How The Paper Season 1 ending paved the way for the next chapter

The Paper Season 1 was released recently on Peacock on September 4, 2025. And since all ten episodes are out, fans can’t wait to watch their new favorite characters get back on screen for Season 2. Further, The Paper Season 1 has introduced multiple storylines, which pave the way for the show to get into the next season.

Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, the mockumentary sitcom is about an Ohio-based newspaper, the Toledo Truth-Teller, that is being documented by a documentary crew. Domhnall Gleeson plays Ned Sampson, the new editor-in-chief of the paper, who wants to revive the publication, even though he faces various challenges from his quirky staff.

The Paper Season 1 focuses on Ned’s passion to revive authentic journalism and his locking horns with his managing editor, Esmeralda, who supports tabloid journalism. Here’s a quick recap of the show’s ending and how it sets itself up for Season 2.

Recap of The Paper Season 1

In the show, Ned is overjoyed as the newspaper is nominated at the Ohio Journalism Awards and Mare’s piece about clogging is selected. The news was controversial, as the paper is owned by Marv, who also owns the tissue company that caused the clogging in Toledo. However, Ned was an ex-Softies salesman, and he sold all the units before the article was published. Therefore, the company faced backlash but not any losses.

Oscar is also nominated for the games category, as he made his own Sudoku. In the finale of The Paper Season 1, Oscar and Mare both win, and Ned was also supposed to get the award for the best print coverage, but he was not present. However, Esmeralda and Ken get to bask in the spotlight, and Ned eventually gets on stage for a few minutes. Hilariously, Esmeralda collapses for attention, but Ned is happy that the newspaper got some recognition.

On the other hand, the show also develops the relationship between Nicole and Detrick. Nicole becomes a reporter and does not believe in monogamous relationships. Detrick also became a volunteer and fell for Nicole. He makes her believe that he is also dating a weather reporter, but only has eyes for her.

Eventually, during the finale, Nicole finds out that Detrick was lying to her, and she gets angry. Detrick suggests breaking up, and Nicole wants them to take a break. However, Detrick says that they should break up, as he cannot date multiple people, and Nicole cannot commit. Finally, when Nicole sees Detrick with another woman, she starts to realize that she does love him and gets emotional.

Further, The Office Season 1 also focused on Ned and Mare’s romance. Both of them were attracted to one another, and even though Mare was initially going to switch jobs, she decided to stay after Ned inspired her and gave her motivation by assigning her to work on thrilling stories. In between, Esmeralda gets jealous and tells Ned that Mare is asexual, which is a lie. Therefore, Ned tries to stay distant from Mare. However, when Mare comes to know the truth, she is surprised that Ned believed Esmeralda and did not ask her. In the end, they get back on talking terms.

In between, Ned also tries to be a strict boss when he hears that Mare finds him to have a very free approach. However, he realizes that he is not like that. In the finale, Mare and Ned spend some time together, and Ned is afraid of addressing things with Mare. She therefore leaves. Ned realizes that he should live in the moment, and he hesitates to kiss her because of their professional dynamic. However, Mare suggests that they should do it, and when they kiss, they realize that it is not just an infatuation, but they like each other.

What viewers can expect in Season 2 of the show after The Paper Season 1?

The next season of the show has been confirmed, and the ending of The Paper Season 1 has paved the way for Ned and Mare’s burgeoning romance. Therefore, the next season will focus on their romance, also because they work together. There could be problems as they try to remain distant and end up having misunderstandings. On the other hand, Esmeralda could also cause problems, as she did not like Ned and Mare’s attraction and did not side with Ned’s idea of journalism.

On the other hand, the new season will also focus on Nicole and Detrick’s relationship, as they both ended on complicated terms. Nicole will have to realize that she loves Detrick and can commit. Further, Ken might resent Esmeralda, as she does not have any power at the office anymore. The Paper Season 1 also kept the characters of Adelola, Barry, and Adam to a minimum. Therefore, the next season could focus more on them and the owner, Marv.

And now that the paper has begun to get awards, Ned will continue to bring more changes and encourage his employees. Things could even get better if the paper gets more funding and takes on riskier reports.

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The Paper, Season 1, is available on Peacock.

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