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Will there be ‘The Paper’ Season 3? Season 2 ending explained as Ned and Mare’s future remains uncertain

'The Office' spin-off released all the episodes of its second season on September 9, 2026, on Peacock

'The Paper' Season 2 just dropped in its entirety on Peacock, and fans were ecstatic to see the spinoff return. The freshman season introduced several storylines that viewers wanted to see develop, with Ned (Domhnall Gleeson) and Mare’s relationship among the most important ones. The couple stunned sitcom fans worldwide when they acted on their feelings in the Season 1 finale. Although they got into a relationship in Season 2, things weren't smooth sailing. The couple ended the latest installment on shaky ground. Additionally, Toledo Truth Teller's survival remains up in the air. Though these unresolved storylines raise hopes for another installment, Peacock has yet to greenlight a third season of 'The Office' spin-off.

While nothing is officially confirmed, the team seems confident that the show will be renewed for Season 3. Series co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman have already opened the writers' room for the upcoming installment. “The first couple days, we were just talking about stories that we didn’t do, and there were so many,” Daniels told Parade. He also told the publication that he would like to put out more episodes. “We’re only really showing people the tip of the iceberg of what’s in our heads for these characters, and it would be fun to show them more. You know, there’s models for streaming. They’ve figured out how many is a satisfying season, and that it drops all on a particular day, and it’s just a different genre experience. We talk about [seasons] being more like a book in a series than it is like the old weekly thing. I don’t know. It’s where we are. I would take a lot more,” Daniels added. 

Peacock renewed the show for a second season before the first one even began streaming. Ultimately, the decision about the third season will likely depend on the sophomore installment's viewership. The writers currently seem to be debating Ned and Mare's relationship in the upcoming season. The Season 2 finale, 'The NS Board,' ended with the couple sharing a kiss in the hospital. “We’ve been debating that for sure, and how we ended it in the edit, we went back and forth about the kiss in the hospital bed,” co-creator Greg Daniels said, as per TV Insider, about Mare (Chelsea Frei) and Ned’s final moments. “What is she really feeling? Is she over it or is she not over it? I don’t know. It’s interesting.”

Mare is now with the Cincinnati Chronicle while Ned remains at Truth Teller. They remain separated, but Mare is still on Ned's mind, even while on an assignment. “I think he just loves her so much and he’s just so lost and bereft, and it’s the only time he is a bad editor,” Gleeson explained. “He’s bad at his job, and I think that’s frightening to him. The fact that he would allow himself to be bad at his job, that he liked somebody enough that he would kind of allow himself to do that because he cares about his job so much.” The season also ends with Ned giving away the local Glass Club scoop to Mare for the Cincinnati Chronicle. The story that was supposed to save his newspaper is now gone. If the show is renewed for another season, it could probably explore what Ned does to bring Truth Teller back on its feet. All episodes of 'The Paper' are currently streaming on Peacock.