I Watched The Paper's Pilot, And It Reminded Me Of This Very Important Trait Of The Office

The Office is one of the most popular and beloved sitcoms of all time. Therefore, the spinoff, The Paper, was always going to have big shoes to fill. The imperfect pilot introduces us to this new world and plenty of characters, and they are the biggest selling point for the series. I have only watched the pilot so far, so I am unaware of how the show and these characters develop over the course of the season. However, I can imagine some of the antics we will get with this new crew.

I haven’t been following the development of the sitcom, so I was a little surprised to see a few Office familiar faces in the first episode. This automatically made me nostalgic for the hit NBC show. These returning characters fit well with some of the show’s additions to The Office world. There are plenty of eccentric and intriguing characters, but I find myself most intrigued by Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson).

Warning The Paper pilot spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

I Couldn’t Help But See Ned As A Michael And Jim Mash-Up

Ned is the lead of The Paper, and he joins the Toledo Truth-Teller as the new editor-in-chief. He’s the boss. That makes you automatically associate him with Michael Scott (Steve Carell). When Ned is first introduced, he comes across as somewhat self-centered and clueless. You expect him to be the new lovable idiot, similar to Michael (especially in the series’ early seasons). However, once Ned comes into the office, he automatically becomes more than a Michael copycat.

He displays some intelligence by faking being claustrophobic to be released from his closed office. Michael would likely not think of a plan so quickly. However, because Ned shows some lack of awareness when introduced, he may have more Michael traits than shown in the first episode. Additionally, Michael may be a bit of a mess, but he understood his company and job well. He was a top salesman for a reason.

Ned cares about this company. Therefore, he seems more competent than Michael, but they may actually be about on par with each other in their work capabilities. Ned also has a bit of a genuine, sweet guy quality to him. This makes him somewhat similar to Jim (John Krasinski). He might be Jim if that character took his job more seriously. Also, Jim is likable but another agent of calamity. I could see Ned becoming that type of character as well.

Ned And Mare Are Already Reminding Me Of Jim And Pam

Of course, it’s too early in The Paper to say where things are headed for these characters. However, Ned and Mare (Chelsea Frei) have the vibe of two characters who will eventually fall in love. Their first encounter is a bit destructive. He knocks over her salad and then doesn’t help her pick it up. However, he learns his mistake and makes up for it.

After hearing his story and goals, Mare is endeared to him. She knows he’s someone she can connect with and maybe someone sane in this sea of crazy people. You can already imagine their inside jokes, how they will keep each other grounded, and seasons of will-they-won’t-they. I can already picture how some of Mare and Ned’s moments may mirror Pam and Jim’s best Office moments. Greg Daniels consistently creates sitcoms that tell really beautiful love stories.

He should create more exclusively rom-com TV shows because he’s so good at romance within this comedy space. Therefore, I imagine this duo will become a really captivating love story. We also already see hints of other romances that may develop in future The Paper episodes. Even if Mare and Ned don’t end up becoming the new Pam and Jim, their dynamic seems really critical to the show.

They may remain platonic partners, but they already feel like they have a connecting souls quality to their relationship.

He Also Has Some Andy Qualities

In reality, Ned may be the most like Andy (Ed Helms), a man who seems very sweet and nice, but a little unhinged. Andy also cared a lot about his job. I can definitely see hints of Ned having a dark side, especially with his potential parent trauma. Andy is also a polarizing The Office character. Some people loved him for his cheery nature and antics, while others found him annoying.

I am sure Ned will also divide viewers. However, I think he’s a little more appealing than Andy because he seems normal-ish, but we know no one in this series will be flawless. I am more curious about his crazy layers than I was about Andy’s life and unhinged nature.

However, Ned Lacks Some Of The Extremes Of All Of Them

From The Paper pilot, Ned seems fairly normal. However, if you pay close enough attention to what he says and does, you can see that’s far from reality. He has some obvious quirks and baggage. Nonetheless, nothing we have seen with him shows any of the same extreme behavior as the original Office characters. Michael seemed very incompetent and like a lovable loser at times.

He was silly and a bit stupid, but that was his charm. He also showed moments of greatness and heart. Ned seems eager but not incompetent, and seems too qualified to run this failing newspaper. However, I know enough about The Office world to know he will likely show some bad habits and traits. Ned also doesn’t have the same boy-next-door charisma as Jim, and is not as potentially irritating as Andy.

I think Ned seems different enough that his issues and weird behavior will be unique to him. He won’t simply be a Michael-Jim-Andy combo, but exhibit some of their traits, and has his own identity.

I Am Looking Forward To Seeing How His Character Evolves In The Paper

I want to know who Ned Sampson becomes in a few episodes, and hopefully, seasons. The character has a mystery surrounding him. Not in the sense that he’s hiding some big secret, but in the sense that he’s not going to remain the character we meet in the pilot. Most comedy shows have their characters develop more distinct personalities as the series progresses.

I fully expect Ned to evolve in fascinating ways, even by the next episode. I already like the character, but I feel like as he changes and the actor figures out his comedic personality, I will enjoy him even more.

Stream The Paper on Peacock.