by Audrey Callerstrom, Staff Writer

With an ensemble cast mostly of unknowns, the workplace comedy Superstore, which ended its six-season run on March 25th on NBC, never found a dedicated mass audience. It never wound up on Netflix,  which seems to be the key. Created by Justin Spitzer, producer and writer on The Office, Superstore was set in a big box retail store. The animosity between coworkers was never real and usually washed away by the next episode. The only villain was corporate, which didn’t see the value in retail workers, and blocked efforts to unionize. The employees at the fictional Cloud 9 in St. Louis, Missouri dealt with maternity leave (or lack thereof), minimum wage, unionizing, racist stereotypes, sexism, nepotism, immigration, discrimination, aging and death. But it was also sweet and extremely funny.

Starring America Ferrara (who also produced), Mark McKinney (Kids In the Hall), Ben Feldman (Mad Men) and a slew of others, Superstore has a place in my heart. It’s also the launching pad for a lot of promising performers, including the hilarious Nico Santos (as Mateo, an undocumented immigrant), Lauren Elizabeth Ash (as the blunt and unapologetic Dina) and Nichole Sakura (as Cheyenne, bubbly and the youngest of the bunch). Episodes are still on Hulu and Peacock, so until they’re gone, here are the ten best ones to watch.

10. “Black Friday” (season 2, episode 9)

If you ever have gone to a Black Friday sale early in the morning, retail workers prepared for the day by driving to work when it was still dark out. In addition to another chaotic Black Friday sale where employees had to show up at 3:00am, they have to manage the day while all succumbing to food poisoning.

Key Quote:
Cheyenne: I’m OK. I think hit something with my car, but I was too tired to check.

9. “Golden Globes Party” (season 3, episode 9)

Like many workplace comedies, only a handful of Superstore episodes take place outside of the store. In this episode, newly separated Amy (America Ferrara) tries to host a Golden Globes Party for her coworkers without knowing how to operate the grill or the TV. The peppy Kelly (Kelly Stables), overdressed for the occasion, tries to find a way to fit in with her new coworkers.

Key Quote:
Kelly: Two people died at my prom. We had it on a boat. It was really sad.
Mateo: And yet, you kept the dress.

8. “Employee App” (season 5, episode 16)

The employees of Cloud 9 are encouraged to download and use a new employee app, which has some consequences. The idealistic Jonah (Ben Feldman) is skeptical that it’s an invasion of privacy, while Dina burdens Amy with too many text messages through the app.

Key Quote:
Jonah: They can track what you do, what you like, they can scan your internet searches for keywords and then just send you ads for things you were talking about.
Sandra: That just seems thoughtful.

7. “Essential” (season 6, episode 1)

In one 22-minute episode, Superstore’s season 6 premiere episode sums up our collective pandemic experience. From the initial “it’s not going to be a big deal” attitude to the complete upheaval of our everyday lives. Considered “essential workers,”  the employees deal with the lack of PPE, social distancing, and the most heartbreaking news: the virus has come for Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.

Key Quote::
Dina: So whenever at all possible, you must remain 6 feet apart.
Cheyenne: Is it 6 feet from the center of our bodies or from where our bodies end?
Dina: Great question, I would say, start measuring from nips and tips.

6. “Sandra’s Wedding” (season 5, episode 14)

Superstore has two really strong wedding episodes, this one and “Cheyenne’s Wedding” from season one. But “Sandra’s Wedding” takes the cake, from Garret’s (Colton Dunn) fabricated wedding speech as best man, to Jonah’s well-intended attempts to empower the catering workers, to Sandra’s (Kaliko Kauahi) nemesis, Carol (Irene White), and Carol’s attempt to disrupt the wedding.

Key Quote::
Garrett: “So we're flying, okay? We're doing 80 down the freeway, and the mob guys are chasing us 'cause they had money on the rodeo, all right? And I lean over to Jerry. I go, ‘Jerry, what are you getting me into here?’ And Jerry, calm as a cucumber, looks at me, tips down his sunglasses, and goes, ‘Welcome to my life.’”

5. “Myrtle” (season 5, episode 12)

Myrtle, Cloud 9’s oldest employee, was played by actress Linda Porter, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 86. In this touching episode, the employees cope with the death of Myrtle, an employee who never knew what she was doing, but, according to Dina, “man, could she randomly move things around.” The devoted Glenn (McKinney) wants to ensure that Myrtle gets into heaven (the good kind, not “economy class”) and Dina reunites with her estranged father, played by Dean Norris (Breaking Bad).

Key Quote:
Amy: I can’t believe Myrtle’s gone.
Cheyenne: She was so sweet and lived through so much. Her e-mail address was from Yahoo.

4. “Employee Appreciation Day” (season 4, episode 22)

An ongoing story on Superstore was the employee efforts to join a union. Jonah and Sandra lead the charge, and to combat the threat, Amy plays anti-union videos and corporate calls for an ICE raid of the store.

Key Quote:
Amy: Anybody have any thoughts about the video?
Cheyenne: I mean, I’m a little disappointed, I thought you were showing us Paddington.

3. “Maternity Leave” (season 4, episode 6)

After having a baby, Amy finds out that she is ineligible for six weeks of FMLA and has to come back to work two days after giving birth. Tired and unshowered, Amy leaks milk, pumps in the utility closet, and lashes out at manager Glenn. New mothers can relate.

Key Quote:
Amy: “I HAVE SLEPT 90 MINUTES IN THREE DAYS. THE LINING OF MY UTERUS IS COMING OUT IN CLUMPS. I HAVE HEMORRHOIDS SO BIG, MY DOCTOR LOOKED AT MY (bleep) AND SAID, ‘Whoa.’ HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DOCTOR LOOK AT YOUR (bleep) AND SAY THAT?!”

2. “Negotiations” (season 5, episode 10)

While Sandra and Jonah meet with their union representative and corporate to start negotiations, Mateo, Garrett, and Glenn have a competition to sell the worst, most obsolete clearance items.

Key Quote:
Mateo: Does anyone remember when I worked here? Carts overflowed. Now I’m stuck watching you
guys blob around all day while I waste my talents in the vision center.
Garrett: Helping people see?
Mateo: I know, a dog can do it.

1. “All Sales Final” (season 6, episode 15)

Superstore’s tearjerker final episode was a satisfying conclusion to the series. Low ratings and Ferrara dropping off the cast didn’t help, but six seasons is just the right amount for a comedy series. Superstore never hit a lull, even after Ferrara left at the end of season 5. 

Key Quote:
Glenn: Mateo, you know, it’s funny. You’re undocumented, I’m over 60, and America doesn’t want either of us to work anymore.
Mateo: Right, but, I’m under constant fear of deportation, and you get discounts at movie theaters.
Glenn: Not new releases.