Even before The Paper dropped on the 2025 TV schedule, I had a feeling the Office spinoff was going to be one of the best journalism shows in a very long time. The debut season of the new comedy, which is streaming in full with a Peacock subscription, is everything I wanted and more from a workplace comedy, but there was something in particular that was surprisingly touching.
No, it’s not the wonderful “will they, won’t they” dynamic shared by several of the characters or the intro sequence (which is great, by the way), but instead a brief and easy-to-miss character moment shared by two members of the Toledo Truth Teller editorial team that hit me right in the heart. Let me explain…
Ned And Barry's Scene At The Hospital Got Me Thinking About One Of My Former Colleagues
In the final minutes of The Paper’s second episode, “The Five W’s,” Toledo Truth Teller editor-in-chief Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) visits Barry (Duane Shepard Sr.) in the hospital after the paper’s only full-time reporter suffers a minor injury while out on assignment. In a scene so short you’ll miss it if you look away, Ned compliments Barry on an article he wrote about astronauts driving on the moon in 1971, which the aging reporter recites by heart.
Watching this brief yet beautiful scene, I thought about the late Mark Hodapp, a decorated and dogged reporter I worked with in my newspaper days. A mentor of sorts, Mark was a brilliant reporter but an even more wonderful friend who was there to offer advice, constructive criticism, or a legendary story from his decades in the industry. I miss him dearly. He was the best.
Barry, Much Like The Toledo Truth Teller, Is A Reminder Of The Newspaper’s Glory Days
Though Barry doesn’t have a whole lot to do in The Paper, his presence, along with the Toledo Truth Teller, serves as a reminder of the newspaper’s glory days. Those little documentaries throughout early episodes of the season, the massive building that was once full of teams of reporters, editors, photographers, and paginators before it housed a toilet paper company, all show how far things have come for the Fourth State over the years. This was best seen through Barry’s place in the newsroom.
As a former reporter from a Midwestern paper where I worked with older reporters from the glory days (like my friend I mentioned earlier), I couldn’t help but find the humor in Barry’s character and his place in the business. Sure, it made me a little bummed out to see just how far things have come, but it was such a nice touch.
Now I Can't Wait To See How This Dynamic Is Explored In Season 2
With Variety reporting that The Paper Season 2 is happening, I can’t wait to see how Barry’s character is explored. I mean, I can’t be the only one who gravitated towards his incredible scene with Ned early on, or all those funny moments he had throughout subsequent episodes.
It would be interesting to see how Barry interacts with the other reporters now that the Truth Teller has won some awards and seems to be on the up-and-up. Who knows, maybe we’ll get to see him do the trademark Office “stare” in the future.
Regardless of what happens with the show moving forward, I’m so grateful for The Paper and how it gave me the opportunity to think back on an industry and person that meant so much to me.
