Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 4, “Costume Contest”
WhileAbbott Elementaryseason 4’s Janine & Gregory relationship was long-awaited, the show’s Halloween special proved the pair can be a little predictable as a couple.Abbott Elementary’s entire cast of charactersis beloved by viewers, and the workplace mockumentary has offered some of the funniest character comedy on network television in the past few years. That said,Abbott Elementary’s Gregory and Janine romanceis still central to the show’s appeal. Like so many earlier sitcoms, the otherwise lighthearted comedy used the chemistry between the pair to keep viewers emotionally invested throughout seasons 1, 2, and 3.
Abbott Elementary’s Ringworm Plot Sets Up A Much-Needed Change For Jacob
Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 2 gave Jacob a new purpose and this couldn’t have arrived sooner after the character’s lackluster season 3 story.
AlthoughAbbott Elementary’s season 4 premiere revealed Gregory and Janinewere in a happy relationship, things haven’t been smooth sailing for the pair. Season 4, episode 2, “Ringworm,” included their first fight as Gregory comically overreacted to the titular threat. The couple were able to weather this storm and have been blissfully happy since, which is why it was no surprise when their colleagues hit them with some bad news in season 4, episode 4, “Costume Contest.” As much as they struggled to admit it, Gregory and Janine were in a bubble and this made them boring company.
Janine & Gregory’s Abbott Elementary Season 4 Halloween Dilemma Admits They Are Now Boring
Janine & Gregory’s Couple Costume Proved They Crave Approval
Gregory and Janine hated the thought that they were in their own little bubble as a new couple, even though it was clearly true. Their shared couple’s costume, an obscure reference toJurassic Park, was a perfect encapsulation of this issue. Going as ‘Mr. DNA’ and the fly trapped in amber from Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster seemed like an obvious crowdp-leaser to the pair, so both Janine and Gregory were shocked when almost no one understood their reference. Ava made this worse when she immediately recognized the costume but then clarified that she didn’t think it was good.
The happy couple was summarily informed that their comfortable bubble of in-jokes was making it harder for them to connect with everyone else.
AlthoughAbbott Elementary’s Ava and Janinethink along the same lines surprisingly often, the principal’s recognition of the reference wasn’t enough to stop the staff from unanimously labeling the costume “Headass.” The happy couple was summarily informed that their comfortable bubble of in-jokes was making it harder for them to connect with everyone else, and they were now just another “Headass couple doing headass things” according to Ava. Janine and Gregory might have fought hard to make their romance happen but, now that they were happy, they were as susceptible to cringe as any other ordinary couple.
Abbott Elementary Season 4 Subverts The Sitcom’s Boring Couple Dilemma
Season 4’s “Bubble” Highlighted A Sitcom Problem
“Costume Contest” allowedAbbott Elementaryto point out an infamous dark secret of sitcom writing, namely that happy couples are paradoxically boring. Viewers might think that they just want their favorite characters to be happy, but both comedy and drama need conflict to work. This is whyAbbott Elementary’s Melissa needed to turndown Gary the Vending Machine Guy’s proposal in the season 3 premiere, and it is the reason that many earlier sitcom couples suffered a dip in popularity after they finally got together.
FromBrooklyn 99’s Jake and Amy toNew Girl’s Nick and Jess, toThe Mindy Project’s Mindy and Danny, toThe Office’s Jim and Pam,countless sitcom pairings have struggled to keep the audience’s interest after they officially became an item. However, the boring status ofAbbott Elementary’s lead couple is technically a good thing in-universe, since it means Janine and Greg are in a fundamentally healthy relationship. This difficult dynamic plagued the duo throughout the episode, as they struggled to accept their fate. WhereAva’sAbbott Elementaryseason 4 romanceis exciting and new, Gregory and Janine are finally comfortable.
How Can Abbott Elementary Keep Janine & Gregory’s Romance Compelling Without Breaking Them Up
Abbott Elementary’s Stars Can Prioritize Their Happiness Over Impressing Others
Fortunately, the couple found a way to cope with this new reality, meaningAbbott Elementaryseason 4 can now do so too. By sticking to their bizarrely specific, obscure costume instead of going for something bland and generic like “Peanut Butter and Jelly,” Gregory and Janine proved that they wouldn’t let their relationship’s success and their subsequent bubble worry them. By committing to being themselves regardless of what their coworkers thought,Gregory and Janine ensured their relationship would only get deeper and more meaningfulas season 4 continued.
Chris Perfetti
Jacob Hill
While their coworkers and even their students might roast them, the couple is strong enough to stick together and accept their newfound corniness. Much likeAbbott Elementary’s hilarious Mr. Johnsonand his “Emo Jimmy Butler” costume, Janine and Gregory weren’t worried about how they were perceived by others once they were happy in their own skin. This ensures that, as season 4 continues, viewers don’t have to worry about the duo’s relationship. Thus,Abbott Elementarycan foreground other relationships while viewers are safe in the knowledge that the show’s central couple remains rock solid.
