Valentine's Day is the fourteenth episode of season 2 of Abbott Elementary.
It's Valentine's day and love and understanding are filling the halls of Abbott Elementary. Janine gets a valentine from a student, who proclaims a crush on her. Jacob lets slip to Janine that Gregory has feelings for her, which forces her to reevaluate their relationship — never mind that she has an afterschool date with Mo, and he with Amber. After a parent raises a concern about the white Jacob teaching Black history, Ava sits in on Jacob's class and finds herself increasingly engrossed in his lessons. She finally admits that he has inspired her to go back to school. Barbara tries to plan a restaurant reservation for her and her husband, while Melissa complains that Gary has not made any plans.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Armor-Piercing Question: While defending Jacob teaching Black History in front of Tristan, Ava has this question that really sets him straight.Ava: I found out in class that Jacob teaches about Black historical figures all year, not just February. Did you just start paying attention this month?
- Bittersweet Ending: The Valentine's Day resolution features a few losses and victories for the Abbott staff.
- On the bitter side, Janine gets an odd choice of gift from Mo while she's in denial over Greggo having feelings for her. Greg himself failed to impress Amber with his LEGO flower kit as she was clearly more interested in the Telfar bag.
- On the sweet side, Ava successfully defends Jacob from Tristan and plans to attend night school, Jacob has a delightful afternoon lunch made for him by Zach, Barbara succeeds in getting a dinner reservation at the airport and Melissa (who was upset with Gary for not responding to her texts all day) is surprised to see her boyfriend appear with flowers and a candy box message in the lounge's vending machine.
- Blatant Lies: Ava declares that she never tried to hit on Gregory during work hours. A Season 1 rewatch would tell a different story.
- Broken Pedestal: Ava initially listed Tristan as one of the most attractive of the Abbott parents, but his petty crusade against having a white teacher teach Black Historical figures (who's doing a great job at it) really ruined her interest in him.Ava (as Tristan leaves in defeat): What a shame. So hot, yet so very annoying.
- Cold Open: Jacob finds himself participating in Janine's video call to her sister Ayisha who is presented as quite well-mannered compared to what her sister thinks of her.
- Didn't Think This Through: Melissa blows a hole in her fellow queen's airport reservation plot by reminding her that she needs to purchase a plane ticket in order to get past security.
- Everybody Already Knew: The Abbott teachers and faculty already knew that Gregory has a crush on Janine.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Jacob confides in Janine that he believes the Abbott faculty doesn't like him. Janine clarifies that only 60% don't like him.
- Gilligan Cut: Jacob assures his class that the principal stopping by to review his lessons is perfectly normal and they should all be calm about it. It then cuts to him confessing that he's terrified because of how out of character it is for Ava to review his teaching performance.
- Has a Type: Donnie gets over his crush on Miss Teagues by falling in love with a girl his age who has long curly hair and glasses.
- Icarus Allusion: The progressive white Jacob assumes that Ava is suspicious of him teaching Black history and calls himself an "anti-racist Icarus" for assuming he could do it.
- Internal Reveal: Jacob slips up and reveals to Janine that Gregory has a crush on her.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Ava tries to justify having Mr. Hill, a white man, teach about Black History month saying that by doing so, along with underpaying him, is a way of offering reparations.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Despite her usual flippant attitude, Ava takes the complaint and the sit in (mostly) seriously, unnerving Jacob.
- One Dialogue, Two Conversations:
- Janine asks Melissa for advice about a student who has a crush on her. Jacob overhears part of the conversation, assumes Janine knows Gregory has feelings for her, and jumps in. Back-and-forth between Jacob and Janine continues until Jacob says Gregory's name, forcing Janine to clarify that she meant her student Donnie, and to contend with how Gregory apparently likes her.
- Gregory comes to Janine's classroom to ask for advice. When he mentions that Jacob must have already told her, she assumes he is talking about his feelings for her and replies that it's complicated. He responds that it shouldn't be complicated. It takes a while for her to realize that he's talking about Legos he got his girlfriend for Valentine's.
- Pet the Dog: Upon sitting in on his lessons and seeing that Jacob is a genuinely good teacher who encourages thoughtful discourse and gives his students a thorough and nuanced lesson in Black history, Ava actually stands up for him against the parent who complained.
- Precocious Crush: Janine is flabbergasted to find that Donnie, one of her students, has a crush on her.
- Straw Hypocrite: Ava correctly points out Tristan is one, as the latter only started caring about Jacob and what he was teaching because it was Black History Month and because of his previous indifference, he missed that Jacob has actually been teaching Black history throughout the entire school year.
- Unwanted Gift Plot: Gregory gets Amber LEGO flowers, assuming she'd appreciate them as she's allergic to real flowers. She clearly doesn't (and in fact eyes Janine's new Telfar handbag), but powers through it.
- Valentine's Day Episode: The Work Com takes an episode to show how its characters are celebrating the holiday of love.
- Worthless Yellow Rocks: Janine doesn't understand that Mo got her an expensive Telfar handbag. She initially assumes it's a gift bag and he forgot to put the gift in.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Ava rewards Jacob by giving him a raise... in her teacher rankings. He and Janine were tied for last place.
