Janine was feeling pretty good about herself during the season 2 premiere of Abbott Elementary, and why wouldn’t she be? Besides, the teacher had pulled off quite the coup: She got the Philadelphia Flyers mascot, Gritty, to agree to make an appearance the first week of school! But unfortunately, Janine’s breakup with Tariq affected her more than she wanted to admit because she got the dates wrong and the local celebrity showed up a week early during Teacher Development Day. It was disappointing for Janine, but a major win for creator and star Quinta Brunson, who was very excited about the guest star during a Television Critics Assoc. virtual type navigation panel.

“He is very special to us. It’s the biggest celebrity cameo ever,” Branson enthused, before revealing the mascot was supposed to appear last season. “We almost had Gritty for the pilot of our show. He’s invested from the beginning, before you even knew about the show,” Branson said. “So it was great to have this opportunity to be involved. Gritty is just as vital to the particular Philly spirit of this show as the Eagles or the cheesesteak or the pretzels, etc. So getting it was like a dream come true. I was over the moon. I was surprised.” Tyler James Williams — whose character Gregory initially lacked the vague mascot appeal — called Gritty “a phenomenon that I feel relates to everyone on a human level, on a cellular level. This needs no explanation,” said the actor. Added Lisa Ann Walter, who plays Melissa: “Gritty is undeniable. But I will say that, in person, he is even better. Because his improvisation is stellar. Gritty is a comedy genius.” Abbott Elementary fans, how did you feel about the cameo and the season opener? Rate it below and then hit the comments!