Is ‘The Paper’ Connected to ‘The Office’? How the New Series Paid Homage to the Fan-Favorite

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Paper, Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot.”]

The Paper has arrived, and after being teased as a spinoff of The Office, some fans might be curious how the two shows connect.

The obvious first answer is that Oscar Nuñez returns in his role as Oscar Martinez, but it’s the explanation for his presence that will likely intrigue viewers. If you haven’t tuned into the new comedy yet, beware of spoilers ahead as we prepare to dive into them below.

The series actually kicks off back at the Scranton Business Park, the building lot where Dunder Mifflin operated out of, and as the camera crew who once captured that team’s day-to-day drops in for a 20th-anniversary visit, they’re surprised to find that the business is gone and has been replaced by One and Done Laser, which does both eye surgeries and tattoo removals, according to the sign.

Peacock

But one familiar business remains as the crew hits up Bob Vance (Bobby Ray Shafer) at Vance Refrigeration for some answers. “Dunder Mifflin? Yeah, they’ve been gone for a while,” Bob explained. It turns out that Dunder Mifflin was bought out by Enervate, a company based in Toledo, Ohio, as of 2019.

According to Bob, his wife, Phyllis (Phyllis Smith), was offered a gig with the company, which offered to move her out to Toledo. “Ha! Leave Scranton for Toledo? Make me laugh,” Bob summed up his feelings on the matter. And that’s how the cameras were led to Toledo to begin chronicling the exploits of the Toledo Truth Teller, which is owned by Enervate.

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And while Phyllis may have passed on taking a job with the company, this explained Oscar’s presence in Toledo as he seemingly followed the job out there.

What did you think of the reveal connecting The Paper to The Office? Let us know in the comments section, and don’t miss the rest of the series as it streams on Peacock.

The Paper, Season 1, Streaming now, Peacock