Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 11, “Double Date,” marks Janine’s (Quinta Brunson) return to Abbott; of course, everyone has something to say about it. Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) dismiss it as if she has been back for a while.
Mr. Morton (Jerry Minor) says she looks good for someone coming back from maternity leave. And Ava (Janelle James) omits any mentions by promoting the return of cinnamon buns. Still, none of that stops Janine from talking about how much she’s missed teaching.
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Book Club and Alliances
Back in the teachers’ lounge, Janine is once again making conversation with everyone, but Barbara tries to put an end to it as she is trying to finish reading for book club. Of course, Janine and Jacob (Chris Perfetti) want to join, and Melissa and Barbara stop them immediately by saying admission has been closed.
The book club is Ava’s idea. Inez (Cree Summer) suggested she might like discussing her new passion with others, so the principal created AARB (Ava And her Reading B*tches). The club also includes Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) and Morton — which pushes Jacob to want to show off her knowledge of the novel they’re reading (quickly shut down by Barbara, saying they don’t need the novel mansplained.
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That night, Ava arrives at the gym, and the rest of the club is already sitting and waiting for her. They begin to talk about what they liked about the book and what each of them would do in a post-apocalyptic situation. To no one’s surprise, Ava claims she would be a great leader since she has been preparing for this moment since she was 10 years old and during her time at Abbott Elementary.
Barbara continues to hold on to her faith, which everyone comments on and points out won’t get her far in that situation. These different points of view lead to an argument and disagreements on the book’s message.
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Ava: The Leader
They decide it might be easier to have a conversation about the book by breaking into groups of two. Melissa and Mr. Johnson, Inez and Ava, and Barbara and Morton. However, this doesn’t solve the problem.
Ava tries to hear what everyone else is saying. Melissa accuses Barbara of trying to steal their water. Barbara then decides to keep the food that was just delivered under Morton’s wife’s name. Mr. Johnson asks the delivery guy to join their alliance.
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Ava manages to get the food from Morton and demands everyone kneel down and kiss the wing. However, Morton, Inez and the delivery guy end up leaving the gym. When Melissa and Barbara try to do the same, Ava accuses them of being unable to stand up to her, making her the group leader, so the two women decide to stay in the gym.
The next morning, Mr. Johnson is sweeping the floor while Ava, Melissa and Barbara are asleep. The kitchen lady wakes them up, explains the book’s true meaning and kicks them out.
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Double Dates and Jealousy
Jacob invites Gregory (Tyler James Williams) on a double date with the paramedic he is seeing and one of his co-workers. So, that night, Gregory and Olivia (Lana Condor) are seen standing outside the bar, having a conversation about experiences she has had in her line of work.
Because the wait for the restaurant is quite long, the four of them decide to go into the bar and have a few drinks. That is when Gregory sees Janine sitting at a table with Manny (Josh Segarra) on what looks like a date, and he starts to freak out. When Jacob wants to say hello, Gregory stops him and looks very jealous.
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Throughout the date, Gregory seems distracted by Janine and Manny, making assumptions about how long they’ve been dating, the flowers on his desk, and his beard. He tries to apologize to Olivia for being so distracted but ends up screaming out when he sees Manny leaning into Janine.
Now, he has no other option but to go over and talk to them. He starts asking about their date but gets interrupted by Tariq (Zack Fox) and Erika (Courtney Taylor). Gregory continues to mention every little detail that seems like a date, but Manny has an explanation for everything.
Gregory Loses His Date
After talking to Janine, Gregory returns to his date. Olivia, who is walking out the door, explains this is no longer a double date. When he tries apologizing, she says he will only see her if he is in an accident and needs her help.
The next day, Janine, Jacob and Gregory talk about the previous night. Janine laughs at Gregory, thinking she was on a date with Manny. Instead, she asks if she could borrow some flowers from his garden to replace the ones on her desk.
RELATED: Read our recaps of Abbott Elementary here!
As Janine walks away, Jacob realizes Gregory still has feelings for her but refuses to talk about it.
Abbott Elementary airs on Wednesdays at 9 PM on your ABC affiliate.
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