Season 3 of Abbott Elementary has kicked off, and things have changed. Due to the strikes, the show’s timeline is a bit wonky but the premiere did catch fans up to speed, including the fact that Janine is no longer at Abbott but instead working for the district. It also showed that following the events of the Season 2 finale, her relationship with Gregory is a bit wonky as well. Their relationship has been back and forth since the beginning, and it's time to ask all over again: will romance ever happen?
Since Janine is no longer working at Abbott and only occasionally visits the school, this makes things a little harder for her and Gregory to confront the feelings they shared for one another. When they do bump into one another, they have a hard time addressing it. While appearing on The Jess Cagle Show for Sirius XM, Tyler James Williams shared that the complexity is part of real life, and as with any relationship, there’s a chance the two may not even end up together. The actor, who plays Gregory, said:
Well, one of the things we had always talked about from the beginning is that we want this to mirror real life as much as possible, and in real life, getting together with somebody is never a straight line. It doesn't just go from we meet, we like each other and now we're together. It doesn't happen like that. Part of what we want to continue to do is throw real-life obstacles in their way that they have to grapple with. Quinta said multiple times she's not even sure if they're going to get together at some point. We're more focused on the journey of what it looks like to them making that decision, but I think everyone assumes it will end with them being together.
Even though having Janine and Gregory get together would be incredible, it does make sense why it’s happening at a slow rate. We are only in the third season, and the two only admitted their feelings to each other in the Season 2 finale. It’s not a relationship, whether professional or personal, without some type of obstacle in the way, and that seems to be true for this TV relationship as well.
There’s a possibility Josh Segarra’s Manny will impact their relationship, as he’s working a lot with Janine. There could also be someone else coming into either of their lives, and truth be told, there’s no guarantee that they even want a relationship together at the moment. Williams admitted that nothing is actually confirmed right now, but not everything is guaranteed a happy ending:
There's a version of the show we've talked about where they never get together, and they choose not to be together that we also like, so the writer's room is sometimes split 50/50. There's several storylines that we've talked about that half the room hates, half of them love, and then we'll figure out where it actually goes, but there is no actual end game by way of they for sure get together. There's a great payoff here. We want it to mirror as much as real life and sometimes that doesn't always happen.
There is no telling what is in the future for Janine and Gregory beyond tuning in to new episodes of Abbott. As much as people would love to see them become an item, it seems like there’s a good chance it won’t happen. If it does, it may not be for a while, but the wait would truly be worth it. For now, though, fans may have to still watch their awkward relationship and hope that it turns into something more in the future. Abbott Elementary has gotten an early Season 4 renewal, so there is still plenty of time.
Meanwhile, there is still much to look forward to this season. Following the star-studded premiere that brought in not one but three Eagles players, plus many stars wanting in on Abbott, there is undoubtedly plenty to look forward to. Fans will have to tune in on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC as part of the 2024 TV schedule to see what’s in store for Janine and Gregory.
