Now that we are a few years past the COVID lockdowns, we can admit that although rare, there were some tiny silver linings. Many of you made the best of the unfortunate opportunity by becoming an expert baker or learning a language. I, personally, did all my self-improvement in one area only: drastically increasing the number of TV shows I have seen.
One of the few clear beneficiaries of the COVID situation was a group I like to call “TV shows that you’d heard about vaguely but would probably never have gotten around to watching unless you had to stay inside your home for ages.” America Ferrera as Amy in Superstore. Superstore is one of those shows for me, and I’m glad I finally delved into it for many reasons.
The Justin Spitzer-created show started in 2015, and by the time I tuned in, it was almost wrapped, finishing with season six in 2021. The Germans invented schadenfreude for the niche feeling of finding pleasure in someone else’s misfortune, but we need a word for the specific pleasure of finding a TV show you love, and discovering that six beautiful seasons are waiting for you. For me, it was Superstorenfreude.
Superstore is a workplace comedy. It follows a group of employees at “Cloud 9”, a big Walmart-type department store. There is a sprawling ensemble cast full of zany characters, and the show is filled with silliness.
One Halloween episode sees assistant manager Dina (Lauren Ash) interrogating her subservient manager Glenn (played wonderfully by Kid.