Steps Challenge

## Episode navigation

**"Steps Challenge"** is the eleventh episode of Season Four of *Superstore*, and the sixty-fifth episode of the show overall.

## Summary

*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.*

## Plot

In the Break Room, Glenn hands out SuperCloud Step Trackers and tells the staff that they're in competition with other regional Cloud 9 stores for the most combined steps by week end for a chance to win a visit from the regional VP. Dina becomes confused with some hand signs Glenn gives her, thinking it's about firing Hannah, so to distract the staff, Glenn starts stepping vigorously and sprains his ankle. In the store, the staff are apathetic about the challenge. Watching a real-time scoreboard that tracks the steps of the competing stores, Amy realizes that a chance to talk to the VP would help with her management aspirations. Seeing a message on the scoreboard from a hated rival at the Bel-Ridge store, Colleen, Dina joins Amy and decides to motivate the staff to win the challenge. A seated Elias drops a can of balls that rolls away from him. (♫ Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World ♫)

Amy unsuccessfully tries to encourage Sarah, Heather, Freddy and Mateo to increase their step count. Jonah tells Isaac that upping his steps per day will increase his lifespan which Isaac doesn't care about and shocks Jonah that he's under 30 years old, even though he looks much older. Dina's attempt to motivate Garrett results in him rolling backwards, reducing his step count. In the parking lot, Glenn takes a push scooter out of his SUV to help him get around the store as his ankle is in a cast. However, he doesn't have the strength to push himself up an incline and rolls backwards towards a delivery truck. Seeing they are still in last place on the scoreboard, Dina again expresses her hatred for Colleen. Jonah suggests that if they trash talk Colleen's store, the backlash might motivate the staff to compete. Elias tries to reach the can of balls with a hockey stick. (♫ Wings - Silly Love Songs ♫)

The staff are gathered at the scoreboard to see messages from Bel-Ridge putting their store down which are actually sent by Amy. Glenn believes the messages are all in good fun until he sees a hurtful one directed at him. Encouraged by Amy, Dina and Jonah, Sandra suggests they start competing. As Jonah starts a cheer which everyone joins in on, Glenn starts his own cheer but tumbles off his scooter, prompting Garrett to stop Joseph from helping him up. Everyone starts moving around the store in a frenzy, cheered on by Amy, Dina and Jonah. Sayid is hopped up on energy drinks and Amy starts planning what she'll say to the regional VP. A customer can't get any of the staff to stop and help her. (♫ Rick James - Give It to Me Baby ♫) Seeing Mateo isn't into the competition, Amy manipulates him into thinking that corporate is tracking each worker's steps and he'll be viewed by them as average. Mateo starts frantically moving around the store. Dougie puts his steps counter on a mechanical dog. (♫ Howard Jones - Things Can Only Get Better ♫)

Concerned that his steps aren't being counted on his scooter, Jonah tries to give Glenn advice but this results in him going around in circles. Jennifer looks at the We Can Do It! poster of Dina. (♫ Lit - My Own Worst Enemy ♫) Dina chases everyone sitting in the Break Room out. She tells Sandra that's she's put her lunch on the roof and orders Elias to search all local gas stations for a missing cart. Mateo takes a customer who wants to buy a toy on a long route to the toy aisle. Dougie's mechanical dog moves amongst customers. (♫ Hot Chocolate - Every 1's a Winner ♫) Seeing that the store is in fifth place despite all their efforts, Amy and Dina agree that more drastic measures are required to push the staff. The next morning, staff find the store front has been vandalized and spray-painted, seemingly by Bel-Ridge. Jonah realizes that Amy and Dina are behind it but doesn't give them up.

While Isaac, Marcus and Sayid express their anger and vow revenge on Bel-Ridge, Sandra snaps and throws a garbage can. In private, Amy and Dina admit to Jonah they were behind the vandalism and dismiss his concerns they are taking things too far. Having walked to work, Mateo arrives sweaty and is encouraged by Amy. The Get to Steppin' scoreboard is shown. (♫ Lionel Richie - All Night Long ♫) While writing an email to Doug, the manager of the Bel-Ridge store, Glenn is manipulated by Garrett into writing one that makes it appear Glenn is interested in Doug. Finding Sandra, Isaac and Marcus trying to fix a broken price scanner, Amy is able to convince them that Bel-Ridge is responsible for breaking the scanner and for other woes in their lives. Ashley, Henry and Joseph pass by a "Bel-Ridge Is The Enemy" poster. (♫ Baltimora - Tarzan Boy ♫)

On the phone, Dina continues to push Elias to look for the cart at gas stations. As a customer tries to return a blender, Marcus and Sayid turn on him when they discover he bought the blender at the Bel-Ridge store. Jonah tells Amy they need to cool the staff's tempers but Amy doesn't agree. The next morning in the Break Room, Glenn reports that Bel-Ridge's Break Room was sprayed with hot deer urine. From a note and a Super Soaker left behind, Dina fingers Marcus for the vandalism which he admits to. This fuels more retribution plots among the staff which get wilder and wilder until Amy admits she was behind the spray-painting. The staff are aghast and trying to include Dina in the blame just makes them angrier at Amy. Mateo stomps out, having not eaten or slept in two days.

An unshaven and dishevelled Elias looks for the cart on a roadside. Garrett continues to trick Glenn to write a suggestive email to Doug. Angry, the staff glare at Amy in the store and Brett gives her the finger. A staff member, Walter, asks Jonah where the Break Room is and heads there followed by several staff with backpacks. As Jonah admits to Dina that he doesn't know who Walter is, they realize the staff are from Bel-Ridge. Running to the Break Room, they are joined by other staff and find it's been totally trashed. Initially blaming Amy, Dina tells them it was Bel-Ridge retaliating and she's received a text from Colleen mocking the vandalism. This angers the staff who plan various retaliations on Bel-Ridge and can't be dissuaded by Amy. She and Jonah give in and everyone leaves to get Bel-Ridge back.

## Cast

### Main cast

America Ferreraas Amy DubanowskiBen Feldmanas Jonah SimmsMark McKinneyas Glenn SturgisLauren Ashas Dina FoxColton Dunnas Garrett McNeillNichole Bloomas Cheyenne Lee (credit only)Nico Santosas Mateo Liwanag
### Featured cast

Danny Guraas EliasKaliko Kauahias SandraJon Barinholtzas MarcusSteve Ageeas IsaacAmir M. Korangyas SayidJon Miyaharaas BrettSelisha Shertickas SarahMariana Toscaas HeatherJudd Lawrenceas HenryChristopher Riordanas ChrisKari Lee Cartwrightas CustomerLisa Schurgaas Mom CustomerGreg Romero Wilsonas Friendly CustomerHunter Stiebelas Walter (Bel-Ridge Employee)

## Running Gags

* Amy's name tag: Amy wears a different name tag in every episode. For this one it's "Sierra", "Cindy" and "Joanna."
* **Crazy Customers and music**: For all customer interludes and music see Steps Challenge (music).
* Glenn's tie: Large cartoon clouds.
* **Shut up Sandra!**: As Sandra encourages everyone to beat Bel-Ridge, out of habit, Dina tells her to shut up but back-tracks and says Sandra has a good point.

## References

* Brett expresses his disgust for the steps challenge with a hashtag The Walking Dead message.
* Amy points out that for every Rudy there are 10,000 short guys that don't make the team.
* Dina mentions various wars including 1812, WWI, WWII and the French-Indian War.
* If Amy is able to meet the regional VP, she's told to relate the time that Lionel Richie came to the store.
* Garrett advises Glenn to ask the Bel-Ridge store's manager if he's heard the new Adele song.
* The poster of Dina mimics WW2's We Can Do It! poster.
* Marcus has a large Super Soaker collection.
* To get back at Bel-Ridge, Mateo suggests that Cloud 9 Store 1217 give them the I, Tonya treatment. He later says he was hit by a Kia.

## Trivia

* Glenn's car and a Cloud 9 Delivery Truck make an appearance.
* The Cloud 9 Crestwood Store is seen on the scoreboard.
* Goof: When looking at the scoreboard, Dina cites a post made by Colleen (Colleen1420). When the scoreboard is cut back to a few seconds later, the same post is now under a different username (Steve263).

## Quotes

“*I can't believe nothing is our fault.*”— **Marcus**

## Video

The Store Gets Some Motivation - Superstore (Episode Highlight)