[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Abbott Elementary, Season 5, Episode 8, “Birthday.”]
Abbott Elementary‘s midseason finale episode, “Birthday,” delivered quite a twist as the faculty prepared for the holiday season.
While Janine (Quinta Brunson) was excited to show off her class to mom Vanetta (Taraji P. Henson) ahead of celebrating her 30th birthday with a dinner out, chaos rained on the titular school. Literally.
The episode kicked off with the school’s broken furnace, which Ava (Janelle James) was advised to replace, but she was determined to make it through the end of the day and worked with the teachers to place the students on lower floors where the heat was stronger. Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) warned Ava and the team that putting off the repairs until the holiday and pushing the broken furnace for heat would have consequences.
Ultimately, Mr. Johnson’s wisdom rings true, and the pipes burst mid-recital, forcing the parents attending and their children to leave the school alongside the teachers.
Disney / Gilles Mingasson
It turns out that Abbott Elementary is going to look a little different in the new year, not because the school is renovated, but because it’s in entire disrepair, forcing Ava to find a temporary replacement while the school undergoes the proper reconstruction.
Standing outside of a mall, Ava told the camera that she had to pick from a building made available by the district and that she’d selected it. In other words, class will be in session at a new space. But what could that possibly look like? We’re dying to know.
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Thankfully, the show’s Season 5 return isn’t being put off until February or later, and instead will be back the first week of the new year, hopefully providing some answers. What did you think of the midseason finale twist? Sound off in the comments section and stay tuned for more on Abbott Elementary.
Abbott Elementary, Season 5, Returns Wednesday, January 7, 2026, 8:30/7:30c, ABC
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