The Paper Ep 2: The Five W’s

Key Takeaways

Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey announced their 2026 resolution to establish two full days off weekly to prevent burnout.
Prompted by a listener, the hosts recounted their worst experiences being stuck, including a severe snowstorm and a shark boat trip.
The episode provided a detailed breakdown of "The Paper" Season 1, Episode 2, "The Five W's."
Behind-the-scenes insights included the process of cutting episodes for syndication and actors consuming prop food on set.
The hosts shared personal connections to journalism, discussing their college articles and family news contributions.

Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey declared their 2026 New Year's resolution to establish two full days off weekly to combat burnout from working from home.
Angela Kinsey proposed a visual reminder, suggesting an embroidered pillow depicting a hamster on a wheel with an X.
The podcast introduced a new format for the year, starting each episode with a "chit chat" segment featuring a listener suggestion.

During a major snowstorm on Christmas Eve 2009, Angela Kinsey and her family, including a 19-month-old, were stranded in North Texas.
They picked up a young woman and her chihuahua after her car ran out of gas, navigating whiteout conditions and avoiding an 18-wheeler that slid sideways.
Pastor Mike Sanders and his family in a neighboring town provided shelter on Christmas Eve for the group of five adults, a chihuahua, and a child.
Kinsey described the experience as terrifying, ranking it as the worst place she had ever been stuck, surpassing a hypothetical 'shark boat' scenario.

The hosts began their breakdown of "The Paper," Season 1, Episode 2, titled "The Five W's," written by Greg Daniels and Michael Komen.
A new podcast format will feature only one "fast fact" per episode breakdown going forward.
Broadcast versions of "The Paper" episodes, airing at 8:30 PM on NBC, were cut from 28-29 minutes to 21 minutes and 30 seconds for syndication.
Greg Daniels and Michael Coleman were involved in the "box cuts" and digital editing process to trim scenes.

The episode "The Five W's" began with Ned asking the Toledo Truth Teller volunteers about their prior newspaper writing experience, finding most had little to none.
Ned showcased framed historical front pages, including "Shepard Orbits the Earth" (1961) and "Salk Cures Polio" (1955), prompting discussion on their age.
A British supervisor, Ken, attempted to confiscate the framed historical newspapers but accidentally dropped them; this mishap was kept in the episode as it broke tension and caused cast laughter.

Prop master Scott McGinnis confirmed that actor Donald ate the prop popcorn, which was from a Shirley's brand tin, with white cheddar being the most popular flavor; a spit bucket was not needed.
Ned discovered and ate potentially years-old popcorn from a large, three-compartment tin at Mare's desk, reminding the hosts of another cast member, Ed, eating old set snacks.
Esmeralda sabotaged their efforts by canceling the wire service, leading Ned to panic and call a meeting to scramble for news stories before the 6 p.m. printing deadline.
The team generated weak news stories, including a parking space issue at a dog park and changed fishing limits at a wildlife preserve.

The hosts found a digital archive of community news columns, specifically Angela Kinsey's grandmother's column, "Around Archer."
Her grandmother's column, published in the Archer City paper, featured local happenings and event announcements.
One host reflected on her college journalism assignments for 'The Index,' admitting her crime beat story was weak due to a lack of quotes from law enforcement.

The hosts highlighted a favorite scene featuring Travis and Detrick meeting with Harper Brewster, Travis's ex-girlfriend and an assistant fish and game warden.
Gary attempted to intervene when Travis asked personal questions disguised as reporter inquiries.
Harper and Gary are listed as guest stars in this episode, and the hosts expressed a desire for their return in a potential season two to explore their love triangle.

Esmeralda attempted to sabotage Ned during a welcome lunch by prolonging the meal, but her efforts backfired and were perceived positively.
The restaurant used for the lunch scene was a set on the Universal Lot's New York street, requiring 40 performers and directed traffic to create the illusion of a bustling exterior.
Earlier, Esmeralda redirected Nicole to defrost a freezer, then took over Nicole's computer to write the 'letter from the editor' while Ned searched for crime news.

Ned received a call from the police department regarding a potential serial killer, which he saw as a story for his paper.
Oscar's first spoken line in the episode occurred when he overheard Aalola and Adam typing up their fabricated 'dogging' story, indicating his growing curiosity in the newspaper project.
Travis's arrest meant no 'fish story,' but the paper secured one ad, and Ned revealed he received a manila envelope containing a Sudoku puzzle, which Oscar later created.
Nicole deleted a letter from Esmeralda that Ned had written from her point of view, leaving Mare uncertain about what would be printed by the 5:38 PM deadline.