Abbott Elementary: A Complete Timeline of Janine & Gregory's Relationship, Season By Season

While Abbott Elementary eventually brought Janine and Gregory together in season 4, the couple fought hard to make it to this point. Abbott Elementary’s entire cast of characters are lovable, but the show’s central romance has provided many of its best moments over the years. The "Will They, won’t they" love story between Quinta Brunson’s idealistic Janine Teagues and Tyler James Williams’ comically stoic Gregory Eddie is a classic sitcom love story that could rival The Office’s Jim and Pam or New Girl’s Nick and Jess.

While Abbott Elementary season 4’s Ava story fleshes out the show’s flawed boss, this is only possible because the workplace mockumentary has finally left Janine and Gregory in a stable place. For the first three seasons of the series, the duo’s mutual attraction never amounted to anything but a series of increasingly frustrating near-misses. Fortunately, by the time Abbott Elementary season 4 began, the pair had learned their lesson and finally started dating.

Season 1

Gregory Starts to Fall For Janine While She Dates Tariq

In season 1, episode 1, “Pilot,” Janine introduces Gregory to the school where he works as a substitute teacher, and Gregory is surprised to find that he wants to stick around a little longer by the end of the episode. Despite Ava’s incompetence as a principal, the school’s lack of funding and amenities, and the lack of promotion opportunities to a principal position, Gregory is fond of Janine and chooses to stay as a result. However, Janine continues dating Zack Fox’s directionless slacker Tariq until the season 1 finale.

Season 1 Episode	Janine and Gregory Relationship Milestone
Episode 1, "Pilot"	Gregory meets Janine when he begins working at Abbott
Episode 13, "Zoo Balloon"	Janine breaks up with Tariq on a class field trip.

Season 2

As season 2 begins, Gregory becomes a full-time teacher at Abbott and Janine is newly single. However, Abbott Elementary season 2 isn’t about Janine and Gregory’s budding romance. Instead, much like season 4’s golf course story defined its action, much of season 2 is concerned with fancy charter schools that Abbott is forced to compete with for funding.

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As this primary plot unfolds, Janine and Gregory both date other people throughout Abbott Elementary season 2. Janine dates Vince Staples’ Maurice, who is Gregory’s best friend, while Gregory dates Amber. Despite this, there are a few near-misses between the future couple. When they unexpectedly meet in the club, they share a romantic moment and Gregory almost kisses Janine. In the Valentine’s Day episode, the pair almost discuss their feelings and, at the teacher’s conference, they finally kiss. However, the season finale sees the duo decide to remain friends instead of pursuing a romantic relationship.

Season 2 Episode	Janine and Gregory Relationship Milestones
Episode 10 “Holiday Hookah”	Gregory and Janine unexpectedly meet at the club outside of school and almost kiss.
Episode 14 "Valentine’s Day”	Janine almost tells Gregory how she feels, but he misunderstands her.
Episode 16 “Teacher Conference”	Janine and Gregory share their first kiss at the conference.
Episode 22 “Franklin Institute"	Gregory and Janine agree to put their feelings on “Pause”

Season 3

Janine’s Fellowship Takes A Toll On The Duo’s Chemistry

In season 3, everything seemingly conspires to keep Janine and Gregory apart. First, a misunderstanding over their season 2 finale conversation leads Janine to think that Gregory isn’t interested in her romantically, and then she angrily takes a fellowship at the school district after this miscommunication. Then, even though Gregory finally realizes that he is crazy about Janine, the couple can’t be together since she is working elsewhere.

Ava convinces the morose Mr. Morton to tell Janine and Gregory all about his terrible office romance that ended with a bitter divorce.

When Janine turns down a permanent job at the district, Abbott Elementary’s worst character inadvertently gets between the couple in the penultimate episode of season 3. Afraid that the couple will hook up now that they are working together again, Ava convinces the morose Mr. Morton to tell them all about his terrible office romance that ended with a bitter divorce. This puts a damper on the couple’s chemistry, and it looks like they might never get together. However, Gregory and Janine finally hook up in season 3’s finale and admit the extent of their feelings for each other.

Season 3 Episode	Janine and Gregory Relationship Milestones
Episode 1 “Career Day”	Janine leaves Abbott for a fellowship at the school district.
Episode 11 “Double Date”	Gregory is distracted from his date by seeing Janine with Manny.
Episode 13 “Smith Playground”	Ava discourages Janine and Gregory with Mr. Morton’s sad story of office romance gone bad.
Episode 14 “Party	Gregory and Janine finally hook up at her end-of-year party.

Season 4

Janine and Gregory Finally Start Officially Dating

After all the drama and messiness of seasons 2 and 3, Janine and Gregory finally officially start dating in season 4. The couple’s time together involves a lot of eventful firsts, from their first Halloween costume contest to their first Christmas Eve together. However, Abbott Elementary’s central couple has a relatively stable first year all in all, giving the sitcom room to explore more characters in its new episodes.

Season 4 Episode	Janine and Gregory Relationship Milestones
Episode 1 “Back to School”	Janine and Gregory officially confirm that they are dating.

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