'Abbott Elementary' Officially Raises the Bar in a Milestone Season 6 | Review

Published Oct 7, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT

Meredith Loftus is a TV Lists Editor at Collider. As part of the Lists team, she creates both trending and evergreen list topics in order to engage Collider's active audience. Prior to this, she was a Features Author focused on both movie and TV topics. In addition to her editing role, she has covered major events for Collider, including San Diego Comic-Con and D23. Meredith has also conducted interviews with creatives across the entertainment industry. Some of her favorites include Margot Robbie, Luke Thompson, Yerin Ha, Gilmore Girls' Scott Patterson, Jon M. Chu, and the cast of Superman & Lois. 

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Abbott Elementary is on the precipice of a rare milestone, at least by modern TV standards. In an age where new shows premiere and are axed within a couple of seasons, Abbott Elementary has defied the odds and has remained a fixture of network comedy in the 2020s. Now entering its sixth season, which is already a reward in and of itself, Abbott is on the verge of its 100th episode. It's an achievement not only in longevity, but also ensures the show's legacy through syndication. It's cause for celebration, and you would think Abbott would simply take the victory lap leading into this milestone. But Quinta Brunson isn't trying to play it safe.

Coming off a relatively average season, Abbott Elementary Season 6 hits the ground running with a strong start. The Emmy-winning ABC sitcom is bringing its A-game to the classroom as the series makes meaningful steps forward for its characters and the school year as a whole. The time spent with this core group of teachers over the last few years is paying off as the school year presents new challenges for them. If these early episodes are an indication of what's to come, this could be Abbott Elementary’s best season to date.

What Is 'Abbott Elementary' Season 6 About?

After the chaos the school faced in Season 5, the sixth season picks up towards the beginning of another school year at Abbott Elementary. Janine Teagues (Brunson) and Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams) are still going strong after their brief breakup, with Gregory secretly planning to propose. Inspired by teachers on TikTok, Janine decides to shake things up by giving her classroom a jungle-themed makeover for the year. It's not just Janine changing things up this season. Gregory is Abbott's new assistant principal, meaning he and Ava Coleman (Janelle James) need to figure out how to make this new partnership work.

Meanwhile, Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter) finds herself butting heads with new teachers invading her space, as well as bickering with her coworker/roommate Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti). In addition to being a union representative for the teachers, Melissa recruits Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph) for a special ed certificate class, giving these seasoned teachers the opportunity to learn some new skills.

Even as things are changing around the school, the show's comedy remains as hilarious as ever. After all, this is a sitcom, and its primary goal is to make audiences laugh. Not only does the humor still land, but small, offhand details from Season 5 get a bigger punchline in Season 6. For example, Janine admitted to smoking weed after work in Season 5. In this season, this information leads to a hilarious interaction with a substitute teacher when they're off the clock. Abbott is continuing to build upon its foundations, which has made the comedy stronger.

Another aspect Abbott Elementary gets right is its guest stars. Returning faces like The Cosby Show's Geoffrey Owens are back again, as well as new faces like American Housewife's Katy Mixon. The ace up their sleeve is the surprise cameos and guest stars they have lined up. Just as they've done in the past, fans can expect some professional athletes and comedic actors, even a former child star, to walk through the halls of Abbott in Season 6.

'Abbott Elementary' Is Interested in Moving Its Characters Forward, Not Backwards

Abbott Elementary is laying the groundwork for meaningful character growth this season. For instance, Ava is adjusting to Gregory working in her domain. While she acknowledges what he can bring to the role, she also has the experience to know a thing or two about being a principal. Ava can see that Gregory bites off more than he can chew, initially pulling double duty as assistant principal and a teacher, but ultimately waits for him to reach that conclusion. For being as tone-deaf and checked out as she was in earlier seasons, Season 6 showcases Ava's experience in the role and the results of stepping up and showing responsibility. Speaking of stepping, Ava's role as Abbott Elementary’s step coach invites some latent fears. The step team decides to try out for a city-wide competition; while the girls are hopeful for their chances, Ava attempts to manage their expectations so the rejection stings less. If handled well, these seeds planted now can potentially grow into major developments for Ava personally.

It might be too early to tell, but a strong candidate for MVP this season is Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis). Abbott's custodian has been a mainstay of the series since the beginning, William Stanford Davis first as a guest star before transitioning to a series regular. Mr. Johnson is known for dropping hilarious, out-of-pocket one-liners in passing, but in Season 6, he's the voice of encouragement to the staff. Each episode finds at least one educator unsure about how to move forward in a situation, whether it's a new student or bracing for rejection. As Barbara has done in the past, Mr. Johnson offers his sincere wisdom now. And thanks to it, this helps boost those educators’ confidence. He's more than just an employee — Mr. Johnson is an invaluable member of the Abbott Elementary community.

If there's one character who isn't making similar strides so far, it's Jacob. Based on what's been seen, he's not being challenged with personal or professional growth the same way as his peers. That's not to say it won’t eventually happen, but there's a clearer trajectory for other teachers that he doesn't have yet.

Abbott Elementary revived the mockumentary sitcom in 2021. The show proved that this type of sitcom will work if the jokes are funny, the setting is familiar, and the characters are relatable. Abbott Elementary has never sacrificed highlighting the very real issues public schools face for the sake of a joke. Six seasons in, the sitcom keeps the bar for comedy gold high, thanks to the foundation it's built and the investment in its characters to challenge them in new ways. The ensemble remains as strong as ever — the natural chemistry continuing to feed humor and relationships. Hitting syndication this season couldn't have happened to a more deserving sitcom. Abbott Elementary has earned its gold stars and then some.

Abbott Elementary Season 6 premieres on ABC on October 7.

Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary Season 6 put itself in a strong position as it approaches a new milestone for the series.

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  Janine Teagues

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  Gregory Eddie

A workplace comedy centered around a group of dedicated teachers - and an oblivious principal - in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life.

Pros & Cons

• Abbott Elementary sets up its characters for meaningful challenges and growth this season.
• The humor builds upon the comedy of previous seasons.
• Mr. Johnson is standout for the season, offering encouragement and advice to others.
• The new season features a great roster of surprise cameos and guest stars.

• Jacob Hill doesn't have a clear arc for the season so far.
• It's too early to tell if the entire season will maintain its quality throughout.