If Barbara were a song on Beyoncé’s Renaissance album, she would undoubtedly be “Church Girlâ€; she’s a proud woman of the Lord who centers Jesus in every decision she makes. Within the walls of Abbott, her piousness can come off as self-righteous, but Sheryl Lee Ralph’s performance adds a level of warmth and care similar to that of a big hug from your favorite auntie. Compared to the rest of the staff, Barbara is the most conservative and virtuous, but in tonight’s episode, we find out that this reputation doesn’t necessarily follow her beyond the school day. Like Bey’s song conveys, not all church girls are as buttoned up as they’re portrayed to be. Barbara probably can’t relate to the “drop it like a thotty†part of the song (well, maybe Cruise Barbara can), but you get the picture.
When Barbara’s church choir finds mold in their rehearsal room, Ava allows them to use the school’s gym, giving us a glimpse of Barbara’s life outside of work. Her nemesis, Delisha Sloss (whom Barbara blackmailed in season one), looms condescendingly during their initial meeting, noting that “with a little practice, their voices will ring louder†than Barbara’s lipstick. She takes no time with this biting shade, and the women behind her don’t bother to hide their giggles, exposing the power balance within this faction of the church community. Here, Barbara is vulnerable and trepidatious, adopting a slightly self-conscious lilt in her voice that never occurs when she’s interacting with her coworkers. Her personality still shines through, though — her exuberance is obvious when the choir leader, Sister Sip, announces that Mary Mary’s song “Shackles†will be the closing performance for their upcoming concert. But when she selects fellow choir member Shelia for the solo, Barbara’s excitement deflates, and she offers Sheila a defeated congratulations.
Ava witnesses the whole interaction between Barbara and the church choir (they share the rehearsal space with Ava’s cheer team), and after hearing Barbara singing “Shackles†alone in her classroom, she takes it upon herself to encourage her to fight for the lead. She compares Barbara’s church choir to her sorority. Both are close-knit groups of women who come together for the sake of community, whether everyone gets along or not. She declares: “What is a choir if not a sorority for the Lord?†To show Barbara how to handle the mean girls, Ava teaches her the message of another Beyoncé song: “I’m That Girl.†It takes a second for Barbara to catch on, as she insists on substituting being That Girl for being That Lady or That Woman, but soon she settles into it. I would dare her to take it one step further and become That Bitch, but baby steps.
At the next rehearsal, we witness more of the women’s prickly treatment of Barbara, with Delisha rhetorically asking if Barbara got a new piercing, drawing attention to the row of earrings in Barbara’s ears, a fashion statement seen as racy within the conservative confines of the choir. She lets the hate roll off her back and steps up to ask the choir leader to consider her for the lead, impressing Ava, who is putting up a banner for The Ava Coleman Memorial Museum (this is what she’s renaming the gym). The choir leader calls Barbara’s display of courage “unorthodox,†but she allows Barbara a chance to audition by singing “Oh Happy Day.†Barbara can only get out the three words that make up the song’s title before Sister Slip cuts her off aggressively, saying they’ll stick with Sheila. Ava can’t stand this injustice, and Barbara has to drag her passionate advocate out of the gymnasium.
Meanwhile, Gregory and Jacob’s bromance strengthens through frequent visits to the local bar. One night, Jacob insists they stay later, eventually divulging that he’s avoiding going back home to Zac since they’ve been fighting lately (by lately, he means the last seven months). Jacob is deep in the suffocating haze that permeates during the dying stages of a relationship, a haze that is harder to escape when the relationship has grown roots so deep that you forget that your lives aren’t irrevocably entangled … though it may feel that way when you’re literally roommates, like Jacob and Zac. He’s in so deep that he’s telling himself this is the natural order of things, saying, “You have your honeymoon phase, and then your ‘I’m in hell’ phase, then, ‘I guess we’re stuck here phase,’ and then you get married, and you die.†Unafflicted by the pre-break-up haze, Gregory suggests it’s time to end things.
As he comes to terms with how bad the condition of his relationship is, Jacob knows he needs to break up with Zac. He decides to do so by aggravating all of Zac’s pet peeves, like leaving the car without saying good-bye and watching the Eras Tour without him, effectively forcing Zac to be the one who initiates the breakup. Gregory tries to intervene, arguing that it’s not an honorable way to break things off with someone he loves so much, but Jacob is convinced this is the easiest way to rip off the band-aid. This turns into a lover quarrel where Jacob tells Gregory that Gregory knows so much about breakups because he’s “the only person who has been dumped more times than I have.†Going on with his plan, Jacob decides to focus on “the most passive-aggressive†room in their one-bedroom apartment: the kitchen. He does everything your worst nightmare of a roommate is capable of — he doesn’t squeeze out the water-filled sponge, leaves the microwave door open, and litters crumbs all over the counters, along with an incriminating knife smeared with jelly and butter, while making toast.
Naturally, Zac enters the apartment and loses his shit. But instead of partaking in Jacob’s passive mind games, Zac asks Jacob to go to couples counseling. As mature as this move is, he does it in Jacob’s classroom … while Gregory is awkwardly standing between the two men, unable to slink out. Jacob blurts out his true feelings, and Zac hesitantly agrees, knowing that the relationship has run its course. Reveling in the relief of getting things off his chest, Jacob admits to his immature behavior, ending the possibility of an amicable breakup. The pendulum swings in the opposite direction, and Zac exclaims that Jacob released “The Kraken.†Zac goes on a revenge tour, shrinking Jacob’s sweaters, kicking him out of the apartment, and writing a play with quite an interesting title, hopefully setting us up for more shenanigans and perhaps a Jacob and Gregory roommate moment.
There’s another loose B-plot centering on Melissa and Janine’s substitute for the week, Cassidy, an aloof yet enthusiastic young teacher. It’s sort of a recycled storyline from last week, a retelling of the more established teacher versus young, renegade substitutes. Melissa introduces herself to Cassidy, but the first impression leaves Melissa dumbfounded because Cassidy fumbles over their words, comedically using “gift card†instead of “teaching certificate†and referring to themselves as a temp, not a substitute. Cassidy allows the students to run wild, embracing total anarchy and having the children scream at the top of their lungs, adding to Melissa’s belief that they’re ill-equipped for subbing. Melissa calls Janine, warning her that a “phony†is running her class and she should look Cassidy up. Janine searches for Cassidy Jeffery and discovers there is no trace of them in the system, so she storms the halls of Abbott, forcing the sub to explain themselves. She’s already gone too far when she glimpses at the chalkboard, which reads: “Mx. Cassidy Geoffrey.†Realizing her spelling mistake, Janine has to eat crow and anticipate the outcome of Cassidy filing a complaint to the district.
Later, Barbara opens up to Ava about feeling ostracized because the women in her choir think she’s too modern and not Christian enough. Things worsened when she had a hard time keeping up with her weekly church visits while raising her babies, with the guilt causing her to question her faith. But singing is when she always felt closest to God, and the song “Shackles†was integral to that revelation. The moment is eye-opening for us, but the church ladies aren’t moved by this narrative when Barbara asks one more time for the lead, so Sheila keeps her spot. Since, to her disappointment, Ava can’t key Sheila’s car, she sets up an impromptu concert in the gym where Barbara gets to belt the song (fun fact: Quinta directed Sheryl not to sing as well to make it more realistic). Ava unknowingly creates a beast — Barbara not only sings “Shackles,†but runs through every gospel song she knows and tries to introduce the students to whistle tones. In the words of Beyoncé: “Church girl, don’t hurt nobody!â€
Teacher’s Notes
• If it weren’t for it being an episode where we’re gifted by Sheryl Lee Ralph’s singing (I’m a Dreamgirls stan), this might have gotten three stars. I was let down that Melissa’s storyline was similar to last week’s.
• I love Janine’s new wardrobe — the outfits are adorable and representative of her character’s journey. In her Hot Ones interview, Quinta points out that the bad hair and fashion from the first season were intentional, saying, “It looks bad on purpose. She’s a girl who doesn’t quite know what to do with her hair and wardrobe yet, but she’s proud of herself regardless.â€
And, finally, my top lines from the episode:
• Gregory, after referring to Melissa as “old galâ€: “… I mean young maiden.â€
• Ava: “Have you guys heard the mash-up of ‘Shackles’ and ‘Pound Town’? You’ll never believe what she took the shackles off of.â€
• Barbara and Ava discussing Sheila. Ava: “I’ve heard Sheila sing; I’ve heard what she does to those songs. It’s not right! It’s not of the Lord.†Barbara: “Well, sometimes she does sound like she’s the one on the cross.â€