After a two-week hiatus, Abbott Elementary is back on the 2024 TV schedule this week, and fans will not want to miss it. Not only is the hit comedy airing an hour and a half earlier, but fans will also be treated to two winter-themed episodes. As exciting as that is, I’m even more pumped that we’re going to meet Jacob Hill’s brother and Melissa Schemmenti’s mom in each of the new episodes. And the casting for both characters is too perfect.
Appearances by family members aren’t out of the ordinary for Abbott Elementary — Janine’s sister, Ayesha (Ayo Edebiri), appeared during the phenomenal Season 2 along with one of Melissa’s sisters, Kristin (Lauren Weedman) — but this will mark the first time fans get to meet a member of Jacob’s family and get the chance to see Melissa interact with the Schemmenti matriarch. So without further ado, let's discuss who's playing these new characters and why they're so perfect for the parts.
Tyler Perez Joins The Abbott Elementary Family As Jacob's Brother
Tyler Perez might be a new name for some, but he’s had various minor roles in some of the TV’s best procedural/crime shows. He’ll make his Abbott Elementary debut in Episode 7, “Winter Show,” as Jacob’s brother.
While we don’t know what the character's name is just yet, we do know that his appearance will be a shock to Jacob, who was expecting his brother to arrive in town after school had ended for the week. Instead, Perez’s character arrives while class is in session at Abbott, complicating Jacob’s already busy schedule of events.
Though I haven’t seen many of Tyler's Perez’s other projects, I’m already a fan of this casting because Perez and Chris Perfetti, who plays Jacob, look like they could be related. Usually, it’s always a good sign when siblings on TV look similar, so I’m hoping that tradition is true in this instance. So far, Abbott Elementary's casting director hasn’t let fans down, and I doubt they will this time, either.
Talia Shire Steps In As The Schemmenti Matriarch
Who better to head the Italian-American “I know a guy” Schemmenti family than the Italian-American, Academy Award-nominated actress Talia Shire? Give Abbott Elementary’s casting department an Emmy right now.
Younger fans of the hit school-centric sitcom who might not know who Ms. Shire is. Well, she's best known for playing Connie Corleone, the wife of Vito (Marlon Brando/Robert De Niro) in The Godfather. She also played Adrian Pennino Balboa, the wife of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in the Rocky films.
Talia Shire is the perfect addition to the huge Schemmenti family, and I’m excited to see if her personality is going to give us insight into why Melissa is the way she is. After all, fans know a lot about Melissa’s family, but the second-grade teacher has hardly ever mentioned her mother explicitly throughout the series.
The Schemmenti matriarch will happen in Episode 8, “Winter Break,” which is set to follow Lisa Ann Walter’s Melissa as she hosts her family’s Christmas Eve dinner. Based on what we know about Melissa and he family, the episode is sure to be packed full of conflict and Italian insults.
It’s unclear how much screen time the two Abbott guest stars will get. Still, there are plenty of other reasons to tune in to the double-header episodes, like watching Barbara struggle to host the school’s first-ever winter show in Episode 7 and seeing how Janine and Gregory's relationship evolves as they spend their first Christmas together in Episode 8.
Trust me, you’re not going to want to miss either episode, and they begin airing on Wednesday, December 4th at 8 pm ET on ABC. Yet if you happen to forget the new time, you can always stream both episodes the next day with an active Hulu subscription.
