[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Abbott Elementary Season 4, Episode 2, “Ringworm.”]
Abbott Elementary faced an unexpected outbreak in Season 4’s latest installment, revealingly titled, “Ringworm,” as the fungus passed from student to student, eventually making its way to the staff.
No character was more panicked by the possibility of catching it than Gregory (Tyler James Williams), who suffers from an extreme aversion to germs and illness, so much so he was willing to forgo a movie night date with his girlfriend and colleague Janine (Quinta Brunson) to avoid catching ringworm. Donning a long-sleeve turtleneck, overalls, gloves, and wielding a spray bottle of sanitizer, Gregory wasn’t taking any chances of getting sick. Showcasing that side of Gregory in such an extreme light was also a way for the show to explore some of the behaviors people have experienced since Covid initially broke out.
“It was not only fun, it was kind of cathartic,” Williams tells TV Insider. “When we started the show in the midst of the pandemic, we made the creative choice not to address the pandemic… But this episode kind of gave us an opportunity to really work through what happened during that time in a comedic way,” the actor shares. “So I was really excited to do it because we can look at it objectively and find the comedy in it.”
Disney/Gilles Mingasson
Williams admits that some of his own personality from pandemic times shines through in Gregory’s reaction to the outbreak. “My objective going into it was like, ‘What was my worst pandemic self and how do I bring that into Gregory?’ It was really funny to poke fun at him and how unhinged he can be. But I think also how unhinged we all became. I think people look at Gregory at times, and they see him as something that they are not, but I actually love turning that mirror around and showing them that they actually are him, [or you] were at one point.”
While it may have been fun for Williams, Gregory’s reaction was a bit of a red flag for Janine who couldn’t understand why he’d skip their plans for a movie night, considering they’d both probably be exposed to ringworm. It isn’t dissimilar to how Gregory felt in Season 4’s premiere as Janine skirted around disclosing their relationship to HR.
Related‘Abbott Elementary’ Star Talks Gregory & Janine’s Big Relationship Milestone in Premiere
“We all make concessions, right? When we’re in a relationship with somebody those concessions are what build a relationship. And I thought that was a really good opportunity to show that he’s not just by himself anymore,” Williams says of Gregory’s thought process as he ultimately decides wasting time apart is worse than catching ringworm while spending time together “He’s not just only considering himself, he has somebody else’s feelings to consider and be responsible for.”
“I think those are the little moments that build their relationship for the audience. Gregory is one of those people who is not as straight-laced as he would like to appear. And anytime we have a chance to show how unhinged he actually is, I fall in love with it,” Williams gushes. “But I think seeing Janine have to grapple with that [from the perspective of] here’s my crazy a** boyfriend. It drops you into their relationship that much more.”
As far as their relationship goes, Williams adds, “We’ll have a few more moments like that, that we’ve already kind of a shot, that are really nice, where you see pieces of them that you wouldn’t have seen before and how they choose to love each other.”
Stay tuned to see what’s next for Janine and Gregory as their relationship continues to unfold in Season 4, and let us know what you think of Gregory’s extreme ringworm reaction in the comments section, below.
Abbott Elementary, Season 4, Wednesdays, 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, ABC
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