Unscripted Superstore Moments That Were Kept in the Show
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VOICE OVER: Phoebe de Jeu
WRITTEN BY: Adriana Travisano
From spontaneous songs to heartfelt proposals, "Superstore" is full of unscripted gems. Join us as we explore the best improvised moments that made it into the show, as confirmed by the cast and crew. These off-the-cuff additions showcase the talent and chemistry of the ensemble, adding extra laughs and heart to an already beloved series. Our countdown includes Marcus' encouragement to Sandra, Cheyenne's ice cream offer during a tense ICE raid, Jerry's surprise proposal, Glenn's musical outburst, and the origin of Dina's dad storyline. Discover how these unplanned moments became some of the most memorable scenes in the series!
Unscripted-Superstore-Moments-That-Were-Kept-in-the-Show
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best improvised moments on NBC’s “Superstore”. While there is no doubt a wealth of adlibbed lines and spontaneous ideas that made the final cut, we’ll only be including ones confirmed by the “Superstore” cast and crew.
In many interviews, the cast of “Superstore” shared how welcome improvisation was on set. With adlibbing legends like Garrett’s Colton Dunn onscreen, the producers would have been remiss to decline any on-the-spot ideas, after all. During a chat at the Paley Center in 2019, America Ferrera, who plays Amy, revealed that, in the episode screened for the audience, the cold open was actually supposed to end in a different way. On the page, the ending required more of a set-up they didn’t have time for so instead, we got Marcus’ little show of encouragement to Sandra after her speech, a reaction that is both perfectly in-character for Marcus and a cute way to end the scene.
Mateo’s undocumented status was introduced early on in the show and, by the season-four finale, it had come to a head. With talk of forming a union ramping up in the store, Corporate tries to slow down the momentum by running background checks and sending in ICE. At the same time, free ice cream is offered to employees, also with the goal of slowing down union momentum. Mateo, Cheyenne and a few others are eating during their shift when Amy bursts onto the scene, announcing immigration is coming. And not a moment too soon. The agents come through the door seconds later, leaving Mateo to flee in a panic. Of course, it wouldn’t be “Superstore” without a little levity, and Cheyenne’s actress closes out the scene by adlibbing an adorable offer.
Also confirmed to be a spur-of-the-moment decision in the season-four finale was Jerry’s proposal. As revealed at a Comic-Con panel in 2019, Jerry was actually set to propose at the end of season three but it was ultimately cut. When the end of season four came around, the plot point wasn’t in the script at all but Justin Spitzer, the creator of the show, asked for a take during shooting. According to Sandra’s actress, Kaliko Kauahi, she was surprised to see that the big scene had actually made it in the second time around. Despite the short notice, the end product was not only incredibly true to the characters but also a sweet, gentle moment during a sequence that’s otherwise full of chaos and distress.
Glenn has many – and we do mean many – quirks, not least of which is bursting into song. We don’t know exactly how much of it was courtesy of actor Mark McKinney but it’s been said that he improvised quite a bit of Glenn’s songs, including “Cry, Ezekiel, Cry”. The performance comes in the cold open of the season-two episode “Spokesman Scandal”. The spokesman for the big box retail store chain, Kyle the Cloud 9 Cloud, is revealed to be a deranged serial killer. The broadcast is being played in the store so Amy and Glenn try their best to shut it off, only to end up increasing the volume for all to hear. This prompts Glenn into leading a spontaneous chorus in an attempt to drown out the horrific details of the news report. According to a tweet put out by America Ferrera, this was entirely thought up by Mark McKinney and it took at least five takes to get it. Thankfully, the actors were able to get through it and it made for the best musical moment in the entire show.
Dina’s rocky backstory with her dad actually became canon thanks to some adlibbing from Lauren Ash all the way back in season one. It might have started as a funny throwaway line but the writers kept building upon it with little tidbits here and there until finally, we got to meet Dina’s dad in season five. The episode centers on Myrtle’s passing, which gets Dina thinking about death, and… revenge, we guess? She has Sandra call up her dad and tell her his daughter’s passed away. Despite the choice he made all those years ago, Dina’s dad makes the drive up to her work to seek out some more information. It’s a sweet reunion and, for a while, Dina’s super happy to have him back, until he makes it clear he really hasn’t changed all that much. “Breaking Bad” fans will recognize Dean Norris in the role, which makes his appearance that much cooler. And, to think, all that from a little Lauren Ash improv way back in the ninth-ever episode.
What’s your favorite “Superstore” moment you think might have been improvised? Let us know down in the comments!
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best improvised moments on NBC’s “Superstore”. While there is no doubt a wealth of adlibbed lines and spontaneous ideas that made the final cut, we’ll only be including ones confirmed by the “Superstore” cast and crew.
#5: The Cold Open
“Sandra’s Fight”In many interviews, the cast of “Superstore” shared how welcome improvisation was on set. With adlibbing legends like Garrett’s Colton Dunn onscreen, the producers would have been remiss to decline any on-the-spot ideas, after all. During a chat at the Paley Center in 2019, America Ferrera, who plays Amy, revealed that, in the episode screened for the audience, the cold open was actually supposed to end in a different way. On the page, the ending required more of a set-up they didn’t have time for so instead, we got Marcus’ little show of encouragement to Sandra after her speech, a reaction that is both perfectly in-character for Marcus and a cute way to end the scene.
#4: Ice Cream Soothes All
“Employee Appreciation Day”Mateo’s undocumented status was introduced early on in the show and, by the season-four finale, it had come to a head. With talk of forming a union ramping up in the store, Corporate tries to slow down the momentum by running background checks and sending in ICE. At the same time, free ice cream is offered to employees, also with the goal of slowing down union momentum. Mateo, Cheyenne and a few others are eating during their shift when Amy bursts onto the scene, announcing immigration is coming. And not a moment too soon. The agents come through the door seconds later, leaving Mateo to flee in a panic. Of course, it wouldn’t be “Superstore” without a little levity, and Cheyenne’s actress closes out the scene by adlibbing an adorable offer.
#3: Jerry Proposes
“Employee Appreciation Day”Also confirmed to be a spur-of-the-moment decision in the season-four finale was Jerry’s proposal. As revealed at a Comic-Con panel in 2019, Jerry was actually set to propose at the end of season three but it was ultimately cut. When the end of season four came around, the plot point wasn’t in the script at all but Justin Spitzer, the creator of the show, asked for a take during shooting. According to Sandra’s actress, Kaliko Kauahi, she was surprised to see that the big scene had actually made it in the second time around. Despite the short notice, the end product was not only incredibly true to the characters but also a sweet, gentle moment during a sequence that’s otherwise full of chaos and distress.
#2: “Cry, Ezekiel, Cry”
“Spokesman Scandal”Glenn has many – and we do mean many – quirks, not least of which is bursting into song. We don’t know exactly how much of it was courtesy of actor Mark McKinney but it’s been said that he improvised quite a bit of Glenn’s songs, including “Cry, Ezekiel, Cry”. The performance comes in the cold open of the season-two episode “Spokesman Scandal”. The spokesman for the big box retail store chain, Kyle the Cloud 9 Cloud, is revealed to be a deranged serial killer. The broadcast is being played in the store so Amy and Glenn try their best to shut it off, only to end up increasing the volume for all to hear. This prompts Glenn into leading a spontaneous chorus in an attempt to drown out the horrific details of the news report. According to a tweet put out by America Ferrera, this was entirely thought up by Mark McKinney and it took at least five takes to get it. Thankfully, the actors were able to get through it and it made for the best musical moment in the entire show.
#1: Dina’s Dad
“All Nighter”Dina’s rocky backstory with her dad actually became canon thanks to some adlibbing from Lauren Ash all the way back in season one. It might have started as a funny throwaway line but the writers kept building upon it with little tidbits here and there until finally, we got to meet Dina’s dad in season five. The episode centers on Myrtle’s passing, which gets Dina thinking about death, and… revenge, we guess? She has Sandra call up her dad and tell her his daughter’s passed away. Despite the choice he made all those years ago, Dina’s dad makes the drive up to her work to seek out some more information. It’s a sweet reunion and, for a while, Dina’s super happy to have him back, until he makes it clear he really hasn’t changed all that much. “Breaking Bad” fans will recognize Dean Norris in the role, which makes his appearance that much cooler. And, to think, all that from a little Lauren Ash improv way back in the ninth-ever episode.
What’s your favorite “Superstore” moment you think might have been improvised? Let us know down in the comments!
