The Paper Season 2 says goodbye to The Office nostalgia we got in Season 1 as a means of trying to stand on their own. And I’m not quite sure if they stuck the landing. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a worthwhile watch in a TV landscape where it’s a miracle if you get a second season. And this show, I want a Season 3.
In my review for Season 1 of The Paper I said that the sitcom filled the void left after The Office concluded in 2013. And during this first season they leaned heavily into using nostalgia to hook you and keep you watching. They did that with the re-introduction of Oscar, of course. But they also did it by mentioning names like Phyllis, Stanley, and Bob Vance from Bob Vance Refrigeration.
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Season 2 of The Paper sees this sitcom completely shake off the nostalgia to stand on its own. And despite this being a comfort watch for me, that’s where the problem started making themselves apparent. Because yes, I believe in their mission of keeping journalism honest and alive. And I also love a comedy that chronicles the lives of a group of quirky employees. But with the nostalgia out the way, I’ve come to realize I don’t like a lot of these characters.
Domhall Gleeson’s Ned is ambitious but thoughtless when it comes to his personal relationship with Chelsea Frei’s Mare. And I found myself actively hoping that they didn’t work out because he didn’t treat her with the respect deserved for a partner, even within the sitcom space that dictates hijinks happen. Mare herself goes through some huge changes in the season that help her grow as a character. And that just convinced me more that she could do better than Ned.
Then there’s Ramona Young’s Nicole. I had compared her relationship with Melvin Gregg’s Dietrich in Season 1 to that of Jim and Pam from The Office. But since Season 2 is about saying goodbye to nostalgia, they had to stand on their own. And it’s giving toxic manipulation and obsession but without the chemistry or relatability that is needed to make this sustainable past one season.
Season 2 of The Paper was honestly saved by Sabrina Impacciatore’s Esmeralda. In Season 1 she was in a position of power over Ned. Season 2 saw that really stripped away. But Esmeralda wasn’t going to back down. She adapted and kept pushing. That led to some of the most unhinged, narcissistic, and hilarious moments of the season. And I couldn’t help but want to see what she was going to do next more than any other character this season.
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A close second for who saved this season was Gbemisola Ikumelo’s Adelola and whatever was going on between her and Eric Rahill’s Travis. Adelola by herself is such an interesting and often under utilized character. But anytime she’s on my screen, she gets my attention with just a look or because of her amazing fashion. And then you throw Travis into the mix, and they’re little understated tense connection had me wanting to know more, even if the thing that sparked that tension was so awkward.
What about Oscar Nuñez’s Oscar? Because he was that linchpin connection between The Office itself and The Paper Season 1. Well, he kind of just disappeared in Season 2 as other characters got more interesting plot points and story arcs. And it made me feel like The Paper Season 2 wasn’t quite sure what to do with him as a character now that they’re leaving the nostalgia of it all in the past.
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Overall, there’s something about The Paper that is the exact kind of funny that I need right now. That kind of funny that is not over the top, kind of chill, and really helps me when I’m overstimulated. If anything, The Paper Season 2 feels like a comfort watch. And because it’s a comfort watch, I wouldn’t mind getting to see more of these characters and if a newspaper like the Toledo Truth Teller can really keep thriving in a world that feels like it’s destroying this industry, one paper at a time.
The Paper Season 2 premieres September 9th on Peacock.
