"Three More Years" - Head of the Class

While the tenth episode of Head of the Class (2021) may be titled "Three More Years," that is more than this series will get, that was canceled following this episode. In the series finale of this revival, Ms. Alicia Gomez is debating on whether she will sign a teaching contract from the superintendent to remain with her debate team, under the condition that it will be for three years at Meadows Creek High.

Throughout scenes in this episode, we see Alicia debate the pros and cons of remaining with the job, with her not wanting to leave the profession, though not quite willing to make it a permanent arrangement. Meanwhile, Miles is practicing asking out his crush to the prom with a promposal, Griffin, though gets consistently interrupted by his loving yet cumbersome classmates.

Within this episode, it appears that someone beat Miles to asking out Griffin, causing him to lash out as his friends. This overall disappoints Alicia, who gives up on her students, in term causing fellow teacher Mr. Escalante to give up on her. This appears to be a turning point for the series, forcing Alicia to reconsider her personal and professional trajectory.

A curious observation is the numerous mentions to Gilmore Girls by the students, though the series was on the air likely before these students were born. Perhaps their Netflix revival miniseries really did draw viewers to the show?

As to be expected, Alicia ultimately decided to stick with her profession, and Miles eventually made up with the class by prom, allowing for them to end out the series at the celebration, with BTS' Butter playing overhead and through the credits. It is ultimately a satisfying conclusion for the series, though there were a few additional points that I had by the conclusion of the episode:

  • I find it somewhat strange that in an episode featuring Alicia's employment, Principal Marris fails to appear. Wouldn't she want to have a part in the staffing of her school?
  • Within this episode, the superintendent of schools is shown as a custodial worker and repairman, and also gives job offers to prospective teachers. Is all of this actually within his job? I find it strange that the superintendent is the one to offer this teaching job, especially as Alicia likely does not hold the credentials to have this position.
  • Though it is long-established that Alicia does not abide by traditional student-teacher relationships, it is somewhat disturbing to see her within her teacher role constantly visiting her students at home, in this episode even coming to give miles ice cream she had already eaten from. Boundaries?

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