S05.E01: Cloud 9.0

[fishcakes]

Quote

In the Season 5 premiere, Amy tries to help her employees cope with Mateo's ICE detention and with the introduction of a new robot co-worker that makes them fear they could be replaced.

Original air date: September 26, 2019

[ItCouldBeWorse]

I thought that the robot would be secretly recording them.

Edited September 27, 2019 by ItCouldBeWorse

[cleo]

I thought that too. I didnt enjoy this ep. I almost bailed on last season but got pulled back in with Mateo's story. But it's not really why I watch comedies. Also however it ends is bound to be unrealistic imo.

I continue disliking Amy in the manager role, and I didn't like her trying to trick Cheyenne. The robot plot seemed dumb.

I've never found the shtick of treating one character like shit funny- Sandra.

I wouldn't normally post just to bash, but I wonder if other people liked it.

[Dots And Stripes]

I also thought the robot was recording them. Who knows, we could still find out that it is.

Lauren Ash did a nice job with the scene watching the security videos. Dina is such an exaggerated character at times, but she knows how to dial back when needed.

I thought the Cheyenne story line was done in a strange way. It was set up to look like Cheyenne was in denial, but outside the jail it seemed like she knew all along why she didn't want to go to visit Mateo. It seems like the show just wanted to have her make that big reveal later on but their stall tactics didn't make much sense. I also don't think Amy really took Cheyenne's suffering seriously. Amy just treated Cheyenne's suffering as something to push aside.

Every time they mention Dina's birds I can't help but remember how unbelievable that whole thing was. (Dina bringing the birds to work, every single bird flying out accidentally, every single bird making it around the store to the exit instead of some getting trapped in the store, no birds going back to Dina.) Overall I like the show but I think it has some funny moments (the robot pushing Glenn was funny) but it doesn't quite pull everything together in the way my favorite shows do.

[Guest]

This episode was very boring. I don't buy everyone getting that worked up over a glorified Roomba. Like most comedies, things tend to get unbalanced when they try to tackle huge social justice issues. The Matteo drama just doesn't work when paired with inane shit like Lego escape plans and kiddie pools of rotten food. Amy and Jonah act like barely acquaintances -it's a struggle to remember they're a couple, much less living together.

Dina's bird grudge is also getting old fast. We get it, her birds were her life and she's pissed. Not looking forward to half a season of her being passive aggressive towards Garrett before they inevitably hook up again. If we're saddling up for more tedious will they/won't they, at least make it sexy! Watching one character constantly beg for the other's forgiveness is a total buzzkill.

[possibilities]

1 hour ago, cleo said:

I've never found the shtick of treating one character like shit funny- Sandra.

I hate it. I can't understand why they think it's a good gag.

2 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I thought that the robot would secretly be recording them.

Me, too.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

My grocery store has a robot, but with a face:  https://mashable.com/article/stop-and-shop-marty-robots/

Edited September 27, 2019 by ItCouldBeWorse

[Skyfall]

2 hours ago, cleo said:

I thought that too. I didnt enjoy this ep. I almost bailed on last season but got pulled back in with Mateo's story. But it's not really why I watch comedies. Also however it ends is bound to be unrealistic imo.

I continue disliking Amy in the manager role, and I didn't like her trying to trick Cheyenne. The robot plot seemed dumb.

I've never found the shtick of treating one character like shit funny- Sandra.

I wouldn't normally post just to bash, but I wonder if other people liked it.

You must not work retail. Self cleaning machines are a very real thing.

[chocolatine]

Even though the Mateo scenes in last season's finale were well done, I think the show has written itself into a corner with that storyline. I have no interest in seeing scenes at the detention center every week, but if Mateo is released quickly and given his job back, it wouldn't be at all realistic.

$2.99 to download a shopping app? Yes, Cloud 9.0 is going to be a roaring success. [sarcasm]

3 hours ago, cleo said:

I've never found the shtick of treating one character like shit funny- Sandra.

I thought she deserved to be shut down when she tried to make her engagement announcement at the candlelight vigil for Mateo, but I agree the other times it was just mean. And I wonder what kind of sabotage Carol is up to - I don't believe for a second that she'll just let Sandra and Jerry be happy.

Edited September 27, 2019 by chocolatine

[tennisgurl]

The Mateo story is so sad, I hope that it gets resolved in a non depressing way soon. Maybe he can marry Jeff? Granted, its hard imagining him going back to the store and everything being business as usual, but I cant imagine they can keep him on the show otherwise. 

The highlight of the episode for me was robot Glenn getting up after they dropped it off of the building with the Terminator music being played. That cracked me up. I definitely suspect hat it will turn out that its been recording them for corporate. 

[Aulty]

That wasn't a particularly strong start to the season, was it? An OK episode with a few good scenes - Cheyenne and Mateo, the robot surviving the fall, what looked like a slow reconcilliation between Dinah and Garrett before she blamed him for everything - but the lead up to those was luke warm at best.

Wonder what Carol's (?) strategy is re Sandra and Jerry.

[Commando Cody]

I wasn't too sure about coming back this season after the ICE raid from last season.  I wasn't too sure about the entire season of 'The Conners', then they had ICE arrest the father of the oldest girl's baby.  I cancelled them. 

I don't watch comedies for this kind of drama. I want to see stupid antics and not think get stupid story lines. 

This episode was weak. I also thought the robot was recording them. He still could be. 

Dina needs to take some responsibility for bringing her birds to work to begin with.  That's not something employees can get away with. She left them alone. Someone accidentally let them out.  She should be mad at Garret for everything that transpired afterwards - the lies and the sex - but, she needs to take some of the responsibility for her birds not belonging at work in the first place.  

Jonah and Amy were talking right after she got off the phone with corporate. What if Amy hit the wrong button and she didn't hang up?  

I can't believe this is season 5. How did that happen? It seems like the show just started. 

[fishcakes]

Carol is the scariest person on TV right now.

[joanne3482]

27 minutes ago, Commando Cody said:

Jonah and Amy were talking right after she got off the phone with corporate. What if Amy hit the wrong button and she didn't hang up?  

That's what I fully expected to have happened. 

I don't mind the ICE raids because it's a reflection of what is happening right now in the US. I think it is an important story to tell. I was heartbroken at Mateo's arrest. I'm not sure what he could have done prior to the raid to get himself on legal footing, although I'm sure he wouldn't have been able to afford the attorney to help him anyway being a retail worker. 

[Lovecat]

12 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

My grocery store has a robot, but with a face:  https://mashable.com/article/stop-and-shop-marty-robots/

I hate those things.  I think the one at my store has a crush on me; I swear he follows me whenever we encounter each other.  I've started doing my shopping at 8AM with the geriatrics, because I've noticed that Marty isn't on the floor until after 9:00.  So blah-blah, I was amused with the whole robot plot!

[Irlandesa]

I kind of liked the premiere.  I loved the whole atmosphere of the robot surviving and the musical cues they used.

I'm torn on the ICE plot in that I don't see a resolution that's both realistic and happy.  Normally this wouldn't bother me but, of all the shows telling undocumented stories--and there are so many--, Superstore has been doing the best with it.  They set this up a few seasons ago.  It's with a character that is an important part of the show that we either care about or at least care about his relationship with other characters.

So the resolution of the raid had the impact that so many other shows have tried, and failed,  to achieve. 

Ruining that with an easy ending would undercut the work they've put into it. 

[iMonrey]

I liked it! I guess I'm in the minority but I really missed this quirky little show. It's not a gut-busting, LOL type of show but it makes me smile. I loved the robot reveal and that his name was Glen. Dina was just dying to show Glenn the name tag and Amy was trying to stop her. I loved the breakout plan and the disgusting pool of "sewage" that Marcus climbed into. "Are you going to poo all over our sewage?"

Most of all I thought the scene with Cheyenne and Mateo was really effective. When she broke down and confessed to Amy it reminded her of visiting her mom in prison that she would just cry and it made it worse, and then Amy said "I'm sure that's not true," and Cheyenne said "yes, it is, she'd say 'stop crying, you're making it worse!'" - I mean, that was sad, moving and funny all at once.

Normally I'd resent any kind of didactic politically charged plot device like Mateo's deportation but I thought it was insightful having him say all the guards assume everyone's Hispanic and they keep yelling at him in Spanish.

[Harvey]

I hope Mateo doesn't come back to the store. He is a genuinely bad person and his meanness is not funny. Besides, we have so many other characters who can easily take his place.  Mateo can be a semi-recurring character like Bo who shows up 2-3 times per season and that will be enough.

[AnimeMania]

50 minutes ago, Harvey said:

I hope Mateo doesn't come back to the store. He is a genuinely bad person and his meanness is not funny. Besides, we have so many other characters who can easily take his place.  Mateo can be a semi-recurring character like Bo who shows up 2-3 times per season and that will be enough.

They can give Mateo his own spin-off show called SuperMax.

[foxfreakinmulder]

On ‎9‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 6:15 PM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I thought that the robot would be secretly recording them.

It wouldn't surprise me if it is because when Amy was on the phone with corporate they were asking her if employees still plan to Unionize.

I think the bird storyline is unbelievable too. How did she get that huge cage to the store and like the poster above said it's hard to believe all the birds flew out. I can't remember why she brought the birds to work but why not just put that huge cage out in your yard for the day or garage or I don't know anywhere but work.

I watch this show for the silly antics so for me, I don't think Mato and the detention center fits into this kind of show. I can't imagine how the writers are going to write themselves out of this corner and make it somewhat believable.

[geauxaway]

I tried for years to get people to watch The Americans.  That little exchange between Amy and Jonah did make me chuckle.  It IS (was) SO GOOD.

[ZenMoonPi]

On 9/26/2019 at 8:42 PM, cleo said:

I've never found the shtick of treating one character like shit funny- Sandra.

It wasn't funny on Parks and Rec and it got old quickly on Superstore. Seeing Sandra's rival congratulate her almost made up for it, though.

[Kip Hackman]

On 9/27/2019 at 2:09 PM, iMonrey said:

I liked it! I guess I'm in the minority but I really missed this quirky little show.

Same here.  This show never fails to make me laugh. This episode was no exception.

Carol is definitely up to something.

[North of Eden]

Finally! For a couple seasons now I was wondering why the agent for the actress who plays Sandra wasn't on the ball to get her upped to the main cast. I thought she might be when I saw a promo picture a few weeks ago and she was in it for  the first time. Very happy for her now to be listed in the opening credits. She's made her character the VIP many times and is often the best part of the show.

As for the actual episode...not much to say other than robots are always shark jumpers (ask Rocky IV) and the show is asking a lot from us to feel sorry for Mateo and Cheyenne who are frankly horrible people (they once spent a whole episode trying to make Amy cry-I don't know why she cares about them). And Justine always brings the laughs from her sheer desperation.

Edited October 1, 2019 by North of Eden

[iMonrey]

Quote

I've never found the shtick of treating one character like shit funny- Sandra.

It wasn't funny on Parks and Rec and it got old quickly on Superstore.

You mean with Jerry/Larry/Gary? I don't know, some people think it's funny. It doesn't bother me anyway. I had no emotional attachment to Jerry and have no such attachment to Sandra either. I think it's funny when Dina yells at her. 

[Trillium]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

You mean with Jerry/Larry/Gary? I don't know, some people think it's funny. It doesn't bother me anyway. I had no emotional attachment to Jerry and have no such attachment to Sandra either. I think it's funny when Dina yells at her. 

It bothered me for a bit on Parks but then I got over it because he just rolled with it and really was happy with his life. And when push came to shove, they were there for him. 
 

Same with Sandra, plus Sandra has her own dark side too. She left Carol out of the shelter during the tornado and left Dina literally hanging. 
 

I liked this. It was funny and the more serious moments were well done, but I’m one who doesn’t mind comedies getting real for a few minutes as long as it’s done right. B99 can do that too.

Edited October 1, 2019 by Trillium

[topanga]

On 9/27/2019 at 2:09 PM, iMonrey said:

I liked it! I guess I'm in the minority but I really missed this quirky little show. It's not a gut-busting, LOL type of show but it makes me smile. I loved the robot reveal and that his name was Glen. Dina was just dying to show Glenn the name tag and Amy was trying to stop her. I loved the breakout plan and the disgusting pool of "sewage" that Marcus climbed into. "Are you going to poo all over our sewage?"

Most of all I thought the scene with Cheyenne and Mateo was really effective. When she broke down and confessed to Amy it reminded her of visiting her mom in prison that she would just cry and it made it worse, and then Amy said "I'm sure that's not true," and Cheyenne said "yes, it is, she'd say 'stop crying, you're making it worse!'" - I mean, that was sad, moving and funny all at once.

Normally I'd resent any kind of didactic politically charged plot device like Mateo's deportation but I thought it was insightful having him say all the guards assume everyone's Hispanic and they keep yelling at him in Spanish.

On 9/30/2019 at 8:44 AM, Kip Hackman said:

Same here.  This show never fails to make me laugh. This episode was no exception.

Carol is definitely up to something.

Me too. I enjoyed the episode laughed out loud several times, which is a nice change.  I hated almost every episode last season and found myself cringing more than laughing. 

On 9/28/2019 at 5:33 PM, geauxaway said:

I tried for years to get people to watch The Americans.  That little exchange between Amy and Jonah did make me chuckle.  It IS (was) SO GOOD.

Same. It was of the best dramas on TV. I still miss it.  And I still wonder how Philip and Elizabeth are doing in Russia with out their kids. And how Paige and Henry are doing...

[Corgi-ears]

On 9/27/2019 at 9:42 AM, cleo said:

The robot plot seemed dumb.

On 9/29/2019 at 5:33 AM, geauxaway said:

I tried for years to get people to watch The Americans.  That little exchange between Amy and Jonah did make me chuckle.  It IS (was) SO GOOD.

It's probably not a coincidence that they conversed about The Americans in an episode that introduces a robot to Cloud 9. RIP mail robot!

[proserpina65]

On ‎09‎/‎27‎/‎2019 at 12:35 AM, Skyfall said:

You must not work retail. Self cleaning machines are a very real thing.

And more and more employees get replaced by machines in retail all the time.  Self checkouts are slowly eliminated the need for most cashiers.  So them freaking out over the robot and plotting to get rid of it seemed pretty spot on to me.

[Koalagirl]

A few days after this episode aired I went to my local supermarket, Stop & Shop, and lo and behold they had a similar robot roaming the store.  I laughed out loud and people looked at me like I was the crazy lady - guess no one watches the show.  I think it’s sole purpose is to look for and report spills and debris. 

[msrachelj]

On 9/26/2019 at 11:04 PM, SnarkEnthusiast said:

This episode was very boring. I don't buy everyone getting that worked up over a glorified Roomba. Like most comedies, things tend to get unbalanced when they try to tackle huge social justice issues. The Matteo drama just doesn't work when paired with inane shit like Lego escape plans and kiddie pools of rotten food. Amy and Jonah act like barely acquaintances -it's a struggle to remember they're a couple, much less living together.

Dina's bird grudge is also getting old fast. We get it, her birds were her life and she's pissed. Not looking forward to half a season of her being passive aggressive towards Garrett before they inevitably hook up again. If we're saddling up for more tedious will they/won't they, at least make it sexy! Watching one character constantly beg for the other's forgiveness is a total buzzkill.

I can understand Dina. I think it is realistic. Her birds were her babies. I'm not into birds but if I substitute cat or dog, I totally understand her attitude toward Garrett. I would be simultaneously in mourning of my babies and full of hate toward the coward and asshole who let them loose. Idiotic, unreal circumstances of them being in the store in first place, besides the point.