WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Superstore season 4 that may influence your enjoyment in discovering the plotlines. Read at your own risk.
Some interesting developments are happening on Superstore season 5 following NBC's renewal of the comedy series. The show's creator, Justin Spitzer, has stepped down from his duties and Universal Television has promoted executive producers Gabe Miller and Jonathan Green to take over as co-showrunners.
The producing studio stated via TV Line that its confident of Miller and Green's leadership in crafting better storylines for Superstore season 5. Spitzer, on the other hand, will still be under Universal Television to develop new projects.
With new showrunners in place, Superstore season 5 has also promoted one of its cast members. Kaliko Kauahi, who plays Sandra on the show, will be a series regular in the next installment, as per Deadline.
Kauahi has been part of the series since the first season of Superstore, but she did not have regular appearances then. In Superstore season 4, her character got engaged and also convinced her co-workers to start a union. Things are moving up for Sandra!
Meanwhile, one character's fate remains uncertain on Superstore season 5. Viewers will recall that Mateo (played by Nico Santos) was whisked away in handcuffs by the officers of the Immigration agency because he is an undocumented immigrant in the season 4 finale. Spitzer told Vox, however, that Mateo is still in detention and will be fighting that detention to avoid being deported back to the Philippines in Superstore season 5.
"I don't anticipate that we are going to be spending whole episodes at the State Department or embassies or anything like that," the former showrunner revealed. "We'll have to figure out how he is still part of the world, but the show continues in a slightly new way."
Santos wrote about his connection to his character's plight via Entertainment Weekly. Citing that Superstore has been writing about Mateo's undocumented status for at least three seasons, Santos felt the real danger that undocumented immigrants may feel about being arrested by the ICE Agents.
"For me, riding in the back of the Homeland Security van, hands bound by plastic ties, waving goodbye to the people who've become my family, I was overcome with sorrow and panic over the consequences of being deported," the actor, who became an American citizen in his mid-20s, wrote. He imagined that it could've been him on this unfortunate circumstance as there are thousands of immigrants in America who have undocumented status.
