Abbott Elementary Season 5's Mr Johnson Comeback Was Overdue

While Abbott Elementary season 4 was great, season 5, episode 1 of the ABC sitcom brought back an iconic character who was underused in the show’s most recent outing. Abbott Elementary’s entire cast of characters is hilarious and, unlike many ensemble sitcoms and workplace comedies, the show typically finds time to highlight all of its characters in every season.

While some of The Office’s minor characters fell by the wayside, Abbott Elementary has always ensured that Jacob, Barbara, Melissa, and Ava get plenty of screen time and story focus. Even if Janine and Gregory’s Abbott Elementary relationship is at the heart of the series, the supporting cast is still well served.

That said, at least one great character did get short shrift in season 4. As Ava’s Abbott Elementary storyline grew more complex and emotionally resonant, the ABC sitcom sidelined one of its funniest scene-stealers to focus on her. Fortunately, they made a triumphant return to the spotlight in season 5’s premiere.

Abbott Elementary Season 5 Episode 1 Gave Mr. Johnson His Best Story Since Season 3

Gregory Taught Mr. Johnson To Ride A Bike

After an underwhelming season 4, William Stanford Davis’ Mr. Johnson made an overdue comeback in Abbott Elementary season 5, episode 1, “Team Building.” Written by series creator and star Quinta Brunson, this hilarious outing saw the teachers struggle to complete a mandatory team-building exercise under the watchful eye of a district representative.

Although Ava and the teachers all struggled with their roles in this exercise, it was Mr. Johnson who truly shone in this long-awaited series comeback. He revealed to Gregory that he had never learned to ride a bike, even though, as Gregory noted in a typically wild bit of Mr. Johnson lore, he does somehow have a Tour de France trophy.

The custodian casually said that this trophy was for coaching, never stopping to explain how he coached world-class cyclists if he couldn’t cycle himself. Abandoning the team-building exercise entirely, Gregory instead made it his mission to teach Mr. Johnson how to ride a bike in the character’s best storyline since season 3’s finale.

While Abbott Elementary season 5’s live episode is its most exciting and experimental effort this year, “Team Building” proved that returning to basics and giving an iconic supporting star a moment in the spotlight was enough to supercharge the show. Mr. Johnson has always been the heart of the series, but his season 4 sidelining was understandable.

In season 3’s finale, it was the wise janitor who finally convinced Janine and Gregory to admit their feelings for each other. As such, the scene-stealer needed a little time out of the spotlight while another character, namely Janelle James’ Principal Ava, got a chance to shine.

Abbott Elementary Season 5 Episode 1’s Mr. Johnson Story Was Overdue

Season 4 of the ABC Hit Sidelined The Show’s Breakout Star

Mr. Johnson on Abbott Elementary showing a list — Abbott Elementary’s Mr. Johnson showing a list to the camera

A lot of Mr. Johnson’s funniest Abbott Elementary lines prove that the series relied heavily on Davis in its early seasons. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, putting the janitor on the back burner in season 4 meant that the show had a chance to establish Mr. Morton as a new supporting star.

Ava got an entire season-long arc to herself, Melissa and Jacob’s cohabitation received more screen time, and Janine and Gregory’s early romance was explored while Mr. Johnson took a backseat. This made sense, but it also meant that the custodian was missed by the time “Team Building” aired.

As such, it was perfectly thematically appropriate that Gregory and Mr. Johnson inadvertently brought the entire faculty together in an impromptu team-building exercise when Gregory taught Mr. Johnson how to ride a bike. Janine convinced everyone to support Mr. Johnson, and eventually even the gruff, fastidious district rep had to admit it was an ideal example of team building.

From this rundown alone, it might seem like Davis’s character had an easy time of it in “Team Building,” and he is now set up for smooth sailing throughout season 5. However, nothing could be further from the truth. On the contrary, Abbott Elementary had already secretly set up Mr. Johnson’s biggest challenge ever in this episode.

Episode 1’s Ending Set Up Mr. Johnson’s Season 5 Storyline

Ava Learned That Abbott Has Serious HVAC Issues

William Stanford Davis as Mr. Johnson in Abbott Elementary

Early on in “Team Building,” the teachers complained about the many animals, dead and alive, that reside in the titular institution, and Ava failed to notice a gas leak that soon saw the teachers evacuated. Clearly, the school has some major structural issues that will need to be dealt with.

This was confirmed near the end of the episode when a maintenance man mentioned major HVAC issues alongside the gas leak. This proves season 5 will be a busy year for the custodian, although Mr. Johnson was too busy careening around on his bicycle to hear the bad news.

While Gregory meeting Janine’s mom might seem like a more obviously dramatic storyline for Abbott Elementary season 5, viewers shouldn’t sleep on this subtler setup. In season 4, episode 1, the teachers quietly took a bribe from local developers in exchange for not mentioning their union violations.

This minor plot point eventually snowballed into a major controversy that briefly saw Principal Ava get fired before she was thankfully reinstated. Similarly, the mention of major building problems in “Team Building” could signal the start of a season-long storyline for Mr. Johnson wherein the custodian has to prove his mettle.

One of the funniest running gags in Abbott Elementary is the repeated implication that Mr. Johnson doesn’t bother to do much maintenance in the eponymous school. This was reinforced in “Team Building,” when he revealed he never cleaned the staff room after last season ended. However, “Team Building” hinted he may be tasked with major renovations in Abbott Elementary season 5.

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