Abbott Elementary EPs Preview Janine And Gregory's Future, Ava's New 'Depths,' Season 2's Expanding World

Abbott Elementary will open up its doors beyond the school in Season 2, premiering this Wednesday, Sept. 21 (ABC, 9/8c).

While the hit comedy stayed within the hallways that employee Janine & Co. during its freshman run, the success of the show has allowed it to expand its scope a bit in the upcoming season. "Certainly, in the first 13 [episodes], we're going to go out more than we have," executive producer Justin Halpern tells TVLine.

The series will also be "expanding the personal lives of these characters," EP Patrick Schumacker adds. In fact, viewers are "probably going to meet multiple family members and romantic interests of different characters," Halpern teases.

During a Television Critics Association virtual press tour panel, creator/star Quinta Brunson explained that "in order to flesh out the backstories of these characters a little bit more and give viewers something that they didn't have the first season, we thought it would be great to, every now and then, go into their backstories, into their lives," she shared. "And the home is a great place to learn more about a character. We aren't going to technically live there, but we think it is a really fun experience for the audience and for ourselves to learn more about where these people came from."

Read on as Halpern and Schumacker preview Ava's Season 2 arc, tease guest stars and ponder Janine and Gregory's romantic future.

With her ex Tariq out of the picture, "you'll start to see [Janine and Gregory's] relationship grow," Halpern says.

However, the show is only in its second season, so it's too early to tell if the pair are meant to be a couple and if they're endgame. "We still don't actually even know kind of where that is going to end," Halpern admits. "We've talked with Quinta and Patrick and myself, and this writing staff have talked a lot about it, and we haven't made any firm decisions."

"We're sort of sitcom vets, and Quinta is like a giant sitcom lover," the EP continues, "and so we're sort of kicking the tires on all different kinds of things to kind of figure out, 'Hey, how do we want this to end? Were do we want it to end up? And after we make that decision, how would it affect the show going forward in what we want there?'"

Don't look for last season's breakout character, Principal Ava, to change too much from her sassy, narcissistic ways. "There's not going to be a version of this where it's a Disney movie and she ends up being like, 'You know what, I'm going to dedicate my life to children,'" Halpern assures TVLine. "No, she's always going to be running scams, she's always going to be doing things that are self-serving because that's the character, and that's the way that we like her."

That said, "there'll be depths to her character this year. Plus, you'll learn more about why she is the way that she is," Halpern previews.

Adds Schumacker: "We have empathy for her. And I also just think that Janelle [James] brings such a winning energy. [You] can't help but love her, despite her being that fly in the ointment. But I think she's going to be an antagonistic force for, hopefully, seasons to come in the show."

And might the principal get a proper romantic interest in Season 2 instead of inappropriately hitting on Gregory? "You might be onto something," Schumacker says.

Whereas with Season 1, "we didn't know when we were going actually be on," Halpern notes, "this year we do, so we got to do holiday episodes this year. And I'm so excited for people to see our Halloween episode! I think it's like one of the best things we've ever done. There's some stuff in there, I'm like, 'Oh, man, I think people are just going to lose their mind about this.'"

The special installment also proved to be quite an undertaking for the production. "I did not envy our director, Shahrzad Davani, on this episode," Schumacker says. "It was such a puzzle putting it together with obviously everybody in crazy costumes. There's more action than one might expect."

As previously announced, Leslie Odom Jr. (Smash) will appear in Season 2 as Draemond, "the owner of a string of charter schools in the area who pays a visit to Abbott," per ABC. Additionally, Lauren Weedman (Arrested Development, Looking) will play Kristin Marie, "a tough-talking teacher from a neighboring school who bears a striking resemblance to one of Abbott's own," while Keyla Monterroso Mejia (Curb Your Enthusiasm) will portray Ashley, "a teacher's aide at Abbott Elementary whose go-with-the-flow personality contributes to classroom chaos."

Plus, "we have some interesting guest stars we can't spoil for you yet," Schumacker teases. "But we're shooting right now with someone I'm very excited to be working with, who people will recognize and who plays someone from, let's say, Barbara's past. We'll leave it at that."

Newly promoted series regular William Stanford Davis, who plays school janitor Mr. Johnson, gets one of the season premiere's most Philadelphia lines. "Quinta is such a fan of throwing in deep West Philly references," Halpern shares. "They are all throughout the season. There's just like super West Philly stuff, like even this tiny stuff. There's a moment in the premiere where — it's in the cold open — there's somebody barbecuing, and Mr. Johnson says, 'Let me get the beef tips. I don't eat any pork,' and Quinta's like, 'That's a super Philly thing to say.'"

(With reporting by Matt Mitovich)