By The official Superstore Twitter account revealed yesterday that America Ferrera will be leaving the show at the end of the 5th (and current) season. The actress plays Amy, the lead character. There is currently no indication that the show will be canceled because of this.
— Superstore (@NBCSuperstore) February 28, 2020
It seems that America has made this decision in the interests of her family. I certainly don’t begrudge her for that and I wish her well. I do think this will mark the beginning of the end for Superstore, however.
I am reminded of the time that Steve Carrell left The Office in season 7. The show never recovered from his loss. I’m not suggesting that America and Steve are the same caliber of actors, or that Amy is as wonderful a character as Michael Scott. But she is key to the show. Imagine making a cake. You need a lot of ingredients to make it come together. If you leave out one ingredient, like the eggs, the cake will not turn out as it’s supposed to. Even if all of the other ingredients are of the highest quality available, it doesn’t matter.
I really enjoy Superstore. It’s one of the best comedies on television right now. I hope they can find a way to make the show work without her, but I have severe doubts.