Episode One
Julie and Sandra are grading papers in the adjunct lounge. There is a knock at the door. Julie opens the door and finds one of her students who asks to speak with her about an essay. Much to Sandra’s distress, Julie invites the student to have a seat even though students are not allowed in the lounge due to a rather pronounced lack of space. Julie asks Sandra if she minds the intrusion, but Sandra can’t bring herself to confront Julie about this unspeakable transgression. She prays one of the other twelve adjuncts huddled about the room will chime in, but no one seems to notice. Sandra leaves defeated and five minutes late for her next class.
Episode Three
Abigail ends class five minutes early the evening of her birthday to meet Julie and several other adjuncts for dinner, but she is caught off guard when she runs into her department head, who asks Abigail why she allowed her students to leave so early. Quick on her feet, Abigail states she has a doctor’s appointment. A brief pause ensues. The department chair smiles, nods his head, and asks that Abigail submit a doctor’s note. Abigail smiles, nods her head, and says it will be no problem. When she gets to her car, Abigail cancels her dinner plans and drives to the nearest urgent care clinic.
Episode Eight
Julie picks up a job as a waitress at a nearby Chili’s. Half-way through her first shift, several of her students are seated at a table in her section of the restaurant. Julie is horrified and does not know what to do. She considers quitting but ultimately realizes that she can’t as she recently fostered several kittens and moved into a studio horrifyingly above her price range following her break up with now ex-boyfriend Jeff. She spends the rest of her evening serving her students Coronaritas and pretending that everything is just fine. Her students leave her a six-dollar tip on an eighty-dollar tab.
Episode Ten
Sandra learns from Julie that she was not invited to Abigail’s canceled birthday dinner. Sandra, however, has found it difficult to trust Julie lately as she continues to allow students in the adjunct lounge. Later that evening Sandra decides to call Jessica, another adjunct, to find out if she had in fact been left out of the dinner plans. Jessica, who teaches until 10:00 PM most nights, does not answer. Sandra remembers this and makes a mental note to call Jessica again the next day after Sandra gets done teaching her 7:00 AM class.
Episode Eleven
Sandra calls Jessica after dismissing her 7:00 AM class. Sandra learns that she had in fact been left out of the canceled birthday dinner plans at the suggestion of Julie. According to Jessica, Julie claims that Sandra “can just be a little too much sometimes.” Absolutely beside herself, Sandra quickly ends the phone call and proceeds straight to the adjunct lounge where she posts signs reminding everyone that students are not allowed in there under any circumstances. Sandra then reaches for her phone to confront Abigail about the matter. Sandra, however, does not call Abigail, realizing as she looks at her phone that she is five minutes late for her next class.
Episode Fifteen—Season Finale
Jessica, who has been notably absent all season long, reveals to the other adjuncts over lunch at Souplantation that, after much hard work, she has finally been hired as a full-time, tenure-track professor. Sandra, Julie, and Abigail, who all feign ecstasy at hearing their colleague’s fortunate news, are understandably appalled. The lunch continues with the usual pleasantries until Jessica leaves to teach. With Jessica gone, the remaining adjuncts sit in silence. Moments pass, and they eventually share a glance pregnant with meaning, knowing as they look at one another that never will they speak to Jessica again. But all is not lost. Tears are in their eyes and the slightest of smiles appear on their faces. Tragedy has brought these women back together, and reconciliation appears nigh. All are five minutes late for their next class.