Lisa Ann Walter, the show’s star, recently hinted about a significant romance in season 2 during the Abbott Elementary midseason debut. The popular 30-minute mockumentary-style sitcom is centred on Janine Teagues (Qunita Brunson), a passionate and overly optimistic second-grade teacher who collaborates with a diverse group of coworkers to try to offer the best education in a Philadelphia public school that is overcrowded and underfunded. In season 1, Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams), a first-grade substitute teacher, joined the staff and attracted Janine’s attention as a potential love interest.
Walter recently spoke with Deadline, and during the interview he hinted at a potential romance for Abbott Elementary season 2. The actor, who plays outgoing second-grade teacher Melissa Schemmenti, predicts that viewers will be “pleased” with the season’s numerous “romantic gestures,” which may be a hint at a pivotal episode focusing on the subject.
Walter said, “Well, I mean, everybody wants to know obviously about the romance. I will say that there were a couple of interesting romantic moves that happen before the end of the season. I’m not going to say what, but I think the audience is going to be really happy. Also, they’re just gonna be enthusiastic. Last year, when people were saying, ‘What do you want to see happen?’ and I gave a scenario…that’s gonna happen and I can’t tell you what it is, but it’s coming up, and I loved the episode. It was a big episode. I think it might be my favorite episode this season.”
Is Walter talking about Gregory and Janine?
Gregory first noticed Janine at Abbott Elementary, despite the fact that she was dating Tariq Temple (Zack Fox) at the time. Janine might never confess it to herself, but Gregory also drew her attention. The two finally became good friends, much like Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer) from The Office, whose romance took three seasons to develop. The first season of Abbott Elementary saw the development of sexual tension between Gregory and Janine, which increased as Janine’s relationship with Tariq deteriorated and as a result of Gregory’s separation with Barbara Howard’s (Sheryl Lee Ralph) daughter.
It is safe to presume Walter is referring to Janine and Gregory since there are no other relationships in Abbott Elementary that may be as crucial as theirs. James stated in the latter part of last year that he is unsure when Gregory will start a relationship with Janine and that Brunson had still not made up his mind about it. Audiences won’t have to wait long to find out if Janine and Gregory will eventually admit their affections for one another now that Abbott Elementary season 2 is firmly in its second half.