Superstore: Lauren Ash on the Evolution of Dina and That Heartbreaking Season 4 Finale

For Superstore’s Lauren Ash, playing the role of Dina feels like she’s come full circle.

I sat down with Ash last month during the ATX Television Festival to talk about her character’s evolution, that heartbreaking season finale, and some of her favorite Dina moments. (Spoilers below if you aren’t caught up yet!)

Superstore is a relatable comedy for anyone who has ever worked in retail, Ash included.

“My job in high school was working in a big box store in the footwear department and then as a cashier so it’s very surreal for me because I feel like I’ve come truly full circle,” Ash said. “The fan response online absolutely has just been like, ‘You nail it. I know somebody exactly like all of these characters.’ It’s always nice to feel like we’re doing something that feels authentic. And it feels authentic to me.”

The series is one that’s also known for tackling important issues, and it gave us a shocking and emotional Season 4 finale that ended with Mateo being taken away by ICE.

“I’ll tell you this. We read that script, and America [Ferrera] and I sobbed. We went, ‘They’re not going to shoot this. This isn’t how this is going to go.’ And then they did it, and I commend NBC for letting us go there, and I commend Justin Spitzer and the writers for writing that story. I think it’s an important story to tell. It’s obviously very timely and very relevant,” Ash said. 

“I’m as excited, I think, as the fans to find out what happens. I mean, Nico [Santos] is still on the show. We know this,” she added. “[But] I don’t know to what capacity or what that means.”

There are a lot of other moments from the most recent season that Ash said she’s proud of.

“I’m really proud of the social stuff that we keep talking about. I’m really proud of the ‘Delivery Day’ episode and the way we showed the disparity in insurance levels and what Amy’s birth looked like versus Dina’s birth. I loved the Halloween episode. I loved that it was like, trying to figure out what’s racial appropriation and what isn’t racial appropriation,” she said.

“I think that what we have done well is putting stuff out there that is current and that is happening in this world that we live in. Because we’ve made it clear that these people exist in our universe. There’s a reference in some way to Trump, so we know that it’s now and in this time,” Ash continued.

“I think it’s done in a way that’s still entertaining and still is more just kind of presenting it as this is what our situation is that we all live in.”

Ash also recalled some of her favorite Dina scenes from the past season. “Obviously getting hung from the ceiling when we were shooting the holiday cards. Obviously getting to burn Garrett’s sneakers after she finds out about the birds,” Ash said.

Specifically, she referenced Superstore Season 4 Episode 13, “Lovebirds.” 

“Getting to play the birds, getting to do that whole running, guttural screaming scene — that was a fun one as an actor. Mark McKinney actually directed that episode and it was such a joy getting directed by my buddy who is also one of the kindest humans alive.”

“There’s been a lot of big moments for Dina this year. I really loved the scene with Baby Rose after she’s given birth, where she says, ‘I don’t want to hold her but I do want to talk to her.'”

That moment, along with a few others from the season, speaks a bit to how Dina’s character has changed over the course of the series.  

“I think she’s definitely had to take a look at what her friendships are and what her work relationships are and how much they mean to her,” Ash explained. “I don’t think Season 1 Dina would have helped Mateo in that finale. I think she would have [felt like] it was his own problem. But she’s probably the most loyal person, actually, in that store.”

“She’s definitely come a long way, [but] she hasn’t become so soft that it’s unbelievable,” she continued. “We still get to see in the finale where she has that moment that’s like, well if you sneak into a movie you’re gonna get kicked out. She still does say, ‘Well, he did break the law.’ But the difference now is that she’s like, ‘But he’s my family member here so I’ve got to try and help him.'”

Check out all of our coverage of the ATX Television Festival right here. There is still more to come!

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