'The Paper' Season 2 Ending, Explained
During its debut season, The Paper (2025) proved to be a worthy follow-up to its mockumentary predecessor, The Office (2005). It's not every reboot, remake, or sequel series that generally does well. However, with a charming cast of characters and ridiculous antics that are eye-roll-inducing at almost every turn, the series delivers a mostly fun time while also making a substantial point about the importance of local journalism.
With its sophomore season fully available on Peacock now, the series packs plenty of hijinks in its 10 episodes and a fantastic good time, too. The contained story is engaging from start to finish, even when the last three episodes fumble the bag a little. Yet, despite the fact that some things don't work out the way we would've wanted them to, like the Season 1 finale, The Paper Season 2 finale thankfully also ends on a hopeful note.
What Happens With The Glass Club Railing Article?
In order for a show like The Paper to succeed and stand out in this day and age, it needed to bring significant topics that matter to our screens. With The Office centered around a fictional paper company, it often had a lot more room to play with scenarios in an absurd and, at times, problematic manner.
But because news is actively involved in The Paper, that's not something that can or should be taken lightly. The series takes its liberties with nonsensical scenarios, sure, but where reporting the news is concerned, they don't make light of the situations. This is especially the case in the article Domhnall Gleeson's Ned and Melvin Gregg's Detrick are spearheading. They start off believing that the death after a tornado could've been murder, only to realize that it's tied to bribery regarding health code violations. While the stakes are lighter, the issue is substantial to explore as something that likely happens more often than we know with private companies.
However, when they realize they can't publish it at the Toledo Truth Teller, Ned takes the piece to Chelsea Frei's Mare at the Cincinnati Chronicle. He gives her the exclusive instead, proposing that his only ask is that she share the credit with Detrick. The piece ends up being exactly what both Mare and Detrick need, and it gives that arc a proper conclusion that works.
Mare and Ned's Relationship in 'The Paper' Season 2, Explained
The Paper does something really fascinating with Ned and Mare by introducing them both to us while they're single. Sure, the detail that Ned is Mare's boss looms over them, but when they kiss on the night of the awards ceremony, there don't seem to be any regrets, and they also feel like they're on the same page about everything. Interestingly, then, when we reunite with the two of them in The Paper Season 2, they're clearly together.
Understandably, though, they're hiding the relationship from their colleagues because of Ned's status as the editor-in-chief, but anyone who's watched TV knows that wouldn't be the case for long. They're successful for a bit at secrecy, and the show gives us some fun moments to sit with, but when tension rises and Mare goes to Cincinnati for work, everything grows more complicated. Ned blurts to the guys that they're dating as a rebuttal to combat other rumors, but as a result, Mare breaks up with him.
Despite his hospital incident where he had mold poisoning—from a cupcake she gave him that he never opened—she doesn't take him back. As someone who's watched and loved sitcoms for years, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop with Ned and Mare's relationship from the moment The Paper Season 2 began. It's easy to adore them and fully believe that they're endgame, but the circumstances in which they got together were almost too easy.
On most shows like it in the past, the main couple doesn't get together until three or four seasons in. Even when they do, the breakup that follows is almost always expected before they get together for good. Iconic ships like Ben and Leslie from Parks and Recreation (2009), Jim and Pam from The Office, and even most of the pairings on Friends (1994) had similar journeys. It's almost inevitable as a formula, and that's okay.
As someone who adores "second chance" as a trope, it makes the redo in their relationship even more glorious. And while Mare and Ned aren't together by the finale, we not only know that he loves her, but we also can be sure of the fact that she's coming back to the Toledo Truth Teller, judging by her reaction to his plea. The longing while they solidify their friendship will be great to see in the future, and, more importantly, this time, they'll likely both be on the same page about when and where they'll share their relationship with those around them.
Is Nicole Leaving 'The Paper?'
For the most part, everyone in The Paper Season 2 gets a relatively solid arc that feels perfectly in-character for them, save for Ramona Young's Nicole. While it's easy to understand that she feels left out because Mare is holding things back from her, the whole spiel with Detrick and Lisa Gilroy's HR representative makes for an odd turn of events that's questionable.
Why did she dye her hair blond to get a man's attention, and subsequently why did she purposely hit the car? People doing weird and questionable things for love isn't rare on this show, but it begs the question of whether she'll come back based on her comments. I'd hate to see her leave, so I really hope she does, but more than anything, I hope that she's given a more substantial and worthwhile arc that actually focuses on journalism more than her co-workers.
Elsewhere, Sabrina Impacciatore's Esmeralda is very much still Esmeralda with her usual antics. Gbemisola Ikumelo's Adelola and Eric Rahill's Travis aren't talking about the awkward, innuendo-filled ventures they went through on the tornado night, and Oscar Nuñez's Oscar gets a bit more to do outside of being our nostalgia character (still not enough, though, but great nevertheless). With how well the debut season did, and how solid Season 2 is, fingers crossed we'll get The Paper back for Season 3 as well.
