Even before The Paper came out, there was a lot of pressure on it to live up to the standards of The Office. There are certain elements that a show set in the world of The Office just has to have, one of which is romances in the workplace. Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) left such an indelible mark on fans of the original that’s nearly impossible for The Paper to replicate. However, more often than not, a sterile environment such as a company office may lead to unsuspecting romance.
Right off the bat, the new series introduces us to two different potential couples, the best one by a mile being Detrick Moore (Melvin Gregg) and Nicole Lee (Ramona Young). He is the ad salesman for the Toledo Truth Teller, and she is the newspaper circulation specialist, and they both volunteer to be part of the reestablished Truth Teller newsroom under Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson). Their relationship is one of the most complex on TV lately, and not just because they are co-workers, but because it actually captures the many ailments of modern love, and the series makes a smart move early on in the season that pays off.
‘The Paper’s Detrick and Nicole Are a Refreshing Change of Pace From Other TV Romances
As much as Ned and Mare (Chelsea Frei) feel like the “main” couple in The Paper, Detrick and Nicole’s antics are much more fun and relatable to watch. More than the will-they-won’t-they dynamics that we’re used to seeing in sitcoms and the moral boundaries of a workplace romance, their dynamics draw a lot from the intricate game of modern dating, with their own personal drama determining why they act the way they do about each other. It’s a refreshing change from the usual romantic shenanigans in most sitcoms.
Their history dates back to before the documentary crew arrived in Toledo, and the start of the series is their first concrete push for them to know each other better. The fact that they even need this push says a lot about how confused and insecure they are about their own feelings and expectations about dating. Detrick is no ladies’ man, and pitifully tries to cheer Nicole up, completely misreading her being closed off as her being sad. Meanwhile, she never allows herself to enjoy his antics despite liking him back. Both behaviors are tied to how people generally expect relationships to be about emotional healing instead of working to build a life together. Because of this, many relationships end before they even start, as people are growing increasingly more averse to potential heartbreak.
Detrick and Nicole Get Together Early in ‘The Paper’ Season 1
Truth be told, while the will-they-won’t-they dynamic is usually a hit on sitcoms and other types of series, by now it’s become an overused trope, and not conforming to it is another part of why Detrick and Nicole feel unique compared to other major relationships on TV nowadays. We can tell from day one they will eventually get together, but no one expected that it would happen so early. Instead of prolonging the whole courtship throughout the season, The Paper has them hook up at the end of Episode 4, halfway through the first season. This completely upends the audience’s expectations and gives them a whole new set of issues for them to deal with.
These “reversed dynamics” are another aspect that makes Detrick and Nicole a unique couple on TV. They have already gotten together, but where will they go from there? Detrick began the courtship, but every step forward they take comes from Nicole. They speed through many steps that most relationships take months to achieve without ever being on the same page concerning what they want from each other. This makes for some funny moments, like them both being sick in Nicole’s house in Episode 6, and emotionally complex (albeit a little cringe-y) ones, like Detrick deleting his dating app profile right after they hooked up in Episode 5 — both things a slow burn could never deliver.
As good as their chemistry is, though, it’s their current emotional mismatch that dictates the status of Detrick and Nicole’s relationship, and that isn’t good for either of them. When the season ends, they have broken up without ever being officially together, which may feel wrong for most couples, but is perfect for their current moment. We know they will get together not only because they already have, but also because they are clearly into each other, but it takes two emotionally mature people to see that. With things going so fast between them, we now want to see what kind of shenanigans will lead them back to each other.
Detrick and Nicole’s Dynamic in ‘The Paper’ Is Increasingly Complex
Being together with someone isn’t really about having expectations met, but really about putting in the emotional work to build a life together. Some people may not be emotionally mature about it right away, and, sometimes, growing up is part of one’s own development for the sake of their relationship. That said, Detrick and Nicole are both severely ill-equipped for a relationship in The Paper Season 1, and have a lot of growing up to do. Once the documentary crew arrives in Toledo and the series effectively begins, the couple’s dynamics finally evolve from him wearing a coffee filter on his head to make her laugh into something increasingly complex.
Their respective backstories play a big part in how they are after that. Their first earnest exchange takes place in Episode 3, when Nicole reveals her trauma of once having dated a married man. In the following episode, Detrick understands and admits he is being overbearing, and this confession is what leads them to hooking up later on. It happens only when they allow themselves to be honest about their own feelings. Once they see each other’s authentic selves, it’s a no-brainer, and they immediately leave all the awkwardness behind. They still have a lot of emotional growing up to do, though, as none of them thought about setting things straight in the aftermath, which led to them reaching different conclusions about their status. This emotional mismatch is what prompts their break-up in the season finale, and, now, it’s what’s in their way.
Detrick and Nicole’s Non-Slow Burn Relationship Pays Off
What all these ups and downs mean for Detrick and Nicole as characters is that they are each essential to the other’s development in the series, and that could only happen because they got together so early on. Even if they somehow don’t end up together (which they totally will), their shared history will now help define their every interaction from now on, not just with each other, but with other characters as well. It sets them up for the future as people who we’ll always think about as a couple, however long it takes for them to officially become one. In this sense, their relationship has already paid off in ways that several seasons of will-they-won’t-they could never do.
The season finale sets them up with a great hook for Season 2, making it obvious that they are a great match, but that they must first mature enough emotionally to see it. Detrick telling Nicole that he “kind of was” in a serious relationship with her after she dismissed it as not being of “that kind” is heartbreaking, because it evidences that he genuinely likes her, but doesn’t know how to act on it. And, of course, Nicole’s crying in Mare’s (Chelsea Frei) hotel room later on makes it clear that she likes him back, but isn’t in the right frame of mind to see it and accept it. However things between them play out next season, they will definitely grow up and closer together, and we can’t wait to see it.
- Release Date
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September 4, 2025
- Network
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Peacock
- Directors
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David Rogers, Jason Woliner, Jeffrey Blitz, Jennifer Celotta, Ken Kwapis, Matt Sohn, Paul Lieberstein, Yana Gorskaya
