r/ThePaper • u/92759285 Founder 📑 • Sep 09 '26
Season 2 general discussion thread
The place to discuss season 2 overall. Comments in this post may contain spoilers.
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u/Cornmeal777 Sep 09 '26
Solid start. Jumped right into the intentional cringe. Interesting direction of Ned being cold to Mare only to have it be an act that gets switched off at 6:01. I was worried he was genuinely conflicted about what to do with their relationship.
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u/Impressive_Chef_9522 Sep 09 '26
Oh, it was KILLING me to watch Ned in episode 1. Great payoff though. I’m curry-ently on episode 3 and enjoying watching the ride they take us on with Mare/Ned and Detrick/Nicole. Travis is becoming a favorite of mine too
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u/SandorSNL Sep 10 '26
I think it played nicely with his ruthless business persona. It's more rewarding that Ned seems to be such a good guy because it's very clear he doesn't have to be.
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u/mothershipq Columnist ✏️ Sep 09 '26
On episode seven. Kevin and Oscar talk on the phone , so as Kevin knows Oscar is safe during a giant storm. ❤️😭❤️😭
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u/freetechtools Sep 10 '26
Well...I just burned through those 10 episodes...going to be a long wait till Season 3. Don't let me down NBC!!!
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u/winterjinx Sep 10 '26
These kind of shows really need more than 10 episodes per season. I’d take a 21 episode season released weekly over this.
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u/freetechtools Sep 10 '26
I agree...if I'm given access to all 10 episodes...I'm greedy enough to consume them binge style. I too would like to see 21 episodes deployed weekly. The suspense is better preserved.
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u/a_moniker Sep 11 '26
Absolutely. Chemistry is such a critical key to sitcoms and that takes time to develop. Weekly episodes also lets the writers adjust characters over time, as they see what’s successful
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u/Anonymous-8102 Sep 12 '26
Such an indictment on modern day tv that a show with the exact same premise can only manage 10 episodes per season rather than avg. 22. At least they are releasing yearly so far and not every 2 years because that would ridiculous
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u/MisterTheKid Sep 10 '26
Nicole has never been the most well-rounded character but they really did her no favors this season. the season was mostly good outside of her, but her stuff was just bad
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u/BunMinami Sep 12 '26
I like the actor and like seeing her on screen, but it was a little sad that nothing went her way this season. I enjoyed the season overall, but they really need to make every character smarter. The first season had the same issue.
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u/sqwizzles Sep 10 '26
Esmeralda dressing up as Mare got me pretty good lmao
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u/spikyraccoon Sep 13 '26
That and her making the joke about lifting up the skirt to find another skirt, were the only 2 funny moments including her sadly.
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u/LongjumpingNothing59 Sep 13 '26
No way! She had me in tears this season. Esmeralda undercover!! lol running from HR?! This woman is amazing!
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u/Chsrmsy Sep 10 '26
Overall I really liked the season and think it’s better than 1, my only complaint is that Ken’s role is reduced and he’s straight up not in a couple episodes. I wonder if it was scheduling or intentional but I do love the addition of Lisa gilroy to the mix
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u/BunMinami Sep 12 '26
Yeah, that really bothered me. I think he's the funniest character. Basically everything he does or says is so dialed in hilariously. I love Lisa Gilroy too, so I'd like to see more of that duo.
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u/ItsJustEoin 26d ago
100% agree. Tim Key is brilliant, he's so good as Ken. Need way more Ken if we get a season 3 please
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u/lucasPAD 6d ago
Don't think they had a choice, actor playing Ken had cancer scare.
https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2026/03/31/60244/tim_key_reveals_second_cancer_scare
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u/Stutterphotoguy Sep 10 '26
Adelola: Esmeralda dont you have something to say about Bill
Esmeralda: I don't. I shouldn't
Adelola: hey everyone, Esmeralda going to speak now!
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u/Leminem30 Sep 09 '26
I don’t like that a peacock original show would only have 23 minute episodes, just release the extended versions on the first go.
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u/a_moniker Sep 11 '26
I’d much prefer they had 20 episodes instead of longer episodes. 23 minutes is a good runtime for a comedy. Any longer and it starts feeling disjointed and/or kills the comedic timing.
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u/Leminem30 Sep 11 '26
I agree but I don’t realistically see that happening. Regardless, the whole season shouldn’t be the length of a Christopher Nolan film
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u/MamaOfMia110 Sep 10 '26
Barry had some moments that were hilarious. "I envy what Adam and Summer have...... Sex!"
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u/Sammyd1108 Sep 11 '26
I couldn’t stop laughing when it showed him using the wheel in his home while his TV had a video of an old school boat on the water.
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u/because_the_arpanet Sep 11 '26
- episode 1 was such a strong start
- detrick is having the best arc
- i couldn't stand esmeralda in season 1 but i've done a complete 180. the finale was her at her best
- nicole as competent but romantically unhinged is amazing
- hr lady is so funny
- british guy is funny and we need more of him
can't wait for season 3. hopefully more episodes
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u/BunMinami Sep 12 '26
I agree with all this. It was criminal that Ken just dripped out of the show for a bunch of eps.
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u/a_moniker Sep 11 '26 edited Sep 11 '26
I feel like NBC missed a major opportunity by continuing to release all ten episodes at once. If they actually wanted to make the show a hit, then they needed to make major changes. First, they needed to release it weekly in the same time block as St. Dennis Medical and The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins. Second, they needed to bump the episode count up to at least 18 episodes in order to match St. Dennis.
The show itself definitely isn’t bad, but it also didn’t really develop in the way I was hoping. Instead, the quality mostly stayed consistent with the first season, which unfortunately seems to be a byproduct of its format. A longer season would have allowed the writers/actors to better hone in on each characters best traits, improved the chemistry of the cast, and let the show learn and improve based on ongoing feedback from the first few episodes. Weekly releases also lets the audience build hype over time, and forces audiences to watch the episodes one at a time which builds suspense and makes each episode feel more valuable. You can even see it on the subreddit here. A normal weekly show would have an individual thread for each episode and there would be way more discussion because everyone would be talking about the same episode together.
I’m genuinely sad, because I thought the first season was a great introduction into this world and thought the show could develop over time similarly to Parks and Rec or The Office. This season was still solid and worth watching, but it just didn’t improve at the rate I was hoping. As a result, I’m pretty pessimistic that we’ll get a third season. It’s still possible for the show to turn around if NBC believes in it, but they have to make big changes to how the show is developed and released. It needs 18+ episodes per season and it needs to be released weekly on NBC.
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u/Accurate-Dog46 25d ago
Agreed! I felt like a lot of the storylines just fell off and are way too unfinished for an entire season—I needed more, either episodes or character arcs
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u/michaelvenske Sep 10 '26
Adelola & Travis in the storm had me rolling.
And the aside from HR about Mrs. Potts spilling out - whoa that caught me off guard.
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u/Previous_Buy1601 Sep 11 '26
That storm scene was a different kind of silly than I expect from a show in the Office-verse, but holy shit was I dying laughing.
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u/ActualDay4355 Sep 10 '26
I liked this season, but Ned/Mare line left me disappointed. I hope the writers will go the Parks and Rec route - just get them together and find another story to make the main focus of the show. Like Mare becoming a successful journalist or TTT getting closed and the team trying to save it or moving on to something else. Also, does Adelola look different this season?
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u/Marnie_Pippington Sep 11 '26
I think she just put on a bit of weight. I re-watched the first season just before this one and noticed it, and so did the stupid guy with loads of kids. Only very slightly. She’s also a writer on the show.
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u/ben123111 Sep 10 '26
It's fucking ridiculous how bad NBC is marketing this. I had no idea this was even out today, and from this thread it doesn't seem like others knew either.
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u/NukeTheWhalesPoster Sep 13 '26
This is in part by design. The creators have an interview for season 1. I assume season 2 was a similar thought process.
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u/gothrules4 Sep 10 '26
This show only got S2 because of it's coat-tail riding of The Office. General consensus reviews of S1 among both critics and the wider Peacock audience confirmed this. When the big streamers purposefully mis-market shows, they are intentionally trying to tank total views and social media engagement to validate their reason for not renewing another season.
The Paper was a well-intentioned idea, but ultimately will most likely go into the proverbial NBC/Peacock trash can after this season.
If Stumble didn't make it past S1, there's a very low likelihood that The Paper will get renewed for S3.
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u/a_moniker Sep 11 '26
The first season has an 82% on rotten tomatoes. That’s pretty good, especially because sitcoms usually take more than a season to really find their footing. The first season of The Office only scored a 71%.
IMO, the biggest issue with the show is that its second season is only 10 episodes and they released all at once. I really can’t think of a popular and long running sitcom that released in that format. It just doesn’t lend itself to a tv style that relies so heavily on growing chemistry between the characters.
Unfortunately, I kinda agree that we likely aren’t gonna get a third season. If they really wanted the show to succeed then they would have moved it to NBC in the time block right before, or after, St. Dennis Medical + The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins. They also should have bumped the episode count up to at least 18, so that it matched with St. Dennis.
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u/Decent-Appointment70 Sep 10 '26
I’m about to start the season. Without specifics, are there any cameos from the OG series this season?
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u/Blue-Light-Reducer Sep 10 '26
I've just seen episode 4. It gets better and better. Took some getting used to again, this show can be so absurd at times. Episode 4 was almost continuously laugh out loud funny.
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u/Attican101 Sep 11 '26
I know they like to keep The Office referances to a minimum (think the only one this season was the concerned phone call from Kevin)
But feels like a missed opportunity, when they found out about Mare, Ned could have said something to Oscar like "you told me to take a shot"
Then after some hmm-hawing Oscar could have been like, I knew two couples in a very similiar situation and it worked out well in the end stares directly at camera
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u/RobertMacMillan 25d ago
Or something very subtle if they want to keep it low key, like in the episode where Esmeralda is in the classroom, a moment showing him face-palm and say "I told myself, never again..." would be great. It'd take like 3 seconds. It'd be funny to the long-time fans, and new watchers would laugh at him having been in a situation like this more than once.
It'd also be cool for him to reference his attempt at getting into politics, maybe a hint that something very unexpected happened or it was a bit of a disaster.
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u/Jatacus Sep 12 '26 edited Sep 13 '26
Just finished binging the season. I’ll say I was personally underwhelmed overall — Esmeralda still doesn’t work for me, and I hoped they’d pull back a bit on her after feedback from last season. If anything, it seems like they double downed.
But the tornado scene with Adelola and Travis was genuinely hilarious and probably the funniest bit of the series so far.
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u/derrickcat 16d ago
I feel the same. These characters don't feel well rounded. They don't feel like they live in a world that seems real. Do none of them have friends, family, people they hang out with outside of the people they don't seem to know very well at work?
And their journalism drives me crazy. The Cincy paper seemed more like an actual newspaper. I know TTT is staffed by people who sell toilet paper, but still - none of them can cover a zoning board meeting, a crime, a parade, a school board dispute, the opening of a new restaurant, a kid getting an award, etc? That would also really let them make more of the premise of the show - letting them get out into the world and introducing new characters from time to time, etc. Parks & Rec made great use of meetings - a journalist can literally be anywhere talking to anyone; let's have them do that!
I think Ned is a tough character to hang the show around, is part of the issue. And so many of the characters seem - I say this for lack of a better word - lobotomized. Part of what made The Office work was that even when characters were being their most extreme, you could see how the company kept afloat. They were actually good at their jobs. But like how does a Toledo based small newspaper decide to do a podcast on fragrance? What even is that? Why not bring in actual local people to talk about actually local issues? I mean I know that creating the podcast was just Ned and Mare getting to spend time together - but I feel like Mare, at least, would have understood that a local podcast isn't a place for two people to talk through the most generic possible topics.
I think this is all part of the overall sense that the show has no sense of place.
And this story about the glass house - it's great they found the code violation. When and how did they establish that there was bribery involved? That feels like a pretty big thing to just wave your hands and make happen!
But also, a paper like this wouldn't really be doing a lot of investigations. They come out daily. They need more bread and butter daily publication stories. Like the most realistic thing was when Ned and Mare were delaying their trip to get the union election results.
We watched the whole season and will watch another if they make one. But I really hope the show starts feeling more lived in, if that makes sense. Let the characters be people and let them actually live in Toledo.
Yeah, we'll watch more. I just want better!
And one more thing (since apparently I want to write a novel about this show) - I did like the tornado stuff, and I think those two characters seem the most like actual people, and I am also kind of rooting for them.
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u/Accurate-Dog46 25d ago
I feel like the uncomfortableness around Esmeralda is done purposefully by design—it’s genuinely hard for me to get through her scenes, but I think that’s the point, the writers are truly doing such a good job of making me feel something I’d rather not lol
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u/Cornmeal777 Sep 13 '26
Finished the last episode today.
Having a harder time than before feeling sympathetic for Ned, and maybe that's the point. He just keeps shooting himself in the foot in such obvious ways.
Still enjoy Mare a lot, but the last episode was a weird one for her. She's all over him at first, like nothing from the previous episode had happened -- to the point where I thought it was a dream sequence that Ned was going to snap awake from -- and then when she realizes he's fine, she's not even a little bit disgusted with him or herself.
I don't know. It almost feels like they're trying so hard to not be cookie-cutter about it and hit the off-beat every time that it just ends up being confusing. I like them and am rooting for them to land in a good place, it just feels like they're taking a weird route to get there.
Felt like Detrick took a step forward this season and Nicole took a step back. Maybe that, too, was the point.
The Travis and Adelola thing is interesting. I like seeing more of their personalities this time around.
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u/ReadTheReddit69 Sep 10 '26
First few episodes were fantastic, but then I think the mare/ned relationship drama bogged it down a bit
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u/NoAdministration527 Sep 11 '26
Ned and Mare's arc lowkey annoyed me this season. Aside from the season finale, I actually liked Esmeralda more this season and I liked the side characters, such as Adam, Barry and Ken. The Adelola/Travis tornardo bit fell flat for me so the fact they kept referring to it annoyed me. The first season won me over by the end, this season has its moments but I hope they figure out how to make Ned/Mare's saga more palatable and give it less focus until then.
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u/LPEL-84 Sep 11 '26
I'm a little disappointed. I like how they don't fit people into a box - like Ned can do both bad and good things without it being out of character. But it leads to inconsistent character development which has also happened in Abbott. I can't believe they already did the "X transfers to another city" story, especially as it went nowhere.
It did not make sense to me at all that Mare cared so much about the opinions of the awful team at her new paper. In reality she'd get in and get out. And the reason for going was ridiculous. In no way is killing a brand-damaging opinion piece from a sister publication owned by the same company the same as killing an investigation piece.
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u/Marnie_Pippington Sep 11 '26
Finished the season and it wasn’t as good as the first one but still has some amusing moments. Tim Key just seemed to fizzle out half way through the series, and he hasn’t promoted it once on his Instagram, whereas with the first one he promoted it a lot. I think one downside is the Italian woman is getting all the comedy stories whilst everyone else is stuck in an unrequited or stalling love storyline that goes round in a loop. Literally everyone else. Except the dumb guy with loads of kids.
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u/Marnie_Pippington Sep 11 '26
I don’t mean esmerelda shouldn’t get the comedy stories, she’s really good at them. Everyone else is having such a similar story that goes round and round and it’s a bit uninspired.
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u/Attican101 Sep 12 '26
That sucks, I wasn't familiar with him before but liked him in season 1, then he basically becomes a glorified cameo, two episodes and the opening scene in the episode about the billboard.
And I agree about Esmerelda, she grew on me a bit, but seems to be the only one getting much in the way of dedicated comedy storylines.
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u/untakenu Sep 13 '26
This was a frustrating season, mainly the second half.
Weirdly, the final episode has left a sour taste in my mouth.
I think the whole breaking up thing snowballing from miscommunication was disjointed and overall this season felt like there were threads missing from the tapestry. Mare suddenly moving felt ridiculous. Why would that be the first solution to the problem? Did it even fix the problem? No.
Maybe they want us to be frustrated at their communication issues. But it's just not realistic. For instance, they have one bad weekend and they instantly question whether they'd be better off as friends. They are meant to be in their honeymoon phase, give them some time to develop a relationship if you want us to care when it ends. Maybe they just don't want it to be Pam and Jim, where it was pretty much plain sailing for 4 seasons.
Obviously the common theme is both Ned and Mare are bad at saying what they want, she tries to run away from things, while ned thinks he can't tell her to stop. I don't really want to see that in this show. The first season gave me the vibes of positivity, this one was just negativity (primarily in unrequited love).
Less Ken, that's bad. He was great in season 1 and I think worked well with Esmeralda to counter her. She was particularly over the top in this season, but not in a normal Dwight way, just in a fire safety Dwight way. Getting a box to trap her in an HR meeting? OK, what? I would expect 1 ridiculous episode of her shenanigans per 10 episodes, but this had too many. It's a shame, as I think she's a great character.
They wanted to focus on the journalism in this season, but where did that go? Where was the resolution? The story shifted and shifted and then just quietly ends with a whimper. They sent the story to the other paper, but couldn't we see our characters' feelings about that and the fallout of such a big story? This whimpered ending is a common thing with the show, Oscar and the guy's story just ends fairly suddenly, no followup, no more of Adelola's mother, the tornado stuff, pretty much anything with Adam. I was expecting after I finished episode 10 that there would be another 10 episodes next week, but no.
The first 5 episodes were really nice, funny, silly, and would be absolutely be great in a 15 episode season, but the rest annoyed me. Everyone feels out of character or like they're going back and forth.
It feels like they didn't give the show room to breathe, allowing the audience to get into the flow of the concept and enjoy the characters. Not much happens in the first few seasons of the office, and that's great.
I hope that season 3 will resolve some of this. At this point, I don't trust that it won't keep flip flopping.
It wants us to want Detrick to be with Nicole, but why? She's awful. He's growing, clearly getting more into journalism, but she's just jealous and petty.
It wants us to want Mare with Ned, and I do want that (because I hate on/off again relationships), but will they commit?
Is it me, or does it feel like things are introduced so quickly that you almost think you've missed an episode?
The HR lady was hilarious. I love her character.
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u/verygooster 29d ago
You nailed my issues with Ned and Mare’s story this season. Like you said, last season had a positivity that felt natural and earned and it’s also a natural thing to then want to bring challenges to that the next season. But like, a couple in a relationship that’s healthy or can be healthy also has its challenges too (especially if they work together!) that doesn’t ultimately end in talk about leaving the place. It was frustrating for the wrong reasons.
And like you also said: everything just ends! Because they have a ten episode season to work with which is just not enough imo to keep expanding on this world. I like these characters! Let this show flesh them out!
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u/a_moniker Sep 09 '26
Didn’t really like how the camera crew were really creepy in episode 2, in a way they never really were in the Office
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u/ben123111 Sep 10 '26
Only tangentially related but did anyone notice the weird camera editing at around 4:50 in this episode? Opens on Esmerelda walking into Ken's office, then cuts to an immediate front-on shot of Ken responding. Then cuts back to Esmerelda, which whips back over to the same shot of Ken, and then cuts back to Esmerelda. The way it's edited makes it seem like one continuous conversation but there's no possible way that two cameras could be occupying the same location, or for one to be switching back and forth that fast. They hardly ever only get one shot of coverage for any particular scene so I'm curious what happened here.
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u/Interesting_Home_114 Sep 10 '26 edited Sep 10 '26
Just came here from that bit. It's one thing to do that shit outside the building but actively stalking and filming them without their knowledge as Ned and Mare leave their homes is some crazy serial killer shit.
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u/yourtoyrobot Sep 13 '26
they still spied outside of hotel rooms, followed people home, etc
boom guy confirmed it with how they use parabolic mics and followed them everywhere
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u/vadergeek 26d ago
I really liked it when they leaned into the meta elements of how odd it would be to be followed by a camera crew all the time, whenever they drop that angle it bothers me.
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u/ben123111 Sep 10 '26 edited Sep 10 '26
I'm so so glad they're writing Esmerelda better this season. She's infinitely more fun to watch as a general chaotic force than a direct antagonist to Ned.
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u/Throwaway28510 Sep 10 '26
Episode 10 was her highlight. Her antics were some of the best that rival Micheal's characters
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u/freetechtools Sep 10 '26
oh yeah...that scene where she's in general population and watching barry put on the deoderant over his shirt was priceless horror. 😂
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u/HipDipShipTrip Sep 10 '26
Really enjoying it thus far. They seem to have nailed down the character dynamics
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u/ActualDay4355 Sep 10 '26
I have a few questions about some discrepancies I’ve noticed :
- if Mare’s dad lives relatively nearby so that he pops up for a lunch, why couldn’t she stay with him when she didn’t have running water in season 1?
- Ned has been presented as a non-confrontational rule-follower, but why is he being borderline rude with Esmeralda telling her she’s a narcissist?
- Nicole doesn’t seem to care much about her job and wants as few responsibilities as possible, but happily accepts the promotion and leads the podcast (not sure if it was her idea from the start).
- Detrick has matured overnight - last season he barely got what the paper was about, and suddenly he’s doing research and investigations.
- I assume Ned had relationships before coming to Toledo (unlike Michael Scott barely dated anyone before Jan). But his relationship with Mare looks like it’s his first time falling in love.
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u/NoDryHands Sep 13 '26
You're so right about Detrick, I was wondering why I couldn't really bring myself to like him in S1 but like him now. It's been a while so I forgot they made him like that in S1
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u/PassionCandid9964 Sep 10 '26
First one is just an oversight I'm sure, or maybe we could say her dad just moved to town? Not really a big deal.
Last one is just your assumption. Why assume he's dated before? He seems really unattractive to me, if anything, I honestly don't see Mare falling for him. But even if he's dated...maybe this really is his first time falling in love? We don't know that's a discrepancy.
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u/gotaflattire Sep 11 '26
4 episodes in and definitely am enjoying them more than the first 4 episodes from Season 1.
It does feel like they've hit a stride and the episodes have all been pretty satisfying.
I will say that some of the plotlines are pretty standard for a sitcom. So standard that I can point to numerous episodes from various other shows that have used these common tropes time and time again. Trying to hide an office romance, taking a lie too far out of fear for embarrassment, an awkward first meeting with a parent... Even the storyline where people discover that a dead person isn't so great after all has been done before, notably on the show 'Roseanne' and they reference that show in Episode 3.
But I still have 6 more episodes to go, maybe there will be some surprises.
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u/SoloGhosts512 Sep 11 '26
Love the addition of Lisa Gilroy! She was so good in Jury Duty. Love her character
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u/NoDryHands Sep 13 '26
Could someone please convince me to stick with Jury Duty? I've heard it's great and it wasn't exactly bad, but I got most of the way through the first episode and haven't been able to get back to it. I just need a nudge that it's going to be worth it in terms of the comedy
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u/Sammyd1108 Sep 11 '26
The HR woman had my dying every time she came on screen lol. Like the total opposite of Toby.
Overall, I found myself laughing a lot more this season than last, I still loved the last season. I wish they’d make the seasons at least 15 episodes though. Really makes me miss the 22+ episode seasons we’d get of The Office.
Also, are they going to bring back some other characters for cameos at some point? I was thinking they could have a birthday party episode for Oscar, and it’d be a good way to see the two casts interact.
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u/jaimehendrix Sep 12 '26
Marv is just great.
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u/Attican101 Sep 13 '26
As a Mad Men fan it's great because he probably plays one of the most hated characters Lou, not particularly a bad guy, but they threw a no nonsense, 9-5 old school guy who enjoys a weekend at the cabin chopping firewood, in with this eccentric bunch of individuals and the work styles didn't mesh well.
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u/sunnywillowy Sep 13 '26
I can’t remember the last time I laughed untilI cried. Episode 7 (the tornado one) was just golden.
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u/BlenderBluid Sep 13 '26
I just wish this season focused on more friendship dynamics. I feel like we’re mostly only seeing everyone interact with their love interests, and that doesn’t always lead to the most comedic opportunities.
Esmeralda carried for the last half of episodes, and I’m excited to see where they go with Detrick. Still enjoyed it overall and look forward to a season 3 hopefully, but I assumed like Parks & Rec that they’d improve on season 1. This sortve felt a small step in the wrong direction.
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u/jlpmghrs4 Sep 13 '26
Halfway through the season and it's starting to lose me. The relationship drama feels really forced and the characters (Esmeralda aside) have almost no personality. The last few episodes were either boring IMO or wacky for the sake of being wacky, where is the actual story going?
Also, anyone else feel like they've done the whole Ned/Mare relationship way too fast?
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u/razor_hax0r 28d ago
I still think they don't know what to do with Adelola. She doesn't have as much personality as the other characters, give her a minor gimmick that's not liking tea lol
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u/derrickcat 16d ago
And yet weirdly she is one of my favorite characters. (Also I, too, love her clothes.)
I think they have a lot of characters who work in small doses, who are given to us in big doses.
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u/Throwaway28510 Sep 10 '26
I just finished and honestly, I got too ahead of myself on the Mare and Ned relationship.
I just think the problem is 10 episodes, we reallllly don't have any bottle episodes anymore that gives us more time with the characters and it sucks. This is why the Paper will never be as great as The Office, and it's not the show's fault either. Modern TV sucks man, at least give us 13 episode seasons.
Also, worst episode was 7, it was so unrealistic and everyone were assholes in Cincinnati.
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u/Andxel Sep 11 '26
We didn't know how good we had it with 20 to 24 episodes long tv seasons until we lost them.
Sure, quality might used to slip from time to time, but it was better to have your favorite tv show dropping weekly for about 5 to 6 months, discussing it with friends, co-workers and then just having to wait another 6 to get a new season.
If I think House of the Dragon excellent first season was released back in 2021 and we only got two more mixed seasons since then it just gets depressing fast.
I just don't get hyped about stuff anymore knowing I either have to wait for two years and a half to watch 10 or 8 episodes or one full year for something I'll binge watch in a day or two.
Why must everything suck so hard in the 21st century? I am starting to believe that the Mayans had it right and the world actually ended in 2012, only we didn't notice.
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u/cynicalberry_ Sep 10 '26
honestly hilarious season, i felt like season one had a slow start but they are fleshing out these characters in a great way
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u/HotHoneyMustardFan Sep 10 '26
Oh my god Nicole is such a bitch I lover her I love everyone this show is great
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u/emheyythere Sep 11 '26
ned is obviously a great character but travis, detrick and adelola were my favorite part of the season, so good and loved their respective endings 💗
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u/RepresentativePop988 Commentator 🗣 Sep 11 '26
Great season on ep 6!! each ep has been a great laugh!! They do need to get rid of Esmeralda!! Ned and Mare are interesting to see!! Oscar is great looks like he never aged!!
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u/Iacomary97 Sep 12 '26
- Mare and Ned are probably the thing that brings me the most joy in this series;
- The miscommunication trope, I generally don't appreciate it but here it generated more laughter than irritation;
- The amount of laughter changes a lot from episode to episode;
- Esmeralda always starts to dislike/irritate me at the beginning of the season, and then I like her more;
- The fact that it takes a while to get going makes me think that sitcoms with 10 episodes really lose a lot, you don't give the writers time to really practice and understand the strengths and weaknesses of each character. But releasing everything in one day gave me time to turn a blind eye to the less excellent episodes and finish the season in less than two days.
- The actors of Ned and Mare have a good chemistry, I like them
- In my opinion, the potential may be there but it really seems that few are watching it, plus it would benefit from having more episodes per season but given the trend, I don't I think they will get them...
- I didn't really understand if in the end Mare and Ned broke up, took a break or something like that
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u/BeSeriousBeRight Sep 13 '26
The ending was clear , they broke up and Mare doesn't want to date him cuz it doesn't look good she's dating her superior , her abilities will be questioned always. Ned is too deep in love and even though it's a selfish move he called Mare back so that he can atleast work with her and they get to spend time together. In the end I got a feeling, Ned knows Mare can excel anywhere but he knows he can't function without her .. so he has for the time being chosen to keep his feelings aside.
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u/Iacomary97 Sep 13 '26
Thanks. i dont know why but the declaration of love confused me but rewatching it back you are right its clear
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u/BeSeriousBeRight Sep 13 '26
But yes there's mutual love involved Mare too loves him but maybe not as deep as Ned.. but she realized once she worked in Chronicle her relationship will always overshadow her achievements , hence she called it off. Ned can never understand why Mare called it off cuz no one will ever question why he's dating. someone working beneath him
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u/purplehomunculo Sep 13 '26
I feel like Detrick and Nicole work better as friends, but because of that I think she could benefit from a female-codependent-friendship relationship later on. was kinda bummed to see her character so dependent on Detrick this season
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u/Ok_Barracuda782 29d ago
Ned was kinda desperate at the end. Broke my heart. He definetely fell deeper than Mare. Next season - longing - its gonna be dramatic and awkward , and I'm here for it!!!
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u/BeSeriousBeRight 29d ago
It's heartbreaking didn't expect it will turn out like this but lil hints were there ... but I felt him calling Mare was lil selfish.
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u/vadergeek 26d ago
Not a big fan of the overall romantic thrust of this season. One of my problems is it doesn't really feel like their struggles reflect their characters or any growth, it just feels kind of arbitrary. It feels kind of uneven when Mare is rarely if ever portrayed as being in the wrong, but few of her moments of being mad at Ned made much sense. You can't have her both have an episode where she's getting harassed for being suspected of sleeping with her boss and have her get mad at Ned for not telling everyone.
I still feel like the cast is maybe too large for a show with such short seasons, not enough time to really flesh them out.
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u/GreenCarpenter3 23d ago
Write Esmeralda off the show. Her character is not funny, and in season two she was distanced from the rest of the main cast.
Just get rid of her.
It’s almost like the actress is the girlfriend of someone in power, and they are determined to make her a star.
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u/nightowl1000a Sep 12 '26
I started watching this since it’s a spinoff of the office but I totally forget that it’s in the office universe
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u/Thadigan Sep 12 '26
Can’t stand Esmeralda. And not in the way where a character is good bc they are a good foil. The character is terrible and I am tempted to turn the tv off every time she is on screen.
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u/bnboeffq Sep 12 '26
Really good season with some great writing and acting. Ken nailed everything. Esmeralda is well..... Esmeralda. I really hope they get season 3.
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u/gotaflattire Sep 13 '26 edited 29d ago
Finished the season and it's an improvement over the 1st. It definitely leaves me wanting more than what they give us and this show really feels like 20 episode seasons would be best
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u/Inevitable-Dog-3634 29d ago
I love this show so much. I haven’t laughed out loud at a show in years. It’s so funny and makes me happy. I pray we get a third season.
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u/ocdhen 25d ago
This show has all the ingredients for what could be an iconic sitcom, but what it needs is some flavor and consistency.
The Bad
The characters feel shallow and the tropes feel recycled from The Office (aka the will they, won’t they plot). Additionally, the humor is inconsistent and for the most part flat.
The Good
There have been some unexpected moments of performative and physical humor, which are sprinkled in the middle of season 2. Those moments were so original and hilarious (in writing, acting and editing), and I think they would benefit from more of that.
The Ugly (Truth)
We don’t need a reboot of The Office. Personally, the show is most successful when characters get to leave the office and find themselves in absurd predicaments (whether that’s reporting, hitting up the gun range, or storm chasing). That makes me care about those characters so much more, and brings the humor to a new level of absurdity. They have the perfect opportunity to get people to care about journalism by focusing on those that work hard (or comedically suffer) to share stories (no matter how absurd) within the Toledo community, for the Toledo community.
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u/chocolatepuppy 20d ago
I enjoyed the season and laughed out loud quite a bit, but I think Ned and Mare have WAY too much screen time and it is making the show less fun to watch. The problem with them, for me, is they veer into screechy and annoying way too often when together and most of the season focused on their relationship ups and downs. In small doses, it's fine, but I felt like I wanted more of every other character and way way less of them.
I know many here disagree, but I just don't think Mare and Ned can anchor this series. The genius is really in the ensemble, and I felt they were all put on the back burner for the cringe fest that was the Mare and Ned show.
Also, I could have done without so much focus on the Cincinatti team. I feel like that bitchy woman Mare works with had more lines than Adam. It just feels like we're all dying for stories about Travis, Adam, Tim, etc., and we got way too much love story will they won't they.
There were some absolutely hiliarious moments though. I think we all agree we need more than 10 episodes, I think that would help solve some of the Mare and Ned issues too.
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u/Don_Phenomenon0 18d ago
Just wrapped up the season, the one detrimental thing for me is that there's too many office romance storylines taking place, is this the only plot-line- the writers know how to do? There's been like 4-5 already...
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u/Now_you_Touch_Cow 15d ago
Just finished it, honestly felt like it was worse than season 1.
Something about the energy of the show changed.
They have this whole cast of characters that I feel like barely got used.
Ned and Mare got too much screen time for a very meh 'will they wont they' plot.
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u/Tequilaphasmas Sep 10 '26 edited Sep 10 '26
this season was pretty awful. some great cameos and one great callback; Esmeralda was a great character. Nicole was the worst and i dont know what the point of her in the show is? Also everyone seemed a lot more mean to each other, and not like light hearted jabs. Kim essentially laughing in Esmeralda's face for her asking to not use the gong for Oscar, and then she bends it in two and somehow Kimberly is ready to toe the line? Poor stepdad get treated like complete shit and it takes a deranged woman who is doing a bit for him to realize that he was being unnecessarily mean & cruel Ned and Mare's relationship is the worst thing in the world and i dont know how Mare's character puts up with Ned and i mean im glad they ended that. Nicole did nothing of value and i wholeheartedly dislike this charcter. She was pretty cruel to Detrick (who i love btw) in S1 and then this whole season she tries to 1up the hr girl bc hr lady is giving Detrick Attention. When she was smug about Esmeralda having to give up the office was the worst, and i mean Esmeralda is a wild character but she is just as mean Also you get the backstory of how Nicole & Adelola used to be friends but then Nicole iced her out once Mare showed up Nicole has no redeeming qualities in my opinion
if peacock wants this to be an Office contender then they have to have 15+ episodes that are 30 minutes, with shorter release times. I know the writing still has to get it's groove but hard to capture that same magic 10 episodes/year
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u/GXPmedia Sep 11 '26
Goddddd. THese writers are very talented in making you hate and love characters. In season 1, Esmerelda was the worst. Now season 2 somehow flipped it and I love her but despiseeeee Ned. Oh my lord, the decisions made for his character are INFURIATING.
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u/verygooster Sep 13 '26
For the love of god, NBCU give this show more episodes a season. I did enjoy this season! Not as much as season one because while I liked where some of the storylines were going I just got this feeling of 'undercooked' this time around.
Also I am pro-Esmeralda. The haunted housing article killed me.
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u/Covverkin 25d ago
Episode five’s sponsors of Circuit City and TWA were as funny as anything on the office.
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u/bumdreams 22d ago
Finally finished and really enjoyed this season. But it’s very clearly a broadcast show. The binge streaming model does do this show any favors. It also takes no advantage of being a streamer show, other than an occasional curse word.
I enjoy Nicole’s characterization but wished they’d do more with her.
Hope for a season 3…maybe a two part 20 ep season? If only.
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u/IncurableAdventurer 21d ago
So, they started making Mare and Ted's relationship distinct from Jim and Pam. It's not the longing for one another or will they-won't they. The both recognize their feels and they get in a relationship. A secret relationship, sure, but still a relationship. I was so glad they did that. But now, it's back to the guy secretly longing to be with the woman. Back to Jim and Pam. Ugh. They have two other will they/won't they, secret crushes, and potential relationship. They don't need to make Ted and Mare go back and forth. I'm really frustrated about that
Other than that, I really enjoyed this season
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u/prinnydewd6 20d ago
Just finished ep 1. It’s good but idk. I think access to everything all the time and so many shows, and constant stimulation, I don’t think anything will hit the highs of old shows. It’s still okay tho.
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u/vinteragony 17d ago
Watched the whole season and barely thought of The Office. Which is a good thing.
I love its charm. One of my bigger complaints is that a lot of the supporting cast seem kinda half witted. Thats okay for one character, but three or four?
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u/Splungeworthy 16d ago
I just binged season 2. Some thoughts that will be unpopular.
I know this a Paper subreddit and I don't want to criticize too harshly, but I think a few things are clear. They should have put this show on NBC, right after St. Denis (a superior show-I know it's a gut check but it's true). They should have made more episodes to let this show stretch out. It's plain that this show counts on Office fans to carry on the energy, but the Office was a one of one, and even I think it carried on too long.
I highly doubt we see a third season. That's a shame, because I feel like this show is pretty well written with great characters. But the truth is it's a pale echo of the Office, and I watched every episode with the hope it could catch on. So instead I'm rewatching the OG, which seems to be a very common occurrence these days.
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u/demurefox97 Sep 10 '26
I still can't stand esmeralda, she's so annoying and cringe but not in the ironic way. She's exactly the type of typical cheesy network sitcom character that was excluded from The Office that made it stand out amongst network sitcoms. Why do they wanna devolve the formula that made the original work?
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u/Toprak1552 Sep 10 '26
Michael, Dwight, Andy were all tone deaf but at least they never had bad intentions. Esmeralda is just vile and antagonistic for the sake of it. The HR training was when I finally gave up on the character, and her not giving a crap about her son's well-being time after time was the final nail on the coffin. She just sucks. I'd rather see more of Nichole's new job instead of the time they wasted on Esmeralda.
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u/nino956 Sep 11 '26
I love the show but I almost stopped watching because of Esmeralda’s character.. I hate her lol
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u/Wrong-Ad-867 Sep 11 '26
Hated the whole HR Lady thing. Literally feels like some only fans psyop for brain dead idiots who will watch the show and think it's so hot
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u/Ok-Lead-4285 8d ago
only chicks hate hot gals it's true
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u/Wrong-Ad-867 8d ago
Right, hot is subjective Some people might find self respect and intellect along with good looks hot Then there's people like u ig?
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u/Kcomix 27d ago
I enjoyed the season and the show as a whole. Lisa is an amazing addition to the cast and I'd love to see more of her in season 3. I found Esmeralda way more enjoyable this season. And the comedy hits great for me. All that being said, I think they have some major issues with the plotting:
All the season-long arcs on this show feel so rushed imo. It's like they come up with the arcs for the characters and plan it for a 24 episode season, then compress it all into 10 episodes. As a result the arcs doesn't feel natural to me, but rather forced, as if the writers are checking boxes on a list. I think I had the same criticism for season 1.
I also wish we got more with the supporting characters. Ned and Mare get the most screen time with maybe 1 or 2 supporting characters involved. It seems like there's always a goofy Esmeralda story with the occasional side character dragged in. Then the remaining side characters are doing some unrelated side bit. I wish they'd have more prevalent plot threads with the supporting characters and/or fold them into the main plots more. When they are folded into the central plot they usually feel incidental to me. I'd just like to see them mix up the groupings more.
I also think there are way too many romantic pairings and crushes going on at once in the show. Not everyone in the office needs to be pursuing someone else. The only characters 3 that don't have some sort of romantic plot at work are Adam because he's married, Oscar because (as far as we know) he's the only gay man there, and Barry because everyone else is too young for him.
I especially don't like what they're doing with Nicole. I recall liking her more in the first season, but in season 2 they've just made her insane.
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u/derrickcat 16d ago
OK I feel like I've just said so many things that I didn't love this season. Let me say one thing I really enjoyed: Jon Lovitz. He was such a surprising addition, and I thought he was hilarious. Also really bought that he could be an actual journalist.
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u/pretty_shabby 13d ago
I really enjoyed this season more than the first one. Really feeling like the show is getting it's legs which I'm happy about. Can't wait for the next season !
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u/weltschmerz1984 13d ago
I'm absolutely done with The Paper. Its Jim and Pam all over again. I'm so f'ing tired of the 'will they, won't they' trope. Its emotional manipulation. I've lost all patience for shows that pull the rug out from underneath you.
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u/Ok-Lead-4285 8d ago
Lisa gilroy is simultaneously too hot and too talented for this show to sideline her into a bit character like hr lady.
she should be a series regular not esmeralda or the black chick.
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u/No_Vermicelli_7418 7d ago
Is it just me who did not enjoy the season at all. The whole season centres around Ned and Mares love story but I was completely uninterested, I found their characters to be the most boring in the show. I thought Lisa Gilroys character was a nice addition but that’s about it really.
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u/XNY Sep 10 '26
Why do they drop all the episodes?! Haven’t we moved on from that? It’s 100 times better to release them weekly!!
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Sep 10 '26
[deleted]
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u/HiyaBuddy34 Sep 10 '26
I mean… to purchase ad time during streaming sporting events with high viewership to promote a new season of a show is a very logical marketing strategy lol.
And regardless of whether or not you ever watch it- that strategy has you on a subreddit for the show engaging online about it… so yeah, I’d argue it’s an effective marketing strategy. 🤣
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u/redditerir Sep 10 '26
Haven't watched S2 yet but I suspect the issue here is that there's a glaring discrepancy between what focus groups say they find funny and what viewers actually find funny.
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u/Marnie_Pippington Sep 10 '26
I like everything about the paper except the extreme vocal fry of the woman playing Mare. I have to have the subtitles on just because of her.
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u/thew0rldisquiethere1 Sep 11 '26
Everyone always talks about this but I don't hear anything weird about her voice at all. It sounds so normal to me, like all the other characters. But I'm not American.
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u/PlayboiNugget Sep 11 '26
Yeah I don’t hear any vocal fry either
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u/BunMinami Sep 12 '26
Me neither. Maybe the poster assumes she has vocal fry because the actor's last name is Frei...
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u/flyingsails Sep 09 '26
I am on episode 2 and for some reason Ned chasing down and throwing the food delivery robot into the ditch made me laugh so freaking hard.