# ‘The Paper’ Just Flipped the Script on One of ‘The Office’s Most Important Storylines

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-paper-just-flipped-the-script-on-one-of-the-offices-most-important-storylines/
- Published: 2026-10-22T23:32:15+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:10:44+00:00
- Original publisher: Collider
- Original article: https://collider.com/the-paper-season-2-change-the-office-romance-storyline/
- Topics: Entertainment, TV

## Key points

- Mare moves to Cincinnati, straining her relationship with Ned.
- Their separation echoes Jim and Pam’s Office storyline.
- The new city also brings characters such as Jon Lovitz’s Todd Dumph.

## Summary

The Paper’s second season puts its central romance through a separation that recalls Jim and Pam’s storyline in The Office. Mare moves from Toledo to Cincinnati for a temporary reporting job after miscommunication and unresolved feelings leave her and Ned unable to agree on where their relationship stands. The move creates fresh tension between them while expanding the show’s setting and cast.

Unlike Jim and Pam, Mare and Ned are already in a relationship when they part ways, but they lack the security that helped Jim and Pam manage long distance later on. The article also compares Mare’s move to Jim’s transfer to the Stamford office, which introduced characters such as Karen and Andy. Cincinnati brings its own new characters, including Todd Dumph, a sandwich-loving writer played by Jon Lovitz, who appears in four episodes.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.