How Abbott Elementary Season 4 Brought Back A Classic Season 1 Joke

Season 4 of Abbott Elementary has proven that the public school mockumentary is still going strong. Now that the TV series has finally established a romance between characters Janine (played by show creator Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (played by Tyler James Williams), the show has turned its attention to some of the other cast members’ love lives.

In particular, this season we’re learning more about the personal life of Jacob, hilariously portrayed by Chris Perfetti. In a recent episode, we see Jacob’s ex and his new boyfriend, and there’s an incredible joke callback that eagle-eyed viewers will certainly appreciate.

Chris Perfetti on Abbott Elementary — Via: ABC

‘Relationship Replay’ Uses A Season 1 Callback Joke

In recent episode “Relationship Replay,” when Jacob bumps into his ex Zach at a karoke bar, he’s surprised to find him hanging out with a group of new friends he doesn’t recognize at all. It makes him feel pitiful, knowing that Zach has appeared to fully move on with his life after their breakup while he himself feels stuck. To make matters worse, Zach has a new boyfriend while Jacob is single as ever.

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At first, Jacob thinks to avoid his ex altogether, but the others encourage him to at least go over and say hello. After some debate, Jacob decides to take the plunge and heads over to Zach’s group to greet them. When Zach introduces Jacob to his new partner (played by comedian Matteo Lane), the man introduces himself as “Wyatt.” Unable to hear above the noise, Ava yells, “White?” At that point, Wyatt responds, cheerfully correcting her:

It’s actually pronounced Wyatt.

The joke is a callback to another Season 1 miscommunication—the original joke comes from Episode 11, titled “Desking,” which is the first time that the rest of the Abbott Elementary gang meets Jacob’s partner Zach. When Zach enters the school, the group is surprised to see who their coworker is dating.

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In what became perhaps the most iconic joke of the first season, Ava had taken one look at Jacob’s then-boyfriend and shouted, “Black?!” to express her surprise. Not realizing what had happened, Zach had obliviously responded:

It’s actually pronounced Zach.

The pure innocence of Zach’s answer quickly blew up with fans of the show, and the joke remains a memorable one even after several subsequent seasons. Thus, it’s no surprise that the writers of the show jumped at the opportunity to call back to a favorite bit, even involving the same set of characters.

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Abbott Elementary Has Had Other Ongoing Jokes

This isn’t the first time that the creative minds behind Abbott Elementary have referenced a joke more than once. Perhaps one of their greatest ongoing bits is that of Mrs. Howard (played by Sheryl Lee Ralph) mentioning the names of white celebrities who she believes to be Black celebrities, getting the names mixed up time and again.

This mix-up is apparently something that actress Sheryl Lee Ralph does in real life, with a particular instance of her thinking that both Orlando Bloom and Darren Star were Black actors. It seems that creator Quinta Brunson and her writing staff found it so charming that they decided to write it into the script for Sheryl’s character.

These mix-ups from Mrs. Howard take place in several different episodes, and each time the rest of the characters make eye contact with each other or with the camera, trying not to laugh. None of them want to correct her—partly because they don’t want to offend their colleague, and partly because it’s a source of entertainment for them that they don’t want to end.

These runners are just one of the elements that makes Abbott Elementary so charming to watch, and given how well-received these sorts of thoughtful details are, no doubt this isn’t the last we’ll see of the clever callbacks. Fans of the show can look forward to seeing more about Jacob and his love life throughout the rest of the season, rooting for him as he slowly begins to put himself back out there.