As Abbott Elementary gets ready to ring the classroom bell on a new year with Season 5, Emmy-winning creator, star and EP Quinta Brunson is teasing some new dynamics — from the furthering of Janine (Brunson) and Gregory’s (Tyler James Williams) relationship to some fresh faces that may not be the teachers’ lounge cup of tea.
“I think you can expect to experience more relationship milestones,” Brunson said of the couple, who crossed a major one in the Season 4 finale, as Janine befriended Gregory’s father, “like you’re gonna see the things that happen to typical couples in their 20s: meeting more parents, meeting more family members, figuring out what steps are next, moving in together — things like that.” (For example, this season will feature Gregory’s apartment, which Williams described to Deadline as “very Gregory” in appearance.)
Audiences can also expect a new teacher, Luke Tennie’s Dominic, and potentially more recurring and guest characters. As for whether the Abbott newbies will get along with the mainstays, or vice versa, the jury is still out.
“Anytime you bring an outside character into the picture, feathers are ruffled,” Brunson told Deadline, “and we’re going to see some of that, whether it be for our characters or from our characters to them; we have a group of exciting characters that might make other people be like: ‘What the hell is wrong with these people?’ But we’re excited for those moments.”
Upping the ante this year, Abbott Elementary embarked on the daunting task of filming a live episode during a Philadelphia Phillies game. Though the cast and creatives were hoping for a solid outing, what they got exceeded their expectations.
“There are things to tease, but the most exciting thing is that we went to one of the most historic games ever in baseball — we could not have accounted for that; there was no way to know it would go that well, it’s what you imagine,” Brunson explained. “We were like, ‘Ah, we hope we get footage of, like, at least one home run.’ There were seven, and four by one player.”
What else? Brunson previewed “new pairings of our characters, things you haven’t seen before” and, more tantalizing: the teachers will “tackle something really, really, really major — a big game-changer that could make or break them [with] some significant shakeups” at the school.
Abbott Elementary returns to ABC Oct. 1.
Quinta Brunson teases the #AbbottElementary live episode filmed at a history-making Phillies game pic.twitter.com/KH7QJFLefZ
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) September 6, 2025
The post Quinta Brunson Teases ‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 5: More Janine & Gregory, New Cast And A “Game-Changer” That Will “Make Or Break” The School appeared first on Deadline.
