I used to consider myself a rather cool cat when it came to spoilers. I grew up combing the internet for script leaks and casting rumors. I have never muted a movie-related term on Twitter ahead of a major box office release. I have even been known to read a Wikipedia summary before even pressing play on a flick. I don’t care about spoilers! Spoil everything! I’m fine with it!!!
At least, that’s how I felt until I fell in love with Abbott Elementary. Because I am a cord cutter, I can’t really watch the show live. And even if I had cable, I probably wouldn’t tune in live, because what am I? A boomer who watches broadcast network comedies when they air on TV? (Insert a Janelle James hair toss here.) No, I wait to watch it the next night on Hulu or later during the weekend. Sometimes I even save a few episodes to binge on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
This was fine until the show blew up. Now it’s impossible to not see my Twitter timeline littered with Abbott Elementary spoilers, clips, reveals, and memes before a new episode has even ended. People are live-tweeting this sitcom like it’s an awards show! For the love of god, stop spoiling Abbott Elementary for me!!!
Okay, I realize that I might be projecting fault here onto the wrong party. After all, it is my choice to not watch a hip, talked-about, massively beloved show live. It is my risk that I am taking. However, for some reason I’m utterly furious that people seem to be going out of their way to spoil socialize their immediate reactions to a sweet little show like Abbott Elementary as if it’s the final season of Game of Thrones. I thought sitcoms were safe from spoilers! I thought wrong!
The silver lining of my rage is that it’s proof positive that Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson has made something truly special with her ABC show. From the very first episode, Abbott Elementary has managed to balance sharp joke writing with a perfectly in-sync cast. Each character is not only a wholly defined comic presence on the show, but also someone we want to root for. The moments that often get the biggest shares on social media? The ones that are equally as funny as they are revealing. Like, when we learned that Gregory (Tyler James Williams) didn’t like pizza or when Ava (Janelle James) and crew met Jacob’s (Chris Perfetti) boyfriend. These moments distill what makes Abbott Elementary so great: the show’s ability to blend humor and humanity. They’re also the moments I do not want spoiled for me.
Perhaps it’s time for me to accept reality and make a concerted effort to watch Abbott Elementary live when the finale airs on ABC. I can’t save it for the weekend or even tomorrow night. Abbott Elementary is appointment-worthy TV. And in an era of cord cutting and streaming, where viewers are used to making up their own schedules, that’s proof-positive of its wild success.
