When it was made clear that each one ten episodes of The Paper Season 1 could be out there streaming directly for anybody with a Peacock subscription as a part of the 2025 TV schedule, it did not even happen to me that I would not end all the season inside a matter of days. As a fan of The Workplace, I have been excited for this spinoff-follow-up collection because it was introduced, so sure, I burned by means of all ten episodes, and am now totally with different The Paper followers in being left to attend for Season 2.
So let’s get into what we learn about Season 2, in addition to some questions I’ve about what’s to return.
The Paper Was Formally Renewed For Season 2
The Paper had been ordered. So we’re undoubtedly getting extra episodes of Greg Daniels and Michael Koman’s collection.
On condition that Season 1 solely launched on September 4th, it is definitely too early to know the discharge date for Season 2. It is also apparently too early to know what number of episodes Season 2 could have. The primary season had 10 episodes, and from what Greg Daniels informed THR in September 2025, after the renewal announcement was made, whereas he wasn’t given any specifics on the episode quantity, it seems like he is assuming it’s going to be one other ten episodes. Hopefully, we’ll get affirmation about that within the coming months.
Now let’s get into the questions. And it is at this level that I’ll drop a spoiler warning. When you aren’t caught up on Season 1 of The Paper, learn no additional! Large spoilers forward…
What’s Forward For Ned and Mare?
I am positive I am not alone in being excited to see the character improvement for Ned (Domhnall Gleeson) and Mare (Chelsea Frei). Even after ten episodes, it nonetheless looks like there’s extra we have now to study them, by way of their backgrounds and the life occasions that led to them working collectively at this Toledo newspaper. And naturally, there’s additionally their romantic relationship.
Season 1 ended with Ned and Mare on the precipice of one thing greater than friendship. They kissed! Sparks have been starting to fly between the 2 since they started working extra carefully collectively. And primarily based on how they reacted to the kiss, it looks as if they each know there’s one thing there (which could not be nice for his or her working relationship).
What I like about this duo already is that I do not really feel like we’re an try to repeat Jim and Pam’s relationship. As Greg Daniels informed THR (in the identical article the place he spoke in regards to the episode whole for Season 2), the writers have put a very good quantity of thought into Ned and Mare’s relationship, and so they’re conscious that the dynamic between these two just isn’t the identical as Jim and Pam’s. Whereas Jim and Pam have been soulmates who have been being saved aside by totally different circumstances all through the primary few seasons of The Workplace, Ned and Mare’s scenario is totally different.
I actually like listening to that, not solely as a result of there is not any option to really replicate Jim and Pam’s actual arc on this new collection, so I might moderately they not attempt. I additionally like listening to it as a result of it means we will actually solely guess what’s subsequent for Ned and Mare when Season 2 kicks off.
What About Detrick and Nicole?
Mare and Ned aren’t the one romantic couple in The Paper. In reality, if any duo is the will-they-wont-they couple on The Paper, it would simply be Detrick (Melvin Gregg) and Nicole (Ramona Younger). Their seemingly easy, informal romantic association received very difficult by the tip of Season 1, when Nicole discovered that Detrick wasn’t truly seeing different folks, and that he’d — in her phrases — tricked her right into a monogamous relationship. The 2 referred to as it quits of their remaining scene collectively, and whereas it appeared like Detrick was the one who received damage from the expertise, once we final noticed Nicole, she was bawling her eyes out in Mare’s room.
So is it over for Nicole and Detrick? I imply, after all, we’ll have to attend and see, however as Melvin Gregg identified to us once we talked to him about his character’s relationship with Nicole, he sounded assured that they’d have to handle the subject, contemplating they should work collectively:
I imply, logically talking, they each really feel strongly about one another. Even when these emotions aren’t like, ‘I like you, I such as you,’ it is like, ‘I hate you.’ It is nonetheless robust emotions. And so they’ve set to work collectively. So that they have to handle it. So I feel there’s going to be one other iteration of Detrick and Nicole. It is going to be totally different. Nevertheless it’d be higher due to what occurred already.
What’s Subsequent For The Toledo Reality Teller (And Softees)?
Season 1 of The Paper had Ned trying to steer the Toledo Reality Teller away from syndicated content material and movie star gossip to a real native news-focused paper for his or her group. There have been bumps within the street, after all, however the season capped off with the paper receiving precise award recognition for a few of its content material. So I am actually curious to see how issues decide up when Season 2 will get going.
One of many issues I like about The Paper is that, whereas the titular paper is presumably primarily in reference to The Toledo Reality Teller, there’s different paper concerned on this story — particularly, bathroom paper. Along with the Reality Teller, the corporate additionally owns Softees, a rest room paper model. And whereas the TP staff fill out the background of the workplace area the place the newspaper workforce works, Softees did handle to work its means into the primary story at one level, because of the gross Man Mitts fiasco. I am weirdly hopeful that Softees will roll its means into the plot of future episodes in several methods within the coming season.
Will another The Workplace characters make an look?
Lastly, will we see different Workplace characters in The Paper? Season 1 kicked off with an look by Bob Vance (Robert R. Shafer) within the pilot episode. And, after all, Oscar Nunez’s character, Oscar, is without doubt one of the fundamental characters of the collection (and the proper Workplace character to convey into this new present, in my view). However will we see different characters from the unique collection present up in Toledo? Or will we see Oscar pay a go to to Scranton, maybe?
When talking with AV Membership, Greg Daniels talked about not desirous to “leap from visitor look to visitor look,” preferring to present the present an opportunity to search out its footing in Season 1. Whether or not or not we’ll see extra visitor appearances sooner or later stays to be seen. From what Daniels went on to say, it seems like he’d be open to it in some unspecified time in the future, however he additionally sounds unsure about if the forged members could be up for it:
I’m definitely excited to probably do a reunion sooner or later with the previous forged, however for the time being, I don’t suppose numerous them need to revisit it both. It was such an exquisite expertise, and I feel persons are nervous in a “you’ll be able to’t go house once more” type of means.
I’ve already talked about how I am grateful that The Paper would not appear to be making an attempt exhausting to be The Workplace. As a lot as I might like to see appearances by different Workplace characters (whether or not or not it’s as visitor stars or for long-term arcs), I additionally recognize the method it seems like Greg Daniels took by way of not making an attempt to fill the primary season with numerous visitor spots from our favourite of us from Dunder Mifflin Scranton. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t complain if we noticed some acquainted faces pop in every now and then.
Hopefully, we’ll discover out extra about Season 2 of The Paper as we head into 2026. We’ll you’ll want to replace as soon as we do!