SPOILER ALERT: This post contains plot details for Season 2 Episode 11 ofAbbott ElementaryonABC.
Theres a bit of healthy competition between the second grade teachers during the midseason premiere ofAbbott Elementaryon Wednesday.
So thats a beautiful place to see a different side of her.
ABBOTT ELEMENTARY - “Read-A-Thon” – The competition heats up between Melissa and Janine as their classrooms go head-to-head in a read-a-thon sponsored by a local pizza shop. Both teachers encourage their students to hit the books hard but face some unexpected obstacles on their path to pizza glory. Meanwhile, Jacob and Gregory join forces and attempt to get their student-podcasting club off the groundABC/Gilles Mingasson
LISA ANN WALTER:I dont know what theyre going to pick, necessarily.
For example, when [Janine] comes up and shes all feisty and all in Melissa space… And Barbara is like, Did she just ?
Im so happy they kept that.
And her running down the hall just killed me.
Then they went back to that shot with her continuing to run.
And then when I see it, Im like, Oh my God, thats good.
Im glad they did that.
DEADLINE: So, how much are you improvising versus going directly off the script in those scenes?
WALTER:Well, whats funny is we always do whats in the script.
We always do that numerous times.
Sometimes well get into something and well have an idea or theyll come to us to try something new.
So sometimes the playing around is not necessarily purposeful.
Its just actors instinct within the scene, but theyll like it and theyll go with it.
DEADLINE: We saw a softer side of Melissa in this episode.
How have you felt about uncovering both sides of her character and discovering her more vulnerable side?
WALTER:Well first of all, I think its beautiful.
Im very happy that Quinta is a fan of my serious work.
So when she writes towards it.
Also, with any character that comes off tough like that, theres a reason for it.
Tough is a protection.
So anytime youre protecting something, its because theres something to cover, theres a vulnerability.
So thats a beautiful place to see a different side of her.
But for me personally, I never had a problem with reading.
I was a fat kid in school.
In my personal case, it was being tough and being funny.
DEADLINE: Shes becoming a lot softer toward both Janine and Jacob, too.
Why do you think that is?
WALTER:Well, unlike Lisa, Melissa is not accepting of any new person immediately.
Theyre all to be distrusted.
I dont know you, and so therefore youre probably up to something.
Im just gonna figure out what it is.
So shes not really somebody to open up.
Its also very maternal.
The other young teachers that have come along lasted this long, and then they leave.
I think thats what it is.
So youre one of the pack and well protect you.
What do you think keeps them going even though Abbott is so underfunded?
WALTER:I honestly think that it is what you saw in this episode.
Its the one student.
Or somebody sat me down and gave me the tool, and now I can do anything.
WALTER:Well, I mean, everybody wants to know obviously about the romance.
Im not going to say what, but I think the audience is going to be really happy.
Also, theyre just gonna be enthusiastic.
Last year, when people were saying, What do you want to see happen?
It was a big episode.
I think it might be my favorite episode this season.
DEADLINE: So, is Quinta just reading your interviews?
First of all, she is planning in advance.
But shes already got stuff planned out.
My joke is that when she sat down, she had five years planned.
But not every little thing.
They sit in the writers room and they break the story, and they come up with different things.
Then the writers go, Oh, theres this great dynamic in between this kid and Mr. Johnson.
Lets bring that back in the middle of Season 3.
So you never know when its going to show up.
She might read the interviews, but I think this one that Im talking about was probably planned.
It was kind of a no brainer.
If you tell me three scenarios, Ill tell you if its one of those.
WALTER:Thats kind of how I feel.
I mean, Im a creator.
Ive written stuff, and Im creating stuff.
So I definitely have ideas, but I learned in this one to just let go and let Quinta.
I let Quinta handle it because shes gonna come up with some great stuff.
The writers and executive producers are pretty darn good.
