Commentary: How ‘AP Bio’ Lost Its Way

In the era of streaming, no show is ever truly dead. There are multiple examples of programs that ended their run on one network only to be revived on another. Streaming has made this even easier as there are so many different platforms for a series to get a second life. AP Bio is one such show. After having a two-season run on NBC, it was able to produce two more seasons as a streaming feature on Peacock. However, the premise wasn’t made to last several seasons. After switching platforms, it extended its concept too far and lost its way.

AP Bio is about a college philosophy professor named Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton). After a scandal, he moves back to his hometown , Toledo, Ohio, and lives in his dead mother’s home while teaching high school biology. Except he has no intention on actually teaching. Instead, he uses his class as an opportunity to plot revenge on his rival and reclaim his prestigious college teaching job. But at some point, Jack begins to find a life in Toledo that could actually make him happy. He bonds with his students in a way he wasn’t expecting, and the show became more wholesome.

There’s a clear dividing line between the time Jack spends plotting his revenge and actually cultivating some sort of life for himself in Ohio. It’s probably no coincidence that this shift also coincided with the move to a different platform. The premise of Jack abusing his students for his own gain was never going to last long. At some point, he needed to grow as a character. Unfortunately, that was also the best part of the show. The transition to a new platform and the softening of Jack as a character caused the show to lose its edge. It wasn’t nearly as funny or compelling. It just goes to show that sometimes the second life is not necessarily a better one.

AP Bio is now streaming on Netflix