“Abbott Elementary” Season 5, Episode 5 Review

The Halloween episodes of “Abbott Elementary” are always a highlight, and this year’s installment is no exception.

It is always fun to see what the teachers dress up as, and this time the show added a clever camping twist to its usual Halloween chaos.

At this point in the school year, everyone at Abbott is tired. October and November can be rough months, and sometimes you just have to push through.

But surprisingly, Barbara is full of energy. She has a new idea for the students who feel too old to go trick-or-treating but still want to spend Halloween night outside. Her plan is to take them on a camping trip so they can have fun without causing mischief around the neighborhood.

Most of the teachers are too exhausted to be excited about this idea and push back at first. Melissa eventually convinces them to help chaperone, without knowing Barb is making costumes required. And suddenly everyone regrets agreeing to go again.

The teachers decide to make the trip as difficult as possible for Barbara in hopes that she will get tired and want to go home early.

Because it would be too much to bring the entire student body, Barbara decides that only students in clubs can attend.

As always, the Abbott staff delivers on costumes. Janine and Gregory go as “Sinner,” with Gregory dressed as director Ryan Coogler and Janine as an IMAX screen, which fits perfectly for the quirky couple.

Barbara is a park ranger, Melissa is April O’Neil, and Jacob is Greta Thunberg, a spot-on choice given his passion for the environment.

Ava does show up as “Darth Ma,” a mashup between Darth Maul and “Ma,” insisting she is only there to help if things go wrong so she will not have to rehire new teachers later.

To everyone’s surprise, Ava actually becomes a big help, especially when she assists Barbara in starting the campfire. The other teachers had secretly hoped the fire would fail so the trip would be cut short, but Barbara had planned for everything.

When Janine assumes Barbara will refuse to use the campground bathrooms, Barbara proves her wrong again by revealing that she brought a private, bougie one.

The group decides to split up to handle different camp tasks. Gregory and Janine lead the Gardening Goofballs to collect firewood. Melissa and Ava cook beans with the step club, and Jacob tells the music club a scary story about the Pennsylvania Squonk.

The story leaves everyone on edge, so when they hear rustling in the woods and see a shadowy figure, chaos breaks out. Everyone screams and runs, only for it to be Mr. Johnson dressed as Denzel Washington from “Gladiator 2.”

Some kids get lost in the panic, prompting Janine and Gregory to go look for them. The two end up lost themselves, and Barbara blames herself for the situation. She heads out to find them, with Jacob volunteering to help but eventually getting separated as well.

While wandering through the woods, Janine tells Gregory she wants to start a new club that reflects her own interests after seeing how well he connects with students through the gardening club. They toss around ideas and settle on something fashion-related, which will be fun to see develop in upcoming episodes.

Barbara eventually finds them, and they return to camp, only to be confronted by a state ranger who informs them they are breaking countless rules, including trespassing.

Even though the teachers had secretly hoped this camping trip would end early, they see how much fun the kids are having and beg the ranger to let them stay. He agrees on one condition — that he gets to use Barbara’s fancy portable bathroom.

The next morning, all the teachers look refreshed and happy, proving Barbara was right that the trip would be just as rejuvenating for them as it was for the students.

Jacob finally returns to camp after spending the night lost in the woods, covered in poison ivy and looking worse for wear after no one realized he was missing.

Overall, another great Halloween episode in the books for “Abbott Elementary.” “Camping” combines clever humor, perfect costumes, and heartfelt moments that keep the audience coming back.

— Madison Rush

Madison Rush is a fourth-year majoring in public relations. To contact her, email mkr5957@psu.edu.