Warning: this post contains spoilers for the season 1 finale ofAbbott Elementary.
Giraffes and breakups and clam chowder bowls, oh my.
The lesson plan for the second season?
Tyler James Williams, Quinta Brunson, and Iyana Halley on ‘Abbott Elementary’.ABC/Temma Hankin
Personal growth for the Abbott faculty especially the impassioned Janine.
“Janine is now on a journey of finding herself,” Brunson says.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I believe the finale is the first episode this season that takes place outside of Abbott.
Quinta Brunson and Zack Fox on ‘Abbott Elementary’.ABC/Temma Hankin
Tell me about the decision to leave the school setting for the zoo to wrap things up.
QUINTA BRUNSON:I wanted the whole first season to take place in the school for the most part.
It’s not just us that is going, it’s the audience that is going.
Quinta Brunson in ‘Abbott Elementary’.ABC/Temma Hankin
Also, that’s what you do at the end of a school year in Philadelphia.
You go to the Philadelphia Zoo.
So it was another opportunity for us to bring the beauty of Philadelphia into the landscape of our show.
Did you film at an actual zoo?
We shot at Descanso Gardens [in Los Angeles] … We were looking at different zoos.
We looked at the L.A.
Zoo, but it was occupied.
We wound up seeing Descanso and I was like, “Wait a second.
This weirdly has the vibe and feel of the Philadelphia Zoo.”
Very beautiful zoo, if you’re ever in Philadelphia.
We got some animals in there to fill out the environment.
One of the animals in there, a giraffe?
They told me they were going to do it.
I was like, “That’s going to look so bad.”
But I saw that in post [production] and I could not believe it.
Were there any challenges of filming on location with so many children?
Our kids are very green.
It’s really strange.
We’re out of the school!
We’re on a field trip!"
So we had to be real teachers and say, “Hey, come in.
But at the same time, even our cast got zany when we got out of the school.
We also were wild.
Do they really not know you’re an actor?
Not really, you know.
They get it for the most part, but they only know me as Ms. Teagues.
They’re doing real worksheets.
And I go, “That’s great work” or “That’s the wrong answer.”
They have this sort of interesting reality at Abbott… and we’ve told them before.
And honestly it makes it a little bit easier for us when we need them to be quiet.
That helps them look at us like authority figures.
We get the inevitable Tariq and Janine breakup this episode and the sad version of their money dance.
Are Tariq and Janine truly endgame?
Will we see more of Tariq in the future?
But I don’t think you’ve seen the last of him.
What will Janine and Gregory’s dynamic look like in season 2 on the heels of Janine’s breakup?
She’s been with this person for years.
So I don’t feel like she’s going to hop into anything immediately with Gregory.
Gregory is also, he just made the decision to stay at Abbott to be a full-time teacher.
What are you most excited to explore in a second season?
I’m excited to explore Janine’s growth.
I’m excited to watch Barbara you know, in the finale, she confronts almost being near retirement.
In the second season, I want that to start to manifest in different ways, you know?
How is she going to grow from that?
She has to grow too for this new world.
Can we expect a Cudi cameo soon, and 2. Who are some of your dream guest stars?
You know, there’s actually a girl here tonight, who is one of my dream guests.
Her name is Courtney [Taylor].
She’s on the final season ofInsecureand I think she’s so good, her energy.
I just like her.
She’s a good actress.
It’s the same way I felt when I saw Janelle [James]…
I get my kicks out of that, introducing new talent.
Cudi, he said he wanted to be on the show.
For me it’s all about, “Who actually fits the world?”
I saw Cudi and I was like, “Huh.”
… it’s all about if my mom knows who you are.
I felt that way with him.
He said it and I was like, “Actually, yeah.”
There’s so many other things, too.
We’ve got other stuff to fill out.
We’ve got parents, we’ve got friends.
That’s what’s cool about the second season.
Now you guys know us.
Now we get to role build.
The season had so many memorable moments and quotable lines.
Do you have a favorite?
My favorite is episode 8, “Work Family.”
That episode has been my favorite episode.
I’m not allowed to say that.
Now we know who they all are.
That’s when Janelle falls off the chair.
That’s when we meet Tariq and we learn about their issues a little bit more.
That’s when Barbara and Melissa help Gregory out, which we haven’t seen before.
And we learn more information about Jacob.
I just think it’s our best episode.
That scene in the break room where Janine reveals that she’s been with Tariq for so long?
And all of these characters get to react.
Now they know Ava and this is her dream come true to make fun of Janine in this way.
And Gregory, dealing with his own issues.
That was when we finally got to put all the ingredients in the pot.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
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