Tyler James Williams on Abbott Elementary's swoon-worthy season finale

It’s all happening: Abbott Elementary finally blesses Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) with a moment that has been years in the making. In its third-season finale, which aired May 22, the ABC comedy allows both of them to act on their feelings—and there’s no going back this time (we hope).

“Party” closes with Janine and Gregory saying “screw it” and going after each other. After all the back-and-forth, they’ve realized that pursuing a relationship is worth the effort, no matter the complications. Abbott has slowly, crucially built up to this development since the series premiere. The timing has never been right for them before, even if they’ve kissed and talked about their attraction. Now, it’s rewarding to see them put an end to their will-they-won’t-they in a swoon-worthy way.

The A.V. Club spoke to Williams about the significance of this moment, why his character needed to mature, and what Janine and Gregory’s relationship could mean for Abbott Elementary season four.

Tyler James Williams: God, yes. I feel like everybody else because living in Gregory’s skin, I can feel the anxiety that’s been rising and building over the last three seasons. So it feels good to have this. Janine and Gregory’s first kiss that we did in season two was very hesitant and tentative. There’s something more definitive about this moment. So when I read it, I felt like, “Okay, we can do this.”

AVC: You and Quinta have spoken about why Janine and Gregory needed to grow as people and find their confidence before committing to each other. What was it like to develop Gregory over season three?

TJW: It’s been huge. One of the things that I was looking for with Gregory, particularly going into season three, was to dirty him up a bit. He’s seen as this great guy and supportive partner, and he is, but I didn’t want that to be it. I think his whole jealousy arc showed that eventually, he’s learning how to be more assertive about what he wants and how to go after this life that he’s looking to have. We had a very short amount of time to accomplish all of it this year because of the strike. But it’s been nice to play that out because it feels like a more natural transition.

AVC: In Janine’s absence at Abbott, Gregory opens up to the others more, especially Jacob (Chris Perfetti) and Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph). Why was it essential to show that aspect of his workplace dynamic too?

TJW: That was the big, brilliant angle of having Janine temporarily leave Abbott. I’ve never wanted her and Gregory to get together by default. I’ve wanted it to be clear that Gregory chose Abbott independently and then chose Janine independently. They didn’t just come together by circumstance. He had to make those decisions for himself. He had to root himself in the location and the atmosphere that is Abbott outside of his romantic interest.

I like the fact that they are both confronted with those issues in season three’s last few episodes and have to choose each other. I’ve wanted it to be a choice, not a relationship out of convenience where they’re riding off of their meet cute. I like the obstacles we’ve thrown in their path because it’s led to their growth. Gregory needs to be teaching for other reasons, not just Janine. It can only happen if he’s connected to everyone else, the other teachers and students.

AVC: So it was the right time for them then or did you guys talk about waiting for another season?

TJW: No, the end of season three was always the plan for them. We were talking about it a lot, and there were multiple versions of how we thought it could go down. But this felt right to me. I think if we tried to drag it out… I mean, even I was finding as we filmed the finale and were talking to the writers that we were running out of excuses for Gregory. That moment when he leaves Janine’s party and before he goes back for her, I remember struggling with it and wondering, “Why is he leaving? She wants him to stay! What are we doing?”

AVC: Oh, I was ready to throw my laptop across the room if he wouldn’t have gone back.

TJW: [Laughs] He would deserve it at that point. And if I’m feeling that as the actor in his skin, I can imagine what it’s like for the viewers. So I’m glad we’ve found a way around it that works.

AVC: A moment I love in the finale is when Gregory enters Janine’s and sees her searching for a flashlight after the electricity goes out. That’s when the pink lights come on. It’s beautiful, and you have this look of awe on your face as you glance around her space and at Janine. It’s very telling. I’m curious if that was scripted or have you just perfected that Gregory look?

TJW: No, that wasn’t scripted. I’ve spoken about this before but I think, or I hope, I’m one of those people who doesn’t need lines to convey what somebody’s feeling at the moment. What I’ve always wanted to do with Gregory was to show him actively in love. I want to romanticize this idea that it’s not just creating an atmosphere for Janine, but this is for him too. We don’t see it a lot in straight relationships. You see guys going out of their way to create a moment for somebody else, which is great, but I want to see how it affects him. It’s a good catch with that particular scene because I wanted it to be clear that he felt he was in a magical moment. I wanted you guys to see the core memory that was forming for him.

AVC: What’s it like to work with Quinta to flesh out that angst and chemistry over time?

TJW: It’s a great question but the answer is hard to explain. I don’t know how to put it into words. One aspect is we often talk about Janine and Gregory as if they’re our kids, you know what I mean? But then at some point, we have to live in their experience. It’s a lot of conversations. We talk about their scenes a lot, especially the different ways we want to shoot them. It’s usually Randall Einhorn who’s directing, and he feels like a dad who is overseeing them. It’s truly collaborative and symbiotic. Those are the closest words that come to mind. One day I’ll find a more eloquent way to answer your question.

AVC: Are there any TV romances that you look at for inspiration?

TJW: Yeah there are quite a few. Quinta’s a student of TV. I feel like she probably knows shows better than the people who worked on them. The Office’s Jim and Pam come up quite a bit, and Randall Einhorn worked on that too. New Girl’s Nick and Jess dynamic comes up from time to time. Ultimately, we don’t want to replicate anything but we want to find a way to make it ours and come at it from a different angle, right? It’s still a will-they-won’t they so it’s going to be what it’s going to be, but how can we make it interesting?

We were thinking about that even with the finale’s big kiss. Quinta, Randall, and I had a lot of talks about what’s something unique we can do that the other TV shows maybe cannot. There was an opportunity for a way to clock the camera and use it so that I know I’m having this conversation with the audience as well when Gregory nudges the documentary crew out and they, and the audience, are outside the door. That was our pitch to make a familiar moment feel new and vibrant.

AVC: It builds the anticipation for season four perfectly. Speaking of, do you personally have any hopes for how their relationship plays out?

TJW: That’s what I was thinking about when I got the script too. I asked Quinta, “Okay, what are we talking about here? Where are we going next?” I needed to know so I could set up the intensity of the kiss properly because it’s a glimpse into what’s next. I kind of know what that is. I’m actually most excited for season four because it feels like we’ve been working to get to this point for so long and now we get a chance to explore the unknown.

AVC: What about this show makes it creatively challenging and rewarding three seasons in?

TJW: Abbott Elementary feels like a play. That’s what I love about it. You never know what the camera is catching at any given time. Usually, when doing a comedy, you have your ideas for your coverage and you get a moment to let things shine. This is like a play in that it’s also slightly improvisational. Everyone’s bringing what they’re bringing, so it’s not until I hear what Janelle James is saying as Ava and how she’s saying it that I know how Gregory will respond. It keeps me super present and on my toes.

Even after three seasons, I’m not bored. I’ve been at this point in a TV show of going from season three to four and I remember feeling fatigued and wondering how much more story we have to tell. But [with Abbott] I still get caught off guard and surprised during takes. It doesn’t feel formulaic at all. The shooting style and the genre keep it from being the case.

AVC: Do you have any moments during filming that surprised you?

TJW: Yes, there are two from this season. When Chris Perfetti jumped into the garbage can to find his vape pen because we had way too much fun filming that. You can see it on the screen. He decided to do it without telling anybody, so when he dived in, the crew ended up laughing so hard. The camera starts to shake because Jeremiah Smith, our cameraman, is trying to keep it together. It was one of those moments where like I said, everyone’s glowing and having a good time as we’re doing a comedy.

Then there’s episode eight’s cold open with the basketball game. That’s my fault because Zack Fox and I ended up being like kids who needed to be sent to the principal’s office. We shot it for way too long. We were living in those characters so much, and Tariq and Gregory have the potential for beef so that cold open became uncontrollable chaos. There were so many things we filmed that they didn’t use, but they just let us off the leash.