Ever since the announcement that a spinoff version of ‘The Office’ was in the works, many fans of the cult classic remained skeptical that ‘The Paper’ would be a worthy addition to ‘The Office’ universe. After all, ‘The Office’ is widely considered one of the best sitcoms ever created. Since ‘The Office’ is my favorite show of all time, I knew I had to watch ‘The Paper’ immediately and see for myself if the writers could dig up that unmatched humor.
The Paper stars Domhnall Gleeson as Ned Sampson, the newly appointed editor-in-chief of the Toledo Truth-Teller, a struggling local and historic newspaper trying to stay relevant. Sabrina Impacciatore plays Esmeralda, the fiery managing editor. Chelsea Frei takes on the role of Mare, the compositor of the paper. Additional cast includes Melvin Gregg as Detrick, Gbemisola Ikumelo as Adelola, Alex Adelman as Adam, Ramona Young as Nicole, Tim Key as Ken, and Oscar Nunez, reprising his role as Oscar Martinez from ‘The Office.’
Episode 1: “Pilot”
- Showing what happened to Dunder Mifflin, seeing Bob Vance, and the old office was a great opening.
- Ned and Esmeralda aren’t on the same page with their differing approaches to work.
- Esmeralda is unique. I’ll either like her or get sick of her very quickly.
- Ned and Mare are totally this version’s Jim and Pam.
- Good to see Oscar back, and I enjoyed his disdain for the camera crew being back.
- Ken is Michael Scott-coded.
- Detrick and Adam can be strong supporting characters. They’re awkwardly funny.
- Solid start to the show. Nothing amazing, but nothing bad.
Episode 2: “The Five W’s”
- I really enjoyed the first half of this episode. The supporting cast got their chance to shine, like Barry smoking during their staff meeting.
- I liked the show, building up the community aspect and people living in Toledo, Ohio.
- By the end, it dragged. It had a heartfelt ending with Ned expressing his vision for the paper.
- Oscar calling Stanley at the very end was a fun callback to ‘The Office’.
Episode 3: “Buddy and the Dude”
- We got the blossoming of another relationship in Detrick and Nicole.
- The tease of Ned and Mare being into each other is too early. Esmeralda mentioning that could’ve been more effective a few episodes down.
- Speaking of Esmeralda, I’m liking her character less as time goes on.
- Mare potentially leaving for a new job is an obvious storyline to advance things.
- Oscar, being the saving grace for Ned, was good. I’m enjoying his character more than in ‘The Office.’ He’s aged, so in turn, he’s ready to speak his mind and do what he wants.
Episode 4: “TTT vs the Blogger”
- My favorite episode so far.
- Ned and Esmeralda getting on (kind of) the same page was a refreshing look.
- Mare confronting a teacher after years of not getting a role in the school play was funny.
- I love Oscar’s annoyance with the mockumentary crew, but he’s warming up to them again. It’s perfect.
- We also have our first “official” couple in Detrick and Nicole. We don’t know if they’re for sure dating yet, but that kiss at the end of the episode was big. Detrick is becoming my favorite character.
- This could be the turning point of the series.
Episode 5: “Scam Alert!”
- This was the Esmeralda show. We got to see her vulnerable side, which her character has been anything but.
- Mare helping Ned out with his dating profile was good. We got to learn more about Ned’s background. Ned saying no to a match is another hint.
- Nicole is definitely not on board with Detrick outside of just having fun. Detrick wants more than that. Nicole’s a straightforward character, and Detrick is all over the place. Opposites attract.
- Shoutout to Barry for making me laugh out loud after he paid Adelola and others when he was catfishing. His thinking that’s what scammers do, rather than receive the money, was gold.
Episode 6: “Churnalism”
- Overall, a funny episode.
- Travis got some spotlight here, and he has a lot of funny traits.
- I liked Esmeralda trying to prove she can be a serious reporter.
- Them testing out these dumb products had a lot of hilarious moments like Ned’s face practically melting off, and Detrick trying to sharpen his jawline.
Episode 7: “I Love You”
- Marv entered the fold and was totally different from what I expected. He was kind and not your “typical corporate boss.”
- I like how this cast played up how employees typically talk to and act around any corporate leader, even if they don’t realize it. Relatable.
- The staff using automatic mouse movers to trick Ken into thinking they were working made for a fun and effective side story.
- Not the best episode. It felt like the same note was pushed too many times.
Episode 8: “Church and State”
- I like the clash between the Softees side of the company and the Toledo Truth Teller. You’ll see that clash throughout.
- Esmeralda is entertaining me once again. Her yanking her son out of school to have him audition for a commercial was great.
- A problem I’m noticing is the lack of buildup with the supporting characters. It’s the Ned, Mare, and Esmeralda show, but there needs to be some plot points that don’t involve them.
- There’s a lack of friendship building or development. We’re not seeing them interact as much aside from a few quick lines.
Episode 9: “Matching Ponchos”
- This was a jam-packed 30 minutes. 4 stories were crammed in here.
- Nothing fully delivered, except for Ned and Mare’s. Them going on a road trip, fighting, and then celebrating after being nominated for awards was a nice touch.
- The anonymous critic storyline left much to be desired, and it was weird in the first place for Ken to drag Nicole into his problems.
- A positive though is Esmeralda and her thinking that Barry is some sex demon haunting her.
Episode 10: “The Ohio Journalism Awards”
- This finale went from 0 to 100 real quick, and I didn’t dig it. Perhaps this is because there are only 10 episodes per season, but the way Ned and Mare already kiss and fall for each other feels rushed.
- I don’t love the Toledo Truth-Teller winning numerous awards. That should be something you see later down in the series. It makes the “underdog” story of the paper not as compelling.
- Ken and Esmeralda being their usual selves was at least fun, and Nicole regretted how she had acted toward Detrick and wished she had taken their relationship seriously, as he had. I care more about that relationship than the Ned and Mare one.
Final thoughts
There are a lot of funny moments that show ‘The Paper’ has a lot of potential. However, they never quite reach that mark, and the ending really deflated me. Maybe if the series gets more episodes per season, we would get a better chance at seeing these characters grow and become more emotionally invested. A second season has been renewed and has the chance to change its perception. I’m rooting for the spinoff to succeed, but it’s a challenge.
Overall Score: 7/10
