A Plea to Abbott Elementary: Give Us More Principal Ava

Summer is just around the corner, which means school is almost out — including Abbott Elementary. Although Season 3 is on the shorter side following last year’s dual Hollywood strikes, with14 episodes in total, the hit ABC sitcom has still managed to pack in plenty of fun, drama, and laughs. 

This season has seen major developments for many characters, from Janine’s (Quinta Brunson) district storyline to Gregory’s (Tyler James Williams) Garden Goofballs club to Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) and Jacob (Chris Perfetti) unexpectedly becoming roommates and good friends. However, there’s one Abbott character who hasn’t gotten much time to shine lately: Ava (Janelle James).

From the moment she was introduced in the pilot as Abbott’s “slightly tone-deaf principal,” Ava has stolen the show with her over-the-top antics. Not only is she totally unqualified for her position as school principal, she’s also an absolute nightmare of a boss. She does very little actual work, regularly insults Janine, makes inappropriate advances towards Gregory that would get her fired anywhere else, and always, always puts herself first (like abandoning her duties as principal during a literal fire in Season 2). 

Yet Ava is a total blast to watch. She’s terrible, sure, but that’s part of what makes her character so great. “To see a Black woman play this type — the goofy, layabout boss, a role usually reserved for white men — it’s like, we can quiet-quit as well,” James told Vulture in 2022. “I know some people hate me, but I feel like they always come around. In their hearts, they love me.”

Although Ava has had some memorable moments and zingers recently — like dubbing Gregory “Jeremy Allen Black,” flirting with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, and representing the school on a panel — it feels like her character has largely taken a backseat in Season 3 compared to the rest of the ensemble. Even "2 Ava 2 Fest" ended up being more about Janine’s district plot and Questlove than Ava herself. 

It initially seemed like the writers were setting Ava up for a very different path this season. In the premiere, she returns to Abbott as a totally competent principal who embraces rules and (gasp!) actually takes her job seriously. Her newly professional attitude scares the teachers so much that they devise a plan to get the old Ava back, stat. Although she stubbornly resists at first, she ultimately caves when she hears “Back That Azz Up” blaring over the loudspeaker. “I’m back, y’all!” she declares, tossing her glasses off and immediately busting a move.

While that was an amusing plot, the storyline had a lot of potential and could have easily spanned multiple episodes. Obviously nobody wants a boring Ava, but James can make even the most “serious” version of her character hilarious. “I went to Harvard this summer,” she says proudly. “I sat there on their campus and I used their free Wi-Fi.” Instead of exploring this new side of her, however, the show quickly wraps it up and returns to the status quo. That’s not necessarily the worst decision considering this season already has plenty of other substantial changes to work with, but it doesn’t leave Ava with much going on.

Ava’s strongest plot this season centers around her unexpected friendship with Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph). In “Breakup,” Barbara wants to ask her church choir group to let her do a solo performance, but is hesitant to rock the boat. She finds an unlikely source of encouragement in Ava, who pushes her to stand up for herself. The two women couldn’t be more different: Barbara values tradition and has a “no-nonsense” attitude, while Ava is… well, Ava. But not only do their personalities gel surprisingly well here, they also bring out new, interesting sides of each other. When the choir rejects Barbara, Ava steps in to cheer her up, revealing, “I threw together this little surprise recital for Barb. Because apparently you can’t key a church lady’s car anymore.” 

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a more compassionate side to Ava, but it particularly stands out this season, most of which she’s spent just roasting Janine. Her scathing insults make the sitcom tick, but her jabs are starting to feel a little one-note as of late — when Janine announces she’s leaving Abbott permanently, everyone is upset by the news except for Ava, who just insults Janine’s fashion. While it’s not out of character, this also could have been a prime opportunity to expand on the crumbs of the Ava/Janine friendship the show has planted. In “Gregory’s Garden Goofballs,” she tells Janine, “Us being friends– acquaintances! was impossible, but you made that happen,” yet this is basically forgotten just a couple of episodes later. 

Although Ava’s meanness is a big part of what makes her so entertaining, she's also more than just a bully. Season 1’s “Step Class” did an excellent job of showing how layered her character can be when she’s given the spotlight. The episode sees Ava lead an after-school dance class, proving herself to be a great leader for the kids despite the teachers’ doubts. When she doesn’t show up to a performance, Janine lashes out at her for being unreliable — but unbeknownst to her, Ava was absent because she was taking care of her grandmother, who has dementia. 

“Step Class” doesn’t reframe Ava as a virtuous hero, but instead shows there’s more to her than meets the eye and proves that she does, indeed, have a heart. In a similar fashion, Season 2’s “Fundraiser” adds another layer of depth to her character when, in the midst of a heated argument with Barbara, she reveals that she grew up without money. But compared to previous seasons, Season 3 has been largely lacking in any lasting, meaningful Ava development. 

Of course, it’s understandable that this season’s shorter length might have made it difficult to give every character ample screen time, something that’s already challenging for ensemble shows. Some sitcoms like The Office have dealt with this issue by frequently bussing characters in and out (like Ryan, Andy, and even both Jim and Pam at various points), but that’s not really Abbott Elementary’s style; even when Janine worked for the district, she was still very much a main part of the show. 

Other ensemble shows like Glee have found convenient ways to make characters cross paths and end up in the same destination, like the football guys joining New Directions or Finn and Kurt’s parents getting married. While Abbott has dipped its toes in this strategy by having Melissa and Jacob move in together, Ava doesn’t have a whole lot tying her to other characters right now, leaving little room for her storylines to overlap with theirs. 

Despite Ava being a major character, we still don’t know much about her background or life outside of Abbott. And that’s actually okay, because it means there’s plenty left to explore in future episodes. What’s the rest of her family like? How exactly did she gain such a huge following on social media? Is she really dating Iggy? The possibilities are endless.

Love her, hate her, or love to hate her, Ava is undeniably one of the best parts of Abbott Elementary. Whatever direction the writers take her character in, she deserves to be in the spotlight soon.

Abbott Elementary airs Wednesdays at 9:00 PM ET on ABC. Join the discussion about the show in our forums.

Kelly Martinez is a TV Reporter based in Los Angeles. Her previous work can be found at BuzzFeed and People Magazine, among other outlets. She enjoys reading, spending time with her cat, and explaining the plot of Riverdale to people.