Editor’s Note: The following contains full spoilers for ‘The Paper’ Season 2Season 2 of The Paper gives its cast more to explore this time around, especially as work and the Toledo Truth Teller staff’s personal lives begin to intertwine. Series star Domhnall Gleeson aptly described his character Ned’s dilemma to Collider: “I think he wanted a throuple,” the actor laughs while discussing the sophomore season of the Peacock sitcom. That “happily ever after” throuple would have included the paper, which he cherishes, and his new girlfriend, Mare — played by Chelsea Frei. However, as tensions rise behind the scenes, their newfound relationship affects Mare more than Ned. She finds herself at the Cincinnati Chronicle to sidestep an HR crisis but ultimately gets exactly what she always desired from the job, confessing her character had been “losing herself a little bit” back in Toledo — and in some ways, with Ned.

Meanwhile, for Ramona Young, Nicole’s increasingly chaotic behavior stems from one issue: “Nicole is afraid of losing control,” Young states. Yet that becomes more challenging as Detrick (Melvin Gregg) starts to find his footing without her. Not all of Season 2’s turmoil is emotional.

For instance, Sabrina Impacciatore claims she “looked like a maniac” while secretly observing kids at the gym for Esmeralda’s undercover role in the finale, while Eric Rahill recalls attempting to persuade showrunner Greg Daniels against Episode 7’s tornado stunt before ultimately doing it himself. “It was like four men pulling on my body,” he describes the sitcom’s wildest two minutes involving him and co-star Gbemisola Ikumelo’s Adelola seeking shelter in a ditch from a Midwest tornado.

With a season filled with laughter and genuine emotion, the cast shared insights with Collider about relationships that still have unresolved issues, characters who are still finding their way, and what it took to execute some of Season 2’s most outrageous moments.

‘The Paper’ Season 2 Stars Break Down Ned and Mare’s Complicated Relationship

“If you get everything you want, it doesn’t mean you can make it work.”

After Ned steals a kiss from Mare in the Season 1 finale following the Ohio Journalism Awards, the determined editor finally gets what he desires in his second year at the Toledo Truth Teller: a girlfriend and the opportunity to pursue a meaningful story. The issue, according to Gleeson, is that Ned believes all three can fit together seamlessly. “He discovered that just because you get everything you want, it doesn’t guarantee it will work out, which is really conflicting,” Gleeson explains. “Because if you achieve everything you desire and it still fails, what does that imply about your desires and your ability to manage your life?”

This is where Gleeson’s unique “throuple” theory comes into play. “I think he envisioned that [he] and Mare and the paper could be these perfect three elements that would bring happiness to each other forever because they all love each other so much,” he laughs. “And he just realized that throuples are difficult to maintain.”

For Mare, however, that arrangement comes at a price, which Frei believes her character only truly comprehends once Cincinnati provides her with some distance from Ned and Toledo. “I think she felt like she was perhaps losing herself a little bit back in Toledo,” she reflects. “I think [she] and Ned approach storytelling and journalism very differently, and I believe she probably allowed herself to drift away during the honeymoon phase and crush stage — let who she is slip away from her a little bit, if that makes sense.”

However, being on her own alters that perspective. “She goes to Cincinnati and must stand on her own two feet and gain this independence. I think it’s really daunting, and then it’s like, ‘Oh wait, I forgot I’m also good at this, just in a different way than he is,’” Frei explains. When the show returns for Season 3, she is particularly eager about what that could signify for Mare back at the Truth Teller: “You’d get to see her return with this newfound knowledge and independence and confidence.”

Additionally, Ned assigning Mare the Glass Club death investigation in the finale takes on new significance after everything they have experienced together. Gleeson describes it as a “truly selfless moment,” highlighting something that has always been beneath Ned’s numerous mistakes. “He definitely has pride and ego,” Gleeson acknowledges. “But fundamentally, he wants to make the world a better place, and he strives to practice what he preaches. He possesses a strong sense of decency. He just makes many errors but I believe he always tries his best.”

More importantly, Gleeson does not view the act of giving her his biggest story ever as an attempt to win Mare back. “He respects her as a journalist so much that he thinks, ‘You’re exactly what we need for our paper,’” he states. “It pains him, but he respects it.” That restraint persists even after Ned confesses to the documentary crew that seeing Mare enter his hospital room after falling ill from a moldy muffin makes him realize he loves her and “can’t live without her” — only to immediately decide not to tell her.

His co-star Frei similarly perceives the Glass Club handoff as something larger than any romantic developments between them. “Beyond romance or anything else, it’s like, ‘We need to do this for our community,’ which I believe is what they both consistently revert to — which is so beautiful,” she remarks. “There’s something incredibly selfless about it, which I appreciate about local journalism. I’m glad we concluded on that note.”

‘The Paper’ Season 2 Stars Explain Nicole’s Spiral and Detrick’s Big Turn

“Nicole is afraid of losing control.”

While Ned and Mare spend Season 2 attempting to determine whether love and work can coexist, Nicole and Detrick are moving in opposite directions. Thanks to her dedication, Nicole secures Esmeralda’s office and greater authority at the Truth Teller. However, along the way, nearly everything else she believed she had under control starts slipping away — something Young admits she was unaware of how far the writers would take it.

“I was incredibly surprised and became a huge fan of all of Nicole’s inner workings exploding outward in a very messy, chaotic manner,” Young shares with Collider while adding that she enjoyed exploring that depth within Nicole. Yet regarding her character’s dynamics, Young clarifies that what’s happening is relatively straightforward: “Nicole is afraid of losing control,” she states. “Nicole likes being in control of herself — she wants to know how she presents herself and how others perceive her.

As the season progresses, maintaining that facade becomes increasingly difficult. “In Season 2, she feels like she has control over her life, career, and relationships,” Young explains. “Even if things are unraveling around her, she insists ‘Yeah, I chose this,’ but deep down she is spiraling and losing control — which terrifies her.”

Meanwhile, Detrick accomplishes something Nicole struggles with all season—just letting go. Gregg believes last season’s breakup has finally allowed his character more space to discover who he is outside of their relationship. “As much as I enjoy working with Ramona — which I truly do — I feel Detrick needed time away for himself to grow as an individual and [find] himself while allowing Nicole to miss him,” he explains.

Additionally, Detrick finally channels all that energy elsewhere. “I think taking time for himself was beneficial for him as he became one of the standout reporters at the paper,” Gregg observes. “Now he realizes if he invests the same energy into his work as he did into Nicole’s relationship, he can thrive and be an invaluable asset to the team — which I love for him.”

By the finale, Ned recognizes this too. Detrick stays late investigating the Glass Club case proving his reliability with significant stories for the Toledo Truth Teller. “Detrick is dedicated. He’s passionate. He wants to do good work. He desires people’s approval,” Gregg notes. “He will put in extra hours and do whatever necessary to enhance this story’s quality — plus he’s actually skilled at it.”

So does all this growth imply Nicole and Detrick might finally reconnect in Season 3? Gregg doesn’t hesitate: “I believe so.” Young concurs enthusiastically: “In an ideal scenario — yes.”

The best part is Gregg contends, Season 2 demonstrates they are more alike than they realized., using Detrick’s relationship with HR manager Lisa (Lisa Gilroy) as an example. “Once you observe his connection with [her], you see how similar he is to Nicole,” he explains. “The lengths Nicole goes through this season [are] mirror those Detrick experienced last season — they are very alike despite poor timing.”

Acknowledging they have both faced their respective challenges now gives Gregg hope for their future together: “Now that they’ve both seen each other’s complexities,I think if they reunite in Season 3 it will be more balanced., leading to better timing,” he asserts. “It will be an equally matched relationship.”

‘The Paper’ Season 2 Cast Reveals How Its Wildest Comedy Moments Came Together

“I looked like a maniac.”

This season has been funnier than ever with some of its biggest laughs yet requiring more commitment than merely showing up. For Impacciatore, this meant determining how her larger-than-life character Esmeralda could go undercover as a 12-year-old boy in the finale, which initially terrified her. “When I read the script I couldn’t sleep,” she admits to Collider. “I thought ‘I can’t do this.’ I was extremely scared.”

To create an authentic preteen character, she conducted some very normal yet discreet research: “I went to gyms observing young kids,” she recalls with amusement about looking like “a maniac.” “I was hiding just trying to see how a twelve-year-old would move so I could mimic their movements accurately.”

Once she nailed down her character’s essence, Impacciatore decided to present it before those who wrote the episode.“I surprised them during a meeting by entering wearing a cap while performing my character,” she shares excitedly about seeing Greg Daniels laugh until tears streamed down his face.