting,” where Mr. Johnson’s wacky personality means he can appear even in anAbbott Elementaryepisode that technically doesn’t justify his presence.
