"Development Day" is the fourteenth episode of Abbott Elementary along with being the first episode of Season 2.
It's Development Week at Abbott Elementary and everyone's favorite teachers and staff have come to prepare themselves for the new school year. Though it won't be easy as many of them have to deal with some new unexpected problems.
- And Then What?: Barbara brings up a variety of what if scenarios that can derail Gregory's elaborate lesson plan and put all his stress and efforts in vain.
- Answer Cut: Janine openly questions who wants to eat barbecue at eight in the morning. It then shows Mr. Johnson making his order.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: During her pep talk with Janine, Barbara explains how they're all going through their tribulations of adulthood. She went through hers, Melissa is going through hers, and Ava is busy organizing her fashion wardrobe.
- As You Know: Janine brings up how she broke up with Tariq in the Season 1 Finale.
- Bittersweet Ending: While not all of the problems have been resolved, the staff members end up with a few victories to make the pain better.
- While Janine is still processing her grief over breaking up with Tariq, she is able to get her bill payments under control thanks to Jacob.
- Even though Gregory still has issues with having to cover all the standards by their school district, he decides to give up his extraneous planning and do his best as a new teacher.
- Blatant Lies: Janine assures her friend Jacob that she has her rent problem under control. He then finds another e-mail with her landlord threatening action.
- Brick Joke: During their meeting, Gregory admits that he doesn't see what's so great about Gritty. In the end credits, he finally gets it after the mascot does a silly dance for him.
- Chekhov's Gun: Earlier, Greg mentions that his grandpa's landscaping business had a bush for a mascot. For the first day of school, the staff rented out the bush costume and have Mr. Johnson wear it to greet the kids.
- Cold Open: The new season starts off with Janine driving to work while giving a brief recap to the audience on her breaking up with Tariq and how she plans to improve her new life. It then shows her making it to the school which is in the middle of a barbecue cookout.
- Cooldown Hug: Gritty offers a hug to Janine to help her feel better.
- Didn't Think This Through: While Janine's car is being towed for several parking tickets, she explains that her boyfriend Tariq is responsible and she hasn't paid them since he was the instigator. But as the officer explains, they're still registered under her car, making her responsible.
- From Bad to Worse: To start, Janine's landlord is pressuring her to pick up on the rent and threatens to take action if she can't follow through. And just before her mixer can begin, she learns from Mr. Johnson that her car is being towed because of Tariq's unpaid parking tickets. And then Gritty shows up revealing that he's was assigned to appear during Development Day instead of the following Monday.
- Hard Truth Aesop: As Barbara explains to Gregory, as difficult as it is for teachers to accomplish everything that their superiors ask of them, all they can do is come to class and try their best.
- Hypocritical Humor: Ava is quick to shut down anyone in sharing how they enjoyed their summer break. She then starts her presentation with photos of herself on a tropical beach.
- Knows a Guy Who Knows a Guy: Discussed. As her car is being towed, Janine turns to Melissa asking if she knows a guy in parking enforcement. To her lament, she only knows a guy in enforcement.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: The new season begins with Janine telling the camera/audience that she's excited to be back at school.
- No Sympathy:
- Janine catches Ava hiding from her while she made three trips to bring her school supplies and she brings up how she could have helped her.
Ava: I could have. That was an option.- Later, when everyone is trying to talk Janine out of driving her booted car, Ava has her phone out to film her desperate act.
- And then, while Janine's having her Cooldown Hug with Gritty, Ava joins in on the hug and takes a picture of her and Gritty. She even states that she plans to edit out Janine when she develops the photo.
- Oh, Crap!: Janine gets this after being informed that her car is about to be booted.
- Precision F-Strike: Melissa does this after Ava reveals that she'll be getting a 2nd and 3rd Grade combo class.
- Running Gag: Jacob has picked up on sign language and tires to share what he learned whenever he can.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: While Barbara was willing to listen to Jacob's news about Janine being evicted, she immediately leaves when she presents it as chisme instead of a dire emergency.
- Seen It All: Barbara informs Gregory that she knows how the district is when it comes to forcing their teachers to uphold all of the standards in a given school year.
- Small Name, Big Ego: To quote Ava Coleman: "Be silent in the presence of greatness!"
- Smash Cut: Jacob tells the camera that he's learned so much during his time teaching in Peru, including sign language. Before he can show what he learned, it cuts to Melissa who shares what she did during her break.
- Stepford Smiler: After everything goes to hell, Janine confesses that she's been feeling absolute misery after her break up with Tariq. With each bad thing happening to her, she tries to brush it off with a smile to show how in control she can be.
- The Stinger: Gritty does a silly dance for Gregory which finally convinces him how great he is.
- Stunned Silence: The entire Abbott staff (including Ava) applaud Janine for being able to hire Gritty to appear on the first day to greet the kids. But the cheering stops when newbie Gregory questions what's so great about the mascot.
- Take That!: Jacob reveals that he doesn't mind giving the money he was using for his loan payments to help Janine, confident that Joey B is gonna take care of it any day now.
- Tempting Fate: A preppy Janine drives her way to work excited over how different her new school year will be. It then shows that her boss Ava turned the faculty parking lot into a cookout for a legion of Eagles fans.
- Throw the Dog a Bone:
- When all the kids come back to school, Jacob is presented to a girl who only speaks in ASL, allowing him to put his skills to use.
- Thanks to Gregory's help, Barbara succeeds in getting a proper desk for her new wheelchair student.
- Translator Buddy: Jacob becomes Gritty's interpreter when he shows up in Abbott a week early.
- You Fool!: Barbara openly calls Mr. Johnson a fool for trying to pass a cafeteria table as a potential desk for her future wheelchair student.
