Abbott Elementary: 5 Things We Want To See In Season 3 (And 1 Thing We DON'T)

We can't believe we're saying this, but we're excited to go back to school — or more precisely, we're ready for Abbott Elementary to return with new episodes.

The hit ABC comedy's third season will unspool Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 9/8c with a one-hour premiere, and we've got a wish list of things we want to see in the upcoming episodes.

To be honest, there's not a lot that we strongly feel is lacking from the show because Abbott Elementary has been firing on all creative cylinders for two seasons now. But we do have a few suggestions for fun plotlines involving Ava's personal life, Melissa and Barbara's origin story, and the school's scene-stealing students. We also have an idea for how to make Janine and Gregory's "will they/won't they" storyline more satisfying while we not-so-patiently wait for the pair to get together.

But as terrific as Abbott Elementary is, it's not perfect. So we hope the writers heed our pleas when it comes to a certain character we could do without.

What do we hope to see happen in Season 3? Read on for our 5 WANTS, and the 1 thing we DO NOT WANT.

We'd be much more inclined to ride the Janine-and-Gregory-slow-build train to Endgame Land if the pair actually got new love interests worth rooting for in the interim. Both Janine and Gregory (who says swoon-worthy things like, "I take all of your recommendations seriously. I want to know why you like stuff"!) are catches, so Tariq, Maurice, Taylor and Amber aren't cutting it.

During the second season, the series took viewers inside Janine and Melissa's homes and personal lives, letting us get to know the characters in new, deeper ways. But Ava still remains somewhat of an enigma. We're already aware that the principal isn't as vapid and superficial as she seems, and that she cares about her grandmother (and her students, in her own special way). Getting to go home with Ava would give us additional insight into who Ava is beyond her stylish façade.

It might be tricky to pull off — do they cast younger actresses as Barbara and Melissa, or just let Sheryl Lee Ralph and Lisa Ann Walter have fun in wigs? — but we're already laughing, just imagining what an episode about the teachers' early days at Abbott might look like.

Creator/star Quinta Brunson once told TVLine, "Our show isn't about dating. It's about this school, it's about the kids, etc." And Abbott Elementary has definitely proven that it has a knack for casting scene-stealing child actors, so we say lean into the student stories even more in Season 3. Perhaps we could get an entire episode told from a student's point of view? Or maybe one of the teachers takes on a mentorship role for a struggling student? (Imagine Gregory having to talk — gulp! — feelings with a child!)

We love the crazy things that come out of Ava's mouth — except when they're clearly unwanted advances toward Gregory. The inappropriate comments are getting uncomfortable and, quite frankly, they're actionable. Ava may be an inept principal, but we believe she's smarter than this.

We're pretty sure the ABC comedy is done with Melissa's over-the-top teacher's aide, but just in case the writers have any funny ideas about bringing her back: please don't.