‘A.P. Bio’: Toledo’s Top Bachelors Are Nothing Compared to These Scene-Stealers (VIDEO)
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In the immortal words of Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton), “Everybody, let’s go ahead and start to shut up now,” because we need to talk about A.P. Bio‘s unsung heroes: the teachers’ lounge trio.
Since day one of the wonderfully acerbic sitcom, Mary Sohn’s Mary, Lyric Lewis’ Stef, and Jean Villepique’s Michelle have served as the salad-grazing Greek chorus of Whitlock High, serving up comic commentary as their fellow educators freak out over one plot or another.
And though we’ve almost never seen them in an actual classroom — “I’m not even sure if Michelle’s teaching anymore,” jokes Sharp Objects alum Villepique. “She may just be camping out there!” — it’s almost comforting to know that they are probably always sitting at the break room’s round table. Mostly picking at homemade leftovers and trading oddball takes on Titanic or erotic fiction, there’s is a vaguely prickly camaraderie that leaves one wondering which of the three is the one the other two talk about when she’s not around.
Whomever it is, doesn’t matter. Like Paula Pell’s Helen, they are all delightful.
Mary Sohn as Mary, Lyric Lewis as Stef, Patton Oswalt as Principal Durbin, Jean Villepique as Michelle (Tyler Golden/NBC)
Allegedly inspired by the friends of Bio creator Mike O’Brien’s older sisters, the ladies will be getting deservedly more to do in Season 2. They even left the lounge! “You get to know more about them,” promises Sohn, a Second City vet. “I think we got to see a glimpse of who they were [last year] and now we’re seeing more of their insecurities and some of their less desirable angles.” Including one teacher’s inability to shut down an unwanted crush, which comes up in tonight’s episode.
“Yes, you see Stef being romantically pursued by a student at the school,” laughs Lewis, the Groundlings L.A.-trained side of this trio whose character finds herself caught up in her clueless suitor’s over-the-top generosity. “She is being given gifts and you see her go from “Oh!” to “What is happening?!'”
Mary Sohn as Mary, Lyric Lewis as Stef, Jean Villepique as Michelle (Colleen Hayes/NBC)
At the same time, of course, the gals have their favorite hobby to enjoy: good-naturedly clowning on Jack and Principal Durbin (Patton Oswalt). And there is plenty of that on tap tonight when the guys find out that they’ve been named two of Toledo’s 100 Most Eligible Bachelors — albeit at very different rankings.
Check out their announcement — and the Stef-Michelle-Mary magic — below. Then, let us know what you think about A.P. Bio in the comments. Consider it your homework.
A.P. Bio, Thursdays, 8:30/7:30c, NBC
