“Abbott Elementary: The Complete Third Season” – DVD Review

Abbott Elementary season 3 is coming to DVD on April 1, 2025, making it the best way for fans to binge-watch the mockumentary sitcom while owning all episodes in physical format.

I was provided with a free copy of Abbott Elementary season 3 on DVD for review from Warner Bros Discovery Home Entertainment. The opinions I have shared are my own.

I got into watching Abbott Elementary a bit late. Premiering back in December 2021, I knew about it from watching episode clips on various socials. I knew it was doing great when it came to ratings and award recognition. But I just didn’t have the time to keep up with the shenanigans at the Abbott Elementary School until the show’s third season. And yes, critics and viewers were right when they said it’s one of the best mockumentary sitcoms out there.

The premise of the live-action series has a documentary crew following a group of teachers at Willard R. Abbott Elementary School, a predominantly Black Philadelphia public school. Show creator Quinta Brunson plays Janine Teagues, a teacher passionate about making the lives of students better as she continues to face numerous challenges in the education sector.

The rest of the cast includes Tyler James Williams as fellow teacher Gregory Eddie, who is also Janine’s love interest. Janelle James is the school’s very unserious yet hilarious principal Ava Coleman. Lisa Ann Walter is the (as I would put it) streetsmart Melissa Schemmenti. There’s Chris Perfetti as history teacher Jacob Hill (an openly gay character). Sheryl Lee Ralph plays the religious kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard. William Stanford Davis plays the custodian Mr. Johnson.

All of the characters went through a whole lot of character development over the course of the two seasons, with Janine and Gregory trying to handle their ever growing romantic feelings for each other. The well-written queer representation primarily came through Jacob, with him introducing his boyfriend to his colleagues. Ava realized she needed to take her job as principal a bit more seriously.

Abbott Elementary season 3 can be described as the chapter of change. The story had Janine begin working for the school district and realize how different her new job was from her time at the school. I liked how the narrative explored the reality check Janine received, touching upon how ambitious people get pushed down due to laws and a whole lot of other red tape they need to go through when trying to improve the system.

The season also talked about honoring establishments named after racists and how to deal with such type of American history. There was Barbara’s reluctance to change with the times when it came to the programs Janine was trying to introduce. Gregory’s relationship with his mother and celebrating Mother’s Day was spotlighted. The series put a mirror up to the teachers’ destructive habits when they were the ones trying to warn students of the dangers associated with smoking and vaping. And a whole lot more.

Running from February 2024 to May 2024, the 14-episode third season of Abbott Elementary was a comedic ride that struck the right balance between laughs, emotional weight, and being inspired by real-world issues. 

Coming to the DVD release, the front cover has an image of the main cast on top of a roof. The back has another group shot along with screenshots from various episodes and a synopsis. Opening the plastic case, it has a back insert featuring more stills from the season. The 14 episodes are spread over 2 DVDs. The DVDs are blue with doodles all over. It’s a nice touch.

I didn’t find any issues with the video and audio presentation as I binge-watched the series. Each episode is approximately  22 minutes long, with the current DVD release offering fans almost 302 minutes of content. The lack of extra content is disappointing. But it is what it is.

Abbott Elementary debuted the fourth season on October 2024, with the season finale being scheduled for April 16, 2025, for a total of 22 episodes.

I highly recommend you begin watching the show if you haven’t already. It’s so good!

Are you a fan of Abbott Elementary? Will you be buying season 3 on DVD on April 1, 2025?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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