Ah, volunteers. The lifeblood of underfunded institutions, or a chaotic horde of well-meaning but ultimately unhelpful individuals? “Abbott Elementary,” ABC’s charmingly cynical comedy about a Philadelphia public school, tackles this age-old question in its latest episode, “Volunteers.” Airing Wednesday, the episode finds Ava (Janelle James) introducing a fresh batch of district-mandated helpers into the already delicately balanced ecosystem of Abbott Elementary. What could possibly go wrong?
Frankly, everything. Anyone who’s ever worked in a school, or any organization that relies on volunteers, knows the potential for disaster. Will the volunteers have any actual skills? Will they understand the complex social dynamics of the school? Will they accidentally set off the fire alarm while trying to make coffee? Given Ava’s track record, the smart money is on “no” to all of the above. The episode looks to explore the staff’s reaction to this latest challenge, from Janine’s (Quinta Brunson) perpetually optimistic attempts to wrangle the volunteers into some semblance of usefulness to Gregory’s (Tyler James Williams) barely concealed exasperation.
This is the episode that has been gaining a lot of attention, a somewhat random crossover episode with FXX series It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. For the episode, they will be joined by Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito from the FXX series.
When that series premieres it’s seventeenth season 7 later this year, the cast of the ABC comedy will return the favor and pop up for the second part of the crossover.
“Volunteers” airs Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 8:30 PM on ABC.
