15 Adorable Janine and Gregory Moments on Abbott Elementary

Like the iconic sitcoms The Office and Parks and Recreation, Abbott Elementary  features a will-they-won’t-they romance at the core of its show.

From the beginning, sparks have been flying between Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams). Every student and teacher at Abbott can see the chemistry between these two characters.

Viewers have been rooting for Janine and Gregory to officially get together since the show started. However, it hasn’t always been the easiest for these two to pursue a relationship.

They’ve faced obstacles like jealous ex-partners and worries about what a romance between them would mean for the workplace. 

Here are our top 15 Janine and Gregory moments from the show, in chronological order: 

1. Gregory Deciding To Stay 

On Abbott Elementary  Season 1 Episode 1 “Pilot,” Gregory and Janine meet for the first time. Although their introduction in the girls’ bathroom is awkward, they quickly hit it off.

At this point, Gregory is only a substitute teacher. But by the end of the episode, Janine convinces Gregory to stay at Abbott “for the kids.” Gregory agrees, but his longing gaze at Janine signals that his reason for staying is because of her.

This iconic moment marks the start of Gregory and Janine’s story. Janine and Gregory’s banter is friendly, but the possibility of a romance between the two is as clear as day. The fact that their storyline is established from the pilot episode indicates just how central their evolving relationship is to the show. 

2. Gregory’s Decorations 

On Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 3 “Wishlist,” Janine notices that Gregory has no decorations in his classroom and encourages him to make it a more welcoming place. As a result, Gregory tries to decorate with tacky posters. 

When Janine asks him why he’s unwilling to decorate, Gregory shares that it’s because he’s only a substitute teacher. This leads Janine to point out the drawings his students have done for him.

Her action helps Gregory realize how much his students care about him and how he should encourage their artistic expression by showcasing the art around the classroom. 

One of Gregory’s character traits is that he’s rather resistant to change, so his willingness to change his classroom at Janine’s suggestion shows how much her advice matters to him. Also, Janine’s ability to help Gregory feel more at home at Abbott helps illustrate their main dynamic throughout season one. 

3. Outside in the Rain 

On Abbott Elementary Season 1 Episode 8 “Work Family,” Janine gets upset after her fellow teachers tease her about her boyfriend at the time, Tariq (Zack Fox). She runs out into the rain, and Gregory follows, bringing an umbrella to shield her from the weather. 

He supports her by telling her to ignore the jabs because her choices are hers to make. At the same time, he realizes that he really enjoys teaching and applies his own advice to his conflict with his father over his career choice. 

The scene is short but endearing. Also, it plays into the classic rain confession trope in romcoms, though there isn’t a confession between the two yet.

Janine and Gregory’s emotional conversation in the rain contributes to their slowly growing feelings toward each other and keeps the audience rooting for them. 

4. Janine’s New Hair

After Janine’s breakup with Tariq at the end of Season 1, Janine sports a new hair part on Abbott Elementary  Season 2 Episode 1, “Development Day.” Gregory and Janine don’t interact for most of the episode, but in the final moments, Gregory makes a small comment about Janine’s new hair part. 

He points it out and compliments her. The camera lingers on Janine’s wide smile. This brief moment is significant because nobody other than Gregory noticed Janine’s new hair part.

Her new hairstyle symbolizes a new beginning for her following her breakup with Tariq. Gregory’s capability to recognize the small details that mean a lot to Janine proves that the two are meant to be. 

5. Post-Breakup Water Ice

On Abbott Elementary  Season 2 Episode 2, “Wrong Delivery,” Gregory is now dealing with relationship issues. Throughout the episode, Gregory is trying to figure out how to break up with Taylor. 

Ultimately, Taylor dumped him indirectly, with Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) acting as the messenger. For the rest of the day, he’s visibly dismayed, to the point that Jacob (Chris Perfetti) is concerned about him. 

Upon learning about the breakup, Janine orders a water ice from the food truck and hands it to Gregory. It’s a small but meaningful gesture.

Throughout the episode, Gregory mostly refuses help from other people and attempts to sort out how to go about things his own way. So, his acceptance of Janine’s kind gesture indicates that in the toughest times, he knows he can rely on Janine to brighten his day. 

6. Janine’s Favorite Movie

On Abbott Elementary  Season 2 Episode 7, “Attack Ad,” Janine attempts to make amends with Tariq. She finds out that he has already moved on and found a new girlfriend, leading her to become upset.

Janine expresses her frustration about Tariq’s behavior to Gregory. When the topic of her favorite movie gets brought up, Gregory reveals that he remembers that it’s Jumanji. 

Tariq had been with Janine for several years and never remembered her favorite movie. On the other hand, Gregory has known Janine for a shorter amount of time and remembers the little details about her interests, showing just how much he truly cares about her.

This further illustrates how Janine has always deserved better than Tariq, namely how she’s meant to be with Gregory. 

7. Egg Drop

Janine and Gregory had an adorable science-related moment on Abbott Elementary  Season 2 Episode 8, “Egg Drop.” Janine insists that her second-grade class join in on an egg drop activity, even though the physics concepts behind the activity are very advanced.

Despite other faculty discouraging her, Janine continues to push for her students to join. Seeing that Janine isn’t going to give up, Gregory decides to teach her the scientific principles behind the activity.

Through teaching her about the experiment, Gregory also teaches Janine about the importance of failure in the scientific process. 

This leads Janine to open up about how she initially had always been made fun of for failing when she was younger. She expresses that she wants to protect her students from that horrible feeling.

It’s significant that Janine is able to open up about her difficult childhood to Gregory and be emotionally vulnerable. Gregory’s advice to her indicates that he’s also willing to help her through any difficult emotions she has, illustrating that he’s able to see her in a way nobody else has been able to.  

8. Dancing at the Club

Abbott Elementary  Season 2 Episode 10, “Holiday Hookah,” is one of the most iconic Janine and Gregory episodes. At the Hookah Club, Janine and Gregory run into each other and have a moment where they’re both flustered by seeing each other. 

Initially, they try to avoid each other, but when Gregory sees Janine sitting alone, Gregory walks over and talks with her to keep her company. Eventually, the two move over to the dance floor, where they slow dance together until they’re interrupted by Ava. 

This is the first moment Janine and Gregory start to cross the line of friendship. Seeing each other outside of school already establishes them as more than just co-workers, but their slow dance drives the point home that they’re also more than friends.

The relationship tease in this episode is all too good and promises viewers that the romance between the two might happen sooner than expected. 

9. On the Podcast

Janine and Gregory have to deal with the aftermath of what happened at the club on Abbott Elementary  Season 2 Episode 11, “Read-A-Thon.” Gregory helps set up an after-school podcast run by his two students. 

At the end of the episode, Janine gets invited to talk on the podcast. One of the students asks Janine and Gregory about their dance at the club, and while Janine tries to dodge the accusation, another student takes it that they’re officially together.

Janine continues to deny and lie about what happened, and Gregory seems uncomfortable with the confrontation. 

Admittedly, this is an awkward moment, but the fact that Janine and Gregory are both caught off guard indicates how much their time at the club means to them.

They seem shocked that the students discovered something they believed was a private moment between themselves. It’s adorable that they want to keep their blossoming relationship to themselves while they figure out where they stand. 

10. Janine Hyping Gregory Up

Abbott Elementary  Season 2 Episode 16, “Teacher Conference,” is yet another iconic Janine and Gregory episode. The two are at the Pennsylvania Educational Conference for the Southeast Area. 

Janine notices that Gregory is in a sour mood and asks him what’s wrong. He opens up about Amber, his girlfriend at the time, and his doubts about the future of their relationship.

Janine tells him he deserves to be with someone whom he can be himself around. After Janine’s compliments, Gregory instantly brightens and is in a much better mood. 

What’s so sweet about this scene is that Janine knows how to cheer Gregory up. Even though Gregory is worried, he seems a lot less burdened by his concerns after Janine offers advice. This shows how much Janine cares about Gregory and how much Gregory values her support. 

11. The First Kiss

Abbott Elementary  Season 2 Episode 16, “Teacher Conference,” also gave us Janine and Gregory’s first kiss. The pair sneak into a gorgeous exhibit with flowers.

While the two initially enjoy the exhibit, they hear voices and quickly hide to avoid being caught. And when Janine asks Gregory to smell the flowers, Gregory suddenly kisses her.

Even better, Janine leans in and drops the flowers to kiss him deeper. 

Janine and Gregory’s first kiss is incredibly romantic. It’s clear that Gregory made the decision to kiss her in the spur of the moment, but Janine kissing back indicates she’s just as much into him. They both followed their instincts and finally revealed how much they meant to each other. 

12. Breakup at Bone Town

After the kiss, Janine feels guilty because she is dating Maurice at the time. So, on Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 17, “Mural Arts,” Janine breaks up with her boyfriend. Oh, and Gregory is there, too, when it happens. 

Janine, Gregory, and Maurice go to a restaurant called Bone Town to talk. When Janine tells Maurice that she and Gregory kissed, Maurice takes it well. However, Janine still breaks up with him because she doesn’t think they’ll work out, which makes Maurice angry. 

This moment is awkward, but Gregory being there as moral support for Janine shows that he’s willing to help out, even if he knows it’ll be tense for him.

Both Gregory and Janine are still in denial about what the kiss meant, but they’re at least able to recognize the importance of having each other as friends. 

13. Realization at the Aquarium

On Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 22 “Franklin Institute,” Janine and Gregory finally have a serious heart-to-heart talk about the future of their relationship. Both teachers are at the Franklin Institute, an aquarium, to chaperone a school field trip. 

Finally, Janine admits that she has feelings for Gregory, and Gregory confesses that he has feelings for her, too.

Unfortunately, Janine is worried about what a serious relationship might mean for the two since they work together and see each other at school. She says she doesn’t want to risk ruining their friendship, and Gregory understands. 

Admittedly, it’s sad that the two don’t get together, even though they clearly like each other. Yet, Gregory’s respect for Janine’s wishes shows that he really wants what’s best for her, showing that he’s a great guy and wants to make sure Janine feels comfortable. 

14. Caught on Camera

Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 2, “Career Day,” puts Janine and Gregory’s friendship to the test. Janine gets an offer to work at the district, which means that she would leave Abbott. 

CCTV footage reveals that Janine and Gregory have an honest conversation before she leaves Abbott. Since she has the opportunity to work at the district, Janine suggests that they could finally start a relationship like Gregory wanted, but Gregory expresses that he doesn’t think it would work out. 

Again, this is a tough blow to both of the characters, but Gregory setting boundaries and expressing his feelings shows that he’s still comfortable with being honest with Janine.

Plus, he doesn’t outright deny that he doesn’t care for her anymore, which leaves the door open for a possible future relationship between the two. 

15. The Library Program

Janine and Gregory reconnect on Abbott Elementary Season 3 Episode 7, “Librarian,” Janine returns to Abbott to launch a new librarian program that she wants to implement in the school district. 

However, she faces a lot of pushback from Barbara, who hates the new librarian system. Because she values Barbara’s approval and advice, Janine becomes insecure about following through with her plan.

Gregory encourages Janine to continue despite Barbara’s criticisms because he can see how much this program means to her. This is all it takes for Janine to proceed despite Barbara’s threats to leave a bad review.

Despite Gregory and Janine not being as close anymore, Gregory clearly still wants Janine to succeed. He knows how passionate she is about her work, and their past situation doesn’t affect how he feels about her. 

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With Abbott Elementary Season 3 reaching the end of its 14-episode run, we’re excited to see what future episodes hold for Janine and Gregory! What’s your favorite Janine and Gregory moment? Let us know in the comments!

Abbott Elementary airs on Wednesdays at 9/8c on ABC. 

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