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That first kiss was just textbook.

Fresh off that moment between Tyler James Williams' Gregory and Quinta Brunson's Janine, the teachers of Abbott Elementary have a whole lot of tension to unpack in the March 1 episode. And co-star Chris Perfetti can't wait for fans to see how it all plays out.

"We work so quickly that it didn't even dawn on me that people would be coming into this episode with all of the baggage of the one that came right before it," he exclusively told E! News Feb. 27. "I'm very excited about what happens in this episode, both with Janine and Gregory but also definitely with Jacob."

The newest installment will see Chris' Jacob Hill—or Mr. C, as his students affectionately call him—attempt to persuade his classroom to select something appropriate for his hard-won school mural. Unfortunately for him, the kids are newly obsessed with a show-within-the-show, the Silly Sock Show.

"For me it was Rocko's Modern Life and Hey Arnold!" the actor shared. "These are shows that I feel were just as much made for adults as they were for kids."

And as season two continues to explore the lives and classroom hijinks of the fictional Philadelphia school, it's as beloved as ever as the ABC sitcom recently won big at both the SAG and NAACP Image Awards over the weekend.

"Every day of this job since these people and this story came into my life has been sort of a new 'pinch me' moment," Chris said of the comedy's multiple wins. "I don't think any actor is prepared for something to take off in the way that Abbott has."

He continued, "We make this show on a very small, humble stage at Warner Brothers and we're a pretty tight-knit group. So, when we have these evenings where we get to venture out into the world and everybody is telling us how much they dig what we're doing, it's kind of shocking but very gratifying."

As Chris has been on this Abbott journey since its December 2021 debut, just when did he realize the show might be a smashing success?

"I knew when I read it that if a network was brave enough to make this show and do it justice, that it would be something really special," he revealed. "I remember laughing out loud reading it initially, but I kind of thought it was a long shot that I would be lucky enough to get to do it."

And Chris credits much of the success to series creator Quinta for leading the way for the cast and crew.

"Quinta is so smart and so talented," he shared. "She's trying to—while people are laughing—sort of shove a message down their throat in a way that I think mockumentary doesn't typically do."

Chris continued, "This is a location and a cast of characters that isn't typically given the spotlight and so I think that's what sets us apart."

Get an education in TV comedy with Abbott Elementary, every Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.

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