Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe Crash the 'Abbott Elementary' Season 6 Premiere

Oct 8

The Sixers Are Back in School

School is back in session at Abbott, and this year the starting lineup came with it. Philadelphia 76ers Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and rookie-turned-sophomore VJ Edgecombe made surprise appearances in Wednesday night's Season 6 premiere of Abbott Elementary, titled "Jungle Classroom", on ABC.

The cameo was the "famous in Philly, and the world" tease; director Randall Einhorn dangled ahead of the premiere. It's also the latest chapter in a long relationship between Quinta Brunson's sitcom and her hometown's sports scene. Jalen Hurts and Kyle Schwarber have dropped by before, and the teachers once went to war over courtside Sixers tickets back in Season 2.

Brown is gearing up for his first season in Philadelphia after a July trade from the Boston Celtics. One name was missing: the Sixers roster now also includes LeBron James, who sat this one out. Brunson has already said she's open to getting him on the show, so consider that door open.

Where We Left Off

Season 5 ended with Abbott nearly shut down. The fictionalised School District of Philadelphia only spared the building because of the money it had already spent fixing the furnace, the same repairs that sent the staff to teach out of a mall earlier in the season.

Other city schools weren't so lucky. Their students are now headed to Abbott; Gregory (Tyler James Williams) has been promoted to assistant principal to help manage the crowd, and the finale left hints that things are getting serious for Janine and Gregory and for Ava and her boyfriend, O'Shon.

What Happened in "Jungle Classroom"

Janine goes full safari. Janine (Quinta Brunson) turns her room into an immersive jungle getaway to win over her incoming class. Everyone tells her it's a terrible idea. A few kind words from Mr Johnson (William Stanford Davis) are all the push she needs to see it through.

Gregory's first test as assistant principal. Gregory's new title doesn't sit well with Ava (Janelle James), especially when he goes after portable air conditioners during a building-wide outage. Ava insists the superintendent can't be reached. Gregory tracks him down on the golf course anyway, mid-business game, and the superintendent (Geoffrey Owens) says yes, to the surprise of both Gregory and Ava.

Melissa meets her match. Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) starts the year in a new role as union representative and immediately runs into a new staff member played by Katy Mixon, of American Housewife, who has claimed her chair and isn't going anywhere. Their standoff ends in a room trade: Melissa reveals a recent injury means she needs to stay on the first floor, and once she learns the newcomer has a crush on Morton (Jerry Minor), she uses it to close the deal.

Barbara turns to Jacob. Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) leans on Jacob (Chris Perfetti) for help as the school absorbs its new students.

The Proposal Secret

The premiere's biggest reveal came from the principal's office. Ava tells Gregory she knows he's planning to propose to Janine because O'Shon (Matthew Law) told her. Ava Coleman's secret is a storyline in itself, and it raises the central question of the season: when and how will Gregory propose?

There's plenty more on deck. Season 6 runs 22 episodes, and the trailer promised Janine's ex Tariq is back, a PTA line dance led by Jacob, and Gregory getting an earful from angry parents. Next week's episode, "Check-Ins," has Gregory juggling his two roles while Jacob and Melissa struggle to compromise.

The Cup of Soul Take

The episode landed because Quinta Brunson is from Philadelphia. Bringing the Sixers aboard isn't about creating content. It's part of her upbringing, and she understands that sports are part of Philadelphia's identity. Philadelphia bleeds sports, and that's why these cameos feel earned instead of promotional.

Six seasons and more than 100 episodes in, Abbott still knows exactly where it lives. The Sixers' cameo is fun, but the smarter move is the season's premise: a school absorbing kids from closed buildings is a story that public-school families in Philadelphia, and in cities like it, will recognise. Brunson continues to uncover humour in an underfunded system while holding it accountable. The question for Season 6 is whether a crowded building and a pending proposal can keep the show as sharp as its early years.