The Office Spinoff: Another Star Teases Surprise Cameo After Oscar Nunez’s Return

Peacock kept The Paper pretty restrained on Office nostalgia in its first season, which I actually think was the smart play. But if you want more familiar faces next time around, there is some movement: Craig Robinson says he is ready to dust off Darryl Philbin if Greg Daniels makes the call.

Craig Robinson is game for a Darryl return

Asked about popping up on The Paper during the In Your Dreams blue carpet, Robinson did not beat around it (via Movieweb):

'Call Greg Daniels. I'll be there in a heartbeat.'

Short, clear, and kind of perfect.

Season 2 is already a go, and it should land sooner than later

NBCUniversal gave Daniels and company a second-season greenlight before the spinoff even premiered. Variety says the plan is to roll out Season 2 next year, around the same window as Season 1. That early renew came from confidence in what they saw internally, and the show has mostly backed it up with a solid first run, even if some longtime Office fans had notes.

As for what is in the pipeline, Daniels has said they have story ideas on the board already, but they want to see how the broader audience reacts before locking direction. Translation: they built a foundation, now they will tune it based on what lands with fans.

Holding cameos back was the right call

Season 1 kept Office callbacks to a minimum. Oscar Nunez did drop by as Oscar Martinez, and there were a couple of winks to his old Dunder Mifflin coworkers, but that was basically it. Given the shadow The Office casts, leaning too hard on returning characters would have made the spinoff feel like a reunion special instead of its own show. Letting the new ensemble find their rhythm first was the smarter long game. Now that the series has a voice, a few carefully chosen cameos in Season 2 could be fun without hijacking the thing.

• Who has returned so far: Oscar Nunez as Oscar Martinez, plus a few light references to Dunder Mifflin
• Who might pop in next: Craig Robinson says he is in if Greg Daniels calls
• Season 2 status: renewed before premiere; expected next year around the same timeframe (via Variety)
• Scoreboard check: The Office - IMDb 9.0; Rotten Tomatoes 81% critics / 89% audience. The Paper - IMDb 7.0; Rotten Tomatoes 85% critics / 70% audience
• Where to watch: The Paper is streaming on Peacock in the U.S.

Bottom line

Season 1 proved The Paper can stand on its own. If Daniels sprinkles in a couple of legacy faces next season, great. Just keep the balance that made the first run work and do not let the fan service drown out the new cast.