"She’s Not Wallowing, She’s Not Begging": Janelle James reflects on Ava's strength after firing in Abbott Elementary

ABC's Abbott Elementary Season 4, Episode 19 took a shocking turn when Janelle James' Ava was fired from her position as the titular school's principal.

While Ava tried to do a good thing by taking the blame for the golf course bribes on behalf of the teachers, it backfired, leading to her termination. But, Ava is not someone to beg or extend her welcome at a place where she is no longer needed.

She instantly gets back on her feet and thinks about career alternatives. She even gets a gig as a public speaker at a local hotel’s conference room, which turns out to be triumphant.

Here's what James thinks about her character's strength after firing in Abbott Elementary.

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Janelle James opens up about Ava's strength after firing in Abbott Elementary Season 4's latest episode

Abbott Elementary Season 4 Episode 19 saw a shocking twist after Ava was fired from her job as principal and Gregory finally became the interim principal, something he had his eyes set on since Season 1.

While it was disheartening to see Ava leave the school after four seasons, she was determined to make something out of her career and immediately took a different route.

Looks like James is happy with the path her character took in the aftermath of her firing at Abbott Elementary, which she discussed in an interview with The Wrap:

“I love that Ava is like, ‘OK, next thing.’ She’s not wallowing, she’s not begging or even really thinking about.”

She adds:

''She feels like, you’re lucky to have her, so sucks for them that they would do something like that and fire her.”

While many would take a moment to regain their mind after such an event in their professional life, Ava is not one to wallow or beg, and she proves her strength in this crucial moment. She is immediately on her toes and thinking about an alternative career option, which James further discussed:

''I feel like she went right to her rolodex and started making some calls and hit up her network … maybe some things she had turned down before. She keeps it moving. She’s a hustler and I love that about her.''

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James reflects on what's next for Ava at Abbott Elementary

While Ava's time in Abbott Elementary as a principal seems to have come to a halt after Episode 19, she will still be around, as the actress teased in an interview with Variety:

''One of our producers already said that I’ll be back...I will be around in some capacity. But will I be back to the school? Who knows?''

While Ava might not be instantly back at the titular school, we will see her in many different roles, proving she is a strong side hustler. Episode 19 already hinted that Ava has a promising career as a public speaker, and James discussed her character's further interests and side hustles on the show:

''It looks like she makes lamps and crafts on the side. She has her clothes selling hustle. She’s styling Barbara. She has her TikTok channel — she probably gets brand deals through that. She’s doing the motivational speaking, not only for the school board, but probably for other things as well for herself. She has a clothing line, Avalicious. She’s doing the most, — multiple streams, as they say,'' James told The Wrap.

It will be interesting to see what direction her character will take next in Abbott Elementary.

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Also Read: Abbott Elementary Season 4 cast and character guide