The Paper season 2 finale: why an awkward character turn makes it the season’s strongest episode

Esmeralda’s closing stunt in The Paper season 2 turns a comic caper into one of the show’s most talked-about moments, and it reshapes how viewers see the newsroom’s moral boundaries. While the episode wraps several character arcs, the actress behind Esmeralda delivers unexpected nuance in the role’s latest undercover turn — and the fallout may matter if the series returns for a third season.

Episode 10 splits its attention between the paper’s newsroom drama and Esmeralda’s private crusade: distraught after learning her son received a C, she goes undercover to challenge what she sees as an unfair result. The season also finds Ned rushing to help Mare at The Cincinnati Chronicle, but it’s Esmeralda’s antics that steal the final scenes.

How far will she go?

The episode leans into disguise-based comedy, with Esmeralda donning increasingly elaborate personas to expose perceived wrongs. These vignettes are a recurring device: as Oscar Nuñez notes, the character has previously adopted extreme looks — from a padded suit to protest playground rules to a balding older man testing the dating scene.

For season 2’s finale, she tries on the role of a teenage boy to sneak into Matteo’s class. The costume — a short wig, oversized jerseys and a backwards cap — produces one of the show’s most absurd and memorable beats when Matteo immediately recognizes something is off. What reads like simple farce on the surface carries real stakes beneath it: Esmeralda’s methods have nearly jeopardized her standing at the Toledo Truth Teller.

Behind the makeup: an actor’s reaction

Sabrina Impacciatore says the transformations were fun to play but sometimes unsettling in reality. She described her experience looking at the older-man makeup as genuinely disorienting — the effect lingered beyond the shoot, she said, leaving a strong impression that outlasted the screen time.

That reaction underscores two things: the craftsmanship behind the prosthetics and how seriously the actress approached the character’s physicality. The discomfort helped sell the premise on screen, turning a brief scene into a moment that feels substantial rather than throwaway.

• Fat suit protest — used to lampoon playground weight rules and spark conversations about appearance and policy.
• Balding older man — a disguise meant to probe biases in dating; the makeup had a lasting emotional effect on the actor.
• Teenage boy — the season finale’s gambit to investigate Matteo’s classroom; the stunt lands as both comic and dangerous for Esmeralda’s reputation.

These episodes do more than provide one-off laughs. They build a pattern: Esmeralda repeatedly opts for subterfuge over conventional reporting, which raises questions about journalistic ethics inside the show and about how far a character can be pushed before the conceit becomes damaging rather than revealing.

What this means for viewers (and a potential season 3)

If Peacock greenlights a third season, Esmeralda’s undercover streak offers a clear avenue for future stories. Writers could explore consequences at the paper — lost trust, internal investigations, or a deeper examination of why she resorts to such tactics. For audiences, the character’s unpredictability is a selling point: she can provoke laughter, discomfort and debate in a single scene.

At its best, The Paper uses these disguises to spotlight newsroom tensions and cultural blind spots. The season finale amplifies that mix of satire and character study, leaving several threads to pick up later: will Esmeralda alter her approach, or will she double down on theatrics to get the truth as she sees it?

Either way, the episode ensures Esmeralda — and the performer behind her — will remain a focal point in conversations about the show’s direction and tone. Expect more boundary-pushing if the series returns.