Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 17, “Karaoke.”

Now that Gregory and Janine’s Abbott Elementary love story was the show’s main focus in its first three outings until the duo got together officially in season 4’s premiere.

Now, Abbott Elementary finally has room to navigate the personal lives of ing characters without always reverting its focus back to the central couple. This means that Abbott Elementary season 4 brought back Melissa’s romance with Captain Robinson, and the show has also given Jacob’s personal growth more focus in recent outings. However, it is Principal Ava who has beneftted most from Abbott Elementary’s focus shift. Throughout season 4, she has grown into a better principal than anyone ever expected her to become, and she has started to mature personally as well.

Ava’s Date With O'Shon Reveals More About Her Relationship With Her Father In Abbott Elementary

Ava Saved Abbott Elementary’s Bad Date When She Finally Opened Up About Her Father

However, the limitations of Ava’s Abbott Elementary character growth immediately became obvious when she finally went on a long-awaited date with the school's IT guy, O’Shon. Transfer her usual sarcastic banter to the context of a date, and she seemed to straight up hate O’Shon. This eventually resulted in her love interest asking for the check. Luckily, as this disastrous date came to a close, Ava opened up about her father which convinced O’Shon she really was interested in him and salvaged the chemistry the duo had been building throughout season 4.

This scene made me more certain than ever that Keith David needs to return as Ava’s estranged father Frank later in season 4.

While I was glad to see Ava reveal her more vulnerable side after cynically mocking O’Shon throughout the rest of their date, this scene made me more certain than ever that Keith David needs to return as Ava’s estranged father Frank later in season 4. Much like Janine’s Abbott Elementary character growth required her to make the first move and tell Gregory how she felt, Ava’s inability to connect with O’Shon outside snide jokes was clearly a defense mechanism. Ava effectively itted that she struggled with opening up and this was enough to keep O’Shon invested in their shared connection.

Abbott Elementary Needs To Devote Time To Tackling Ava's Relationship With Frank

Ava’s Father Frank Appeared Earlier In Abbott Elementary Season 4

David’s garrulous barber seemed eager to reconnect in his earlier appearances on Abbott Elementary, and he even funded the school’s science fair. However, Ava remained distant. Ava and her father need to reconcile in Abbott Elementary season 4 as Ava’s emotional distance almost ruined her romance with O’Shon, but the sitcom hasn’t devoted significant screen time to tackling their relationship yet. Considering even Abbott Elementary’s most hated character got a shot at redemption at the science fair, it seems fair to say that Frank can be forgiven.

Crucially, Ava doesn’t need to forgive her father to make him feel better. The mask of cool, aloof wit that she used to keep O’Shon at a distance early on in their date clearly threatened to ruin a promising relationship for her, so it is for her own sake that she needs to move on from Frank’s failures as a father. However, this will require Abbott Elementary season 4 to bring back David’s character for a reunion.

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