Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 17, “Karaoke.”
IfAbbott Elementaryseason 4, episode 17 proved one thing, it is that the sitcom needs to do a musical episode sooner rather than later.Abbott Elementary’s cast of charactersare all funny, but that is not all that the stars of the series have to offer. As well as playing the mockumentary’s heroine, Janine Teagues, Quinta Brunson also created and writes forAbbott Elementary. Before her standout role as the cheery teacher Barbara Howard, Sheryl Lee Ralph was a Broadway legend thanks to her part inDreamgirls.
WhileAbbott Elementaryseason 4 episode 16 centered on Melissa’s neglected romance with Captain Robinson, the next outing gave Ralph’s singing prowess a chance to shine. In season 4, episode 17, “Karaoke,”Abbott Elementaryleft the titular institution behind to focus on the teachers after work.Abbott Elementaryhas done episodes set outside the school before, such as season 2, episode 10, “Holiday Hookah,” and season 3, episode 14, “Party.” However, most of these earlier outings centered onJanine and Gregory’s burgeoningAbbott Elementaryromance.
Abbott Elementary Season 4’s Karaoke Scene Proves It Can Do A Great Musical Episode
Abbott Elementary Season 4 Episode 17 Shows Off The Cast’s Singing Voices
In contrast, now that Janine and Gregory are in a stable, happy place, “Karaoke” was able to function as a chance for the rest of the sitcom’s supporting cast to get a moment in the limelight outside their workplace. The main storyline followed Ava’s initially disastrous date with O’Shon, while the B-story saw Jacob deal with unexpectedly running into his ex Zach at the karaoke bar. Meanwhile, Gregory balanced his job as a rideshare driver with meeting Janine and the gang at karaoke, but none of these stories alone was the episode’s main selling point.
Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tyler James Williams both got a chance to show off their voices, while Lisa Ann Walter and Christ Perfetti hilariously brought their characters to life with some unlikely karaoke choices.
“Karaoke” offered everyone inAbbott Elementary’s cast a chance to show off their singing skills, and the result was pretty impressive. Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tyler James Williams both got a chance to show off their voices, while Lisa Ann Walter and Christ Perfetti hilariously brought their characters to life with some unlikely karaoke choices. WhileAbbott Elementary’s Avaarrived too late to get a solo, even she and O’Shon ended up joining in the last song of the night, City High’s iconic 2001 hit “What Would You Do?”
Why TV Musical Episodes Are Either A Hit Or Miss
Abbott Elementary Season 4’s Karaoke Proves A Musical Episode Would Work
In a pre-Emmys conversationPeopleMagazinehosted in 2024, Melissa’s actor suggested thatAbbott Elementaryneeded a musical episode in its future. Although “Karaoke” proved that the cast are up to the challenge in terms of sheer singing ability, it is worth remembering thatmusical episodes are a risky proposition. For every hit likeBuffy The Vampire Slayer’s iconic “Once More, With Feeling,” there are plenty of cringe-inducing outings that didn’t have enough catchy songs or a sufficiently worthwhile reason to justify the show’s temporary format shift beyond sheer novelty.
Shows likeRiverdaleandThat ‘70s Showonly committed half-heartedly to their musical outings, resulting in episodes that felt oddly apologetic and uncertain. Musical numbers demand big emotions and bigger performances, and not every series is suited to suddenly switching to this very specific brand of storytelling overnight.
Chris Perfetti
Jacob Hill
AsJanine’sAbbott Elementarycharacter growth proves, the sitcom is more concerned with patient, compelling storytelling than flashy gimmicks. Season 3 of the series featured A-list cameos from the likes of Bradley Cooper and Kevin Hart, but it would be hard to claim that this made the outing better than its predecessors. Strictly speaking,Abbott Elementarydoesn’t need to do a musical episode, and it would be a risky choice. However, the cast’s collective singing talent and the show’s setting make Lisa Ann Walter’s suggestion a compelling idea.
How Abbott Elementary Can Do A Musical Episode Despite Its Mockumentary Set-Up
The Sitcom’s Mockumentary Setup Lends It An Air Of Grounded Realism
LikeThe Office,Parks and Recreation, andModern Familybefore it,Abbott Elementary’s mockumentary format gives the show a somewhat muted, grounded tone in comparison to more outright cartoonish sitcoms. As such, the series could have a hard time justifying a musical episode comparison toScrubs,Community, or other sitcoms that have pulled off in-universe musical episodes thanks to their zanier tone. However, the flip side of this argument is thatthe limitations of the mockumentary format could justifyAbbott Elementary’s musical episode, since the series is set in a school.
Abbott Elementary Season 4, Episode 14 Highlights Its Biggest Character Change
Abbott Elementary season 4 episode 14 proved that the hit sitcom’s breakout star has changed immeasurably since they were introduced a few years ago.
IfAbbott Elementary’s worst teachercould put on an absurdly elaborate science fair despite the school’s limited resources, then the show’s musical episode could easily be justified as part of the production at school. This would give characters like Janine, Gregory, Melissa, Barbara, Ava, and Jacob an excuse to sing their hearts out without viewers wondering when the sitcom completely abandoned its connections to reality. Thus, anAbbott Elementarymusical episode could still work, despite the challenges of the show’s format.
