Superstore Review: Lovebirds (Season 4 Episode 13)
It’s almost April, so it’s time for Cloud 9 to celebrate Valentine’s Day! Wait….what?
Superstore Season 4 Episode 13, “Lovebirds,” is a slightly out of place Valentine’s Day episode. This is likely due to the long hiatus the show went on over the holidays. If they’d come back from hiatus in January, it likely would have aired closer to V-Day.
Still, love is in the air, which created several interesting stories for all many of our favorite Cloud 9 employees.
Superstore has a bit of a tendency to romanticize unfaithful relationships, no matter how terrible they are. Looking at things from Adam or Carol’s perspective could feel a lot different than what the show presents on “Lovebirds.”
Yet good people still make mistakes, and bad things can have something good borne out of them.
But the fact of the matter is that Jerry’s relationship with Carol is a sham, so Valentine’s Day really gives him an opportunity to spoil Sandra, and that creates a really strong sense of delicious irony for Sandra/Jerry fans, and also some terrifying “Sandra is going to blow this at any second” tension.
Sandra is a bit like Jerry on Parks and Recreation. You want to see her happy just because she’s so beaten down by Dina. Though that little moment of understanding between Dina and Sandra re: the affair is honestly a really raw, beautiful moment between them.
Kaliko Kauahi does an excellent job playing Sandra, and just really gets overshadowed by the rest of the cast. Sandra is funny and nuanced, and her relationships to other characters (Jerry/Carol/Dina) add so many layers to a wonderful character.
Elsewhere, Garrett accidentally lets out Dina’s birds (who have come to work with her on account of their separation anxiety) and they all fly away. This creates multiple interesting subplots, including the fact that Garrett has a heart!
Really, it’s funny, heartwarming, and terrifying all at once. You know that the further Garrett gets in without telling Dina about the birds, the worse it’s going to be when it all blows up. But Garrett’s conscience at play might be the most interesting plot point.
Garrett turning to Jonah to have a heart-to-heart validated their friendship, and even escalated into the first “I love you” from Jonah to Amy and back again.
But the writing on the wall is easy to see: Garrett, Jonah, and Amy all have things to lose if/when Dina finds out the truth.
A few stray thoughts:
- Not really part of the main plot, but Mateo and Cheyenne “fixing” Marcus’ tattoo may have been the funniest subplot on the show this year.
- Even though it’s late for Valentine’s Day, I appreciated all of the realistic retail references like the woman upset with the frog and the bear on the card, and the minimalist husband.
- I very much appreciate Cloud 9 attempting to cut down on its Valentine’s Day revenge stabbings.
- So Glenn having that epiphany about being manager means that we’re soon going to have an Amy/Dina management team, right? Riiiiight?
- On a more serious note, I couldn’t relate more to wanting to spend more time with my kids. Glenn has the right idea.
Overall, Superstore turned in a funny, emotional half-hour on “Lovebirds.”
What did you think of this episode of Superstore? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Superstore airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC.
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Nick Hogan
Nick Hogan is an experienced podcaster and writer (particularly on media topics), who loves discussion and analysis of TV and is always looking for new shows to watch. He is also a parent who loves buffalo wings, blowing raspberries, and his beloved Cincinnati Reds.