Toledo Truth Blog ('The Paper' NBC)
Review: The Paper – Season 1, Episode 2: "The Five W's"
Seven highly motivated, tenacious Buckeyes are out there right now, hunting for news. You'd be a fool to bet against that.
If the pilot of The Paper felt like a cautious toe-dip into the mockumentary waters once ruled by The Office, Episode 2, "The Five W's", is where the show starts dog-paddling with a bit more confidence — though it's still nowhere near swimming in the deep end yet.
Domhnall Gleeson’s Ned Sampson, the earnest new Editor-in-Chief of the struggling Toledo Truth Teller, is desperate to make his first issue perfect. "Print is permanent," he solemnly tells Mare (Chelsea Frei), and you can feel Gleeson selling the wide-eyed idealism even as the chaos mounts. The central conflict kicks in when the office discovers their wire service has been canceled (thanks, budget cuts from Sabrina Impacciatore’s delightfully chaotic publisher Esmeralda), forcing Ned’s ragtag crew of volunteer "reporters" to scramble for actual local stories on deadline.
What follows is classic workplace farce: paired-off duos are dispatched like amateur Woodward-and-Bernstein teams with hilariously underwhelming results. Detrick and Travis head to a fishing preserve, Mare tags along with Barry, and Adam and Adelola investigate... parking woes at a dog park. The episode’s biggest laughs come from these mismatched field assignments and the staff’s utter incompetence at basic journalism — think awkward interviews, zero follow-through, and one poor soul excited about finally getting his Sudoku puzzle printed.
The mockumentary format is put to good use here, with talking heads that land better than in the pilot and some sharp cuts that highlight the absurdity. Chelsea Frei continues to shine as Mare, the only semi-competent voice of reason, and the budding office dynamics (especially the tension between Ned and Esmeralda) start to feel like they have legs. Impacciatore’s over-the-top energy is divisive — some viewers find her "batshit insane" and unrealistic, while others enjoy the unhinged European publisher vibe as a deliberate contrast to Ned’s Midwestern sincerity.
That said, the episode isn’t firing on all cylinders yet. A few jokes feel forced, the pacing drags in the middle during the story-hunting montage, and the show still leans a little too heavily on "look, newspapers are dying!" nostalgia without fully committing to the bite that made The Office or Parks and Rec specials. It’s more conventionally sitcom-y than its predecessors, and the ensemble hasn’t quite gelled into must-watch chemistry.
Verdict: 7/10. A clear step up from the pilot — funnier, tighter, and with more promise for where the season is headed.
The Paper may not have replaced "The Office" in your heart (or rewatch queue) anytime soon, but "The Five W's" proves this newsroom has enough ink left for some solid headlines ahead. If you got here because you stuck around after Episode 1, keep going; the scramble is just getting started.
Domhnall Gleeson’s Ned Sampson, the earnest new Editor-in-Chief of the struggling Toledo Truth Teller, is desperate to make his first issue perfect. "Print is permanent," he solemnly tells Mare (Chelsea Frei), and you can feel Gleeson selling the wide-eyed idealism even as the chaos mounts. The central conflict kicks in when the office discovers their wire service has been canceled (thanks, budget cuts from Sabrina Impacciatore’s delightfully chaotic publisher Esmeralda), forcing Ned’s ragtag crew of volunteer "reporters" to scramble for actual local stories on deadline.
What follows is classic workplace farce: paired-off duos are dispatched like amateur Woodward-and-Bernstein teams with hilariously underwhelming results. Detrick and Travis head to a fishing preserve, Mare tags along with Barry, and Adam and Adelola investigate... parking woes at a dog park. The episode’s biggest laughs come from these mismatched field assignments and the staff’s utter incompetence at basic journalism — think awkward interviews, zero follow-through, and one poor soul excited about finally getting his Sudoku puzzle printed.
The mockumentary format is put to good use here, with talking heads that land better than in the pilot and some sharp cuts that highlight the absurdity. Chelsea Frei continues to shine as Mare, the only semi-competent voice of reason, and the budding office dynamics (especially the tension between Ned and Esmeralda) start to feel like they have legs. Impacciatore’s over-the-top energy is divisive — some viewers find her "batshit insane" and unrealistic, while others enjoy the unhinged European publisher vibe as a deliberate contrast to Ned’s Midwestern sincerity.
That said, the episode isn’t firing on all cylinders yet. A few jokes feel forced, the pacing drags in the middle during the story-hunting montage, and the show still leans a little too heavily on "look, newspapers are dying!" nostalgia without fully committing to the bite that made The Office or Parks and Rec specials. It’s more conventionally sitcom-y than its predecessors, and the ensemble hasn’t quite gelled into must-watch chemistry.
Verdict: 7/10. A clear step up from the pilot — funnier, tighter, and with more promise for where the season is headed.
The Paper may not have replaced "The Office" in your heart (or rewatch queue) anytime soon, but "The Five W's" proves this newsroom has enough ink left for some solid headlines ahead. If you got here because you stuck around after Episode 1, keep going; the scramble is just getting started.