‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 4 Has Barbara and Ava ‘Asking a Similar Question,’ Quinta Brunson Says
Quinta Brunson is opening up about what to expect as Abbott Elementary Season 4 gets underway. The creator and star of the hit comedy series says Principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James) and teacher Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph) ask themselves “a similar question” in a “very different way” this season.
Ava and Barbara ask themselves ‘Is this all I want for myself?’ in ‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 4
Speaking to TV Line ahead of the Abbott Elementary Season 4 premiere, Brunson, who fans of the series know as teacher Janine Teagues, revealed Barbara and Ava are thinking about where they are in their lives and careers.
While learning more of Ava’s backstory and “why she is the way she is,” viewers learn “what her goals and pursuits and dreams are now that she’s kind of, in a sense, conquered being a good principal,” Brunson said.
“I think she’s kind of asking herself the question: ‘Is this all I want for myself?’ Is what we’ve seen so far all she wants in her life, and is it enough?”
Meanwhile, Barbara, the veteran teacher Janine often looks to as an example, “is asking a similar question, but in a very different way.”
“Barbara’s evaluating where she is, does she need to make changes?” Brunson said. “She’s been doing this job a very, very, very, very long time, and the world is changing a lot. So does she want to keep up with the changes of the world?”
“That’s been leading into some really interesting stories,” she added.
Where Barbara and Ava left off in ‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 3
Last season, buttoned-up Barbara let loose alongside Ava and the other Abbott teachers at Janine’s end-of-the-school-year party. Viewers saw a different, sillier and more relaxed side of Barbara. Not only did she dance with Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) but she also talked like a pirate.
As for Ava, she spent the season still being her hilarious self. However, there were flashes of a more responsible principal. She subtly cautioned Janine and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) against dating a coworker with words from Mr. Morton (Jerry Minor). A hint at trying to be a “good principal” like Brunson teased for season 4? Only time will.
‘Abbott Elementary’ premiered on Oct. 9
Everyone’s back at Abbott. The premiere aired on Oct. 9, 2024, at 9:30 p.m. ET—a new time slot from previous seasons. Fans can expect to spend more time with the teachers and staff because season 4 brings the return of the series’ 22-episode season total. (Season 3 had 14 episodes in all.)
New episodes air every Wednesday night on ABC. They are also available to stream on Hulu, along with the Abbott Elementary Seasons 1-3.
