Tyler James Williams on Embracing Gregory’s Jealousy in ‘Double Date’

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Abbott Elementary Season 3, Episode 11 “Double Date.”]

Abbott Elementary sees, in the latest episode, the return of everyone’s favorite teacher as Janine (Quinta Brunson) resumes her role at the titular school following a stint at the district.

And the vibes are a little tense as Gregory’s (Tyler James Williams) request to put a period on their romantic situation takes a twisty turn during a double date out with colleague Jacob (Chris Perfetti) and his boyfriend Avi (Karan Soni) and Avi’s coworker Olivia (Lana Condor). During a brief detour while waiting for their dinner reservation, the four of them step into a bar for a drink, only to find that Janine is there with Manny (Josh Segarra).

When Gregory takes note of how nicely Janine is dressed, theorizing that she’s on a date with Manny, his focus is suddenly absorbed on the table where they’re sitting rather than on his date Olivia. While he starts off as an observer, Gregory becomes directly involved when he thinks he sees Manny going in to give Janine a kiss and the jealousy is too much to contain. He essentially yells out loud in reaction, and everyone in the bar looks toward Gregory, who then has to make small talk with the duo along with Tariq (Zack Fox) and Erika (Courtney Taylor), who have joined Manny and Janine at their booth.

Disney/Christopher Willard

At this point, Gregory’s date is a big bust, but it’s clear that he is anxious about the idea that Janine would be on a date. “I think the season grappled with the idea of Janine not being there, but now her being back, she’ll only bring the problems that were always there to the forefront,” Williams tells TV Insider. With Janine out of sight at the district, it was easier for Gregory to believe they’d put a “period” on their relationship, but as Williams says, “it bubbles all of that back up for him in a way that is not something you can continue to ignore.”

When it came to working opposite guest star Lana Condor, Williams commends her performance, saying, “Lana came in, immediately fell into rhythm with us, and it was really great to find different ways of low-key being disrespected on a date and how to take that in… I think what was really fun about that scene was not only the jealousy that you see Gregory experience to an extreme for the first time, but the embarrassment of having new people around who don’t get it.”

As Williams points out, it’s one thing for Jacob or someone like Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) to observe Gregory’s jealousy, but having it on display for strangers, “there’s a level of embarrassment that comes in there as well.”

Disney/Christopher Willard

And no moment is more embarrassing than when Gregory stands up and shouts, unintentionally commanding the attention of the entire bar. The goal for Williams was the more awkward the better. “Gregory has such an intimate relationship with the audience because of the looks that he can throw [to the camera]. This was one of the first times I think the audience could feel this palpable awkwardness with him,” he acknowledges.

“And it was about letting the words escape my mouth and then that feeling after the fact. So that was something we had definitely talked about,” Williams continues. “This should be a moment where everyone watches this scene unfold and they’re perpetually saying, ‘Oh no. Oh, please God, no.’ I was just trying to make it worse every single time.”

Ultimately, Gregory’s fears are made out to be foolish as he misreads the situation, at least per Janine’s explanation, which is that it’s merely a friend meet-up and that she dressed up to go to the hookah bar with Erika after squaring away district business with Manny and Tariq. But seeds about Janine’s relationship status certainly don’t help Gregory’s perception after he notices she has a bouquet of flowers on her desk at Abbott.

“When we came into the beginning of the show, [Janine] was in a relationship that was already established. This is the first time we see Gregory actually have to deal with this idea of somebody coming into [the picture]. And this whole season, [we’ve been leaving] little gems as Manny has popped up that show that this is something that Greg is actively thinking about,” Williams shares.

In other words, the Janine-Gregory agenda remains ever-present. As for the threat Manny could pose to Gregory and Janine’s own bond, Williams notes, “I’m one to believe that nobody comes to conclusions for no reason. Gregory sees something there, so yes, [Manny] is a threat to a certain extent. Now whether he’s an active threat? That’s where the line gets a little blurry, but he knows Janine well enough to know it should be a concern.”

So, there’s a chance fans haven’t seen the last of jealous Gregory. “We’re seeing what makes Gregory insecure,” Williams points out, referencing his character’s sudden desire to grow a beard at the end of the episode, no doubt inspired by Manny’s facial hair. “Gregory is no longer being purely presented as this perfect choice. We see these cracks and flaws in him that are a bit different than in Seasons 1 and 2, where they were just the professional curves that he was trying to get around. Now we see these kinds of little personal aspects that he really wouldn’t want anybody to see,” Williams adds.

Luckily for viewers, it’s all on comedic display as Season 3 continues on ABC. Let us know what you thought about Abbott Elementary‘s latest episode in the comments section, below, and stay tuned as the season rolls out this spring.

Abbott Elementary, Season 3, Wednesdays, 9/8c, ABC