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The Best Episodes of Abbott Elementary

Every episode of Abbott Elementary ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Abbott Elementary!

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In this workplace comedy, a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 6 - Candy Zombies
    7.3/10(1443 votes)

    #1 - Candy Zombies

    S2:E6

    It’s Halloween at Abbott Elementary! When a student steals a bag of candy meant to be given out to the kids at the end of the day and starts distributing it during school hours, the teachers band together to find the culprit. Meanwhile, Janine is invited to a Halloween party by an old friend and starts to reconsider her personal life.

    Director:Shahrzad 'Sheri' Davani
    Writer:Kate Peterman

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  2. Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 13 - Smith Playground
    6.9/10(890 votes)

    #2 - Smith Playground

    S3:E13

    Jacob manages to pull off a schoolwide field trip to the park; however, when Abbott must share the playground, the fun and games turn competitive. Elsewhere, Mr. Johnson enjoys having an empty school to himself.

    Director:Jay Karas
    Writer:Brian Rubenstein

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  3. Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 14 - Party
    6.9/10(1093 votes)

    #3 - Party

    S3:E14

    It’s the last day of school! Ahead of summer vacation, Janine throws the perfect end-of-year party for her colleagues and friends, taking all their interests into consideration.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writers:Chad Morton, Rebekka Pesqueira

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  4. Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 7 - Attack Ad
    6.8/10(1208 votes)

    #4 - Attack Ad

    S2:E7

    The teachers are appalled after seeing a commercial in support of charter schools criticizing Abbott Elementary. When students begin to transfer schools, Jacob, Ava and Melissa invite the leader of the charter school organization to Abbott and ask him to take down the ad. Elsewhere, Janine and Gregory talk about Janine’s relationship with Tariq .

    Director:Matt Sohn
    Writer:Justin Tan

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  5. Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 19 - Festival
    6.8/10(1186 votes)

    #5 - Festival

    S2:E19

    Abbott Elementary rallies together to fight the threat from Legendary Charter Schools. Ava pitches a festival to draw parents to school and collect their signatures for a petition. However, Draemond shows up with the intention of derailing the event.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Brian Rubenstein

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  6. Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 1 - Pilot
    6.7/10(2438 votes)

    #6 - Pilot

    S1:E1

    When the staff relates their needs, Principal Ava presents alternative options.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Quinta Brunson

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Abbott Elementary

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  7. Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 9 - Sick Day
    6.7/10(1267 votes)

    #7 - Sick Day

    S2:E9

    Janine is out sick for the day; but with the substitute teacher shortage, Ava grows desperate and must step in herself to help out. She starts the day in an unconventional fashion, disrupting the students’ typical routine as well as neighboring classrooms. Meanwhile, Barbara and Melissa revel in the quieter-than-normal teacher’s lounge.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Riley Dufurrena

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  8. Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 3 - Wishlist
    6.6/10(1851 votes)

    #8 - Wishlist

    S1:E3

    The teachers to ask the local community for new school supplies. Janine takes to TikTok and with Ava’s assistance, her video is a success and goes viral. Janine encourages Gregory to decorate his classroom.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Morgan Murphy

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  9. Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 9 - Step Class
    6.6/10(1538 votes)

    #9 - Step Class

    S1:E9

    Janine is thrilled when Ava asks to help her teach the after-school step class, but the two don’t see eye to eye on how to run the program. Later, when Barbara, Melissa and Jacob plan an “eat-off” to decide who makes the best pizza in Philadelphia, Gregory is forced to reveal a secret

    Director:Shahrzad 'Sheri' Davani
    Writer:Joya McCrory

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  10. Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 10 - Open House
    6.6/10(1484 votes)

    #10 - Open House

    S1:E10

    It's Open House night at Abbott Elementary, and while Janine prepares to meet her struggling student's mother, the rest of the faculty uses the time to relax. Gregory is taken aback when he learns how Ava got the principal job, and later, Barbara's daughter's visit creates a commotion in more ways than one.

    Director:Jennifer Celotta
    Writer:Brian Rubenstein

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  11. Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 12 - Ava vs. Superintendent
    6.6/10(1390 votes)

    #11 - Ava vs. Superintendent

    S1:E12

    With the school board threatening to pull their funds, Janine and Gregory decide to help Ava out with her presentation in front of the Superintendent. However, their plan is derailed when a curveball is thrown at Ava. Meanwhile, Barbara offends Melissa when she doesn’t agree with her blackmail idea.

    Director:Matthew A. Cherry
    Writer:Brittani Nichols

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  12. Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 8 - Egg Drop
    6.6/10(1227 votes)

    #12 - Egg Drop

    S2:E8

    When the eighth-grade science class participates in an egg drop activity, Janine insists her second-grade class joins in. Even when the science teacher and Gregory tell her that her students aren’t ready for physics lessons, Janine is determined to prove them wrong. Then, when Barbara is shocked at the clothing one of her student’s parents wears, she learns to not judge someone solely based on their appearance.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Joya McCrory

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  13. Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 21 - Mom
    6.6/10(1088 votes)

    #13 - Mom

    S2:E21

    Janine's plan for a Memorial Day weekend solo trip is derailed when her mother shows up unannounced asking for help; Gregory notices his colleagues are great at small talk and realizes he needs to brush up on his people skills.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Ava Coleman

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  14. Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 5 - Breakup
    6.6/10(1002 votes)

    #14 - Breakup

    S3:E5

    When Barbara's church choir uses the gym for rehearsals, Ava notices tension in the group. Jacob's eagerness for a full social calendar worries Gregory. Melissa and Janine investigate a new substitute.

    Director:Jennifer Celotta
    Writer:Brittani Nichols

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  15. Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 4 - New Tech
    6.5/10(1703 votes)

    #15 - New Tech

    S1:E4

    When a new computer program is introduced at Abbott, Janine is excited to finally help Barbara with something. Barbara is reluctant to accept change and finds herself in a tricky situation. Melissa surprises Jacob.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Brian Rubenstein

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  16. Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 5 - Student Transfer
    6.5/10(1651 votes)

    #16 - Student Transfer

    S1:E5

    After a negative teacher review, Janine gets a confidence boost when a student gets transferred from Melissa's class into hers. Jacob tries to forge a friendship with an uninterested Gregory.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Brittani Nichols

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  17. Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 6 - Gifted Program
    6.5/10(1613 votes)

    #17 - Gifted Program

    S1:E6

    Janine convinces Ava to start a gifted program at Abbott led by Jacob. However, when some students begin to feel left out, Gregory and Janine put their heads together and come up with a solution. Elsewhere, Barbara pushes a hesitant Melissa to start dating again.

    Director:Matt Sohn
    Writer:Jordan Temple

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  18. Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 7 - Art Teacher
    6.5/10(1550 votes)

    #18 - Art Teacher

    S1:E7

    When the school’s art teacher retires, Janine is thrilled when the replacement ends up being her best friend from college, but things quickly turn sour when Sahar gets in the way of Melissa’s class traditions. Meanwhile, Jacob and Barbara bond over their love for gardening and decide to start a school garden; but when it turns out they don’t know how to successfully grow anything, Gregory secretly gets involved to fix all of their mistakes

    Director:Jennifer Celotta
    Writer:Kate Peterman

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  19. Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 1 - Development Day
    6.5/10(1469 votes)

    #19 - Development Day

    S2:E1

    The teachers are back for development week, a time to prepare for the upcoming year. Janine is determined to start the year off right and leave her problems at home. Ava runs a side hustle out of the school parking lot.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Quinta Brunson

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  20. Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 2 - Wrong Delivery
    6.5/10(1333 votes)

    #20 - Wrong Delivery

    S2:E2

    After Janine gets a look at the new charter school down the street, she becomes determined to fix up Abbott and make it just as good. As Gregory goes out of his way to avoid Barbara due to an awkward situation with his personal life, and Ava takes to the school library to host a “Shark Tank”-style pitch to decide what to do with the rest of the funds from the grant.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Brian Rubenstein

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  21. Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 18 - Teacher Appreciation
    6.5/10(1107 votes)

    #21 - Teacher Appreciation

    S2:E18

    It’s Teacher Appreciation Day. When the district gives Abbott two courtside tickets to a 76ers game, the teachers must decide who deserves them. Later, Janine invites the teachers to her house for game night and her sister, Ayesha, comes to visit.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Morgan Murphy

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  22. Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 13 - Fundraiser
    6.4/10(1178 votes)

    #22 - Fundraiser

    S2:E13

    Barbara organizes a candy-selling fundraiser to raise money for a school field trip to the science museum. When sales don’t go as planned, Ava steps in to teach the students new, unconventional selling tactics. Elsewhere, Mr. Johnson and Jacob butt heads about how to take care of a cat found in the janitor’s closet.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Brittani Nichols

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  23. Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 22 - Franklin Institute
    6.4/10(1076 votes)

    #23 - Franklin Institute

    S2:E22

    Abbott Elementary takes a field trip to the Franklin Institute; Gregory is eager to spend time with a reluctant Janine; Ava teaches the students about aliens, which leads to chaos.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Brittani Nichols

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  24. Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 13 - Zoo Balloon
    6.3/10(1473 votes)

    #24 - Zoo Balloon

    S1:E13

    While on Abbott's annual zoo field trip, Tariq reveals that he has been offered a job in New York; Janine struggles with a big choice; Barbara starts questioning her future after finding out her favorite tuatara has been retired because of old age.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Jordan Temple

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  25. Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 3 - Story Samurai
    6.3/10(1292 votes)

    #25 - Story Samurai

    S2:E3

    A traveling storytelling troupe Jacob used to be in visits Abbott Elementary for a day of education and entertainment. Jacob can’t wait to share this part of his past with his colleagues; but when he realizes they think the performers are corny, Janine does her best to help him embrace his nerdy side. Meanwhile, Melissa struggles with the new normal of her combined second and third grade class.

    Director:Jay Karas
    Writer:Jordan Temple

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Best Episodes Summary

"Candy Zombies" is the best rated episode of "Abbott Elementary". It scored 7.3/10 based on 1443 votes. Directed by Shahrzad 'Sheri' Davani and written by Kate Peterman, it aired on 10/26/2022. This episode scored 0.4 points higher than the second highest rated, "Smith Playground".