Let’s all be honest: there’s no denying that Janine and Gregory are going to be together at the end of Abbott Elementary.
The sitcom relationship formula basically guarantees it.
That’s why the latest development in their romance feels so silly.
(Disney/Gilles Mingasson)
Look, I’m one of the biggest Abbott Elementary defenders, but even I felt like their breakup came out of nowhere.
Sure, every sitcom couple goes through their rough patch, but unnecessary conflict for the sake of conflict is simply frustrating.
The Lead-Up To The Breakup
I was most surprised by the breakup because Janine and Gregory just moved in together this season.
Arguably, moving in and shifting dynamics definitely factored into their dispute about the vacation.
But it also feels like the show is trying to cram too much development into a single season.
(Disney/Gilles Mingasson)
It took them three seasons to finally get together.
Are we supposed to believe that they moved in together and also decided to break up within the span of one season?
Sure, this season demonstrated that Janine and Gregory have their disagreements, such as when Gregory felt uncomfortable around Tariq’s belongings in Janine’s old apartment.
However, their decision to break up over the vacation seems to be a conflict for the sake of keeping their storyline fresh.
As I mentioned earlier, plenty of sitcom couples break up and get back together again.
(NBC)
Take Jonah and Amy from Superstore, for example.
The entire last season saw Jonah reckoning with Amy leaving him, but because the show promised us they were endgame, they obviously got back together.
On Abbott Elementary, Janine and Gregory’s breakup arc lasted only a few episodes, highlighting clear pacing issues.
It’s All About The Pacing
Admittedly, I really enjoyed seeing the Abbott Elementary teachers encouraging them to get back together.
But even before watching the season finale, I could easily predict that they’d be back together by the end of the season.
(Disney/Gilles Mingasson)
Though the breakup episodes contained plenty of angsty moments that showed why they belong together, it also felt way too short.
They barely even had time to fully reckon with the awkwardness of working with someone they used to date.
Again, I want to emphasize that I’m at Jacob’s level of ride-or-die support for the Janine-Gregory relationship.
But there was undeniably so much wasted potential to explore how they dealt with the breakup, and I wish the show had gotten to dive deeper into that aspect.
Also, I often hear complaints that some sitcom couples grow boring after they finally get together.
(Disney/Gilles Mingasson)
Yet, I feel like Janine and Gregory have been a welcome exception, since their relationship is an introvert-for-introvert rare gem.
So, adding the sudden breakup as a conflict only to quickly wrap up the issue feels like the show derailing their relationship for its own sake.
I’m curious to see if the show will address their breakup era in future episodes and what their future conflicts might look like.
But for now, I’ll just take the win that they’re back together after gritting my teeth through that rushed breakup arc.
(Disney/Gilles Mingasson)
Was the breakup necessary? Could they have achieved the same results with a different decision?
What did you think of Abbott Elementary Season 5?
What are you hoping to see from Abbott Elementary Season 6? Be specific. Let’s get a conversation started.
Drop a comment with your thoughts below!
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It’s typical for sitcom couples to go through a rough patch, but Janine and Gregory’s break up felt very rushed.
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