"Step Class" is the ninth episode of Abbott Elementary's first season.
Ava inserts herself into Janine's afterschool step class and soon takes over through her unconventional methods. And after the faculty holds "eat-off" where they bring their favorite pizzas to see which is superior, they're horrified to learn that Gregory is a picky eater.
Tropes
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: While Ava spent most of her time gossiping with the girls (and Jermaine) while eating junk food, she's also shown to be a professional step teacher and has organized a stellar dance that the kids enjoy learning.
- Cassandra Truth: Janine's senpais warn her that nothing good will come with giving Ava a leadership position in her step class as they know she'll let her and the students down in some way. Despite the warnings, Janine brushes them off wanting to give Ava a chance.
- Comical Overreacting: Barbara, Melissa and Jacob overreact when they learn how Gregory only likes a few select foods and isn't one to experiment with anything else.
- Continuity Nod Melissa brings up how she's going on another date with the vending machine guy.
- Crazy-Prepared: Knowing that his new best friend forever wouldn't bring his pizza to the "eat-off", Jacob proudly reveals that he went all the way to Baltimore to pick up Greg's "favorite" pizza.
- Eating Lunch Alone: Gregory has to eat in the car after his coworkers make a mountain of his Picky Eater problems.
- Epic Fail Janine is met with booes from her work friends after she declares that Monday is her favorite day of the week.
- Et Tu, Brute?: Janine is appalled to see that Jasmine, one of her closest students, siding with Ava during her takeover.
- The Farmer and the Viper: Barbara and Melissa repeatedly warn Janine about giving too much trust in Ava given her history in self-service and letting down anyone she comes into contact with. And she comes dangerously close to doing that during the big performance where she has to leave them but for unexpected reasons.
- Friendship Moment: The last scene has Janine step dancing alone in her classroom. Ava happens to walk on by and joins her which leads to the two women enjoying a silent moment of in-synch dancing.
- Gossipy Hens Ava spends her time getting into chisme with the step dancers.
- Hidden Depths:
- Ava spent six years in a professional step dancing program while in college.
- She also has a grandmother with dementia who's been living in her apartment while Ava's family finds her a decent home.
- Irony: The principal of Abbott Elementary openly professes that she hates school.
- It's All About Me: Given her track record, Ava is regarded as a selfish woman who will do anything as long as it benefits her. Melissa even reveals that the principal once pushed a child aside during a fire drill.
- Lame Pun Reaction: At the performance's aftermath, Janine proudly declares to Ava that she "stepped up". Ava unamusingly points out that she was waiting all week to use that joke.
- "No. Just… No" Reaction: Barbara and Janine have this reaction every-time Jacob brings up Morehouse.
- One of the Kids: Ava proves to be very popular with the kids as she engages in good gossip, brings delicious junk food to share, and incorporates a fresh and fun dance number that the kids enjoy.
- Picky Eater: Gregory is forced to admit that he doesn't like pizza, or most other foods, and that he only has a select few options that he enjoys.
- Psychological Projection: While comforting Janine after she was dethroned by Ava, Greg's motivational speech has references to his own situation about being picked on for being weird and having different tastes.
- Relationship Upgrade: Melissa is now in a steady relationship with Gary.
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: Barbara and Melissa end up being right about Ava bailing on the step class as she has to attend to other affairs. But as Janine learns, her reasons are actually sympathetic.
- Secret-Keeper: Janine decides to keep Ava's situation with her grandmother a secret from the rest of the faculty.
- Shout-Out
- Janine's step class is compared to Stomp the Yard and she herself is christened as Major Payne.
- After Gregory defends himself saying he was "Born This Way", Jacob tells him not to slander Lady Gaga's good name.
- Start My Own: Janine considers starting her own step class but shoots down the idea after talking things out with Greg and Jacob.
- Take That!: Ava tries to get the kids to invest in cryptocurrency.
- This Is Gonna Suck: Melissa and Barbara only expect the worse in Ava and how she'll bring disaster after her admittance into the dance club.
- We Need a Distraction: Johnson entertains the audience with silly magic tricks while Janine looks for Ava.
- You Owe Me: Jacob tells his new buddy Greg that he expects to be paid not just for the pizza but also for the long agonizing trip he took to Balitmore just to buy him that pie. He even mentions that there were toll roads.
