TV Show review
Review basis: 5 seasons, 92 episodes · through April 22, 2026
December 7, 2021 · TV-14 · Returning Series
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary workplace comedy about a group of teachers at an underfunded public elementary school in West Philadelphia. Quinta Brunson stars as Janine Teagues, a young optimistic Black teacher who pushes to help her students despite a tone-deaf principal and district problems. The show features a mostly Black ensemble of competent teachers and staff plus a gay history teacher with personal storylines involving his relationships. It focuses on daily school struggles, small wins, and bureaucracy through light comedy.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Abbott Elementary.
Woke representation / casting
Prominent Black cast in lead and supporting competent teacher roles including the creator as optimistic lead Janine; openly gay teacher with recurring relationship storylines; creator has highlighted representation in public comments.
Woke political dialogue
Minimal explicit activist language; school funding and equity topics appear lightly, and Jacob's overly earnest politically correct comments are often the target of jokes.
Identity-driven story themes
Core premise centers on teachers helping students despite underfunding; Jacob's gay storylines and occasional episodes on equity or cultural lessons add identity elements but remain secondary to episodic comedy.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Satirizes school district bureaucracy and indifference; pokes fun at performative liberal attitudes through Jacob but does not frame issues around systemic racism, patriarchy, or similar activist lenses.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Scattered online remarks label the diverse cast or Jacob "woke"; no major sustained controversy or widespread right-leaning complaints treating it as activist content.
Creator track record context
Quinta Brunson has focused on Black-led stories and representation in prior work and interviews around the series.
Production
