Spoilers for Abbott Elementary, Season 5, Episode 8 are ahead! If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the series with a Hulu subscription.
Well, the halls of Abbott Elementary have been changed forever, and I mean that in the most literal sense. When the ABC comedy returns on the 2026 TV schedule, it will not be set in a school. Oh, no, they’ll be in a mall, because they had to close their building. Truly, it’s the craziest plot twist this show has ever pulled off, and now I cannot wait to see the silly repercussions it's about to have.
Really, Ava and co. should have listened to Steve Agee’s maintenance man, Edward, and closed the school when they realized the furnace wasn’t working, because it wound up causing major (and I mean MAJOR) issues. Quite literally, the school was falling apart after the furnace kicked the bucket, and to quote the Edward's diagnosis of the situation:
Well, definite burstage, serious flood, and your furnace is completely done-zo.
The teachers really didn’t buy into it at first. However, when Agee’s character detailed why they needed a whole new school, they finally got it. Mr. Johnson also got to sing “I told you so” at them, which, admittedly, they deserved after not taking this all seriously.
Now, enter the mall. Yes, the mall. At the very end of the episode, it was revealed that Ava had found Abbott a new temporary building. She said:
So, instead of sipping Mai Tais on the beach all break, our hero, Ava Colman, has been looking for a new school building. Zillow, Craigslist, Tinder, the works. Turns out I have to use the options the school district gave me. Welcome to the brand new Abbott Elementary! It’s an old mall, OK? We’re gonna make it work.
Now, when Quinta Brunson said Season 5’s Christmas episode would be a “game changer,” a mall was not what I expected. I had guessed that the big development would have to do with Gregory and Janine’s relationship, and I had theorized that maybe something along the lines of Ava’s firing could happen again. However, the school closing and them having to move was not even on my radar.
I’m here for it, though, because the chaos a development like this could cause is delightful to think about. Seriously, the shenanigans are infinite, and the repercussions are bound to be silly.
I can see it now: teachers trying to figure out how to turn shops into classrooms, a whole fiasco involving a food court, and the employees of the school having to deal with children and escalators. Literally and figuratively, this move opens new doors for Abbott Elementary, and I cannot wait to see how it tests everyone.
The idea of Mr. Johnson figuring out a new routine for clearing is very entertaining. Gregory making the Garden Goofballs work in a mall will likely stress him out, but it would be hilarious for us. And Janine using her can-do attitude to make this mall a school makes me smile. All around, while a ridiculous move, it’s brilliant, because it will force these characters into uncharted territory, and I am so here for the new stories that will come out of it.
Overall, Abbott Elementary ended its run on the 2025 TV schedule with a bang that really did change the show. Five seasons in, and they’re keeping it fresh and us on our toes. Now, I can’t wait to see what shenanigans they all get up to when school starts back up in the new year.
