‘Abbott Elementary’ Bosses Break Down Major Character’s Firing: ‘The Story Is Not Over’

Note: This story contains spoilers from “Abbott Elementary” Season 4, Episode 18.

“Abbott Elementary” just shook up its fourth season with a plot twist fans couldn’t have seen coming: Ava (Janelle James) getting fired as principal.

After Ava and the Abbott teachers agreed not to report the developer of the local golf course for using non-union workers in exchange for bribes in the form of new computers and gadgets, the jig was up by Episode 18, when the school board arrived to audit the school. When the school board tells the group whichever teacher(s) were involved would get suspended, Ava takes responsibility for the bribes, leading her to get fired.

But don’t worry, EPs and co-showrunners Patrick Schumacker and Justin Halpern assured the storyline isn’t a way of writing James out of the ABC sitcom, nor she will be leaving the show.

“The story is not over — You will see Janelle in subsequent episodes,” Schumacker told TheWrap, noting that the next episode will “immediately” address how the twist shifts the Abbott ecosystem after being under Ava’s control. “But it is kind of a longer play. It’s not something that’s going to resolve itself super quickly.”

While Ava won’t be in her typical role moving forward, the EPs teased that subsequent episodes will see the documentary crew following Ava around as she’s “dabbling in other things.”

“She’s a character that we’ve well established as having side hustles — the principaling wasn’t even necessarily her main source of income,” Schumacker said. “That is something that does end up drawing our other characters in because they’re worried about her … so it’s them getting a glimpse over time [and] solving this mystery of, ‘What’s she really up to?'”

Below, Schumacker and Halpern explain the roots of the twist, James’ reaction to the news and tease the fallout to come on “Abbott Elementary.”

TheWrap: How did this storyline first come about? How long have you been plotting it out?

Schumacker: The development with Ava’s specific end at Abbott came pretty late in the game. When we were mapping out the whole season, we knew these bribes had to be paid off at a certain point. When we were breaking this episode in particular, at first we thought that it could end up being schmuck bait, that people were going to be like, “Well, of course, she’s not gone.” We were like, “If we do this like, we’re going to commit to it.” We were looking for an ending that had a certain oomph to it and we were all banging our heads against the table, and Quinta [Brunson] was like, “What if we fire Ava?” And we were all a little bit taken aback. The more we thought about it in that moment, it was like, “Actually, that really does make a lot of sense.”

Halpern: This was the only season we’ve done where we didn’t come into it knowing exactly where we wanted to end it, and I think it produced this episode, which is a really fun, shocking episode that also produces some fun episodes right after it. Sometimes it’s fun to go into it not knowing quite as as much, because then you get to have happy accidents like this that I think are really rewarding for the audience.

How did you share the news with Janelle?

Halpern: It was the funniest thing because at the table read, she reads it and afterwards she goes, “I think this is the first time I’ve ever been fired.”

Schumacker: She did genuinely look like, “Wait.” We were like, “We would extend the courtesy if you were leaving the show. We might give you a heads up.”

In the moment of truth, Ava is the one who steps up and takes responsibility for the bribes. What growth does she show in this moment?

Schumacker: I really want to start off by praising Janelle’s performance this season. She came to the show in the beginning fairly inexperienced on the acting front, and it’s just been a real joy seeing her just come into her own every year and just get really comfortable. There’s some real dramatic heft to a lot of episodes with her this year — we have the storyline with her dad … there is more to come with that — it’s obviously some pretty heavy stuff, as well as seeing Janelle try to keep that stiff upper lip in this moment of intense sea change.

Halpern: Janelle deserves an Emmy. I would just ask any Emmy voter, what character on TV that you watch makes you laugh more than Janelle? Janelle hits every hard joke out of the park and then also plays the dramatic stuff this season incredibly well. There’s a lot of pathos to the character.

But Ava did not think she was going to get fired. When she offers herself up as martyr, she thinks she’s going to have a week vacation to Cabo. There is growth, but she hasn’t completely abandoned her character.

After Ava is fired, Janine goes into her typical “I’m gonna fix this mode.” How will this change impact her?

Schumacker: She’s going to leave no stone unturned.

Halpern: That was what our question was going forward, everybody has their own reaction to it, but what happens when the little Janine that could can’t. I think that’s an interesting story point for her as well.

Before Ava leaves Barb really commends her for stepping up — walk us through that moment.

Halpern: Ava is not a character that emotes a lot. She doesn’t sit in sorrow. She keeps her head up. She’s been dealt many setbacks in her life, and she’s bounced back harder. With a character like that, it’s not as easy to have them process in front of camera, because they wouldn’t. So we thought it’d be interesting to be able to see someone who is like the mother figure of the whole school, Barbara, and who’s seen many teachers and many principals come and go to be able to help us, as an audience, process what we’ve just watched.

We know Gregory has ambitions to become principal — is this his opportunity?

Halpern: They’re going to have to figure it out.

Schumacker: I would say, if something like that happens, you could say to yourself, “Wow, that’s really well earned.”

How does this change help expand “Abbott” beyond the school walls even more?

Halpern: We’ve already been outside of the school quite a bit this year, so I don’t think it feels quite as weird to be outside of it. We’re always looking for reasons to and opportunities to learn a little more about the characters, for the audience to deepen their understanding of those characters and seeing another part of the character that maybe we haven’t seen before. It allows us to do that.

Schumacker: Where we’re leading is kind of an illustration of just how much the school and the people who really are the school mean to the community.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

“Abbott Elementary” premieres Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.

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