"Breakup" is the fifth episode of Season Three of Abbott Elementary.
Barbara's church choir club is using Abbott's gymnasium to practice for an upcoming performance. Though after one choir member is given the honor of singing Shackles (Praise You), Ava encourages Barbara to fight for the right to sing. Meanwhile, Gregory learns that Jacob is having serious relationship problems with his boyfriend Zach and tries to help him through it. And Melissa is concerned over the teaching credibility of a new substitute and asks for Janine's help in exposing them.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Asian Airhead: The new substitute, Cassidy Geoffrey, is of Asian descent and has a rather scatterbrained personality. It doesn't help that they incorporate some bizarre classroom management skills, like having the kids scream their hearts out as a brain break.
- The Bet: Melissa makes a bet to see how long the new sub will last with Greg taking her on. It ends in her favor when the new ex-sub flees in terror.
- Beyond the Impossible: The second grade class in need of a sub proves to be so bad that it drives Ethan Jonas, a potential substitute, to quit on the spot and declare that he wants to be a lawyer instead. And the kids weren't even there yet!
- Bittersweet Ending: The ending is depressingly bitter with a few spots of sweet.
- On the bitter side, Jacob does break up with Zach who is utterly depressed after going about it like a total jerkass. Barbara is still denied the opportunity to sing Shackles with her choir group and still hangs with them in spite of their prejudices. Janine may face a lawsuit due to her doing an unauthorized background check on Mx. Geoffrey and Mr. Johnson is bitter about feeling left out from Greg and Jacob's friendship.
- On the sweet side, Gregory offers emotional support to his bro and Ava organizes a special assembly where Barbara can sing her favorite song(s) to Abbott.
- Black Comedy: After Ava references a bible scripture, she implies that she steals free money from the donation plates.
- Break His Heart to Save Him: Played With. Jacob's method of initiating the breakup session is to make Zach so angry that he'll be the one to end the relationship first. He justifies this saying that he doesn't have the heart to do the breaking since he doesn't want to make his lover feel miserable afterwards.
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Melissa brings up how she too was like Jacob, flocking to social events and enjoying her youth just to hide away from her problems. But that was last week for her.
- Cold Open: The episode begins with Greg, Barbara and Melissa judging the new substitute Ethan Jonas and bet to see how long he'll last in his assigned class. Melissa ends up winning when the good brother flees only seconds after reaching the class.
- Continuity Nod: Ava is shown dismissing her step class.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: After being told off by his ex-lover, Jacob somberly accepts that Greg's suggestion of talking to Zach immediately was the correct choice.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Ava assures her step class that she can and will fire any teachers who argue that homework is more important then their step practice.
- Failed a Spot Check: Per Melissa's request, Janine runs a background check on Mx. Geoffrey but is surprised to find nothing. But she learns too late that she was looking up Mx. Jeffrey instead which explains why she couldn't find their records.
- Friendship Moment:
- Ava is openly supportive of Barbara's wish of singing "Shackles" for her choir group, especially since she has the talent and passion to sing. And even though her choir group won't let her sing, Ava organizes an unofficial assembly where Barbara gets to sing for everyone at Abbott.
- Gregory genuinely tries to help Jacob with his relationship problems and advises him on when he's going the wrong direction. When he's proven right after the break-up, Gregory takes him out for drinks to help him cope.
- Although she denies it, it's implied that Melissa called on Janine since she misses the fun antics they get into now that she's working at the district.
- Hidden Depths: Barbara confesses to Ava that she's considered the Black Sheep of her church group given her preferences to dress, how she goes on extravagant outings with Gerald, and (most seriously of all) because she's friends with Abbott's more "colorful" teachers.
- I'm Your Worst Nightmare: Janine introduces herself as this to Cassidy when confronting them.
- Jerkass Ball: Invoked. In order to get his boyfriend to break up with him, Jacob resorts to acting like a monster by committing various acts of minor aggressions to trigger Zach.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Jacob feels the unyielding wrath of his boyfriend scorned in the end of the episode. Having his clothes shrunk, being forced to move out, and getting a slanderous play made after him.
- Mood Whiplash: The last scene has a wonderfully heartwarming moment where Ava reveals that she organized a special concert for Barbara to sing her favorite song in front of all of Abbott. Then The Stinger comes in where Ava regrets her kind gesture as Barbara has taken advantage of the set up to sing every song she knows leaving everyone bored and tired.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Ava brings up how choir groups are practically sororities for the Good Lord, meaning that they have the same level of drama and pettiness among it's members.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: While Zach is normally a mellow, sweet-hearted man, Jacob points out that not saying goodbye is enough to make him furious. Greg looks on and sees that he's seconds away from exploding.
- Running Gag: Mr. Johnson expressing disdain for being left out among Greg and Jacob's friendship.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
- Just the smell coming from the 2nd grade class along with the sticky doorknob is enough to make Mr. Jonas split like a sinner in church.
- Gregory decides to end his involvement in Jacob's Break-Up Story Arc after Jacob brings up his history with breakups.
- Serious Business: Janine sternly tells Melissa that she was in the middle of a serious decision making session. In this case, what to ask for for lunch.
- Stating the Simple Solution: After Jacob rhetorically brings up how he'll just casually ask Zach if they want to break up, Gregory points out that that's the best way to go about this crisis.
- The Stinger: Barbara's special concert is still going with many of her friends and students being bored out of their mind. So Ava has to channel the power of Moses to "let her people go".
- Take That!: Jacob compares his relationship to a DC Movie: it's boring, not working and full of fighting.
- Woman Scorned: Gender-flipped. Once the breakup process begins along with Jacob confessing that he was trying to get Zach mad enough to begin the break up, Zach retaliates by shrinking his clothes and forcing him to find a new apartment.
- You Owe Me: Janine tells Melissa this after she insists that she look up Cassidy Geoffrey's teaching credentials while she was in the middle of making an important decision.
