Abbott Elementary Already Set Up Its Ava’s Best Replacement Back In Season 1 (But I Have 2 Issues With It)

Warning: SPOILERS for Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 18.Abbott Elementary firing Ava was a shocking twist, but there’s a fairly simple solution that would come with its own unique conflicts. Along with Janelle James as the eccentric principal, Tyler James Williams is a core member of Abbott Elementary’s cast of characters as Gregory Eddie, a character who begins as a substitute teacher who grows to love educating and settles down at the titular Willard R. Abbott Elementary School. Gregory puts down roots at Abbott, including falling in love with Janine Teagues, the second-grade teacher played by creator Quinta Brunson. Still, there’s room for Gregory to grow.

Abbott Elementary’s grounded storytelling makes every detail feel important, sometimes hinting at future plots with a throwaway joke that becomes much more significant in hindsight. Likewise, after Abbott Elementary inevitably runs into adversity, the road to resolution seems clearly paved by elements introduced throughout the seasons. Some of Abbott Elementary’s most heartwarming moments occur in the face of overarching conflicts, making the mission statement of the mockumentary clear: Abbott Elementary is about more than a school, and the characters are more than teachers. This is especially true for Gregory, who never planned on teaching in the first place.

Why Gregory Is The Best Replacement For Ava In Abbott Elementary

An Internal Promotion Would Be The Most Logical

Gregory’s first appearance in Abbott Elementary made his initial sentiments explicit: he was working as a substitute teacher only until a position opened up to be a principal. Gregory had always planned to be in education, but he solely dreamed of an administrator position. As he himself explains in Abbott Elementary season 1, episode 12, Gregory has a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and underwent a program geared towards encouraging young Black men to become principals. Furthermore, season 1 revealed that Gregory was going to be Abbott Elementary’s principal until Ava blackmailed the superintendent and got the job instead.

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Following the events of Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 18, the school district will need to quickly find a replacement for Ava. The most logical step to take would be to promote someone internally, leaving a small group of candidates from the main cast. While Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) have seniority, they wouldn’t want the extra responsibility. Janine proved her prowess in administration during her time at the school district in Abbott Elementary season 3, but she decided teaching was too important to her. As such, Gregory is in the prime position to be promoted.

In fact, Abbott Elementary might have already laid the foundation for Gregory to accept the principal role. Gregory’s financial issues in Abbott Elementary season 4 were seemingly introduced to sow seeds for him and Janine to move in together, but it’s possible that Gregory’s need for a higher income could instead incentivize him to replace Ava. On average, principals make significantly more money than teachers, and it’s unclear if Gregory has the same reservations about leaving his classroom that prevented Janine from working full-time at the school district. However, just because Gregory can replace Ava doesn’t mean he necessarily should.

Gregory Becoming Abbott Elementary’s New Principal Can Pose Some Big Challenges

On Both Personal And Professional Fronts

If Gregory were to become Abbott Elementary’s new principal, his leadership style would be drastically different from Ava’s lackadaisical approach to monitoring the teachers. Abbott Elementary season 2, episode 15 lightly explored this when Gregory stood in as acting principal for Ava following the fire in the teacher’s lounge. Already familiar with the necessary protocol, Gregory micromanaged the visiting counselor and exuded far too much authority. Abbott Elementary has shown the teachers don’t respond well to “real” principal work during Ava’s short stint as a serious leader in season 3. Consequently, Gregory as a principal could potentially disrupt the school’s balance.

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Naturally, Gregory becoming principal would directly jeopardize his relationship with Janine. On the most basic level, Janine may not feel comfortable dating her immediate superior at work, and the power dynamics between them would have to shift. More generally, Gregory’s stricter approach to leadership would cause tension between them, as Janine already had her fill of red tape bureaucracy when battling the constraints at the district. It would be a lose-lose situation, as Gregory and Janine’s relationship in Abbott Elementary is too precious to risk for a promotion, but there’s no one better suited for the job.

Aside from Janine, Gregory’s relationships with all the teachers would be on the line if he took the principal position. Most of Gregory’s friends in Abbott Elementary are his coworkers, especially Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti). Where Jacob and Gregory could previously bond over their shared disdain for the lack of resources at the school, anything Jacob would want to vent about consequently could implicate Gregory as the principal. Even something as little as Gregory no longer appearing in the teacher’s lounge could snowball into awkward friction that ruins the harmony of the tight-knit ensemble cast.

Gregory Can Replace Ava In Abbott Elementary, But Only Temporarily

It’s Not A Long-Term Solution

Gregory may be the most qualified person in Abbott Elementary to be principal, but he can’t truly take Ava’s place. There’s something indisputably successful about Ava’s unconventional approach to running the school, and Gregory can’t possibly compensate for the absence of Ava’s grand personality. The former principal’s flair lends itself to Abbott Elementary’s funniest moments, but Ava’s love for the school and its students went far beyond playful jokes. I have no doubt that Ava will eventually return to be the principal of Abbott Elementary, but there’s also no denying that the mockumentary needs a temporary stand-in.

It’s possible that Gregory could surprise everyone and turn out to be the perfect principal for Abbott Elementary. Gregory’s character has dramatically changed since Abbott Elementary season 1, and so too have his goals. Perhaps seeing all the hoops Abbott Elementary has had to jump through changed his perception of administrators, and his lived experience as a teacher could have helped him realize that not every rule should necessarily be followed. Gregory would still be a unique principal, but it’s not guaranteed that it would be a bad change.

Even still, there’s the vital question of whether Gregory still wants to be a principal. It’s clear that Gregory loves what he’s created at Abbott Elementary as an educator, like the Garden Goofballs program or even the podcast club he has a love-hate relationship with running alongside Jacob. The bonds he’s formed with the staff, faculty, and students are invaluable to him, and everything would fundamentally change if he were to take on an administrative role. It’s unclear whether Gregory will truly replace Ava in Abbott Elementary, but the groundwork is irrefutably laid.

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Abbott Elementary

9/10

Release Date

December 7, 2021

Showrunner

Quinta Brunson

Writers

Quinta Brunson

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  Quinta Brunson

  Janine Teagues

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  Tyler James Williams

  Gregory Eddie