Abbott Elementary Season 4 Episode 5 Poked Fun at Your Weirdest Quirk with a Hilarious Consequence

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Abbott Elementary, season 4, episode 4, ‘Dad Fight’

Although Abbott Elementary rarely draws attention to its mockumentary setup, the sitcom poked fun at this framing device and used it to facilitate a plot point in season 4. Just a few years ago, mockumentary sitcoms were common on network television. After precursors like Arrested development and 30 rock experimented with handheld cameras and breaking the fourth wall, the American version of The office, Parks and Recreationand Modern Family has made mockumentary sitcoms some of the most commercially and critically acclaimed comedy programs on television. Recently, Abbott ElementaryThe hilarious cast of characters has reignited interest in this long-dormant sitcom subgenre.

In the mid-2010s, a series of high-profile failures such as the dolls., The comediansand Zach Stone will become famous public interest in mockumentary sitcoms decreased. However, Abbott Elementary reversed this trend when the show premiered to rave reviews and ratings success in 2021. Admittedly, Abbott ElementaryGregory and Janine’s cute romance was a big factor in its success, but bringing back the familiar nostalgic style of 2000s comedy shows also helped the workplace sitcom. Abbott Elementary is now one of the only mockumentary sitcoms left, and that works in part because the show often pokes fun at its own setting.

Darnell made fun of Gregory talking to the camera in Abbott Elementary Season 4 Episode 5

In Season 4, Episode 5, “Dad Fight,” Gregory had an unexpected fight with a student’s father. The student, Jabari, considered Gregory a father figure and his mother thanked Gregory for providing Jabari with a mature and stable male role model in his life. Jabari’s conflicted father, Darnell, took this as an insult and visited Gregory at school, telling him not to give his son any spare pencils in the future. Gregory muttered that he would need to switch to pens in the future as an aside to the camera, but Darnell didn’t miss the snide comment.

This made for a hilarious and self-aware joke when Darnell broke the fourth wall by pointing out that Gregory was whispering to the camera crew and hoping he wouldn’t hear. Darnell sarcastically said that Gregory thought he was Marvel’s famously snarky superhero Deadpool, leading to an unexpected escalation in the conflict. While Abbott ElementaryGregory and Janine’s romance has been central to most of the character’s subplots so far in season 4. This episode saw Gregory unexpectedly facing a fight with a grown man. Ingeniously, the fight was caused by Gregory’s breaking the fourth wall of the universe.

Abbott Elementary Season 4 Documentary Joke Had a Surprising Consequence

Gregory talking to the camera caused Darnell to start a fight

Gregory denied saying anything on camera, causing Darnell to become even angrier and quickly start a fight between them after school the next day. Thus, however, indirectly, the presence of Abbott Elementarythe in-universe camera crew contributed to the episode’s main conflict. This was just the latest of several episodes that incorporated the show’s film crew into its reality, a subtle but vital distinction that separates the series from The office or Modern Family. In both previous hits, the film crew was rarely recognized and had absurdly liberal access to their subjects.

In contrast, Abbott Elementary constantly points out how strange and unnatural it would be for ordinary teachers to be constantly followed by a camera crew. When Abbott Elementary’Because Jacob caught ringworm at the beginning of Season 4, the camera didn’t follow him into a room full of infected students. When Season 3 started, Abbott ElementaryThe characters of explained release date delays caused by real-life entertainment industry strikes, revealing that the in-universe documentary team’s cameras and equipment had been stolen. In Season 3, Episode 8, “Panel,” Ava even won an argument with her former sorority sister by noting that she had her own personal camera crew.

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Office Fourth Wall Breaks Were Infamously Complicated

What makes these jokes so effective is that they mean Abbott Elementary You can incorporate your film crew without your presence defining the story. It seems like it would be an easy task for any mockumentary, but it has historically proven difficult across the subgenre. The deservedly infamous “Brian the cameraman” T’s plothe officeThe last season of was overly dramatic, turning into corny melodrama in its attempts to break the fourth wall.

In contrast, Abbott Elementary season 4’s plot acknowledged the film crew and how strange their presence is without that point completely taking over the entire episode. “Dad Fight” likely would have featured Darnell challenging Gregory to a fight even if there had been no camera crew present, but its acknowledgment of the show’s mockumentary setup allowed the sitcom to poke fun at itself. Thus, this episode of Abbott Elementary highlighted how the series was able to utilize the mockumentary setup without turning that element into the show’s defining characteristic.