Could Marv be Ned’s dad in The Paper? Speculations explored

The Paper has dark humor, family problems, and newsroom drama, and fans have come up with a random theory. Viewers think Ned (Domhnall Gleeson) and his eccentric boss Marv Putnam (Allan Havey) might be father and son!

The theory first surfaced on Reddit. Early in the season, a user floated the idea in the show's fan community, and others joined the conversation.

Another admitted that while watching Episode 5, they were convinced Marv and Ned had a hidden family connection. "We both were thinking that Marv was Ned’s dad," they wrote. This might explain Ned's authority at the Toledo Truth Teller newspaper, but as the episode continued, they were less sure.

"[Marv is] just a stand-in for Ned's actual dad. (...) Ned has daddy issues, and (...) projecting that onto his boss is pretty funny," a third fan countered.

So what's really going on? Let's look at the clues.

Daddy issues go corporate in The Paper!

There sure is tension between Ned and Marv. Allan Havey’s character isn’t just there for laughs. He’s the voice from which Ned craves validation. In Episode 7, "I Love You," Ned mimics Marv in a painfully awkward moment.

It’s funny, sure, but it also shows Ned’s need for a father’s approval.

As NBC described it, Ned completely unraveled, treating Marv like the dad he never satisfied. Marv stayed cool and pointed out that business decisions aren’t personal. So, Marv might not be family, but he’s precisely the kind of authority figure Ned always wanted to win over...but never could.

Why did this theory even come up?

Honestly, the Reddit theory isn't totally baseless. The show constantly blurs the lines between work relationships and personal ones.

Marv's protectiveness toward Ned (choosing to guide him rather than fire him), paired with Ned's struggles, hints at something more profound than a typical office bond. Fans wonder if creator Greg Daniels (who mined dysfunction for laughs in The Office) might be planting these clues intentionally!

That said, the strongest argument against Marv being Ned's dad comes from The Paper's themes. Marv's tangled personal life (especially his history with his secretary and his brother's wife, Anne) feels rooted in corporate satire and romantic mishaps, not secret fatherhood.

From a storytelling view, making Marv Ned's actual father could weaken the comedy of Ned's "daddy issues" on The Paper. This works best as an ongoing, exaggerated joke without a resolution, doesn't it?

As of now, Marv is not Ned's father on The Paper

At this point, most of us agree that Marv isn't Ned's biological father. He seems more like a stand-in father figure, but he is someone who reflects Ned's own anxieties about him. What makes The Paper interesting is how it plays with these emotional gray areas. Fans keep debating the relationship while the creators drop hints without giving clear answers.

This popular Reddit theory is creative, but it might be overthinking things. Facts suggest Marv's role is symbolic, not literal.

So, until The Paper Season 2 addresses this (or avoids it), Ned will keep seeking validation from someone who can't give him what he needs.