This is just like the happiest day of my life. I am gonna teach you everything that I know. You are gonna be the best manager, sorry manage-ess, that they have ever seen.
— Glenn
"Shadowing Glenn" is the ninth episode of Season Four of Superstore, and the sixty-third episode of the show overall.
Glenn introduces a new, over-the-top training system. Cheyenne and Mateo brainstorm a new business. Dina starts second-guessing her own future.
Plot[]
In Glenn's Office, Amy asks Glenn if he'll recommend her for the Cloud 9 management training program. Overjoyed, Glenn starts planning his own training program to impart his wisdom to Amy. The next day in the Break Room, Amy watches one of a series of videos Glenn made for her in his basement. Jonah asks Dina why she isn't aspiring to be a manager, and Cheyenne and Mateo find they both would like to start a business. As Glenn starts undressing in the video, Marcus comments that he was once tricked into starring in a film. At Coffee & Bakery, a customer guzzles the coffee milk. (♫ Iggy Pop - Wild One ♫) Glenn enthusiastically coaches Amy in ordering a shipment of ice pops and insists she check all her orders seven times. Thinking this is overkill, she submits the order. Claiming that Jonah humiliated her by questioning why she doesn't want to be a manager, Dina asks for Jonah's help in finding a new career.
Cheyenne and Mateo annoy Garrett when brainstorming a name for their business, until Cheyenne suggests "Chateo." In Glenn's office, Glenn has a yellow book with personal notes on all the store's suppliers. Amy can't see the point of knowing personal details which is affirmed when Glenn orders paper towels and the supplier hangs up as soon as Glenn places the order. Glenn then has Amy stand in the store blindfolded to "feel the rhythms of the store." Garrett startles her and as she explains her situation, he rolls away and a customer starts talking with her before she crashes into a bicycle display. At Coffee & Bakery, Jonah asks Dina career aptitude questions but she provides obtuse answers. In the Break Room, Cheyenne and Mateo show Marcus various logos for their company and ask how they make him feel. Discovering they have different expectations for how they'd like their company described, they almost end their partnership until a new synonym satisfies them both.
Glenn's next test for Amy is finding violations he's set up in women's wear. Amy points out Brett isn't wearing a shirt and also many flaws that Glenn didn't set up. As Glenn launches into the next test, Amy indicates she doesn't want his help anymore and dejected, Glenn leaves. Garrett, Jonah and Justine name several career choices to Dina but she turns down all of them. Marcus asks Amy if she checked her purchase order for ice pops seven times and as she points out that's not needed, she notices the order is for a hundred times more than she meant to. At the Warehouse loading dock, she's unsuccessful in stopping the order from being delivered. Later in the Warehouse, looking at many ice pop boxes, Amy asks for help hiding them from Glenn. It being winter, Marcus offers to hide them outside the store while Cheyenne and Mateo plan to distract Glenn. Amy intends to quickly sell them which Garrett sarcastically points out will be easy to do when it's freezing out.
After receiving a food sample from Heather, a woman eats it from a man's hand. (♫ Clarence Carter - Patches ♫) Heading to Glenn's office, Cheyenne and Mateo keep Glenn out of the store by asking for his business advice. Out of career choices for Dina, Jonah points out that he spent 200 grand on his education and he still doesn't know what he wants to do. When Dina learns Jonah owes the money in student loans and says he is going more into debt everyday, it depresses him. Amy tries selling the ice pops by turning them into cider, adding them to a health shake and getting kids to scream until their parents buy some. In the parking lot, Marcus shows Garrett that he's "hidden" the ice pop boxes in various places such as stuffing them into the cart return area and by creating box snowmen.
Jonah interrupts Cheyenne and Mateo's session with Glenn to ask him to lunch to discuss a raise. Unable to keep Glenn in his office, Cheyenne and Mateo follow him into the store where Justine is trying to sell ice pops by suggestively sucking on them. Gloating to Amy that he is taking his protégées to lunch, Amy can't stop Glenn from heading into the parking lot. Expecting to see the ice pop boxes everywhere, Amy is surprised to see that the lot looks normal. However, as a car goes to park, it rips into a huge photo of the lot and crashes into the ice pop boxes which are hidden behind the photo. Cleaning up the boxes, Amy can't tell if Glenn was angry. Marcus asks Amy to pay for the giant photo but she refuses. In the Break Room, Dina shows some staff pictures of herself in various careers and gets support from Justine for each one.
At the loading dock, Amy is unsuccessful in getting the ice pop supplier, Donovan, to take back the order. Glenn pulls out his yellow book and blackmails Donovan, who told him he cheated on his wife, into complying. Hearing Cheyenne and Mateo plan their business, Jonah asks to join thinking he might be able to make some money. They confess that they just like to talk about various dreams and never intended to really start a business. They ask Jonah if he'd like to start a band with them but Jonah says he doesn't play an instrument. They have to re-iterate that they just like to make plans they don't intend to follow through on. Jonah agrees to join but after proposing a band name, they kick him out. At the loading dock, while eating ice pops, Amy apologizes for the mistake with the order. Glenn gives her his recommendation for the management training program and tells Amy several mistakes he's made at the store over the years.
Amy's name tag: Amy wears a different name tag in every episode. For this one it's "Nola" and then "Ruby". She previously wore "Ruby" in "Safety Training".
Crazy Customers and music: For all customer interludes and music see Shadowing Glenn (music).
Amy mentions putting the ice pops in the Freezer which Marcus says is full. The Freezer has been seen only once, in "Mannequin". Mateo assigned all staff who had crossed him in some way there.
Goof: Though it's winter in St. Louis, the trees are all leafy and green.
Quotes[]
“Amy, hey. Are you the one who keeps putting pictures of naked horses in my locker?”— Marcus
On their first day back from suspension, Amy and Jonah steel themselves for a barrage of jokes and snide comments about their sex video, while Jeff goes to extreme lengths to win back Mateo.
Jonah helps Amy get creative to stock up on supplies for her new baby, while Glenn and Jerusha take maternity pictures that inspire Dina to have her own photo shoot directed by Mateo.
Amy and Jonah get combative to keep their new relationship hidden from their co-workers. Meanwhile, Glenn spirals when he learns Kelly wants to transfer to a new store, and Cheyenne struggles to organize a Cloud 9 carpool.
When an employee costume competition is announced, Amy and Mateo aren't afraid to play dirty to win first prize, a paid day off. Meanwhile, Glenn is preoccupied by Cloud 9's new automatic cart collector, and Garrett is tormented by an annoying Halloween novelty song.
Amy and Dina are both in labor! But while Glenn's manager status gets Dina the royal treatment at a fancy hospital, Amy and Jonah have a far different experience at a cheaper clinic. At the store, Garrett struggles to express his best wishes for the new parents.
Amy faces a nightmare day at work when she learns she doesn't have maternity leave, made worse by Cheyenne and Mateo campaign to change her baby's name. Meanwhile, Jonah and Garrett take on hiring the new seasonal help.
When a new Cloud 9 initiative forces employees to be friendlier to their customers, Amy ends up getting to know Jonah's parents, and learns he hasn't been completely truthful with them. The new policy also inspires Garrett and Dina to find out who can hold a smile longer.
Jonah and Amy take Glenn's tickets to a managers' conference in Chicago so they can enjoy a free night on the town, but their plan hits a few bumps. At the store, Cheyenne helps Mateo damage control after his undocumented status is leaked, and Dina and Garrett struggle at gift-wrapping.
Glenn drives Amy crazy with a new, over the top training system. Cheyenne and Mateo brainstorm a new business, while Dina recruits Jonah to help her when she starts second-guessing her own future.
Amy and Cheyenne attend Cloud 9 Academy to advance their careers. Dina and Garrett get roped into babysitting Glenn's daughter while he childproofs his office, and Jonah and Mateo become political activists.
Corporate introduces a friendly step-tracking challenge between Cloud 9 branches, and Amy, Jonah, and Dina create a fake rivalry to inspire Store #1217's laziest employees. But healthy competition gets increasingly chaotic when the fake rivalry becomes real.
With a massive snowstorm beating down on St. Louis and an unsympathetic home office, the Cloud 9 employees and customers get snowed in, leading to escalating tensions and in-fighting.
Jonah and Amy's first Valentine's Day together gets derailed when Dina brings her birds to work, which also causes trouble for Garrett. Meanwhile, Cheyenne offers to give Marcus a sentimental tattoo, and Glenn makes videos for his daughter to watch while he's at work.
Amy jumps at an amazing career opportunity, only to run up against an exec with a major grudge against her. Jonah and Mateo help Glenn with a financial problem, while Garrett and Cheyenne struggle to spend a day without cell phones.
Amy finds herself at odds with her coworkers when some salary numbers get leaked, while Dina worries that Jonah is coming between her and Amy. Mateo tries to give himself a promotion, and Garrett attempts to sabotage Glenn's positive attitude.
Suspicious that people are making fun of her, Amy and Jonah spy on Cloud 9 employees through the security system, while Dina tries to track down an unsanctioned Easter Bunny in the store. Glenn preps for his church's Passion play.
Jonah struggles to find his place at Amy's daughter Emma's quinceañera. Dina proves very popular with some teenage boys. Cheyenne and Mateo are obsessed with seeing Amy cry.
Despite Dina's protests, Amy lets Glenn's pastor host an Earth Day booth at the store, but things quickly unravel when Glenn won't recognize Amy's authority. Jonah spearheads Cloud 9's green initiative, but is met with apathy from his coworkers.
Dina agrees to play the bad guy when corporate forces Amy to cut everyone's hours. Meanwhile, Jonah and the other employees play an elaborate game of laser tag with the store's new scanners, and Mateo makes a startling discovery about Marcus.
When a photo of a mess at store 1217 goes viral, Amy and Jonah try to use it to their advantage, while Dina starts hunting for the anonymous tweeter. And with money tight now that their hours have been cut back, Mateo, Cheyenne, Garrett, and Glenn sell their personal items in the store.
Amy and Dina visit Cloud 9 corporate to fix problems caused by Sandra's misguided activism, while Jonah tries to sabotage an employee meeting and Garrett tries to prove to his co-workers that he's a good person.
Amy and Jonah find themselves on opposing sides as corporate tries to win over employees by showering them with treats. But when the company's tactics grow more extreme, everyone must band together to save one of their own.