The Paper, Greg Daniels and Michael Koman’s new workplace comedy set in the same universe as The Office, successfully sets itself apart from its predecessor while simultaneously paying tribute to Dunder Mifflin’s beloved Scranton branch through touching references and Easter eggs.

The Paper begins by checking in with the documentary crew that made Dunder Mifflin’s employees stars. Only now, they’ve found a captivating new subject: the staff of The Truth Teller, a struggling local newspaper in Toledo, Ohio. On top of the camera crew’s ties to The Office, we learn the newspaper’s parent company, Enervate, purchased Dunder Mifflin in 2019, and that Scranton’s own Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez) now works as The Truth Teller’s head accountant.

“So much of the thinking in the beginning was, ‘How do we do a new show, but never ding or tarnish the old show. We’re very, very protective of the original show, and the original cast, and didn’t want to open up a story that was successfully closed in the finale,” Daniels told Decider over Zoom. “So Oscar was one of the few characters, possibly the only one, who didn’t really have a huge arc in the show. He maintained his dignity throughout most of the show. And when we last saw him, he was starting to run for office as a local state senator. But, there wasn’t closure on his character journey. And of course, he’s also incredibly funny.”

Though Oscar’s role in The Paper is a huge win for fans of The Office, the casting decision wasn’t the only way The Paper showed love to its predecessor in Season 1. Whether you’re curious about The Paper’s connections to The Office before you press play, or you’ve devoured Season 1 and want to ensure you didn’t miss major shoutouts to The Paper’s predecessor, we’ve got you covered. From Michael Scott (Steve Carell) references to delightful Easter eggs and more, here are eight exciting Office connections in The Paper‘s first 10 episodes.

1. The Paper’s pilot kicks off with an unexpected, sneakily emotional trip back to Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton office building and says hello to a familiar face. “In 2005, a documentary crew started filming at a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. They followed the workers in an average office dealing with new rules of workplace behavior and the ups and downs of their personal lives. Twenty years later, they returned,” The Paper explains. While the Dunder Mifflin office has since been replaced by a business called One And Done Laser, which specializes in eye surgery and tattoo removal, the one, the only, Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration still works in the building and gives the camera crew an update on his wife, Phyllis, and his old pals. “Phyl and Stanley keep in touch. We both have Schnoodles, awesome dogs,” he says before revealing The Truth Teller’s parent company, Enervate, purchased Dunder Mifflin in 2019 and asked if Phyllis wanted to move to Toledo. “Leave Scranton for Toledo?” BV, VF says. “Make me laugh.”

3. Shortly after the camera crew heads to Toledo and checks in with The Truth Teller’s staff, we get eyes on our old pal, Oscar, who’s initially furious at the thought of being a documentary subject once more. “God. Not again. I’m not agreeing to any of this! Don’t you guys have enough after nine years? Nobody wants this. You know what? You can’t use my voice, my likeness, my face, nothing,” Oscar says. The crew reveals that recording Oscar is totally legal, as there’s no end date on the release he signed in 2005. And though he may act like he’s moved on from his Dunder Mifflin documentary days, it’s clear Oscar still holds the company and his old boss close to his heart. How do we know? He’s got that cursed little scarecrow doll Michael made him on his desk!!!! BRB, sobbing! (And cackling over the memory of Steve Carell saying, “It looks like it was made by a two-year-old monkey,on a farm! And he just — he just accepted that I put all this work into it!)

4. Speaking of Dunder Mifflin memories, did you peep the Dunder Mifflin paper box in front of Oscar’s desk? Another reminder of where he came from! And though his desk setup in The Paper isn’t nearly as fun as it was when he worked opposite Kevin and Angela, he does appear to have another pineapple shaped picture frame with a dog photo in it, like the one he had on display at his old job!

5. My personal favorite Office Easter egg in The Paper is the iconic, nostalgic, straight-up legendary FROGGY 101 sticker. IYKYK. And if you don’t know, on your next Office rewatch, keep your eyes peeled for a yellow, black, and green FROGGY 101 sticker on the filing cabinet next to Dwight’s desk. The sticker appears numerous times throughout The Office‘s nine seasons, and it’s a nod to a hit country music radio station in Northeastern Pennsylvania. While watching The Paper, I literally screamed at my TV when I spotted a FROGGY 101 sticker in the copy room Ned gets locked in on his first day. A truly iconic, deep-cut Easter egg. Thank you, Greg Daniels.

6. We know that Phyllis and Bob Vance are still in touch with Stanley, and we also thought of Pretzel Day’s #1 fan when we met The Truth Teller’s intrepid reporter, Barry, who has a familiar love of word games and piles of crossword puzzle books on his desk. But The Paper delivers Season 1’s most delightful Stanley reference at the end of Episode 2, when Oscar races to a newsstand and picks up Ned’s first edition of The Truth Teller. Oscar reveals that he’s the one who anonymously left a Sudoku puzzle on Ned’s desk to help him fill space in the paper. And once he sees that his game made the final edit, he texts someone a photo of the game, gets a call, and says, “I made it! It’s in today’s paper. Well, is it too easy? Too hard? What do you think? Maybe too easy for you, Stanley!” AHHHHH!!! The call, the confirmation that Oscar and Stanley are still in touch, and the fact that Oscar made a concerted effort to delight his Sudoku-loving friend from afar hit me right in the feels. Bravo, The Paper.

7. Thought the doll Michael made Oscar was the only time the World’s Best Boss was referenced in The Paper Season 1? Think again! In Episode 3, Oscar tells Ned he was giving him PTSD from his old boss. And in the finale, when encouraging Ned to shoot his shot with Mare, Oscar references one of Michael’s most memorable office quotes, saying, “A great man once said, ‘You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.’ Also an idiot I used to know.” 10/10. No notes.

8. This next one isn’t so much as an Office Easter egg as it is a nod to the delightful attention to detail that Daniels and team put into their workplace comedies. Since The Office was based in Scranton and showed the city so much love over the years, the team made sure to reach out to, feature items from, and visit local businesses, restaurants, and bars. If you look closely at the props on The Paper, it’s clear the team made that same commitment to detail and ensured local businesses, sports teams, and even food brands were featured to maintain authenticity and show Toledo, Ohio some extra love. From NORKA soda, Ballreich’s Potato Chips, and Shirley’s Popcorn, to tumblers featuring The Flying Joe Coffee & Cocktails and Toledo Mud Hens, keep your eyes peeled for all sorts of local shoutouts and props on The Paper. 

9. When it comes to The Paper, The Office representation isn’t simply on-screen. Daniels was sure to reunite with lots of familiar faces from former series, including The Office, behind-the-scenes to ensure the tone, feel, and magic of the U.S. series was preserved. From Paul Lieberstein writing/directing and Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant executive producing, to editors, script supervisors, assistant directors, sound mixers, and more creatives from The Paper‘s predecessor, the Peacock series has a team full of people who helped Daniels master the art of the mockumentary.

   As is often the case with rewatches, fans are bound to notice more connections to The Paper’s predecessor as time goes on. So be sure to share any additional ties between The Office and The Paper with us and we’ll update our list!

The Paper Season 1 is now streaming on Peacock.