Spoilers for Abbott Elementary episode 13
The first season of Abbott Elementary has come to an end, and I’m already wondering if there’s a way to go to the school board and ask for more, like, tomorrow. The series, created by Quinta Brunson, quickly became a favorite in my house on Wednesdays (because we watch it on Hulu after the Tuesday airdate), and it’s been the perfect balance of comedy, life lessons, and hoping your ship will sail.
Of course, like all the great ships that have come before them, Gregory (Tyler James Williams) and Janine (Brunson herself) don’t end up together right away. In fact, Janine’s already in a relationship with her longtime boyfriend, Tariq Temple (Zack Fox). As Janine starts to realize that she could (and should) do better, Gregory begins growing closer to Taylor Howard (Iyana Halley), the daughter of Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph).
That being said, the finale is a major turning point, not just for the ship I’ve been rooting for this whole time, but for Janine herself – which, according to Brunson, is the point.
One last handshake for the road
In the final episode of the season, Tariq gets an offer to tour elementary schools in New York for F.A.D.E. (Friends Against Drug Exposure) after his, um, interesting performance at Abbott Elementary (by interesting I mean absolutely hilarious). It’s a huge opportunity for him, and one where he, once again, doesn’t take Janine’s feelings into account. He assumes that she’ll drop everything and go with him, which would probably lead to her taking care of all of their expenses – at one point, he says he’s a feminist, which is why he lets her pay for everything.
This is the last straw for Janine, but as to be expected, it takes her a minute to get there. In true sitcom fashion, she has her epiphany in the most over-the-top way possible – a hot air balloon ride while talking to one of the students about being scared to leave your comfort zone, but embracing that fear to experience something that could be better for you.
The breakup between Tariq and Janine is necessary, but you can tell how hard it is for the both of them since they’ve been together for so long. Even with Tariq’s eye-roll-inducing “does this mean I can smash other people,” watching them end things on a somber version of their handshake perfectly captures what it feels like to walk away from someone you’ve been close to for so long. Tariq is not good for her, but Tariq is the safe choice that feels comfortable because she knows what to expect from him. Even if those expectations are well below the bare minimum, it’s still not as daunting as the unexpected.
Especially since the person we’ve been wanting her to get closer to is with someone else right now.
I’m actually glad Janine and Gregory aren’t together yet
I thought I’d be more upset at the fact that Janine is finally single, but Gregory isn’t available. Like. Did this man forget that he’s in love with Miss Teagues?! However, during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Brunson explained that she was excited to “have some things thrown at her (Janine) that were thrown at me when I was 25.” She also explained how this is the first time Janine has been single in 10 years.
Janine is now on a journey of finding herself. She’s been with this person for years. 10 years. And for the first time, she is a single adult, and now she has space to discover what that means. So I don’t feel like she’s going to hop into anything immediately with Gregory. Gregory is also, he just made the decision to stay at Abbott to be a full-time teacher. He has that to worry about — what that means for him, what that looks like, making that kind of commitment. So I think right now, these are two individuals who are growing up, and we’ll continue to see them meet in the middle of that growing up during the second season.
Brunson is right. After being in a relationship for that long, and one where your partner relied so heavily on you, it would be beneficial to spend some time alone. Janine is the type of person who likes being the solution to everyone’s problems – which is usually to her detriment, as she’s prone to suffering from burnout or making things worse because she’s trying too hard. It feels like being at Abbott is the first time she’s really been challenged about that, as the person she was closest to was perfectly fine with her taking care of everything. Even when we meet other characters from Janine’s past (like her friend Sahar) we see her clinging to the image she has of them instead of the reality of them treating her poorly.
Janine being with Gregory right after breaking up with Tariq wouldn’t give her a chance to truly breathe, and that’s what Janine needs to do. I’m glad that the series is focusing on her growth and letting her work to figure out what she truly wants instead of having her immediately go to Gregory.
Do I want them to get together? I mean, I think they’re adorable, but I want it to happen naturally and not just because one (or both) are single. After splitting up from someone who was with you “since we carried bag lunches,” you definitely need some time to process and get to know yourself without that person.
(Image: ABC)
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