On Thursday, NBC’s Superstore tackled an important issue during its Season 4 finale and ended on a huge cliffhanger, leaving fans questioning the fate of a beloved character. Now, the show’s executive producer, Justin Spitzer, is weighing in, according to a report from TVLine .
It was previously revealed that Cloud 9 employee, Mateo Liwanag, played by Nico Santos, was an undocumented Filipino immigrant.
During the show’s Season 4 finale, the workers of Cloud 9 Store 1217 have decided they’re no longer willing to accept poor working conditions and have begun taking steps to unionize. In an attempt to scare the workers into submission and eliminate talk of unionizing, the corporate offices of the chain called in Immigration and Customs Enforcement to raid the store. Jeff, played by Michael Bunin, quickly called Amy, played by America Ferrera, to inform her of corporate’s plan and urged her to get Mateo out of the store. The staff bands together to save a fellow employee, but in the end, their best efforts were futile. In the final minutes of the episode, viewers watch as a handcuffed Mateo was taken into custody and removed in a Homeland Security vehicle.
Meanwhile, Amy, who had initially been against the idea of unionizing, turned to Jonah, played by Ben Feldman, and asked him if he wanted to start a union — for real.
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When asked if he thought the show’s cliffhanger might have been too dark for viewers, Spitzer revealed it definitely caused a lot of debate.
“There was a lot of debate about whether we should do it at all. We originally talked about doing it mid-season, so that people knew it would be addressed in some way in the next episode, and there wouldn’t be this sense of dread about how the show is going to address it in a few months’ time,” he said.
But by the end of the season, Ferrera, who is also an executive producer, tossed her support behind the idea of exploring the subject in the finale.
“I was excited…it felt good to have her say, ‘Yes, I believe in this. This is an important story and a story our show can tell in this specific way.’”
In the midst of all the chaos, one Cloud 9 employee got a happy ending. Sandra, played by Kaliko Kauahi, got engaged to her boyfriend Jerry, played by Chris Grace, despite Irene White’s Carol’s attempts of ruining the couple’s relationship.
Spitzer said viewers haven’t seen the last of Carol’s scheming just yet and “anything can happen” in the upcoming season.
