When it was announced that there would be a spin-off of “The Office,” I knew that it would have some big shoes to fill. “The Office” is widely considered to be one of the greatest shows of all time, and I’ll admit I was skeptical that any spin-off would do it justice. But, after watching all of season one, I believe that “The Paper” is truly excellent and has the potential to be on the level of “The Office.”
The story follows the same camera crew that filmed “The Office.” They are looking for their next documentary subject, and stumble upon a struggling local newspaper in Toledo, Ohio called the Toledo Truth Teller.
The first season is only 10 episodes, but by the end you will already have grown to love the characters. The two “main” characters are new editor-in-chief Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson, known for “About Time”) and top writer Mare Pritti (Chelsea Frei). They are both brilliant in their roles.
Just like many office workers were able to identify with “The Office,” I found myself consistently identifying with Ned as an editor myself, and having worked at The Exponent for the past few years. However, even those who have never worked in a news setting will find the show hilarious.
While Ned and Mare provide what I’d consider to be the meat and potatoes of the show, there are plenty of side characters that add some flavor. There is an old, somewhat clueless guy named Barry (Duane R. Shepard Sr.), reminiscent of Creed Bratton of “The Office,” who had me laughing every time he was on the screen.
Oscar Martinez from “The Office” also continues his role as an accountant, having moved on from Dunder Mifflin to work at the Toledo Truth Teller. He maintains his role as a fairly normal and intelligent person in a somewhat dysfunctional workplace.
The main issue I had with the first season was just the presence of one character. If you look at reviews on IMDb, you will see that virtually everyone else agrees with me. This character is Esmeralda Grand (Sabrina Impacciatore), who is the previous editor of the paper who lost her role to Ned.
I’m not sure if the writers thought she would be funny, but she is absolutely not. She’s exceedingly cringy, and not the good kind. The good kind of cringy is watching Michael Scott in the iconic “Office” episodes “Scott’s Tots” and “Dinner Party.” The Michael Scott cringe is what makes him one of the best characters in TV history.
Esmeralda’s cringe almost ruins every scene she’s in. She simply has no redeemable qualities. I won’t spoil anything, but in the season finale she nearly derails the whole plot in a very painful way. Maybe the writers can fix Esmeralda moving forward. If not, they could just remove her from the show. “The Paper” would be just as funny, or even funnier, without her.
Overall, “The Paper” is wonderful. The main characters are likeable. They are people you want to root for. You feel like you have a stake in the story. The camera work is just like “The Office,” a classic mockumentary style that really sucks you in. Also, the writers don’t seem to care about offending anyone. They take jabs at everyone, similar to the show it’s based on.
My personal favorite episodes are “Buddy and the Dude,” “Matching Ponchos,” and “The Ohio Journalism Awards.” The latter is the season finale, and has some truly “Office”-level moments. I wholeheartedly recommend checking out “The Paper,” and I look forward to season two.
“The Paper” is currently available to stream on Peacock.