English Teacher star Stephanie Koenig is teasing what’s to come for Gwen in the show’s upcoming second season — including how Markie’s secret crush will change things up.
“I would say it just gets juicier,” Koenig, 37, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the season 2 premiere on Thursday, September 25. “We definitely explore it a bit more. … Markie, he’s definitely more open about it to Evan.”
Season 1 of the FX/Hulu series, which premiered in 2024, ended with Coach Markie (Sean Patton) admitting to the titular Evan (Brian Jordan Alvarez) that he had feelings for Gwen (Koenig). Koenig promised that when the sophomore season picks up, “complications” will arise as Evan tries to navigate being Markie’s confidant while keeping a major secret from his BFF.
Gwen also has a serious boyfriend, Nick (Chris Riggi), which only adds to the drama. According to Koenig — who is also a writer on the show — Gwen and Nick are only going to get “deeper” into their relationship as viewers spend more time with the beloved history teacher outside of the classroom.
“We get a little bit more of her personal life this season,” Koenig promised.
Gwen will also continue to have her hands full with Evan, who once again will be at the center of the school’s messy politics. The pair found themselves at odds in season 1, when Gwen finally called Evan out for his tendency to lean into unnecessary drama. Although they worked through their issues, Koenig said that Gwen will still need to call her friend out on his misgivings — but that’s not a bad thing.
“It’s [her being] a good friend, right? That somebody can be very supportive and love you and be like, ‘OK but you need to settle down on this,’” she explained, noting Gwen won’t be the only one to speak her mind this season. “Almost every character is really, like, able to call Evan out! … Everyone’s sort of giving Evan a really hard time about whatever his idea is of that episode. And I think that’s what makes the show fun.”
One of Evan’s predicaments comes in the season 2 premiere, when the students push back on doing a play about AIDS in the ‘80s, instead rallying to write an original piece about being a teenager during the age of COVID-19.
Koenig told Us that the coronavirus aftermath was something Alvarez, who also serves as showrunner, has been considering since the first season — an idea that stuck around for season 2. The show is known and has been praised for its ability and willingness to find humor in delicate or polarizing topics, and that’s a badge Koenig is proud to wear.
“The best sort of stories for English Teacher are when they’re dealing with landmine topics,” Koenig confessed, adding that the COVID plot was a really “exciting” story to break. “Because there’s so many hypocrisies within everybody’s point [of view]. And then dealing with age, and how much Evan has to say about that, and what Markie has to say about that. It’s a landmine. It’s wonderful.”
Koenig, for her part, took on writing the third episode of season 2, titled “Dinner Party,” after delivering one of season 1’s most memorable hours with “Powderpuff.” The episode dealt with the controversial ritual of football teams and cheerleading squads dressing in each other’s clothing. When the boys find the idea problematic and stage a protest, Evan enlists drag queen Trixie Mattel to teach them how to dress up in “authentic” drag.
For “Dinner Party,” Koenig promised less of a “contained” story and plot and more of a slapstick-type episode for viewers to sit back and enjoy. “Season 2 is, I think, crazier and funnier. And I would say that my episode is also crazier and funnier this season,” she said. “It’s a dinner party farce.”
Although English Teacher is an undeniable critical success — it currently holds a 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes — Koenig said the best praise comes from the real-life educators who say they feel seen by the characters.
“One of my favorite things is when someone’s a teacher and comes up and when someone’s a mom,” she said. “Both of those fans really excite me. Moms will watch it with their teenagers! I didn’t realize we would bond moms and teens. But when teachers come up, I’m just really happy that we nail it.”
Koenig noted that she and the other writers have friends who are teachers and they make sure to “run things by them” to make sure the show feels authentic. “I’m just always very flattered if teachers feel seen about it, and teachers feel like it’s accurate to their life, and they’re able to laugh at it,” she added.
If any character on English Teacher is relatable, it’s Koenig’s, as Gwen feels like the manifestation of every millennial who swore they’d never get old but is now fighting to stay “hip” for as long as they can. When asked what she would say if she could give Gwen any piece of advice, Koenig said it would be to stop caring about what other people think — especially teenagers.
“I would just give her a hug and be like, ‘Girl, I love you. You do you.’ Because my immediate instinct was to be like, ‘You don’t have to care about what [anyone thinks], you don’t have to be cool, it’s OK, you’re cool,’” Koenig said with a laugh. “Because ultimately, I think she is sort of afraid of the students. Like they don’t think she’s cool enough. But [my] pep talk to her would be, ‘You’re cool, you’re weird, and I love you.’”
The first three episodes of English Teacher season 2 premiere on FX Thursday, September 25, at 8 p.m. ET. All 10 episodes will be available to stream next day on Hulu.