If you want better character consistency
Choose Slow Horses, Season 6. It scores 5.0 vs 1.0 for character consistency, with a 4.6 overall score.
The Paper, Season 2 Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for a warmer, faster workplace comedy with strong cast chemistry and sharper laughs. Skip it if overloaded office romances, broad farce, or uneven journalism satire outweigh the charm.
Best for
Best for viewers who enjoy workplace mockumentaries, character-driven romances, broad ensemble comedy, and a local-journalism setting, especially those who already liked the first season.
Not for
Less suited to viewers seeking Office-level rewatchability, consistently sharp media satire, subtle comedy, or equal development across a large ensemble.
Verdict
Season 2 is a clear step forward for many critics: the cast looks more comfortable, the jokes move faster, and the Toledo Truth Teller finally feels like a workplace with its own comic identity. Domhnall Gleeson, Chelsea Frei, Sabrina Impacciatore, Lisa Gilroy, and the supporting ensemble draw repeated praise, while the journalism setting gives the show more substance than a generic office romance. The tradeoff is consistency. Reviewers split sharply on Ned and Mare, the broad farce, and whether the journalism satire is insightful or frustratingly safe. The ten-episode format also leaves strong supporting characters underused. The result is an easy, often very funny binge that still has not fully solved its balance and tone problems.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
42 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.012 (29%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.417 (40%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.45 (12%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.45 (12%)
-
Very negative below 1.53 (7%)
Pros highlights
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Comedy is the biggest fault line. Many reviewers call Season 2 funnier, sharper, or laugh-out-loud effective, while others find the broad farce scattershot, safe, or simply not funny enough.
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Season 2 is generally seen as more confident outside The Office’s shadow, but reviewers disagree on how fully it has escaped familiar archetypes, callbacks, and relationship patterns.
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Season 2 gets credit for moving relationships forward, giving Mare growth, and deepening several recurring characters. Detractors argue that some arcs remain stagnant or recycle the same relationship conflicts.
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Chemistry is one of the season’s biggest divides. Many reviewers find the ensemble increasingly comfortable and Ned and Mare warm or natural together, while others see little spark or feel the romance weakens once they become a couple.
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The supporting cast is one of the clearest strengths, with Lisa Gilroy, Sabrina Impacciatore, Tim Key, Jon Lovitz, Melvin Gregg, and others repeatedly singled out for laughs and scene-stealing energy.
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Most reviewers find the season pleasant, charming, or genuinely funny, with several calling it a strong comfort watch. A smaller group sees it as merely fine or too forgettable to rise above crowded comedy competition.
Cons highlights
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Storytelling reactions range from praise for a stronger investigative spine and relationship progression to complaints about half-baked arcs, random weekly plots, and a central romance that absorbs too much oxygen.
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The oversized ensemble is a recurring frustration. The cast is frequently praised, but romance-heavy plots and limited episode space leave several supporting characters sidelined or fighting for attention.
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The show’s blend of warmth, cringe, and broad farce works for some reviewers but feels wobbly or over-sanitized to others, especially when darker or more bizarre behavior lacks a sharp comic payoff.
Cast & Creators
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ActorImpacciatore is the season’s most frequently praised performer, repeatedly called hilarious, fearless, impeccable, or a knockout. One critic finds the Esmeralda performance too cartoonish and grating, making her broad style the clearest point of disagreement.
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ActorGilroy is one of the most consistently praised additions, bringing manic energy, sharp comic instincts, and an HR character that multiple reviewers call a standout.
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ActorGleeson is repeatedly praised as the season’s anchor, bringing earnestness, warmth, and an increasingly comfortable comic touch to Ned.
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ActorFrei is praised for fully owning Mare, giving the character warmth and dimension beyond the romance, and standing among the season’s strongest lead performances.
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ActorKey is repeatedly described as a comic asset and even a secret weapon, with strong chemistry and elevated work; the recurring complaint is that the season simply does not use him enough.
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ActorRahill emerges as a standout supporting performer, with reviewers especially praising his distinctive line delivery and the comedy generated by Travis’s side stories.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other TV Shows, this product is above average in episode length, spin-off quality, season finale quality, near average in humor, franchise connection, below average in accountability handling, rewatch value, character consistency.
Comparison summary
42 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher12 (29%)
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Same as average within 0.3 pts18 (43%)
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Below average 0.4+ pts lower12 (29%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| accountability handling | 1.0 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
| rewatch value | 1.5 | 3.8 | -2.3 |
| character consistency | 1.0 | 3.0 | -2.0 |
| plot clarity | 1.0 | 2.9 | -1.9 |
| episode length | 5.0 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
| dialogue quality | 2.0 | 3.3 | -1.3 |
| release schedule | 2.0 | 3.3 | -1.3 |
| spin-off quality | 5.0 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better plot clarity
Choose Emily in Paris season 5. It scores 5.0 vs 1.0 for plot clarity, with a 3.5 overall score.
If you want better rewatch value
Choose Bridgerton, Season 4. It scores 5.0 vs 1.5 for rewatch value, with a 3.9 overall score.
If you want better dialogue quality
Choose How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, Season 1. It scores 5.0 vs 2.0 for dialogue quality, with a 4.4 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
The Office
- Better: rewatch value The reviewer says the season lacks The Office's repeat-viewing pull.
- Similar: central romance Ned and Mare are compared favorably to Jim and Pam at their best.
- Compared: overall tone The review contrasts the season's safer Parks and Recreation-like tone with The Office.
Parks and Recreation
- Similar: overall tone The season is said to feel closer to a sanitized Parks and Recreation than to The Office.
FAQ
Is Season 2 better than Season 1?
Many reviewers call it funnier, faster, and more confident, but not everyone agrees. Some still prefer Season 1’s storylines or think the second season repeats unresolved structural problems.
Does it still feel like The Office?
The mockumentary DNA and workplace-comedy echoes remain obvious, but many reviewers think Season 2 establishes a stronger identity of its own. Others still see familiar Office archetypes and recycled beats.
Is Ned and Mare’s romance the main focus?
Yes. Their relationship drives much of the season, and reviewers are sharply split: some find the chemistry warm and refreshing, while others think the romance lacks spark or crowds out better material.
Is the season consistently funny?
No. Several critics call it one of the funniest comedies around and praise the bigger swings, while others find the humor scattershot, too safe, or simply not funny enough.
Does the journalism storyline matter more this season?
Generally yes. The newspaper, ethics, investigations, funding pressure, and local-news mission receive more attention, though critics disagree on whether that material is insightful or too tame and unrealistic.
Is it easy to binge?
Most reviewers who address bingeability say yes, helped by short episodes and strong character momentum. One criticism is that the all-at-once release can also make the season easier to forget.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
Article Reviews
vulture.com
A TV comedy almost always takes a beat to find itself, for a series’ ensemble to gel with its writing staff. But ‘The Paper’ continues on in...
- Review score
- 2.0
techradar.com
Now I've seen all 10 episodes of The Paper season 2, its ending is by far my favorite thanks to one 'uncomfortable' moment.
- Review score
- 5.0
goldderby.com
Domhnall Gleeson and Chelsea Frei's office romance doesn't follow the same path as Jim and Pam.
- Review score
- 4.0
theguardian.com
This spin-off from the US Office is so brilliant that it might even eclipse its mother show. And as for the hilarious Sabrina Impacciatore –...
- Review score
- 4.8
cinemablend.com
The Paper Season 2 has been a great ride for Mare and Ned fans. We get to experience them together all season, and I wasn't expecting this so...
- Review score
- 4.6
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