NBC’s Superstore got many facets of retail right in its six-reason run, with the romance between America Ferrera’s Amy Sosa and Ben Feldman’s Jonah Simms being one of them. Justin Spitzer’s sitcom quickly became a well ranked comfort show for those who’ve worked in retail, mainly as it often showcased the experience through an incredibly realistic lens. But like most well-written and memorable comedies, the character dynamics within the show must be the story’s beating heart for it to stand the test of time. Superstore thankfully does this from the first episode as it sets up a beautiful and heartwarming romance.
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Seldom does a show’s Pilot episode set up the relationship that’s going to be endgame. Even shows like How I Met Your Father and its predecessor, How I Met Your Mother, don’t do an overt job of making it clear this is what fans should root for. While there are many changes throughout the show’s run, including Ferrera’s exit in Season 6, the show thankfully gives fans what they were hoping for by ensuring that Amy and Jonah get their happy ending. By setting up their story from day one, placing their friendship at the forefront, and allowing them to overcome challenges, Superstore makes Amy and Jonah one of the most memorable comedy couples.
Their Story Begins with The Pilot
NBC
While TV shows are getting better today with writing more compelling Pilot episodes, Superstore is one of the few that masters it beautifully. Amy and Jonah’s story doesn’t just begin with the Pilot, but their last scene in the series finale calls back to it in a profoundly memorable way. In the episode, Jonah shows viewers that he listens to Amy by deciding to ensure that, contrary to what she believes, today won’t be like yesterday. He takes countless glow-in-the-dark stars and plasters them all over the store ceiling to create what he deems “a moment of beauty.”
Jonah’s personality type becomes apparent in this episode, as does the detail that Amy is someone who’s not experienced outbursts of kindness like this. While we know she’s married, it undoubtedly distinguishes Jonah from her husband, Adam, showcasing which man is genuinely right for her. Further, the moment of beauty comes full circle in the final episode, “All Sales Final,” to exhibit that as parents, they’re better together in guaranteeing that their kids know true joy and what a healthy marriage should look like.
Their Friendship Strengthens the Relationship
Though their story begins in the Pilot, their romance doesn’t burst into flames until much later in the show’s run. During that time, Amy and Jonah’s friendship becomes one of the key reasons why it’s so effortless to root for them to take things to the next level. Viewers can understand that they could be good together as a couple because they’re able to enjoy each other’s company in a way that they don’t experience with others. Additionally, after clearly being jaded by life’s challenges, the fact that they’re able to unwind and be kids together shows that all they’ve lost comes back to them in each other’s presence.
On a different note, in cementing their friendship deeper into something more substantial, they authenticate their loyalty, allowing viewers to see that, if nothing else, they’re two people who’ll always have each other’s back. For this reason, when they do get together, it makes being transparent with one another as a couple easier. The transition from friends to lovers then allows the two of them to be better about uplifting one another in all situations.
Time Apart Makes Them Better
Before Amy’s exit, she and Jonah essentially break up because she doesn’t want to marry him. At that point, while it was unclear whether Ferrera would ever return to the series, it was understandable why the couple would need time apart. While Amy and Jonah are great together, they’re also significantly different from one another and needed to see that, although they want different things in life, they want to be with each other more. Further, it was important for the series at the time to understand what it wanted to do with the characters instead of allowing them to merely exist in the background.
For its whole story, Superstore makes the progression of Amy and Jonah’s relationship close to extraordinary, providing just the right amount of angst with bouts of jealousy, surprise pregnancies, and even the break-up. Because even when it’s frustrating, sometimes, miscommunication in a grand scheme like this allows for the best reunions. And an excellent reunion is what viewers get with the two of them because when they get together in the end, even without the epilogue that shows us they’re happily married, it would’ve still been apparent that, in losing each other, they learned to love one another more. Their relationship effectively transforms from co-workers to friends, to lovers, to a second chance romance that proves that, occasionally, the most promising couples are the ones whose stories are messy, complicated, and yet full of moments of beauty.
