Spoilers ahead for the season-three finale of Abbott Elementary. Well, Abbott Elementary did the damn thing: After three seasons, Janine and Gregory gave us the deep-in-their-feelings, wrapped-in-each-other’s-arms kiss we’ve all been waiting for. And in doing so, they pulled an Office , a Parks and Recreation , and a Friends — a declarative kiss involving a doorway, a lot of pent-up longing, and a sense that the show we’re watching is about to change.
The door represents a new beginning, and the kiss? The kiss represents hotness! Gregory’s smirk at the camera when he pulled down those blinds had some bad-boy energy, didn’t it? Janine and Gregory’s will-they-or-won’t-they-flirtation has been integral to Abbott Elementary , a way to grow each protagonist from their initial characterizations. Sometimes their romantic interest informed an episode’s plot, like them buying their now-exes Valentine’s Day gifts that were more appropriate for each other, slow-dancing at the hookah club, using Jacob as a go-between to gauge how the other person felt, or falling into a regretted embrace after one too many drinks. When Janine and Gregory’s obvious endgame status wasn’t an A-story, it was background texture with the implied-to-be-constantly-rolling cameras inside Abbott capturing details that reminded us of the characters’ emotions: secret glances, little smiles after an interaction, a different tone of voice when they talked about the other person.
It was all gr.
