'The Paper' Just Flipped the Script on One of 'The Office's Most Important Storylines

The Paper’ Is Putting ‘The Office’s Most Beloved Formula to the Test

Published Oct 22, 2026, 7:32 PM EDT

Charlie Ridgely is a writer from Maryland, currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee. He may be new to Collider, but he's been writing, editing, conducting interviews, and podcasting around the industry for 10 years. From 2016 to the start of 2026, Charlie was a full time writer and critic at ComicBook.com. A lifelong movie fan, avid reader, and renowned (fictional) dungeon explorer/dragonslayer, Charlie is a jack-of-all-trades throughout the fandom multiverse and has covered everything under the sun. 

Back in September 2006, when The Office was coming into its own as a legitimate TV juggernaut, the writers of the hit NBC comedy flipped the script on the show's most popular storyline. The will-they-won't-they of Jim and Pam had captured the attention of every viewer, and the show's second season finale brought everyone the kiss between the two of them that we'd all waited so long to see. It created so much anticipation for Season 3, only for the premiere to reveal that Pam chose to stay with Roy, causing Jim to transfer away from Scranton entirely.

It was both a twist and a gut-punch for viewers, as it sent the relationship between Jim and Pam in the opposite direction — though, in hindsight, we can all agree it was the best move for both their story and the show overall. The Paper, Peacock's spin-off series, is surprisingly putting its lead romance through a similar situation, albeit with a wildly different set of circumstances.

'The Paper' Transfers a Romance Away

The will-they-won't-they at the center of The Paper doesn't initially drag on nearly as long as the one in The Office. Ned (Domhnall Gleeson) and Mare (Chelsea Frei) make it to their first kiss in the Season 1 finale, and Season 2 picks up with them exploring a legitimate (albeit mostly secret) relationship. Due to their own insecurities, and a couple of legal grey areas with some decisions made at work, they find themselves living in completely different cities by the end of the season.

Mare winds up agreeing to temporarily relocate from Toledo to Cincinnati, filling in for a reporter at a sister newspaper who is out on maternity leave. Among the reasons for her move is a massive miscommunication with Ned, resulting in a complete inability for the two of them to get on the same page. This, of course, leads to a more rocky relationship than we expected for them at the start of the season, and a quasi-return to their will-they-won't-they phase. As Mare pushes away, thinking Ned doesn't feel as strongly as he really does, she builds stronger career bonds in Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Ned realizes he wants to spend his life with Mare, and he's willing to stay her friend if that's what she needs. Naturally, though, they don't fully communicate these things with one another, leading to the predicament they're in.

Parallels to 'The Office' Season 3

Mare and Ned were fully in a relationship when this move happened, making it seem more like the Pam and Jim storyline from later in The Office when Pam goes away to art school and they decide to try dating long-distance. But because Mare and Ned never found the solid relationship ground that Jim and Pam had at that point, the separation has turned into something more detrimental to their relationship.

There's also the ways in which this move broadens the entire show that make this storyline in The Paper feel like Jim's Stamford transfer. This other paper in Cincinnati is owned by the same company as the Truth-Teller, so Mare's move is the same type of lateral move as Jim heading over to Stamford. They both get a fresh start to do the job they're good at, not bogged down by any sort of relationship drama they might have had back home.

In both situations, the biggest boost these shows have gotten from a lead transferring to a new office is the additions of new characters. Jim going to Stamford for a bit not only gave us a great romantic foil in Karen Filippelli, but it also introduced the intolerable Andy Barnard that we would all come to love. Ed Helms' character would go on to be one of the biggest and most popular on The Office, and he never would've joined the story had Jim not left.

There may be something similar brewing on The Paper. There is a whole cast of hilarious characters in Cincinnati, headlined by Todd Dumph. The grumpy, sandwich-loving writer is played by comedy legend Jon Lovitz, and he spent four episodes of The Paper stealing scene-after-scene, quickly becoming one of the show's biggest attractions. If Todd, or any other Cincinnati characters, become mainstays on The Paper, it'll be like Andy all over again.

It remains to be seen just how effective Mare's move will be to the overall journey of The Paper, but if The Office's version of this storyline is any indication, it could be huge for the show's longevity and endgame.