#abbott elementary mine

[billpottsismygf]

Mockumentaries

The mockumentary format can be really fun, but I've been thinking more and more about how it's not always used to its best effect. Binge watching Abbott Elementary is what has really brought some of the specifics of this into focus, and it's what is freshest in my mind at the moment, but it isn't limited to one show. My problems with it manifest in many ways, and there's nuance to all of them, but to boil them down to their essentials it's usually:

Characters doing/admitting things they want to keep secret, either from the world or from other characters, while aware they are being filmed

Shows going on for years and years, which indicates either that the documentary crew are sitting on years' worth of footage or that the fictional documentary is being released year by year equivalent to how we see the real show

Characters going off to have private moments and acting as if there isn't a cameraman (or several for all those extra angles) two feet away from them.

On the first point, especially egregious examples include the breaking of laws or rules. My main example, because it's the episode I'm halfway through right now and the thing that compelled me to make this post right now, is everyone at Abbott trying to hide the fact that they got the computers as bribes from the golf course. Even if they deceive this one guy (I'm five minutes from the end), it's going to get out eventually via this documentary they're all so happily admitting it to. This goes for various things throughout the show, including more than one plot-important blackmailing.

Even when it isn't something illegal, there are plenty of things that characters are trying to keep secret from other characters, and yet they're brazenly doing or talking about it on camera. Relating this to the second bullet point, it is thus weird when characters find out information in later seasons from interactions with one another, when they should have found that out from watching the prior season (if we assume that is how the documentary functions).

I thought about these first two bullet points a lot during the latter seasons of What We Do in the Shadows, particularly whenever the characters would emphasise that vampires are meant to be secret (eg. when Nandor appeared on the news and they freaked out, or when Nadja yelled at Nandor for sponsoring a marathon during the Vampiric council stuff). They did at least fix all this in the final episode, with the vampires explaining that they've had many documentaries made about them and none of them have ever aired, which is the sort of absurdity that fits really well in the wwdits universe. Even so, this was a last minute addition and my experience of the show as a whole was (very slightly) marred by this dissonance.

On the third bullet point, this is possibly the most egregious because it often takes me out of the most emotional scenes. This especially goes for characters sneaking off to be alone. Sometimes we only see these moments from a distance, as the camera crew has to sneak an angle to catch the character unawares, which works a lot better. Sometimes, though, this goes out the window. Because I watched it yesterday, my mind goes to Janine leaving her School District party to be alone in her office, where there are two different close up angles from inside this very small room. It's not inconceivable that she'd still be able to experience this big moment without acknowledging that she's being filmed from very close up, but it doesn't feel entirely realistic, and there are plenty of similar moments throughout Abbott Elementary and other shows.

There are lots of other little things that can break the immersion - such as the (multiple) cameras already being in the flower classroom when Janine and Gregory have their first kiss, given that J&G think the place is locked and no one is meant to be there. So, the camera crew just ran ahead, got inside and waited, then Janine and Gregory break in and don't even acknowledge the fact that these people who've been filming them for however long are already in there? - but it would be impossible to name them all individually.

It works best for me when the cameras are acknowledged as part of the world. You want to make it so that these characters know they're being filmed? Use that! For example, when Janine and Gregory actually get together and have their second kiss, Gregory dismisses and shuts them out! It still felt weird to me that they started kissing when the cameras were right there, but I love that they chose to acknowledge that it would be forced and unnatural for these two characters to finally get together while a camera crew stared at and filmed them at close quarters.

Anyway, this isn't supposed to be a rant against any particular show's use of the mockumentary format (apologies to Abbott for being my main source of examples). It's more an observation of the way it's used (or misused) in general. If I could be bothered, I'd watch a bunch of shows and take notes every time something bothers me, but it's not that big of a deal. I can see why showrunners choose the mockumentary format, as it allows characters to express their thoughts directly to camera. This can be very valuable, especially since theatrical soliloqoys feel out of place in most standard TV shows. However, while I can suspend my disbelief to an extent, it does often take me out of the world and I'd love to see more care taken when figuring out how the fact that these characters are being filmed would affect the way they act.

[scullysconstant]

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY | Back To School (4.01)

[thelovewittch]

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY  S04E05 | “Dad Fight"

[youngsamberg]

this is the height of romance

[pavlmescal]

in which jacob is all of us

[atesan]

So, aside from Jacob, nobody knows. // Nobody.

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY 4x01 - Back to School

[nicola-coughlan]

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY3.14 | Party

[forbescaroline]

235 FAVORITE SHIPS OF ALL TIME (ranked by my followers) 19. janine teagues and gregory eddie - abbott elementary

[daeneryssansa]

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY 4.01, Back to School

[emziess]

Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues The Deli, Abbott Elementary

[andrew-garfielld]

QUINTA BRUNSON — Photographed by AB+DM for The New Yorker (Mar 18, 2024)

[billpottsismygf]

Abbott Elementary: Volunteers

Ahhhhhh, I checked one of my sites on the off chance and the episode was already up! And I absolutely loved it!!!! There was nowhere near enough Dennis, though. Was Glenn just not available when it was being filmed? Hopefully he'll get to interact with some of the Abbott characters when the Sunny episode comes out.

I love that the gang got to do their usual naturalistic style (including shouting over each other) and the fact that it translated into a mockumentary format very well. I love that Melissa knows Paddy's Pub, too! I'm wondering if she'll be the one to drive the second part of the crossover, since she knows where they work.

I got exactly what I was hoping for between Frank and Mr Johnson, namely old men butting heads. It's the best! It also hadn't occurred to me until it was being tossed around that they both have iconic lines involving the word "trash". United in being trash-loving weird old men who do not get along <3 It was great seeing Frank in a cage again, too.

I also loved Mac and Ava scheming together <33333 and Charlie (somewhat) learning to read

Possibly my favourite storyline, though, was Dee and Janine's. Firstly, I love that they get to initially be friends. Even though I knew it wouldn't last, it was extremely cute seeing Dee get to do some teaching again, and in character too!, and especially to see Janine's genuine smile at Dee's compliment. Them both having gone to Penn and having big feet <3333 Honestly, this is some of the best material Dee has had in years, and she looked very hot too.

Some more cute details:

The premium pelts, which feels like a possible throwback to the raccoon pelts in 2020: A Year in Review

Jacob getting cut off saying 'it's always sunny in -'

Dee asking Janine to reach her hand, which is exactly what Gregory did back when they were flirting… Gayyyyy

[scullysconstant]

# they're the cutest

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY | Winter Break (4.08)

[thelovewittch]

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY  S04E05 | “Dad Fight"

[kvtnisseverdeen]

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY 3.07 | "Librarian"

[venka]

QUINTA BRUNSON 30th Annual SAG Awards — February 24, 2024