Abbott Elementary Season 3 Almost Ended Janine and Gregory's Romance Hopes

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Abbott Elementary season 3, episode 10.

Summary Janine and Gregory's almost-romance faced a major hurdle in season 3, but ultimately fate saved their connection in episode 10.

Janine's decision to stay at Abbott wasn't influenced by Gregory, showing a focus on her growth and not rushing their romance.

Abbott Elementary wisely avoided pushing Janine and Gregory into a relationship, allowing their dynamic to develop naturally.

Although Abbott Elementary’s Janine and Gregory romance still isn’t official, the couple narrowly avoided an early end to their potential relationship in season 3, episode 10. Abbott Elementary’s entire cast of characters is central to the show’s appeal, but Janine and Gregory’s tentative connection is particularly important for the series. The mockumentary sitcom has followed the two young teachers since they first met in the pilot and, despite sharing their feelings for each other late in season 2, the duo still haven’t started dating. They may not get together until Abbott Elementary season 4, but season 3 still jeopardized their connection.

In Abbott Elementary’s season 3 premiere, Janine and Gregory decided not to date after Gregory seemingly misinterpreted Janine’s suggestion that they put their feelings on “Pause.” After this decision, Janine took a fellowship in the school district, resulting in her leaving Abbott for twelve weeks. This fellowship saw Janine go from strength to strength, impressing her coworkers and superintendent so much that she was eventually offered a full-time role in the district. Although Janine’s Abbott Elementary season 3 district story seemed destined to doom her potential romance, fate stepped in at the last moment and saved the show’s oldest relationship.

Abbott Elementary Season 3's Janine & Gregory Story Avoided Tragedy In Episode 10

The Slow-burn Sitcom Romance Almost Ended When Janine Left Abbott

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In season 3, episode 10, “2 Ava 2 Fest,” Janine almost left Abbott for good and abandoned any chance of dating Gregory in the process. She seriously considered taking the full-time role in the district, with her new colleagues even planning a party. However, as the episode reached its ending, Janine made a triumphant return to Abbott and explained that she couldn’t leave the school behind. Although Gregory did gift her a plant for her new office earlier in the episode, it wasn’t his arrival at the district that changed Janine’s mind in the end. This was a clever twist.

When Abbott Elementary season 3 introduced Manny and Janine’s job in the district, it seemed as if the show was setting up an obvious rival for Gregory and an excuse to get Janine out of Abbott. Instead, Manny turned out to be a genuinely sweet and supportive coworker and the fellowship was just a chance for Janine to realize that Abbott is where she belongs. Janine thought that the gifts from her coworkers were sweet, but it was a card from Barbara that led her back to Abbott. The children in Janine’s class wrote her messages that convinced her to return.

Janine's Decision To Stay Didn't Involve Gregory (& That's Good)

Janine’s Class Convinced Her To Stay (Which Is Better For Her Love Life)

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If Gregory convinced Janine to stay just so they could date, this would have put a lot of pressure on the pair. Instead, Janine chose to stay because her class of kids missed her, meaning her and Gregory can keep their "Will they, won’t they" dynamic without the duo suddenly getting forced into a relationship. Gregory and Janine’s Abbott Elementary season 3 story can be frustrating, but pushing a sitcom couple into a romantic relationship before their time has ruined plenty of great shows. Thus, the mockumentary is right to keep Janine and Gregory’s romance alive for as long as Abbott Elementary can manage.

Episode # Episode Title Release Date 1 "Career Day, Part 1" February 7 2 "Career Day, Part 2" February 7 3 "Gregory's Garden Goofballs" February 14 4 "Smoking" February 21 5 "Breakup" February 28 6 "Willard R. Abbott" March 10 7 "Librarian" March 13 8 "Panel" March 20 9 "Alex" April 10 10 "2 Ava 2 Fest" April 17 11 "Double Date" April 24 12 "Mother's Day" May 8 13 Unknown Unknown 14 Unknown Unknown