Abbott Elementary – Season 2 Episode 10 “Holiday Hookah” Recap & Review

Holiday Hookah

In Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 10, Zach volunteers at the school to sing Christmas songs with the students. He’s an avid caroller, unlike Jacob, who can’t sing and refuses to come caroling with Zach’s family in Pittsburgh.

It’s the last day of school before Christmas break. Melissa and Barbara are excited for their traditional Christmas Lounge dinner at the school. Jacob fishes for an invitation, as he’ll be alone on Christmas while Zach visits family. They don’t invite him, but he crashes anyway, along with Mr. Johnson.

Jacob kills the mood with his conversation, eventually driving Melissa and Barbara away. Mr. Johnson tells him he’s ruining Christmas with his “withering takes” on the holiday. Jacob admits he doesn’t have good memories surrounding Christmas, so Mr. Johnson convinces him this is his chance to make one.

Jacob runs to the store and back. He gives Melissa and Barbara Christmas presents and apologizes to them for being a Grinch. He confesses that the holidays are tough and doesn’t want to ruin it for them too.

Later, Jacob calls Zach. He decided he wants to come to Pittsburgh after all to have Christmas with Zach’s family.

Meanwhile, Janine nervously prepares for her first single holiday. She and Erika go to a holiday hookah party. In line at the club, they run into Gregory and his friend Maurice (and also Ava and her girlfriends). Janine was excited about letting loose tonight, but now doesn’t feel comfortable in front of her boss and coworker.

Gregory asks Janine to dance. Erika notices that Janine isn’t having fun, so she pulls her aside and tells her to turn up her energy. With her encouragement, Janine finally lets loose and starts enjoying herself with Gregory.

When Ava interrupts them, they leave the club to get away from her. It starts snowing, and they lean in to kiss each other–but a text from Amber to Gregory interrupts them. They wish each other a good break, and Gregory leaves to go hang out with Amber.

Maurice finds Janine and flirts with her for a while, but Janine is ultimately left alone until Ava finds her outside and invites her to keep partying with her and her boyfriend, NBA champion Andre Iguodala.

The Episode Review

This holiday episode of Abbott Elementary may turn down the comedy, but it turns up the romantic tension in turn. Gregory and Janine finally get their outside-of-school romantic moment (under the snow, no less). The sweet moments for them underscore not only their mutual feelings, but the unease they carry by having such feelings for a coworker–making for an even more complicated (and compelling) work relationship.

The rest of the episode is cute, if half-heartedly wrapped in Christmas cheese and cheer. Ultimately, I’m excited about where the episode ends. Janine has met someone, and it’s none other than one of Gregory’s own friends. If something develops, it could bring Janine and Gregory closer together–but not before it drives an awkward wedge between them.