May 09, 2024
Fresh off roasting — and being roasted by — Philly nemesis Tom Brady for the former NFL quarterback's Netflix special, Kevin Hart became the center of an episode-long joke on "Abbott Elementary."
Hart, a Philly native, FaceTimed in to the final minutes of Wednesday's episode of the sitcom. Although the episode was titled "Mother's Day," protagonist Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) launched an in-depth investigation into whether Hart could be her dad.
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The episode kicks off with Abbott staff discussing their Mother's Day plans. Janine says she'll be spending time with friends at a "Mothered Day" drag brunch because her mother doesn't like celebrating the holiday and her sister will be celebrating with her dad and stepmom. Janine and her sister, played last season by guest star Ayo Edebiri, have different fathers.
The ever-sassy Principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James) points out that it's obvious the sisters have different dads, given their major height difference.
"Janine's dad is probably Kevin Hart or something, 'cause he short," Ava jokes, referring to the pair's similar statures.
“You thought they had the same father? look at the height difference Janine dad probably Kevin Hart or something” Ava is a MENACE! #AbbottElementary pic.twitter.com/UI9mupYYeG
— Shera Joyner (@SheRA_Joyner) May 9, 2024
Janine says she hadn't thought about who her father was in a while, but Ava's offhand comment sparks some newfound curiosity.
"I know Ava was joking, but my mom did know Kevin Hart in high school," Janine says. "And we're both really funny."
Throughout the episode, Janine continues obsessing about the possibility of being Hart's daughter.
"You don't think height is genetic, do you?" she asks Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti). "That'd be crazy if my dad sold out Madison Square Garden for a comedy show."
While Jacob assures Janine that Ava was just joking, she decides to call her mom (Taraji P. Henson) for more information on her teenaged acquaintance with Hart.
"He was the star of the basketball team," Janine's mom, Vanetta, tells her. "He won the dunk contest and everything."
She assures Janine she "would never" have dated Hart. "But we did (bleep) though," she adds, to Janine's shock.
This launches Janine into an even more in-depth inquiry into her parentage. She contacts Hart on every social media platform and recruits Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter), who always "knows a guy," to obtain a piece of Hart's hair from his barber to test DNA.
Later at the drag show, the DNA results come in. Like something out of a PG-rated version of "Maury," Janine finds out that Hart is not the father. She's bummed, thinking it would have been nice to "finally know" her father. Her friends comfort her.
"You're still Janine, and that's not too bad," Ava offers her, as a rare yet begrudging compliment.
In the final moments of the episode, after Janine comes to terms with not being related to Hart, she gets a FaceTime which turns out to be none other than Hart himself.
KEVIN HART CAMEO 😭😭 #AbbottElementary pic.twitter.com/ViZNrebdAT
— c | Abbott Elementary alumni (@westspalace) May 9, 2024
"You doing cameos now? Damn, the game is crazy," says Ava, who peeks over Janine's shoulder.
It turns out Hart is calling to tell Janine to stop "harassing" him online.
"It's just that I thought that maybe you were my dad," Janine tells him in her defense. "My mom said that you guys went to high school together and that you guys 'intercoursed' each other."
"I promise you it wasn't me, 'cause I strap up," Hart replies, "Always have. So unfollow me on everything."
Hart is the latest Philly-area celeb to make an Abbott appearance, whether in person or virtually. So far, Season 3 also has featured cameos by Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce, Brandon Graham, Bradley Cooper and Questlove.
A side plot of the episode centered on Jacob as he grapples to secure a field trip location for the Abbott students without any funding. Eventually, he comes up with the idea for the school to take a free trip to the Smith Memorial Playground in East Fairmount Park. Next week's episode appears to be focused on the field trip, so local viewers will have to stay tuned to find out whether the episode was actually filmed in Philly — like the Season 2 field trip to the Franklin Institute.
Brunson posted on Instagram that she was watching Wednesday's episode from Bridget Foy's, a bar and restaurant on South Street. She was in Philadelphia to receive an honorary degree from Temple University and address the graduating class during the school's commencement.
"Abbott Elementary," the Emmy-winning sitcom by West Philly native Brunson, airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC and can be streamed on Hulu. The "Smith Playground" episode airs May 15, followed by the Season 3 finale on May 22.
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