Some spoilers for the now-wrapped first season of NBC’s delightful freshman comedy Stumble can be found throughout this article. Haven’t watched it yet? Silly rabbit, grab a Peacock subscription.
I don’t usually get all emotional and blubbery over mockumentary comedies, but the best of these can toe the line between humor and emotionality beautifully. During the first season of NBC’s freshman sitcom Stumble, there was one moment later in the season that I thought was so well-written and harkened back to the very beginning of the series. As it turns out, the moment resonated as much with the cast as it did with me, as lead Jenn Lyon admitted to CinemaBlend after Stumble wrapped on the 2026 TV schedule.
The Stumble Moment That Even Had Jenn Lyon Crying
If you’re reading this, I assume you already know Jenn Lyon plays Courteney Potter, a disgraced cheer coach who has to move to a smaller district after getting caught drinking with her former cheer charges. But just in case you aren’t in the loop, Courtney has one goal in life: To become the winningest cheer coach. This becomes much harder after she is downgraded to a motley crew of cheerleaders, including a 40-year-old, a tumbler with narcolepsy, a football player, a felon and more.
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It’s been heartwarming to see Lyon act opposite Taran Killam in what is generally a workplace drama with a large dose of family. She told CinemaBlend the show is like “Mel Brooks and Friday Night Lights” had a baby, and it’s a perfect comedy match. However, Killam’s character also gets many great (and often Ace Ventura-related) scenes with Georgie Murphy’s Sally, who grew up in foster care and sees him as a father figure. She’s nearly cut from the team partially through the season, but ultimately makes it through.
It’s a memorable turn of events, but Stumble takes things a step further and ultimately shocks the audience when Madonna [Arianna Davis] gets cut in Sally’s place. The rollercoaster of emotions I went through during that scene was palpable, and for Jenn Lyon, it was the same:
I don’t think Boon [Killam] would have ever forgiven me. But then when Ari [Davis], when Madonna got cut, oh, that was terrible. And we just wept and wept. I’ve watched it like three times, and I cry every time. It really hurts my feelings, and I know it turns out OK.
I mean, Lyon sounds a bit like a glutton for punishment watching that scene three times, but it really is that impactful, particularly for a show with only one season under it’s belt. In fact, I found the outcome shocking at first. Madonna joined as the first member of the Buttons squad, and through Season 1 she’s also the glue keeping everyone together. I love that I didn’t see it coming, even when the show set us up for this downfall. We went in nervous for Sally, and ended up devastated about Madonna. I get it.
In short, it’s a moment that flew and didn’t… stumble on the screen.
The Young Cast Contributes To Stumble’s Emotional Flexibility
This wasn’t the only time Lyon got emotional filming the sitcom. She said the whole series so far (we’re waiting for NBC on Season 2) came together in a “short window” and she got to see the young cast grow and develop as actors really quickly.
I think about how far they’ve come. I don’t think that Taylor [Dunbar] will get mad at me for saying this, but she plays Peaches. I remember when we were shooting the pilot, and I think we were getting our sound packs on or something, and I heard this little voice say, ‘Jenn?’ And I turned around, and it was Taylor, and I said, ‘Hey, bud.’ And she was like, ‘Were you scared the first time you ever did anything on screen?’ And I was like, ‘Is this the first time you ever did anything on screen?’ [laughs] And she was like, ‘Mm-hmm.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, bud, yeah. I was terrified!’ And then we did the scene in the parking lot where she’s, like, rifling through the truck and then flipping out of the back of it. And was so hot, and she just did it like a champ. And she hadn’t even graduated from Juilliard yet. After we shot the pilot, she graduated from Juilliard, like, a couple of days later, and she handled herself like a real pro.
The vulnerability the young cast brings to the table helps make the show the special comedy it is, and Jenn Lyon herself is “on pins and needles” hoping NBC will come around and give it the greenlight for Season 2. Go ahead, give us a g-r-e-e-n-l-i-g-h-t, NBC. There’s plenty of shows still on the bubble right now, though.
