Abbott Elementary Season 3’s Best Story Avoids A Major Sitcom Mistake

While Abbott Elementary season 3 will see Gregory and Janine continue their slow-burn romance, this seemingly frustrating decision expertly avoids a major sitcom pitfall. Abbott Elementary has been teasing a potential romance between the strait-laced Gregory and the idealistic Janine since the show’s pilot episode. Gregory’s reaction when he learned Janine had a boyfriend proved that he was interested in her romantically, while Janine gradually grew to see her colleague as more than a friend as the workplace sitcom’s first season continued. However, Abbott Elementary season 2 threw several roadblocks that stopped the duo from dating.

Now, Abbott Elementary season 3 looks set to continue this trend. In a surprising twist, the season 2 finale saw Gregory and Janine finally address the kiss they shared the night of the teacher’s conference. Even though Janine broke up with Maurice and Gregory was no longer seeing Amber, the couple opted not to start dating during a conversation on a museum field trip. This was a shock since most sitcoms pair off their leads after two seasons of playful chemistry like Gregory and Janine’s dynamic. However, the choice makes perfect sense for season 3.

Gregory & Janine Not Getting Together Dodges A Major Sitcom Problem

Gregory and Janine choosing to stay friends could save the sitcom

Many sitcom couples, including The Mindy Project’s Mindy and Danny, Brooklyn 99‘s Amy and Jake, and New Girl’s Jess and Nick, built amazing chemistry across the first two seasons and finally got together in season 3. Invariably, this results in their storylines becoming less interesting since a big part of what made their dynamic so compelling was their inability to make a romance work. Abbott Elementary subverted the sitcom formula earlier in season 2 with a visit from Janine’s mom, but refusing to instantly pair off Gregory and Janine in season 3 is its smartest choice yet.

As proven by the examples listed above, sitcoms often struggle to make the relationship between their central couples as compelling as their original courtship. Inevitably, these pairings lost some of their magic when they became official since they no longer had to hide their feelings for each other. In the case of both New Girl’s Nick and Jess and The Mindy’s Project’s Danny and Mindy, they even broke up only to make up again before the series finale to inject some stakes into proceedings. In contrast, Abbott Elementary’s Gregory and Janine can keep their slow-burn chemistry alive in season 3.

Gregory & Janine’s Relationship Keeps Abbott Elementary’s Best Story Alive

Abbott Elementary needs Gregory and Janine to work

The tension between Gregory and Janine and the pair’s “will they or won’t they” dynamic is a big part of what makes Abbott Elementary so watchable. While Abbott Elementary’s entire ensemble cast is strong, Janine is its heroine. Her relationship with Gregory, as slow as it might be to develop, reflects her character’s gradual growth. As such, it is a good thing that the sitcom can keep their dynamic up for at least another season, thanks to the duo finally explicitly acknowledging their feelings in the season 2 finale. This gives them room to change, but not too much.

Both Gregory and Janine are cautious, sensitive characters, which is something of a rarity in the world of network sitcoms. They aren’t people who invite drama into their lives, and it would be a betrayal of their characters if the pair were to start dating in secret or become overnight enemies thanks to a misunderstanding over their kiss. While Abbott Elementary season 2 delved deeper into its characters, the sitcom can continue to develop both Gregory and Janine’s characters further now that the pair have addressed their mutual attraction with a level of maturity that is rare in TV comedy.

Abbott Elementary Still Must Avoid Another Sitcom Pitfall

Gregory and Janine can get together, but they shouldn’t fall apart

If Gregory and Janine get together, and this development seems like a matter of time, it would be better for them to stay together for good, like Brooklyn 99’s Jake and Amy. Everything from The Big Bang Theory to New Girl to Friends infamously annoyed viewers by getting their central couple together only to break them up and reunite them repeatedly. How I Met Your Mother made the egregious decision to pair off Ted and Robin countless times despite telegraphing that she wasn’t the titular mother as early as the pilot.

Abbott Elementary shouldn’t repeat this approach for two reasons. For one thing, it is an irritating cliché. For another, it would be a major betrayal of Gregory and Janine’s personalities. Abbott Elementary’s Gregory and Janine refused to address their shared attraction precisely because they knew the timing wasn’t right, and they weren’t ready for a romantic relationship yet. As such, it would make no sense for the pair to get together only to then realize that their timing was still off. Instead, when Abbott Elementary’s central couple gets together, they should stay together for good.