Superstore Review: Cloud 9.0 (Season 5 Episode 1)

Superstore has been gone long enough, don’t you think?

Superstore Season 5 Episode 1, “Cloud 9.0,” picks up immediately after the Season 4 finale, after ICE has raided Cloud 9 Ozark Highlands and Mateo arrested and detained. After a short vigil and including some visits to Mateo, life as usual resumes for the Cloud 9 crew.

For a 22 minute episode of television, “Cloud 9.0” is packed with funny moments, character-focused stories, and real world issues facing both the retail and political realm.

As you may recall, ICE raided Cloud 9 Ozark Highlands as a directive from corporate to muffle their union building efforts. Union issues are ongoing in today’s world, and corporate big-wigs often take action to suppress them.

In addition to calling ICE on its own store, Cloud 9 also sends a cleaning robot to the store. Its name is Glen (one “n”, like a serial killer). By the floor workers, this is recognized as an attempt on their jobs. As ordering kiosks and self-checkouts become more popular, the “robots taking our jobs” theme is another all-too-real reference to the time in which we live.

Fortunately, Superstore has always managed to handle these situations with some comedic prowess, and “Cloud 9.0” is no exception. “Glen” the cleaning robot provides some of the better comedic moments of the episode, but none funnier than its name being “Glen.” 

But it’s the Dina/Garrett/Marcus plot to rescue Mateo and Amy pushing Cheyenne to visit Mateo that really give “Cloud 9.0” the emotional depth so many other comedies lack. 

For instance – Cheyenne can’t deal with her BFAW (best friend at work) being gone, so she viciously defends the last endcap Mateo organized, and otherwise avoids the issue. Unhealthy, sure, but a very natural human response. It’s hard to ignore the impact it’s had on her, and it’s something that certainly should be shown on TV more.

Along the same lines, but a two-fold exploration of guilt: Garrett is still guilty over last season’s bungling of Dina’s birds, and Dina feels guilty that she couldn’t help Mateo get out of the store quickly enough during the raid (To a lesser extent, I’m sure Marcus feels guilty about ‘borrowing’ Mateo’s apartment).

Of course these are real things they should feel guilty over and things have gone terribly between them, but Superstore handles it in the most hilarious way possible. Garrett jumps in with Dina and Marcus on their half-baked plan to jailbreak Mateo. 

My personal favorite is Garrett “taking a dump” on the plan to practice breathing in sewage. But a LEGO model of the detention facility and Mateo costumes send all the characters on a hilarious guilt trip filled laugh out loud moments.

A lot happens on “Cloud 9.0.” Is it a little busy? Sure, but in a way that most shows coming back from a cliff-hanger should be. 

A few stray thoughts:

• I love the bit about jet packs. A+ comedy.
• All vigils should now include the Bagel Bites jingle. 
• Jonah’s recognition of Amy as a double-agent, and her immediate dismissal of his reference to The Americans is perfection. 
• Glen the robot almost certainly has a video and audio recorder on it. Otherwise, why so durable? It’s going to create problems for the Cloud 9 crew.
• Speaking of potential problems: Carol’s reaction to Sandra and Jerry’s engagement is disconcertingly chill. That’s definitely not the end of that. 

Superstore has set itself up for another strong season with “Cloud 9.0.” 

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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