How can anyone not love a show that gives us “Hey man, it’s boobs” in the same episode that another character dresses up as “Brexit?” Superstore manages to hit comedic heights that other’s veer away from. “Halloween Theft” features Dina as a dominatrix cop who “runs” the store in search of an “ugly” fruit thief.
The last few episodes have left out the little customer vignettes where we see the weird and wonderful things going on in the periphery of Cloud 9. This week they were back with the oldest store employee being courted by the Grim Reaper.
Later in the episode a customer appears wearing the old Cloud 9 spokesman outfit complete with fake blood spilled down the front. (That particular episode was a season two highpoint in terms of laughs per minute.)
“Halloween Theft” shows Dina being bullied into wearing a Halloween costume when Sandra comes dressed as the assistant manager. Dina choses a cop outfit; a leather skirt and low cut blouse that shows more of her boobs than Garrett needs to see.
As Dina interrogates the entire store, Garrett tries to ignore the boobs in his eye line, Jonah swaps gossip with Pickachu Cheyenne and Amy leads Glenn and Mateo to another store to buy ugly fruit.
Jonah also learns that everyone thinks he wears an wig and has a crush on Amy. Dina questions everyone about the stolen ugly fruit and promises that no one will go home until the thief is found.
Garrett actually crumples under those semi-exposed boobs and confesses to taking the produce. Just as he starts to sign the confession, Amy, Glenn and Mateo storm in with their replacement fruit.
Amy is crushed to learn that her daughter Emma would rather go to a friend’s house than trick or treat with her. Jeff stops by to see Mateo and asks him out on a last minute date.
Glenn, who learns that the other Cloud 9 manager has an assistant who does as he asks, grows a pair and orders Dina to drop her interrogation. This is a complete turnaround from his flustered experience with Dina earlier which is the comic highlight of the episode.
By the end of the episode, Jeff has picked up Mateo and Amy, as well as Dina, agree to go see Nosferatu with Jonah and Garrett. Jonah gets the final line when he grumbles that no one asked what his costume meant.
It was a return of sorts for Superstore to go back to business as usual. There were no political messages, i.e. gun control, planned parenthood, et al. It was back to basics, the quirky customers and the hilarious antics of the staff and shoppers.
Outside of Glenn’s hotdog outfit and trying to sit in that chair and Garrett’s unwanted obsession with Dina’s boobs, the best sight gag was the Grim Reaper and Cloud 9’s oldest employee.
Superstore airs Thursdays on NBC. Tune in next week for their election special.
Cast:
- America Ferrera – Amy
- Ben Feldman – Jonah
- Lauren Ash – Dina
- Colton Dunn – Garrett
- Mark McKinney – Glenn
- Nichole Bloom – Cheyenne
- Nico Santos – Mateo
- Michael Bunin – Jeff
- Kaliko Kauahi – Sandra
Mikes Film Talk 