Setting a TV series like Superstore in a big box retail environment requires a lot of staff to make it work. Naturally, the show focuses on a few characters, but staff in a store the size of Cloud 9 is in the dozens and dozens. As such, there are a lot of background players in blue vests who don't say a lot. Ironically, they turned out to be some of the best characters the series had.
Superstore starts when Jonah Simms moves to St. Louis and takes a job at Cloud 9 Store # 1217. He actually starts on the same day as Mateo, who is initially a rival and eventually becomes a friend. That first episode introduced fans to the main cast of characters, including Amy, Glenn, Dina, Garrett, and Cheyenne. Most stories in the series revolved around them in some capacity.
There was also a solid group of secondary and recurring characters. They fell into categories of friends, family members, customers, and other people working at the store. Jeff, who was a district manager and former partner of Mateo, was a major recurring character who played a huge part in the evolution of the store. But those kinds of secondary characters are typical of sitcoms. Superstore, however, found another way to differentiate itself.
The series had a group of characters who worked at the Cloud 9 store and almost never said a word. Yet, they were still funny, compelling, and engaging. And in many cases, they were there from the beginning right until the end. Brett is a prime example of this. He spoke once in the entire series, but was still the most legendary character. He might have rarely moved, but he was also regarded as the greatest salesman in the entire store.
Elias was also a surprisingly interesting character. He was Glenn's brother-in-law and a long-time employee of the store. The man was a hard worker who found himself caught up in a variety of shenanigans, including Cheynne forcing him to dress like Dame Edna for Halloween. Additionally, Elias was the source of the biggest twist in the series. He, after all, turned out to be the person leaving severed feet around the store -- and may have been a serial killer.
Then there's Heather. This incredible woman was perpetually in the background of several scenes in almost every episode. And she also appears to be the hardest-working member of the Cloud 9 staff, as she's often the only person who is regularly doing something. At the same time, there is a constant implication of a much deeper story that was never told. When Brett was thought to be dead in Season 3, Episode 2, she left her underwear on his memorial.
Ultimately, that's what makes these characters so compelling. They managed to add so much to scenes and stories without saying a word, and they did so while managing to create their own distinct mythologies. It's a hallmark of next-level storytelling and character development. The fact that virtually silent characters like Brett, Elias, and Heather were so interesting is something that certainly sets Superstore apart from other sitcoms.
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