[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Abbott Elementary Season 5 Episode 4, “Ballgame.”]
Abbott Elementary took the teachers out to a ballgame in the latest Season 5 episode, as select faculty enjoyed a Philadelphia Phillies game in celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week.
Before the educators hit the ballpark, though, Gregory (Tyler James Williams) observed his students playing with “Lafufus,” the knock-off version of the uber-popular toy, Labubus, which resembles little fuzzy monsters. Wondering aloud how the kids can afford Labubus, since they’re so expensive, one student, who is selling Lafufus clarifies that they’re more reasonably priced.
While you may wonder what this has to do with the Phillies game the Abbott faculty attends, it all connects to Janine’s (Quinta Brunson) close call with a stray ball, which bumps her in the head. It turns out, Janine is more than reluctant about attending the game, despite her boyfriend Gregory’s excitement, and she even pads her head with a helmet and a giant foam hat on top of that.
Disney / Gilles Mingasson
Eventually, she loosens up enough to take the helmet off just in time for her to get hit with the ball. As a means of compensation, the Phillies offer to have Janine and her colleagues meet their mascot, the Phillie Phanatic. While they’re pretty excited about the special treatment, it’s their opportunity to meet Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber.
Taking time to chat with them and sign souvenirs, Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) ends up selling some of the autographs back at school, only to learn that the student who purchased them had attached them to her stash of Lafufus, raising their prices in the process. But instead of admonishing the girl for her business acumen, Melissa is rather impressed, and so are we.
And while a Schwarber signature might be worth +$50 to an Abbott student or teacher, the player’s appearance surely means a whole lot more to viewers at home tuning into this exciting episode. What did you think of Abbott Elementary‘s venture into the live sporting event space? Let us know in the comments section below, and let us know your take on the Lafufus empire being built by one of the students.
Abbott Elementary, Season 5, Wednesdays, 8:30/7:30c, ABC