Abbott Elementary

The first two episodes, which is what ABC sent to critics, are equally as funny and heartwarming as the best of the show’s excellent first season.

Season 2 of “Abbott Elementary” returns as confident as ever — sharp and searingly funny, but with a baseline warmth that feels meaningful in a world that’s become increasingly cold to the idea that we’re meant to look out for one another. ... It’s such a perfect amalgam of talents both in front of and behind the camera.

There is always a question about whether you can match the high bar set by what preceded it. Not only is this show already on track to do so, but there is also the promising potential for it to even surpass what came before.

The generational divide among the teachers feels organic to the setting, and the jokes are so rooted in character there’s something for everybody. ... By giving the tropes of yore such a fresh update, [creator and actor Quinta] Brunson may have forged a new classic of her own.

While viewers may have grown accustomed to Brunson doing it all, these first episodes of Abbott Elementary’s second season, despite their slightly less dexterous humor, still make the show, as we say in the business, a pleasure to have in class.

It feels like they used the summer to balance out how the show’s writers tune their cast, allowing every supporting player just enough time to shine in both episodes. Of course, being only 15 episodes into a run makes it way too soon to discern this show’s place in comedy history, but it’s starting to feel more and more like “Abbott Elementary” will be a part of comedy class syllabi for years to come.

It might be a nice show, but it still has bite. In the second season, the jokes come rapidly and are as elaborate as a fake Dragon’s Den competition or as subtle as a well-timed eyeroll. As far as I’m concerned, it’s those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gags that bring about the biggest laughs.

Abbott Elementary brims with the confidence of a show that knows it’s got the formula right. This one will run and run.