Spoiler: Abbott Elementary School“Mom” was the penultimate episode of Abbot Elementary School second season, and it was one of the more memorable episodes in a decisively good season. At this point in the critically acclaimed sitcom, many characters have experienced compelling character arcs, unresolved storylines have been satisfactorily completed, and the stage is set for new and exciting plot points to follow in the anticipated third season. However, there was consistently one storyline in it Abbot Elementary School which the writers teased brilliantly throughout season one and most of season 2. This storyline was nothing but the ambiguity surrounding series lead Janine Teagues’s absent mother.
In the episode “Teacher Appreciation”, the audience is finally introduced to Janine’s sister Ayesha. Despite Janine’s excitement over her sister’s visit, we soon discover that their relationship is awkward at best and contentious at worst. Despite the Teagues’ awkward reunion, they eventually resolve the many unresolved issues in their relationship and vow to treat each other better. This heartfelt moment between the sisters was inspiring for two reasons. The first reason is that it shows Janine’s strong character and willingness to forgive her sister, despite their complicated history. The second reason for its significance is that it led us to believe that Janine would eventually be able to mend her broken relationship with her mother.
Mother’s keeper
If there’s one thing we’re sure many of our visitors would agree on, it’s that babysitting a grown adult is exhausting. As we have seen several times, Janine is a very generous woman and often a little too nice for her own good. Janine’s naivety often puts her in situations where she is bullied by her co-workers (especially by Principal Coleman) or taken advantage of, as seen with her ex-boyfriend Tariq and his antics. Even with the support of Jacob, Melissa, Barbara, and Gregory, Janine finds it difficult to refuse to help or assist anyone, even if the help is at her expense.
“Mom” would be beloved actress Taraji P. Henson (Baby boy, rich) guest star as the Teagues family matriarch, Vanetta Teagues. Vanetta’s tacky outfit, hideous nails and boisterous demeanor perfectly captured the essence of her character as soon as she entered the picture. Viewers immediately understood everything Janine described in previous episodes after watching her once, and Henson’s performance effectively reinforced the idea of an absent mother. After arriving suspiciously at Abbott’s, Vanetta boasts how much she misses Janine before subtly suggesting she needs money. Despite Janine’s better intuition, she agrees to use her vacation pay to help her mother.
Stand and deliver
As mentioned earlier, Janine is very generous and sometimes a little naive, but she is not stupid. She immediately suspects something is wrong after Vanetta claims to have found remote work, but struggles with a phone bill. As previously seen in previous episodes, Janine seeks counsel from Barbara, her ‘working mother’. After weighing the options, she agrees to help Vanetta pay off half the phone bill and set up a payment plan, but claims she will use the rest of her vacation money for her vacation. Even though Janine doesn’t explicitly say anything, her tone of voice and body language when she broaches the situation with Vanetta strongly suggest that this isn’t the first time she’s had to go the extra mile to solve one of her mother’s problems.
It’s distressing that Janine takes a stand against Vanetta’s attempts to manipulate her, because we’ve gotten used to her being a doormat to everyone around her. In the previous episode, “Educator of the Year,” Janine tries to discuss a disruptive child’s behavior with his mother. Despite being open-minded and respectful, Janine is met with nothing but disrespect and is moved to tears after enduring a harsh tirade that ends with her being called a bad teacher. The audience experienced the same catharsis Janine felt when she finally stood up for herself against her mother.
Loud, dishonest and irresponsible are just a few words to describe Vanetta, but Janine was fine nonetheless. Regardless of Vanetta’s mediocre parenting, Janine is a hard-working woman, and we can only imagine how successful Janine would be if Vanetta were more supportive and active in her life. Plus, despite their history, Janine’s willingness to forgive Vanetta leaves the audience with something thought-provoking: Can people change? With the release of Season 3 still unknown at the time of writing, we can only speculate whether Janine’s newfound confidence will last and whether Vanetta has truly changed for the better. Despite the troubled history between the two women, the episode leaves audiences on a positive note, and we hope to see more of Henson in Season 3.
All episodes of ABC Abbot Elementary School are available on Hulu.