Spoilers ahead for the 100th episode of Superstore on NBC, called "California Part 2."
The very long-awaited second half of Superstore's "California" two-parter that started with the Season 5 finale also happened to be the show's milestone 100th episode and leading lady America Ferrera's departure as Amy. The stakes were incredibly high for a sitcom, and the biggest question of all was how Superstore would handle Amy and Jonah's relationship. Their long-running will-they/won't-they dynamic had seemingly settled into a very solid romance for the long run... until news broke that America Ferrera was leaving and Ben Feldman wasn't. Did Superstore give its biggest couple a happy ending despite the odds, or was it more heartbreaking?
Well, that depends on how you look at the events of "California Part 2." Although "California Part 1," which served as the unintended Season 5 finale back in the spring, ended with Amy and Jonah happily planning to move to the West Coast together after Amy landed a fancy corporate job, Amy seemed a little less certain in last week's Season 6 premiere. In the 100th episode, marriage was on both of their minds after Amy discovered a ring missing and they were surrounded by coworkers assuming and she and Jonah would be together forever.
Not entirely surprisingly, Amy and Jonah weren't on the same page, and the episode ended with Jonah staying in St. Louis while Amy went to California with her kids. So, is this a miserable ending for the power couple of Superstore, or is there hope? Let's break it down. Since the episode literally ended with the two lovebirds on the verge of building lives 2000 miles apart, let's take a look at why it's not the happiest!
Why It Might Be Unhappy For Amy And Jonah
Well, it's not hard to argue that Amy and Jonah's ending with America Ferrera's departure was a bummer. Jonah started the episode preparing to propose and treating their future as a done deal while Amy spent the episode increasingly freaking out. Their differing viewpoints came to a head when Jonah flat-out asked if she wanted to marry him, demanding a yes or no answer, only for Amy to say no, citing her past marriage.
This was enough for Jonah to shoot down the possibility of still going with her to California or even trying a long-distance relationship. They ended the episode by raising a glass to each other at Amy's big farewell while look pretty damn sad, but America Ferrera is gone as a regular and Ben Feldman will be back. While the episode didn't end with anybody sobbing, wailing, or gnashing their teeth (although I wouldn't put it past Sandra), their breakup feels pretty definitive at this point. That said...
Why It Might Be Happy For Amy And Jonah... Eventually
Look, breaking up and then being indefinitely separated by thousands of miles may look about as bad as can be without somebody being killed off, but Amy and Jonah clearly still love each other very much. Amy shot down marriage because she wasn't sure at this point, while Jonah shot down the long distance relationship because he didn't want her to feel trapped, like she did with Adam. She was in tears when she asked what if she realized that she made a mistake, to which Jonah responded: "I'm guessing you'll know where to find me."
The door was left very much open on their relationship, at least insofar as their feelings for each other. For me, Amy and Jonah's potentially happy future relies entirely on two things: how much longer Superstore lasts and how much longer Ben Feldman stays. If Superstore ends after Season 6, which wouldn't be altogether shocking for a show that doesn't crush in the ratings and lost its leading lady, then I could see Jonah going to Amy in California and/or Amy returning to get him.
The same could be true if Ben Feldman decides to leave at the end of Season 6, cancellation or not. I'm not saying that Superstore with Jonah and Amy is going to pull an ER with Doug and Carol, but I have to believe it's possible down the line. I really don't want the last we ever see of Superstore's big couple is both of them sad and resigned to their lives going in different directions.
Besides, even if this turn of events wasn't happy on the relationship front, Amy is taking a big step forward in her career, and Jonah's career could actually improve with the power vacuum at Cloud 9 following Amy's departure. Superstore could only do so much when America Ferrera decided to leave while Ben Feldman was staying, and there is at least hope here. That's better than misery and resignation forever on the Superstore romance front, right? They could get their happy ending! Just... not yet.
See how Jonah deals with Amy's departure with new episodes of Superstore on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. For some more viewing options now and in the coming weeks, check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule.
