Abbott Elementary‘s newest Halloween episode shows Barbara on a mission to make sure the students have a good time — but don’t break any laws.
In Us Weekly‘s exclusive first look at the Wednesday, October 29, episode of the hit ABC sitcom, Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) asks the kids about their plans for Halloween. The students, however, think they are “too old” for trick-or-treating and instead have other plans that include TP-ing houses, egging apartments and taking part in ding-dong ditch.
“No! Is there any way for us to be outside with it without vandalism?” Barbara responds, only for one student to admit he is “thinking about starting a small fire.”
Barbara has to think on the fly about how to change everyone’s mind.
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“If you like fire, being outside and holding onto rolls of toilet paper, why don’t we go on a camping trip?” she suggests. “Go on a camping trip and that way we are all outside, with it and together.”
The group seems excited but there are a few kids still hoping to “throw eggs at something,” which Barbara says she “will think about” before planning their trip outdoors. According to the official synopsis, Wednesday’s episode follows Barbara’s camping plans, which end up involving the other teachers at the school.
Abbott Elementary, which debuted in 2021, focuses on teachers in a Philadelphia public school. After premiering on ABC, the sitcom quickly became critically acclaimed and picked up many accolades, including Golden Globe and Emmy awards.
Before season 5 premiered last month, Ralph, 68, spoke exclusively to Us Weekly about what to expect.
“I can tell you absolutely nothing because I know absolutely nothing [about Barbara’s arc]. Be very afraid,” she teased. “After the first season, I knew in my heart, in my mind and in my spirit that there would be a season 5.”
At the time, Ralph reflected on her legacy after a 40-year career in Hollywood.
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“My legacy is about the life I’ve been able to lead,” Ralph shared with Us. “It would be my children. My children are my greatest legacy. I met Cicely Tyson on a plane once. She said, ‘Sheryl, you are going to do wonderful things, but your children will be some of the greatest things you ever do.’ I don’t know how she knew that, but that was a truth that I am living now.”
Ralph, who shares son Etienne, 33, and daughter Ivy Coco, 30, with ex-husband Eric Maurice, added that she knows “when I’m no longer here, I will leave two wonderful people to speak my name.”
“But more than that, to create their own roads and their own paths that others will follow,” the actress gushed. “Thriving after 50 means you are going to take the wise step to prioritize yourself, prioritize your health, and really, really pay attention to it.”
Ralph continued: “Relax. Listen to your doctors. Drink that water; keep it moving. Take a moment to enjoy nature. Look at the flowers, smell the grass, smell the air — no matter how polluted it is. You’re alive. Enjoy every moment.”
Abbott Elementary airs on ABC Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET and is available to stream on Hulu the next day.
