The Paper's New Jim & Pam-Type Romance Echoes The Office But Has One Big Difference
This article contains spoilers for "The Paper" season 1, episode 10, "The Ohio Journalism Awards."
The relationship between Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) is the feel-good romance of "The Office." Be that as it may, sparks didn't fly between the pair overnight. When we first meet Pam, she is stuck in an unhappy relationship with Dunder Mifflin's manly warehouse worker Roy (David Benman), so she doesn't exactly get together with Jim right away. The storyline is a classic example of the will-they-won't-they trope that many TV shows (including some of your favorite sitcoms) have utilized to keep us hopeless romantic viewers hooked for years, giving "The Office" a healthy dose of mushy anticipation. What's more, Peacock's "Office" spin-off "The Paper" boasts a similar storyline, although the new couple on the block's journey to smooching is already different from Pam and Jim's in one crucial way.
"The Paper" season 1 presents Ned (Domhnall Gleeson) and Mare (Chelsea Frei) as the Toledo Truth Teller's most likely candidates to settle down when it's all said and done. Like Pam and Jim before them, they take their time getting to their destination, but here's the difference: Ned and Mare get to it quicker than their counterparts on "The Office," as they kiss at the end of the first season. Pam and Jim, meanwhile, resist giving into their temptation until "The Office" season 2, when she gives him an accidental drunken kiss in the premiere episode and Jim confesses his true feelings to her in the finale.
So far, so good, right? Well, maybe not, as the history of will-they-won't-they romances tells us that the couples in question tend to encounter obstacles, hiccups, and roadblocks along the way — will the same happen to Ned and Mare?
Ned and Mare's relationship could face hurdles on The Paper
If "The Paper" sticks to the "Office" formula, then Ned and Mare's romance is destined to be a slow-burn affair. Season 1 implies that they still aren't ready to fully date, so they are similar to Jim and Pam in the sense that their first smooch raises more questions than answers. The season finale even teases a repeat of Jim and Pam's early days when Mare brings a date to the Ohio Journalism Awards, but nothing happens, and they part ways.
When Mare and Ned do kiss, though, it's merely to get it out of their systems. They believe that a romance will get in the way of their working relationship, and they don't want to ruin everything they've built at the paper. As it stands, it looks like they will ignore their feelings for the sake of the job, but the cliffhanger ending also opens up the possibility of them pursuing their desire, so who knows? It could go either way.
Not only that, but there are also moments in "The Paper" season 1 where Mare shows signs of wanting more from a professional standpoint, from her visible disappointment when she learns that Ned is the new Editor-in-Chief to sneaking away to take a phone call in episode 3. Now that Mare is an award-winning journalist, it won't be surprising if she receives offers from more upmarket outlets that can offer her more opportunities than the Toledo Truth Teller can. If that happens, Ned and Mare's blossoming romance might have more hurdles to overcome.
"The Paper" season 1 is now streaming on Peacock. It will return for a second season at a yet-to-be-revealed date.