Abbott Elementary “Egg Drop” Spoilers Ahead
Abbott Elementary Season 2, Episode 8, “Egg Drop,” tackles the importance of knowing our limit, whether we’re kids or adults—it makes it clear that there’s also something we could learn. It starts with Janine and her students and ends with Barbara, reminding the audience that failure is part of the growth process.
When the eighth graders are participating in a scientific experience egg drop, Janine insists that her kids go in on it too, but when their eggs consistently break, she takes the loss too personally. Melissa cheats her way through Abbott Elementary’s “Egg Drop,” Ava gets a few things right, Gregory’s had a long week, Jacob deals with Mr. Morton’s passive-aggressive kindness, and Barbara learns the importance of refraining from judgment.
First, Gregory Eddie continues to be a frustrated unicorn, trying to make it through another tough week. Is it just me, or does it feel like Gregory is often pushing through something? It’s making it that much easier to want to see him and Jenna get together to have someone to share the burdens with. and it’s easy to appreciate him for it. Still, Gregory’s mission this week was to get everyone to understand what science actually means.
And kudos to him because I would’ve lost my nerve about five minutes into the conversation and ran out the door with the amount of misinformation circulating. However, what’s easy to appreciate is the detail that Gregory always says it as it is: positivity can sometimes be toxic, which Janine needed to hear.
Though Janine’s approach genuinely stems from a good place, she and her students must learn that failure is integral to growth. While people might mock kids for failing, as adults, we can’t always shield them from that pain because it requires getting through it to understand that it’s a universal feeling as opposed to an individual heartache. The egg drop, in particular, requires a team effort with a deeper understanding of science that even grown adults can’t fathom. And that’s okay. Janine and the audience needed to understand that sometimes, we can’t all be good at everything. I, for one, still use a calculator for everything because what is Math?
And then there’s the significance of Barbara’s arc, the truly good Christian woman. If all Christians were like her, the world would be a beautiful place, wouldn’t it? But Barbara isn’t perfect, and that’s a testament to the detail that no human truly is. If we are Christians, we believe that it’s why Christ died for our sins, and it’s why grace exists. Contrary to how some behave, as Christians, we aren’t supposed to judge those who are different. In Matthew 7, it is written: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
But we’re imperfect, profoundly flawed human beings, and sometimes, judgments are passed. When Barbara cannot fathom why a student’s mother (Raven Goodwin) wears clothing with curse words or why she’s covered in tattoos, Ava steps in during Abbott Elementary’s “Egg Drop.” She simply asks Barbara if she needs to understand. Yes, certain things shouldn’t be seen by children, and Tamika’s mother also comes to this understanding on her own.
Barbara’s judgment comes from the detail that she’s different from her, which also stems from her own beliefs and choices. At the end of the day, however, the episode makes it abundantly clear that we don’t always have to understand how or why a person does what they do. We aren’t talking about criminals here who are directly harming people, but we’re talking about what people wear or who they love and what they do with their own bodies.
Tattoos aren’t for everybody, but there are hundreds and thousands of things in the world that aren’t for everybody—what a person does with their own time and body isn’t the world’s concern. It’s theirs, and in this scenario, it’s God’s. It’s never up to us to play judge, jury, and executioner. Thus, Barbara comes to this understanding beautifully by choosing to be a genuinely good Christian and not only leading with love but a sincere apology.
Abbott Elementary’s “Egg Drop” is an impressive episode that subtly digs into human complexities and motives. It allows the characters to be flawed only to give them a better understanding of who they are and who they can be by the end of the episode. It looks into complicated territories with immense heart, making the week’s message much more worthwhile.
Further Thoughts
- SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY !!!! Barbara remains GOLD.
- Janine’s fall themed outfits this week gave me life!
- AVA GETS IT. That look she gave Janine and Gregory!? Eek!
- “I don’t sound like that, Janine. My voice is quite deep.”
- “I want to fight you.” Same, Janine.
- Mr. Morton is the worst!??
- Is anyone else still waiting for Barbara’s former student from “Attack Ad” to show up? It’s probably happening in the finale and leaving us with a cliffhanger, but ah!
Now streaming on Hulu or ABC: What are your thoughts on Abbott Elementary’s “Egg Drop?” Let us know in the comments below.