Abbott Elementary’s Biggest Season 4 Change Is Great News After One Season 3 Problem

Summary Abbott Elementary season 4 will focus less on celebrity cameos to maintain the show's grounded mockumentary style.

Season 3's guest stars like Kevin Hart and Bradley Cooper took away from the show's realistic tone and character-based comedy.

The creators aim to return to the original character-driven humor that made Abbott Elementary a hit in season 4.

Although Abbott Elementary season 3 was arguably the show’s strongest outing so far, season 4 still promises to improve even further by fixing one recurring issue. Abbott Elementary season 4 was announced shortly after season 3 premiered, and it is easy to see why the network is confident about the mockumentary. The critically acclaimed workplace sitcom became an instant ratings hit and a critical darling thanks to Abbott Elementary’s cast of characters, all of whom strengthened the show’s ensemble. Meanwhile, Gregory and Janine’s slow-burn romance ensures that Abbott Elementary also has plenty of heart beneath all the laughs.

Despite this, the show is not without its problems. Abbott Elementary season 3’s new supporting characters seemed to serve no narrative purpose until the penultimate episode of the outing, and the series held off a little too long on this reveal. Similarly, the decision to have Gregory and Janine almost hook up again on another field trip was a little redundant, even though this fake-out did set up the finale’s perfect ending. However, Abbott Elementary season 3’s biggest problem is one that the show's creators have luckily already acknowledged and committed to reversing in season 4.

Abbott Elementary Season 4 Needs Less Celebrity Cameos

Season 3’s Guest Roles Risked The Show’s Believability

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Unlike many sitcoms, Abbott Elementary doesn’t need flashy cameos to succeed and they can instead hurt its verisimilitude.

According to an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, co-showrunners Patrick Schumacher and Justin Halpern promise Abbott Elementary season 4 will have fewer celebrity guest stars. Per Halpern, “We try to be careful about putting big celebrities in the show if there’s not a reason for it,” and, as a result, “You might see less famous people in the show next year.” This may sound like a letdown but, in the case of this grounded mockumentary, it is great news for the show’s future. Unlike many sitcoms, Abbott Elementary doesn’t need flashy cameos to succeed and they can instead hurt its verisimilitude.

This wasn’t a major issue in season 3 but, in a series so focused on problems like educational underfunding, major Hollywood stars stood out like a sore thumb. Kevin Hart’s Abbott Elementary season 3 cameo was funny, but the moment did seem to belong in a zanier, less realistic series than the mockumentary. Although characters like Ava and Mr. Johnson can get away with being utterly absurd, the majority of Abbott Elementary’s storylines work because they feel rooted in the everyday problems faced by the teachers at the titular institution. This is undermined when famous faces start showing up.

Abbott Elementary Season 3 Stretched Credulity

Bradley Cooper And Kevin Hart’s Roles Went Too Far

Cooper is a world-famous A-list actor, so the thought that he would follow a random student into their school for a show and tell was absurd.

To be fair to Abbott Elementary, the cameo from Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts did make sense in the show’s season 3 premiere. Since it was career day, it felt believable that an attendee would get Hurts to partake via FaceTime thanks to his fame. However, as Abbott Elementary season 3’s guest stars piled up, their believability began to wane. Kevin Hart FaceTiming Janine to tell her to stop bothering him was a stretch, since the actor would more likely to delegate this sort of work or simply block her, especially if he was worried by her persistence.

However, Bradley Cooper randomly showing up to show and tell during a cold open was the most egregiously silly cameo in season 3. Cooper is a world-famous A-list actor, so the thought that he would follow a random student into their school for a show and tell was absurd. Fortunately, Cooper played the scene with the sort of wide-eyed innocence that allowed this ridiculous joke to work, seeming equally unfazed by his own ludicrous actions and the shocked staff members around him. While this was undeniably fun and unexpected, it is the sort of ambitiously goofy meta-joke the show can’t repeat.

Abbott Elementary Season 4 Can Play Into The Show’s Strengths

Showy Cameos Detract From Abbott Elementary’s Character-Based Comedy

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Hart and Cooper playing themselves limited their potential, since they didn’t fit in the humdrum world of the show’s eponymous underresourced public school.

Luckily, Abbott Elementary season 3’s perfect ending proved that the series can get along just fine without starry cameos. It is impressive that the series can attract such high-profile talent, but Mike O’Malley, Cree Summer, and Lana Condor made more impact on Abbott Elementary season 3’s story in their respective guest roles than any of their A-list co-stars. Hart and Cooper playing themselves limited their potential, since they didn’t fit in the humdrum world of the show’s eponymous underresourced public school.

If Abbott Elementary season 4 does want to bring in more A-list stars, the show’s creators should get them to play original characters instead of themselves. This way, the series can continue to prioritize its greatest strength. Abbott Elementary’s character comedy is what makes the series sing, and it is what made the show stand out before it had any big-name guest stars back in season 1. As such, Abbott Elementary season 4 should return to its roots and focus on the interplay between its heroes when the series returns.