The latest episode of Superstore opens at the end of what was probably a scintillating fashion discussion: blue vests over blue polos, yes or no? We then cut to Glenn, who isn't feeling very well. Or looking very well. After stumbling around a bit he falls over and it's a lost opportunity for someone to yell "timber!" We later find out that Glenn is no longer pre-diabetic (yeah!); he's full on diabetic now (boo!). Sure, Glenn's wife might love having his breath smell like Jolly Ranchers all the time, but that's a sign that things are not going well in his body.
Dina is appalled that his doctor recommends lifestyle tweaks in response to his deteriorating health. I have to admit I agree with her. Diabetes is serious business and if a person isn't careful it can get really bad. She doesn't want Glenn's daughter, who she carried for nine months, to end up like she did - without a dad as she was growing up. With that reasoning I can't really blame Dina for trying to trick Glenn into getting more exercise and eating better. But kale salad is gross, but not as gross as eating chicken that was in the trash as Glenn does. Maybe he does need someone to set him on a healthier path. Lesson one: don't eat out of the trash.
The main story line is a snooze, and I don't mean that in a snarky way. Amy is exhausted running herself ragged trying to get the store ready for a health and safety inspection. It doesn't help that Amy's baby is being kept up past his bedtime by Jonah's too stimulating bedtime stories. The show finally remembered Amy has a baby and that she lives with Jonah!
The various forms of relaxation the Cloud Niners take was probably my favorite part of the episode. They include foot baths, facials, coloring books, toenail trimming, haircuts, cooking, meditation and using an inversion table. All in the store! At least Sandra, while upside down, still helps a customer. Things go sideways when the inspector shows up and Amy, Jonah and Cheyenne do a good enough job of keeping him away from all the non-safe and non-healthy things going on in the store but they can't hide it when Carol's meditation candles set the new, unwanted display on fire. But the store still passes the inspection so all ends well. If a little crispy.
Meanwhile, Garrett is dealing with the hard truth that people think he's hiding a weak chin underneath his beard. He becomes so self-conscious that he starts to hide his chin and at the end we see a beardless Garrett trying to prove some sort of point. He doesn't look good. And that's that.
Finally we have Mateo, who has gotten a job, and it's at the store! The vision center is contracted out to a different company and Dan the optometrist does Mateo a solid by overlooking his undocumented status and hiring him. Dan fancies himself a white savior. But slowly we see Dan morph into Dan the Exploiter as he asks Mateo to do increasingly inappropriate things for him. Mateo was cool with giving Dan a makeover; he's less cool with breaking the news to Dan's wife that he's not ready for kids. At the end Mateo stands up for himself and Dan starts to sort of see the error of his ways, and while the vision center isn't the best job it's not busy and the wifi in that area of the store is super fast. Mateo has to take what he can get these days.
Odds and ends:
Favorite quote: "You guys, I found one more butthole - it's Amy." Sayid was a truth machine this episode.
Second favorite quote: "The doctor that probably gets free vacations courtesy of big chicken."
Favorite blink and you'll miss it moment: A customer is standing at a display of frames and we see that all of the pictures in the frames are of her.
Reminder about Sandra: Don't lie about giving her a puppy. She'll get mad when she finds out the truth. Very mad.
Does anyone else think we'll see the Nap Trap slash Nap Zone in another episode? It was a nice set up! Comments welcomed below:
