The Paper drops all 10 episodes on Peacock starting today.
Twenty years after we first glimpsed the soul-crushing fluorescent wasteland of Dunder Mifflin, Greg Daniels has gifted us something unexpected: a spin-off that doesn’t feel like corporate desperation. The Paper follows Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) into the dying world of print journalism, and somehow manages to capture lightning in a bottle—even if that bottle feels a bit too small.
The Familiar Formula That Still Works
If you’ve ever loved The Office or Parks and Recreation, you’ll recognize the DNA immediately. We have our idealistic fish-out-of-water in Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson), a trust-fund dreamer convinced he can resurrect the noble art of journalism. There’s our cynical-but-secretly-vulnerable love interest Mare Pritti (Chelsea Frei), complete with military backstory and car full of granola bar wrappers. The supporting cast hits every beloved archetype: the bumbling yes-man (Tim Key’s brilliantly pathetic Ken), the office politician (Sabrina Impacciatore’s ruthless Esmeralda), and of course, our returning hero Oscar, navigating his new workplace with that perfect blend of competence and bewilderment we remember.
But here’s what elevates The Paper beyond simple imitation: it has something urgent to say.
More Than Just Office Comedy
The Toledo Truth Teller isn’t just another quirky workplace—it’s a metaphor for everything we’ve lost in the digital age. Once owning an entire building, this newspaper now occupies a corner of a floor in a building owned by a toilet paper company. The brutal poetry of that setup is matched only by the opening credits, which show newspapers being used for everything except their intended purpose: dog training, fish wrapping, bird cage lining. It’s both hilarious and heartbreaking.
Daniels and his team tackle modern journalism’s existential crisis head-on, from clickbait culture to the ethics of corporate ownership, without ever losing the warmth that made his previous shows beloved. This is The Office with actual stakes.
The Speed Problem
Here’s where The Paper stumbles: it moves at breakneck pace when it should be taking its time. In just ten episodes, we get character arcs that The Office and Parks and Rec would have stretched across multiple seasons. Gleeson’s Ned transforms from bumbling rich boy to inspiring leader within episodes. Antagonists like Esmeralda rush through the standard villain-to-sympathetic-character pipeline so quickly that their redemption feels unearned.
The show’s biggest irony? A series about an old institution struggling in a modern landscape becomes victim to that very modern landscape. The decision to drop all episodes at once robs The Paper of the slow-burn character development that made Daniels’ previous shows legendary.
What Works Brilliantly
When The Paper slows down enough to breathe, it’s magical. Gleeson brings a perfect blend of Michael Scott’s childish enthusiasm and Leslie Knope’s genuine idealism. Frei’s Mare provides the grounding skepticism without ever feeling like a buzzkill. And Oscar Nunez slides back into his character like putting on a comfortable old sweater, bringing just enough connection to The Office without feeling like pandering.
The writing crackles with wit, the mockumentary style feels fresh rather than tired, and there’s genuine heart beneath the humor. You’ll find yourself actually caring about this failing newspaper and the misfits trying to save it.
The Verdict: Fast Food That Tastes Like Fine Dining
The Paper is simultaneously too much and not enough. It’s a binge-worthy ten episodes that left me desperately wanting twenty-four. It’s a show about the importance of taking time and getting things right that itself falls victim to the rush of modern streaming culture.
Despite its pacing issues, The Paper succeeds where most spin-offs fail: it feels necessary. In an era where local journalism is dying and misinformation spreads like wildfire, Daniels has created a love letter to the idea that truth still matters—even if it’s wrapped in toilet paper company letterhead.
If you loved The Office and Parks and Rec, you’ll find plenty to love here. Just prepare to devour it too quickly and immediately want more. Like the best comfort food, The Paper satisfies in the moment but leaves you craving a bigger portion.
Bottom Line: A worthy addition to the Daniels universe that proves there’s still life in the mockumentary format, even if it speeds through that life a little too quickly.
