Introduction
Now we love Superstore but honestly it’s biggest crime is often making retail work look like it’s fun and enjoyable. Because anyone who works in the dreaded retail industry can be anything but. However, Superstore was an excellent sitcom, not quite as consistently good as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but still a great bingeable show to have in the background whilst you’re doing other things. Also, the long running theme of having Cloud9 stores pop up in other NBC sitcoms, like Good Girls, I Feel Bad and Kenan, is a funny little nod to just how successful Superstore became. So without further ado, let’s get into some history about the show.
History
Superstore first aired a pilot episode on NBC in 2015 directed by Ruben Fleischer, the same director of the Zombieland films and the first Venom film, due to it being a project by his production company. However, eventually NBC saw gold in the series and made its stay permanent much to the joy of everyone. Whilst like many shows and films it struggled with COVID-19 logistics, many have argued that Series 6 might have the biggest jump in quality out of all the series which is a mad contradiction. Anyway, the show follows a group of employees working in a chain supermarket called Cloud9 (the irony there) as they navigate the many, many struggles of retail work and life, like new hires, relationships and dealing with various amounts of customer stupidity. So with that out of the way, here are our picks for the best Superstore episodes.
10. Deep Cleaning (S6, E11)
Now we’re sure many people can relate to this with the amount of effort that goes into cleaning because this episode is the first after the titular store reopens after the pandemic. Here, it shows us the fact that nobody wants to do the massive amount of deep cleaning let alone turn up for work in retail mid pandemic. So when Glenn wants Garrett to throw an employee party to brighten the mood what could possibly go wrong? Also, this episode deals with a crisis of confidence for Dina as she enlists Cheyenne’s guidance to help run the store whilst she’s been compromised. And yes we know that last part sounds a lot cooler than it actually is….
9. Town Hall (S3, E22)
And now we come to a running theme throughout Superstore: the frenemy status between main characters Jonah and Amy. And no this is nothing like Brooklyn Nine Nine’s Jake and Amy before you start drawing comparisons. Anyway, with a company-wide town hall meeting being held in the store, Amy and Jonah have to put their differences aside to rally the rest of the employees to confront the CEO. And all of this is whilst Glenn is having a crisis of confidence about speaking to a very large audience on behalf of his store. Overall, a very classic and standard episode of Superstore.
8. Sal’s Dead (S3, E5)
Oh thank goodness, we thought we’d have to call Saul to check if he’s alive, unlike his hopes of ever winning an Emmy. Cheesy segue aside, when a dead body is discovered inside the store on Halloween nobody knows what to do. Especially Glenn and Dina who both are thrown into a panic whilst all the customers marvel at what they think is a very realistic Halloween prop. Meanwhile, Garrett and Amy are getting into big trouble. Why? Because of a dating app on Jonah’s phone which we’re sure a lot of people can relate to as well. Just an overall really solid episode here.
7. Black Friday (S2, E9)
Well, it wouldn’t be a show about working retail if they didn’t include an episode about Black Friday and Superstore is no exception. Here, the show juggles three main story threads. The first is Jonah videoing the whole day on a camcorder like he’s Randy in that South Park episode with the guinea pigs. The second major one is how Glenn’s disposition once again changes because that man’s mood swings are more erratic than whatever Keir Starmer’s latest policy backtrack is. And the final one is Mateo and Cheyenne’s lucrative Black Friday inspired side business. The fact all three of these run simultaneously and eventually link into each other is a testament to how good Superstore was.
6. Customer Satisfaction (S6, E12)
What does everyone mildly tolerate in Superstore? Customer Satisfaction! When don’t we want it? Now! Anyway, when Jeff returns from corporate to push customer satisfaction surveys this poses a minor problem for Mateo given he’s Jeff’s ex. So naturally in the scenario he decides to enlist Garrett’s help to hide his relationship status from Jeff. Meanwhile Dina’s idea to boost the survey results backfires and Jonah takes on the herculean task of trying to make series punching bag Sandra value herself.
5. Perfect Store (S6, E14)
Well, there was a 95% of this episode didn’t feature on our list but here we are…. And yet this is the same dilemma that faces the Cloud9 employees in this episode. When corporate comes in and says there’s a 95% their store is closed, the team realises the direness of the situation and attempts to prove their store shouldn’t be the one that is closed. Considering that this is the penultimate episode of the show, it does a great job at reinforcing the bonds between the characters and setting up for a wholesome finale.
4. Employee Appreciation Day (S4, E22)
Well, this episode is spot on as to what retail workers need and deserve. However, once again it’s the best frenemies at the heart of the drama in this episode. This is because both Jonah and Amy see the gifts that corporate are giving employees very differently. And we’ll give you one guess whose repping both sides. However, eventually the company’s tactics become even more severe forcing all the employees to try and save one of their own. A very good episode because of how it shows the ways companies can try and give employees gifts in order to keep the status quo settled in their favour.
3. Tornado (S2, E21)
Now whilst indecision may as well be Glenn’s middle name, it doesn’t help at all in this episode as Glenn begins to spiral and spin out of control. And we’re not even talking about the oncoming tornado heading towards the store. Instead, Glenn is more preoccupied by working out which staff members he is going to lay off. Now, that’s definitely a difficult decision however as many people point out, what matters at the moment is making sure that the store is prepared for the oncoming s*** storm. You can work out which storm we’re referring to at the end.
2. Cheyenne’s Wedding (S2, E20)
Given the popularity of Cheyenne amongst the Superstore fanbase, it’s hardly surprising that one of the best episodes of Superstore focuses around her wedding. However, it wouldn’t be a sitcom wedding episode if there weren’t some serious shenanigans. And there’s those in abundance here. Firstly, Glenn and his best friends, layoffs, make an appearance during the ceremony which is just frankly perfect timing. Meanwhile Jonah and Amy are having to dodge relationship rumours with each other whilst Dina somehow talks her way into Cheyenne’s wedding party. Also, in the midst of this chaos, there is a very sweet moment with Sandra which does warm the heart.
1. All Sales Final (S6, E15)
And the best episode of Superstore is….. All Sales Final. Once again, there’s something poetic about a long running show saving the very best episode for last. So what makes All Sales Final so good? Well, just the fact the employees are celebrating the past, present and future of Cloud9 with some seriously rose tinted glasses. Also, the fact this episode does such a good job at rounding up every character’s arc in a satisfying way, especially Amy who nearly didn’t make the episode due to America Ferrara’s commitment to other projects. Overall, a wonderfully wholesome finale which does the best possible sendoff for Superstore.
