The Paper cut every last Office reference in season 2, and critics say it finally works

So, The Paper is back for Season 2, and the early critics have already weighed in. If you were expecting more nostalgic crossovers with The Office, well, brace yourself — the show has finally decided to go its own way this year rather than play connect-the-dots with its famous predecessor.

The Paper Season 2 drops all ten episodes on 9 September on Peacock.

Saying Goodbye to Scranton (Mostly)

Let’s get to the point: the second season has, according to Abe Friedtanzer over at AwardsBuzz, essentially binned the winks and cameos that used to tie it to The Office. Instead, the writing is now squarely invested in making its own oddball newsroom characters worth your attention — and apparently, they more than hold up. So while the old fans might sulk about the lack of familiar Scranton faces, it does mean you’re not constantly waiting for Steve Carell to pop round the corner.

Critics' Reactions

The verdict? The Paper is sitting on a rather tidy 88% on Rotten Tomatoes (from eight critics’ reviews), which actually edges out the first run’s 85% critics’ score. General viewers are a bit tougher, calling it a 70% so far — but that sort of gap’s more or less standard with comedies like this.

• Friedtanzer liked the pivot, especially the cast: "'entertaining lead' performance from Gleeson" and Frei chalked up as the show’s "most dependable". For him, the series has turned into "good fun" and, notably, "a solid standalone series".
• Katie Doll at CBR saw the same thing: she made a point of mentioning that the new season more or less "avoids any references to The Office altogether". You could almost forget The Paper was ever a spin-off in the first place, which—let’s be honest—is probably the intention at this point.
• Over at Collider, Tania Hussain’s review gave points for the now-seasoned chemistry within the cast, saying the group gels so well that "even a small look can be as funny as whatever weird thing is happening" in the newsroom. She also noted the show does a neat job of mixing absurd slapstick with actual care for what a newspaper is meant to do.
• Michael Peyton at IGN singled out how Season 2 is trying not to rehash sitcom stereotypes, saying it "goes broad with humor" and tries out "a fresh take on office politics, office romances, and oddball characters" — even if, fair enough, not every gag lands.

If you were hoping for more Scranton, this won’t be your year. But if you’re up for a spin-off that’s finally grown a backbone of its own, The Paper Season 2 might genuinely surprise you.