Abbott Elementary returned on October 21, 2026, with an episode titled “Tryouts” that packed three storylines into 31 minutes. The step team earned a spot at regionals, Melissa Schemmenti and Barbara Howard sat in a special education certification class, and a new substitute teacher named Natalie left Abbott before the credits rolled. The episode also gave viewers a rare look at why Ava Coleman fears letting students dream big.
The Step Team Moves One Step Closer to Disneyland
Ava Coleman and Mr. Johnson guided Abbott’s step team through an audition for The Homeroom Showdown, an all-school dance contest. A strong audition tape would send the team to regionals, where a win means a trip to Disneyland. Ava doubted the team’s chances from the start and questioned whether the students should get their hopes up at all. Mr. Johnson pushed back, arguing that teachers should let kids dream and be there to comfort them if things go wrong.
The team made it to regionals. The staff celebrated loudly, and Mr. Johnson even admitted he forgot to film the announcement and asked everyone to redo it. The qualification is a win, but regionals are still ahead.
Ava’s Fear Comes From Her Own Past
The episode revealed why Ava hesitated to support the step team. Ava once tried out for Annie and was told she would not get the role because she was Black. That rejection shaped how she protects students from disappointment. Mr. Johnson helped her see that shielding kids from failure also keeps them from trying. Ava changed her approach and backed the team without tying her support to a win.
Ava’s growth has shown up across two straight episodes. In the previous episode, “Check-Ins,” she gave steady advice to a student skipping class over her parents’ divorce and helped Gregory Eddie with a binder of substitute teacher options. The show is slowly reshaping Ava from a principal chasing side hustles into someone who cares about the people she leads.
Ali Wong Turns Melissa and Barbara Into Students
Ali Wong guest starred as Ms. Pitman, a special education teacher who told Melissa Schemmenti that she needed a certification course. Melissa resisted at first, believing her classroom experience was enough. The promise of $2,000 for completing the course brought Barbara Howard on board too. Both teachers arrived late to their first class, and Pitman was not pleased.
The comedy came from watching two headstrong teachers sit on the other side of the desk. They talked over Pitman, murmured about dinner plans, and got separated for disrupting the class. Pitman eventually asked them to leave. The turning point came when a student named Michael struggled during the lunch line announcement. Melissa and Barbara offered him sensory headphones, a technique they learned in Pitman’s course. The gesture showed they had absorbed the lesson, and they gave Pitman an apple at the end of the episode.
“Her character is rightfully fed up with Melissa and Barbara’s classroom antics.” — Tell-Tale TV review of Ali Wong‘s role
Miranda Cosgrove’s Natalie Leaves Abbott After One Dinner
Miranda Cosgrove played Natalie, a substitute teacher who quickly became a favorite with the students. Janine Teagues, Gregory Eddie, and Jacob Hill invited her to dinner at Bone Town to welcome her to the group. Natalie arrived dressed as a Catholic sister, and the trio assumed it was a costume. It was not. She was a real nun, or a “sister,” as she called herself.
The dinner fell apart in stages. Janine was high on after-school marijuana and could not keep a straight face. The restaurant’s menu featured drinks named after sexual acts. The trio tried to act normal but ended up treating Natalie like a project instead of a colleague. Natalie noticed and told them they were not good at hiding their discomfort.
Natalie quit before the group could push her out. She told them she had taken a job at a Jesuit school. The episode closed with Janine and Jacob literally closing the door on her at Abbott.
“Miranda Cosgrove being a religious sister was NOT on the bingo card.” — fan comment on Prime Timer forums
Episode Reception and Guest Star Impact
Reviews pointed to the guest stars as the episode’s strongest element. Tell-Tale TV called “Tryouts” the funniest episode of the season and praised Cosgrove for blending into the show’s world while keeping her own comic timing. The TV Cave gave the episode a 9/10 rating and said it delivered laughs without losing the warmth that defines Abbott Elementary. Episodic Medium noted that the episode’s setup could have led to a feel-good story but instead took a sharper turn, suggesting the teachers are not always the heroes.
The episode ran 31 minutes and aired from 8:30 to 9:01 p.m. ET on ABC. It is available to stream on Hulu the day after broadcast. Viewers in the UK, Canada, Australia, and India can watch through local platforms carrying ABC content and Hulu where available.
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What Comes Next for Abbott Elementary
Season 6 Episode 4, titled “Halloween Party,” is scheduled to air on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The episode will find Ava hosting an exclusive Halloween bash while Janine and Jacob grow suspicious of Gregory. The season has 22 episodes in total, including the show’s 100th episode, which takes the cast to Disneyland.
Also Read: Abbott Elementary Season 6: Ava Coleman Is Finally Growing Up and the Show Is Better for It
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