Is Ava Really Getting Written Off? 'Abbott Elementary' Fans Want Answers

ABC's mockumentary sitcom Abbott Elementary delivered a jaw-dropping twist in Season 4, Episode 18, one that viewers may have seen coming but certainly weren’t prepared for. Ava Coleman (Janelle James), Abbott’s principal, was officially fired after a district audit uncovered that she had been accepting bribes from developers of a local golf course.

But Ava wasn’t the only one involved. Barbara, Jacob, and Melissa had also entertained the idea, though Ava ultimately took the fall.

While she and the others managed to hide the generous gifts the school had received as part of the ongoing scheme, their cover was blown when golf course lawyer Miles Nathanial arrived out of nowhere during the audit, loaded with new supplies and casually throwing around the word "bribe." At that point, the jig was up.

With Ava now out as principal, fans are left wondering, does this mean Janelle James is leaving Abbott Elementary for good? Is this really the end of the road for her character?

Although Ava was fired as principal, that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s gone from Abbott Elementary for good. TV Insider hinted at her possible return, thanks to an interview with executive producer Patrick Schumacker.

He explained, "The nice thing about our show is that we have this documentary crew, it feels natural, even if a character does peel away from the show for a bit, [to follow them]." So, while Ava may be out of Abbott for now, her firing might not completely mark the end of her storyline.

Of course, her position will need to be filled. While Ava’s leadership started off rocky, the teachers grew to appreciate her and saw how much she truly cared about the school and its students. Whether she’ll be asked back remains to be seen, but executive producer Justin Halpern told TV Insider, "That position will need to be filled," adding that the teachers begin to reflect on her absence and what she brought to the table.

However, Justin also pointed out, "Ava is someone who understands the game in which she plays, and when she has been bested or struck down, she has an understanding of it and is not as wounded as someone who doesn’t normally play the game." So, while she’s out as principal, it sounds like Ava won’t be disappearing completely.

While it was clear Ava would face consequences for accepting the bribe, even if it did benefit the school and students, Janelle didn’t expect her character to be fired. "She was thinking going into this that she was Teflon," Patrick told TV Insider.

He also explained that when the season began, the producers hadn’t planned for Ava to take the fall. "We didn’t start by saying Ava was going to have to pay the piper and take the heat for everybody from the get-go."

He added, "We knew that we had written our characters into a corner with the payola from the golf course, and we knew that at some point there [would] be consequences of some nature."

Clearly, no one expected things to escalate this far. Now, fans are flooding social media, begging the production team to keep Ava on board. One even commented on an Abbott Elementary Instagram post, "If she’s not back next week, we ride at dawn!!!!!!"