After almost a year of waiting, Abbott Elementary season 3 will finally premiere in early February 2024, and the upcoming episodes should feature everything viewers love about the show and more (including a highly requested rap battle between two characters). The second season of the ABC mockumentary sitcom television series left off with the sad revelation that Janine and Gregory wouldn’t get together. The two characters’ romance has been teased since the pilot, and even though they confessed their feelings for one another in the season 2 finale, they agreed to continue being friends.
The returning cast of Abbott Elementary season 3 are Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues, Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie, Janelle James as Ava Coleman, Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa Schemmenti, Chris Perfetti as Jacob Hill, William Stanford Davis as Mr. Johnson, and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard. A few new stars will join the cast in supporting roles (like Josh Segarra, Kimia Behpoornia, and Benjamin Norris as Philadelphia school district representatives). But, as always, the focus will be on the main characters, and the season 3 wishlist revolves around them.
8 Janine & Gregory Start Dating (But Not Until Season 3’s End)
The slow burn must continue
It’s no secret that Janine and Gregory will give in to their feelings for one another and begin dating at some point in Abbott Elementary. But after the season 2 finale, they shouldn’t become a couple until season 3’s end. The last episode of season 2 established that Janine wasn’t ready to be in a relationship with Gregory, so it wouldn’t make sense if they started dating early in season 3.
Of course, the upcoming episodes must still include Janine and Gregory’s flirtatious dynamic and continue building their slow burn romance. Their scenes are some of the ABC sitcom’s best, after all. However, the writers should wait until the finale for Janine and Gregory to take their relationship to the next level.
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7 More Outside Of School Episodes
Some of the best episodes happen outside of Abbott Elementary
It makes sense that a television show called Abbott Elementary would primarily take place at Willard R. Abbott Elementary School. However, some of the series’ best moments come from when it gives the audience a peek at the teachers’ lives outside of school (like when Janine and Gregory danced together at the club or the Philadelphia Teacher Conference episode). Consequentially, season 3 must include more scenes separate from the school setting.
6 The Return Of Ayo Edebiri
The Emmy Award winner needs to reprise her role as Janine’s sister
Although Abbott Elementary has featured numerous talented guest stars over its two seasons, Ayo Edebiri as Ayesha, Janine’s sister, was one of the best. Edebiri’s dynamic with Quinta Brunson in just one episode of the sitcom was captivating, and the two actresses were clearly born to share the screen. Plus, Brunson won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2024 Emmys, and Edebiri won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for The Bear. They should celebrate their triumphs by working together again on Abbott Elementary.
5 Mixed Up Dynamics
Season 3 should feature new duos and trios
Abbott Elementary contains seven series regulars, and the show often explores the different dynamics between its characters. However, season 3 should mix it up more with episodes focused on pairings that viewers have never seen before. For example, it would be interesting to watch more scenes between Gregory and Melissa, Ava and Jacob, Mr. Johnson and Melissa, and so on. The upcoming episodes should continue building the already-established duos, like Barbara and Melissa and Janine and Jacob, but they could also occasionally throw in some variety.
4 No Love Triangles
Janine and Gregory shouldn’t get new love interests
Although they shouldn’t start dating until the Abbott Elementary season 3 finale, Janine and Gregory also shouldn’t seek serious relationships with other people. Most of season 2 revolved around the two characters’ jealousy of the others’ significant other. Janine wasn’t happy that Gregory was in a relationship with Amber, and Gregory hated that Janine was dating Maurice, one of his friends. If both characters have serious love interests in the upcoming episodes, the storyline would only be repeating season 2’s plot.
Abbott Elementary season 3 should include tension between Janine and Gregory, but that doesn’t have to be rooted in jealousy. Time and time again, slow burn romances on television have resorted to love triangles to add drama to the story. However, the ABC sitcom’s writers have proven that they are capable of thinking outside the box and can add conflict to Janine and Gregory’s relationship without establishing a new love triangle (or rectangle).
3 Janine Prioritizing Herself
Janine has been selfless long enough
Even though Maurice called her selfish in the Abbott Elementary season 2 finale, Janine is anything but that, and her not being ready to be in a relationship with Gregory should lay the groundwork for her season 3 storyline. The upcoming season should feature Janine prioritizing herself and focusing on her own happiness and well-being. It’s unclear what that would look like, but it definitely wouldn’t include Janine jumping into another relationship. Instead, she should put herself first and have a lot of character development by the season’s end.
2 More Exciting Guest Stars
Abbott Elementary is notable for its famous guests
As mentioned above, Abbott Elementary featured numerous famous guest stars in its first two seasons, from Leslie Odom Jr. to Taraji P. Henson. Hopefully, that won’t change in season 3. ABC has yet to reveal who will make brief appearances in the upcoming episodes, but thanks to a couple of teases from the cast and crew, there will reportedly be a handful of exciting guest stars. It would be amazing if Henson or Ayo Edebiri reprised their roles as Janine’s mother and sister, but season 3 should also include new characters who shake up the story.
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1 A Rap Battle Between Gregory & Tariq
Tariq will return in season 3
The synopsis for Abbott Elementary season 3, episode 3, reveals that Zack Fox will return as Tariq Temple in the new season. In the episode, which airs on February 14, Barbara learns that Tariq is dating the mother of one of her students. While this seems like it will be a hilarious plotline, if Tariq is coming back to Abbott Elementary, it’s only right that he finally does the one thing that many viewers have been wanting — challenging Gregory to a rap battle.
Tariq and Gregory didn’t always see eye to eye since Tariq was dating Janine, and Gregory wanted to be in a relationship with her. Perhaps the tension between the two characters will bleed over into season 3, even though neither is with Janine. Of course, Tariq is an established rapper in the show, while Gregory is certainly not, but Tyler James Williams is a rapper in real life. He should show off his skills in a rap battle with Tariq in Abbott Elementary season 3.
Abbott Elementary
Created by and starring Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary is a workplace comedy/mockumentary that follows a group of passionate teachers working with – and against – a difficult principal in the Philadelphia public school system. From the bright-eyed idealists with a desire to change to the battle-tested “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” classicalists, these teachers are Underfunded, outnumbered, and consistently facing new odds stacked against them daily. However, they will work together to provide the best educational experience for the children they teach. Along the way, they’ll navigate their own messy personal relationships and find benefits from the younger and older generations as they try to bridge the gaps left by a less-than-stellar school system.
- Release Date
- December 7, 2021
- Cast
- Quinta Brunson , Tyler James Williams , Janelle James , Lisa Ann Walter , Chris Perfetti , Sheryl Lee Ralph , William Stanford Davis
- Network
- ABC
