‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 2: Quinta Brunson and Producers Weigh In on Janine/Gregory Romance
Many sitcoms have a will they/won’t they couple, and Abbott Elementary is no exception. ABC‘s hit mockumentary-style workplace comedy follows second-grade teacher Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) and her colleagues, including new hire Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams). Janine and Gregory shared obvious chemistry in season 1, but they never got together. Could that change soon? Brunson and the show’s producers shared their thoughts on Janine and Gregory in Abbott Elementary Season 2.
The ‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 1 finale left hope for a romance between Janine and Gregory
During all of season 1, Janine was in a relationship with her long-term boyfriend, Tariq Temple (Zack Fox). However, the two broke up in the finale when Tariq received an offer to tour with his music. He assumed Janine would pack up and move with him, but she realized she deserved better. That opened the door for Janine and Gregory to explore their chemistry, right?
Wrong. Around the same time, Gregory began dating Taylor Howard (Iyana Halley), the daughter of his coworker Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph). On the bright side, Gregory also decided to stay at Abbott Elementary full-time, which means he’ll be spending a lot more time with Janine. Abbott Elementary will have plenty of chances to tease fans with more Janine/Gregory scenes.
Quinta Brunson and ‘Abbott Elementary’ producers shared their thoughts on Janine and Gregory in season 2
Abbott Elementary Season 2 will focus more on the lives of Abbott’s staff outside the school. In a recent interview with HollywoodLife, Brunson revealed that she’s excited to “dig into” Gregory’s character more.
“He’s fun to write. Every character is fun to write, but I have a lot of fun writing Gregory,” the creator and star said.
Brunson kept her lips sealed on what will happen between Janine and Gregory in Abbott Elementary Season 2. However, in another interview with Entertainment Weekly, she pointed out that Janine is single for the first time in 10 years, and “now she has space to discover what that means.” Meanwhile, Gregory just made a huge decision to stay at the school.
“So I think right now, these are two individuals who are growing up, and we’ll continue to see them meet in the middle of that growing up during the second season,” Brunson added.
Abbott Elementary producers Justin Halpern and Pat Schumacker also spoke with HollywoodLife about Gregory and Janine’s future, explaining that they don’t want to rush into anything.
“I think we want to earn whatever we’re getting,” Halpern said. “We also want to make sure that our characters, especially our series regulars, who we care about and the audience cares about, that whatever place we get to with them that people feel like we earned it and that we didn’t rush anything. … Nothing we will do will not have the breadcrumbs laid and [will] feel very earned.”
Fans aren’t convinced that Janine and Gregory will get together next season
As much as fans want to see Janine and Gregory start something, many have doubts it will happen in season 2. These shows often spend multiple seasons teasing viewers before a long-awaited couple finally gets together. Some viewers have wondered if Gregory and Taylor will date for the entire season, or if Janine will find someone else. Others wondered if Janine’s coworkers or students will recognize her chemistry with Gregory before she does.
Fortunately, it won’t be long now until fans can finally see what the season holds for Janine and Gregory. Abbott Elementary Season 2 premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 9 p.m. ET.
