Have you ever worked in a retail store? If you have, you know that for the most part, it’s difficult to control the internal temperature. If you haven’t worked in a retail store, you may have notified a powerless employee that the store is too hot or too cold, even though there’s nothing they can do. Superstore‘s depiction of the retail work environment is not only spot-on accurate, but also hysterical. Not only does it make you think twice about how you act when you’re shopping, but it makes you laugh while doing so.
This week on Superstore: The store’s temperature reaches critical mass, causing Amy, Jonah, and Marcus to get mad at each other, which turns into a standoff with the warehouse workers. Garrett and Dina, meanwhile, rekindle their relationship while occupying the only cool spot in the store. Glenn takes Cheyenne with him and tries to fix the heat.
First of all, I just want to reiterate: If you have told a retail worker that it’s too hot or cold in their store, A) they already know, and B) it’s just going to make them hate you. Got it? Good.
I don’t know if I would still enjoy this show if I hadn’t worked in retail. I like to think I would. But my background really enhances my enjoyment of the whole thing. Comedies function best when they’re depicting realistic situations that the audience can relate to. That’s part of why my reviews turn into “remember when I worked in retail” time, because I can vouch for the show’s authenticity. Still, it’s really a credit to the show that they’ve captured such a rich, vivid world, and done so with likable, funny characters.
The driving forces behind all of the stories tonight really left something to be desired. It was hard to care about Marcus being a jerk, or Garrett and Dina getting frisky, or Glenn having an identity crisis. Marcus was the best story of the three, because when he got heated up he turned a little chauvinist. But perhaps the best part of that entire story was Jonah cringing and squirming while Amy and Marcus argued, as it combined the physical comedy with the main story. I still love all of those characters, but the stories didn’t do much for me tonight.
Though not perfect, the physical comedy and one-liners all worked together well for the good of the show. Here are a few of my favorite funny moments, and a few other thoughts:
- “The next person who does, Imma have to kill you”
- “Heavy is the head that wears the pants”
- It’s kinda crazy how you can feel the chauvinism in Marcus from every line he utters.
- “Yeah, I know, we’re staying as cool as ducking cucumbers”…Sorry. Autocorrect.
- “It’s handsy! Plural!”
- I’m not really sure what the point of this Garrett and Dina thing is, unless it’s to say that opposites sometimes attract. I could feel their chemistry earlier in the season, but it’s not as strong now.
- “I’m going to break through! …guys I can’t break through”
- OK. Does anyone know if Asian McDonald’s actually serves spaghetti?
- The best, most surprising bit of the night: Marcus being the one to apologize.
Not the perfect story in terms of character development, but overall “Super Hot Store” was still a laugh-induced trip. Also, if you haven’t heard, they will be continuing on these hilarious hi-jinks for at least one more season, as Superstore has been renewed by NBC!
What did you guys think? Did you enjoy the episode? Let us know in the comments!
Superstore airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC
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