Although The Paper exists in the same universe as The Office, the cast says the NBC comedy is intentionally building its own identity instead of relying too heavily on familiar characters and callbacks.
Season 2 returned on Wednesday, September 9, with only a small connection to The Office: Oscar, played by Oscar Nuñez, received a phone call from Kevin, played by Brian Baumgartner, although Kevin did not appear on screen.
Melvin Gregg, who plays Detrick, said he appreciates the show creating its own path rather than constantly referencing the original series.
According to Gregg, Oscar may know the characters from Dunder Mifflin, but most of the new characters do not have those same relationships. Because of that, he questioned whether frequent Office references would actually benefit the story.
Gregg also said he trusts the writers to decide when a returning character or guest star makes sense, adding that he enjoys the chemistry and dynamics already established within The Paper.
Ramona Young, who plays Nicole, expressed a similar view.
She said she believes the writers know which characters fit the show and described The Paper as its “own entity,” despite being set within the same fictional universe as The Office.
The connection between the two shows was much stronger when The Paper premiered in September 2025.
The original documentary crew from The Office returned and initially checked in on Dunder Mifflin, only to discover that the company was gone after being acquired.
The documentary then shifted its focus to the Toledo Truth-Teller, a struggling Midwestern newspaper.
Domhnall Gleeson stars as Ned, an enthusiastic former cardboard salesman who becomes the newspaper’s editor in chief and attempts to revive the publication.
The ensemble also includes Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Tim Key, Gregg, Young and Nuñez.
Duane Shepard Sr., who plays Barry, also said he prefers seeing the series operate independently.
He argued that the connection to The Office was useful at first because it helped introduce viewers to the spinoff, but he now believes audiences understand that The Paper has its own characters, premise and personality.
Eric Rahill, who plays Travis, agreed that keeping references to the original show relatively limited is beneficial.
“The more we can establish ourselves as our own thing, I think it’s for the best,” he said.
Creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman previously made it clear that they were not planning to bring back every major character from The Office.
Daniels specifically noted that Jim and Pam moved to Austin, Texas, making it difficult to naturally explain why they would suddenly appear in Toledo.
For now, the creators and cast appear focused on developing the new characters rather than leaning too heavily on nostalgia.
The Paper is streaming on Peacock.
