In the Peacock mockumentary “The Paper,” an unseen documentary film crew arrives in a mid-size city in order to capture — fly-on-the-wall style — the daily life of office drones. If the premise sounds familiar, that’s intentional. The series comes from Greg Daniels, who adapted “The Office” for U.S. television, and he’s collaborating with Michael Koman (whose writing credits include several years on “Saturday Night Live”) to recapture some of what has given “The Office” such a popular second life on streaming, even a decade-plus after its last episode aired on NBC.

Instead of a nondescript paper company in Scranton, the setting for “The Paper” is a struggling newspaper in Ohio called the Toledo Truth Teller. Or as the passive-aggressive managing editor (Sabrina Impacciatore) calls the digital version in her syrupy Italian accent: TTT online. But instead of covering Toledo news, the daily paper has been reduced to a combination of “local ads, clickbait, four AP stories and local high school sports scores.” The shoestring staff is mostly administrative and the paper itself — once a legitimate news operation 50 years ago — now only exists as a tiny subsidiary of a company that otherwise makes its profits from the sale of toilet paper.

There appears to be no interest among executives to change the status quo,  but for reasons that go unexplained, a gung-ho editor-in-chief (Domhnall Gleeson) has been hired anyway, and he hopes to inspire his minuscule staff to shed their downtrodden outlook and actually go out and report the news. As a group, they are earnest but lacking any journalism skills. I suppose the process of watching them gradually figure it out is supposed to be endearing and funny, but I don’t find anything humorous about their floundering, considering … (gestures at the real-world need for journalism amid perpetual news industry layoffs).

The staff have other jobs at the Truth Teller, mind you — three of whom are accountants, including Oscar Nuñez, the one holdover from “The Office” — but their new editor says eagerly that they are “more than welcome to volunteer (their) time at this newspaper.” Then, glancing over at his boss: “Is it OK if we borrow a few hours a week from these guys’ other duties if they want to participate?”

Oscar Nunez as Oscar Martinez in “The Paper.” (Aaron Epstein/Peacock/TNS)

Not to be a stickler, but that’s not volunteering — not if they’re being allowed to do journalism during their paid workday. But since this is strictly a matter of  “if they want to participate,” I guess that part is voluntary? I have such a knee-jerk reaction to this word, because so many of us are struggling to hang on to the paying journalism jobs that remain. The suggestion that this isn’t a profession, but something people should do on a volunteer basis, really rankles.

So I don’t love that detail. Although I doubt most viewers will give it a second thought. This is me asking you to give it a second thought.

You’ll note that NBC isn’t carrying “The Paper,” but has instead put it on parent company NBCUniversal’s streaming platform. I don’t know if that says anything about whether executives have confidence in the show or not. But we do know this much: NBC, once home of the vaunted 90s-era comedy block known as Must See TV, is not currently a hospitable network for comedies.

That’s probably for the best. I want to see comedies back on network TV, but “The Paper” only brings to mind newsprint that’s been left out in the rain: Too soggy to be of any interest. It doesn’t help that the show uses the same title as the very funny and far superior 1994 movie “The Paper” starring Michael Keaton as the editor of an often chaotic and ridiculous (and therefore realistic) New York City newsroom. It’s not on any of the streaming platforms, but you can get a digital rental for under four bucks and I highly recommend watching that instead.

Domhnall Gleeson, left, as Ned and Sabrina Impacciatore as Esmeralda in “The Paper.” (Troy Harvey/Peacock/TNS)

But if your curiosity remains about this TV endeavor (which has already been renewed for a second season, bafflingly enough), it’s worth considering why the “The Office” works as well as it does.

The fortunes of a paper company are never treated as high stakes because they simply aren’t; Dunder Mifflin is yet another faceless corporation and people work there because it’s a job. Not a job they want to lose. But a boring 9 to 5 nevertheless, with all the attendant drudgery that implies, which is why it doesn’t seem weird when they’re blowing off work and pulling pranks during those eight hours each day spent under the fluorescent lights.

A newspaper is a different proposition. The aim of any news outlet should be to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, and if you value the work of newspapers — and I hope you do; you’re reading this review in one! — then the stakes are considerably higher. Which is why the central premise that animated “The Office” doesn’t graft so neatly onto “The Paper.”

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You could argue the same is true of NBC’s “St. Denis Medical,” which is also a mockumentary; I think the problem exists there and is fundamentally holding that show back, as well.

There’s another reason “The Office” is an example of Hollywood catching lightning in a bottle: The character (and performance) of Steve Carell’s Michael Scott. As branch manager, he has no interest in actually managing anything or anyone; he’s incapable of it because of his childlike need to be liked. A ridiculous figure, he’s a cuddlier version of David Brent in the British original starring Ricky Gervais, the latter of whom played up the character’s reptilian and annoying personality. Michael Scott may be a fool who makes you shake your head, but he’s also weirdly likable. I don’t think TV characters need to be likable, but it really does seem to be a key facet to the success of “The Office.”

Other mockumentaries following in the wake of “The Office” have also used the annoying-outrageous boss template, more successfully on “Abbott Elementary” than “St. Denis Medical.” A show like “Parks and Recreation” abandoned that formula altogether and I respect that “The Paper” also wants to change things up by putting a dedicated but somewhat hapless Jim Halpert equivalent in charge. A worthy experiment. But one that ultimately doesn’t work.

“The Paper” — 2 stars (out of 4)

Where to watch: Peacock

After debuting the world’s largest cruise ship, it’s reasonable to think Royal Caribbean should pause for a moment of celebration.

The company did host a formal naming ceremony for its brand new Icon-class ship at Port Canaveral earlier in August, but that milestone doesn’t mean the cruise line has plans of slowing down anytime soon.

During a media sailing on Star of the Seas, Royal executives detailed plans for upcoming private destinations, a new class of ships and the design behind Perfect Day Mexico.

“We’re already deep into the design of a new class. We’re constantly looking at designing for the future,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. “A whole group of us probably spend 50% of our work day designing for the future of Royal Caribbean, either destinations or ships. It’s fantastic, it’s a lot of fun.”

Pictures: A first look on board the world’s largest cruise ship

The planned openings of new private destinations are helping to transform Royal Caribbean from a traditional cruise line into a full-fledged vacation company, Bayley said.

“When we started developing the private destinations and designing ships like Icon, we recognized that this was no longer, in any way, a traditional cruise,” he said. “It was a brand new collection of experiences that transcended cruise and moved into land-based vacation options.”

The company has ships and destination openings planned out as far as 2028, meaning that cruise fans will have a lot to look forward to in the coming years.

This rendering shows Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas, set to debut in summer 2026. (Courtesy Royal Caribbean)

New ships ahead

Some of Royal’s upcoming plans discussed in a media information session onboard Star of the Seas weren’t new news. For example, it’s already publicly known that the company’s third Icon-class ship, Legend of the Seas, is set for a 2026 debut and will sail out of Fort Lauderdale in the fall after Mediterranean itineraries next summer.

Royal is also working on its fourth Icon-class ship, which is already under construction and will feature a “pretty ambitious set” of new activities and features that passengers can enjoy when the ship debuts in 2027. The Icon class could potentially include a fifth and sixth ship.

“You’re going to see us continue to evolve the class,” said Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean’s chief product innovation officer. “As we get to Legend of the Seas, The Pearl will take on a new dynamic inside of it that we’re unbelievably excited about.”

The Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas passes Jetty Park while making its inaugural arrival at Port Canaveral in 2024. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

In the coming years, the cruise line will continue to expand on the success of its Oasis class, which currently includes Port Canaveral’s Utopia of the Seas that sails short itineraries to the Bahamas.

“Building off the success of the Oasis class, we want to keep on going. Utopia has been a phenomenal success for us with the three- and four-night program out of Port Canaveral,” Schneider said of the sixth ship in its class. A seventh unnamed ship is due in 2028. “We’ve already committed to the name and the enhancements that are coming with Oasis 7.”

Schneider also confirmed development of Royal’s new Discovery series, which will be a smaller class of ships than Icon.

“We’re more in the dreaming phase,” he said. “We’re dreaming up future classes of ships that are big and small, you name it. We’re in a heavy ship dreaming phase right now.”

Royal Caribbean International’s first Royal Beach Club, located in Nassau, won approval to move forward from the government of the Bahamas. The 17-acre Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island is set to open in 2025. (Courtesy Royal Caribbean)

Royal Beach Clubs in the works

The first of Royal Caribbean’s beach clubs, which was unveiled in 2023, is slated to open in Nassau this fall. Vacationers can now book day passes to the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, which will welcome its first revenue guests on Dec. 27.

“Beach clubs are day beach clubs in high-volume ports where a percentage of our guests go, but not all of them,” Schneider said, comparing the new offering to the Perfect Day products, which almost all ship guests visit. “About 35% of our guests will have an opportunity to go there on an annual basis.”

After a short tender boat ride from the port, guests can enjoy three neighborhoods: one geared toward families, another for partying and a chill area. Visitors can find two beaches and three pools, including what will be the world’s largest swim-up bar. Food and drink offerings can be found at three beach grills and 10 bars.

A map shows the current and planned private destinations for Royal Caribbean cruise guests. (Courtesy Royal Caribbean)

“The Royal Beach Club is a combo of everything that people want to do if they spend the day on the beach,” Bayley said. “One of the great attributes of the beach club is the world’s largest swim-up bar. The vibe will be E for Everyone. The kids will have spaces and places where they can have a great time.”

Royal Beach Club expands with a Cozumel, Mexico, location in 2026 and a new destination in Lelepa, an island in the South Pacific, slated to open in 2027 for Australian cruisers.

Loco Waterpark will feature more than 30 slides, including one shaped like a sombrero at Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day Mexico is a 200-acre private destination resort being constructed at the port of Costa Maya, Mexico. It’s set to open in fall 2027. (Courtesy Royal Caribbean)

Perfect Day Mexico

After opening Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas in 2019, Royal Caribbean is eyeing a new Perfect Day destination in Mexico. Set to open in the fall of 2027, the new private enclave is set in Mahahual in the state of Quintana Roo — home to the port of Costa Maya — and will have double the amount of guest-facing space as the existing Perfect Day offering in the Bahamas.

The focal point of the destination is the Loco Waterpark with the tallest waterslides in the Americas. Thrill seekers can explore 31 slides across 5 towers, the tallest of which features a Jaguar head and flames shooting out of the top.

The extra-cost Costa Beach Club will offer private cabanas, an infinity pool and premium dining along with its own beach at Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day Mexico, a 200-acre private destination resort being constructed at the port of Costa Maya, Mexico. It’s set to open in fall 2027. (Courtesy Royal Caribbean)

Among Perfect Day Mexico’s seven major neighborhoods is Splash Cove, which is slated to feature the world’s longest lazy river. Schneider said the waterway will also feature a “crazy river” option in one segment and a swim-up bar that visitors can enjoy during the one-hour journey.

The destination will also feature the world’s largest sombrero that will serve as the roof of a margarita-centric bar. Similar to Perfect Day at CocoCay’s Hideaway Beach, Perfect Day Mexico will include El Hideaway for adults only and the premium Costa Beach Club to the north of the main attractions.

Royal Caribbean provided this promotional rendering for its forthcoming resort, Perfect Day Mexico, coming in 2027. (Courtesy Royal Caribbean)

Concerns about the environmental impacts of the projects have spurred a petition on Change.org that has nearly 300,000 signatures. The petition calls for the project to adopt a model based on “sustainability, respect for ecosystems and justice for local communities.”

Royal Caribbean responded to the petition by vowing to submit an Environmental Impact Statement to “relevant authorities” in the coming weeks and host community meetings. Among sustainability initiatives promised by Royal are mangrove conservation, water flow restoration, reef protection and a waste management system that results in more than 95% of treated water being available for “beneficial reuse.” In addition, the company has pledged to use “100% green energy to power our site by 2040.”

Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com. 

In 1992, a Baptist pastor named Gary Chapman published a book titled “The 5 Love Languages,” about how to categorize different ways we express and receive love. You might know or have heard of Chapman’s theory of the five languages, because they’ve become a kind of cultural touchstone in the subsequent years since the book came out: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch. Chapman’s theory goes that if we can communicate in each other’s languages, we can strengthen our relationships and find fulfillment.

Now, Beverly Hills-based workplace consultant and author Minda Harts has an updated and timely spin on this old idea.

In “Talk to Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace,” Harts lays out how a lack of trust among colleagues, managers and executive leaders is not only bad for business and professional development, but also bad for our emotional well-being. How to build trust among people? That’s where Hart’s own theory of seven workplace trust languages comes into play. She says that just like falling — and staying — in love, earning trust is different for everyone. By understanding the seven languages of trust ― transparency, security, demonstration, feedback, acknowledgment, sensitivity, and follow-through ― people can start to better navigate conflict, be more productive and communicate more effectively.

What’s more, she asserts that by understanding one another’s languages, we build an environment of trust that in turn creates a more equitable, sustainable and profitable workplace that benefits everyone.

Harts has worked with corporations like Nike, Google, Best Buy and JPMorgan Chase to redefine leadership and workplace culture. LinkedIn has recognized her as the #1 Top Voice in the Workplace and by Business Insider as one of the top 100 People Transforming Business. Her previous books include “The Memo,” “Right Within” and “You Are More Than Magic.”

“‘Talk to Me Nice’ isn’t just a book; it’s a conversation we all need to have,” Harts told me in a recent email exchange. “Work doesn’t have to be a place of tension. When we learn to speak each other’s trust languages, we create space for people to feel seen, safe and heard. That’s the future of work, and the future of community, too.”

Q: When did you know you had to write “Talk to Me Nice”?

I think I realized the moment that workplace problems weren’t just about productivity or performance, but about broken trust. I kept hearing people say, “It’s not what was said, it’s how it was said.” That stuck with me. So much of the stress we feel at work and, honestly, in life, comes down to how we’re communicating, or not communicating at all. I wanted to offer a new way forward.

Q: It feels to me like social media and public discourse in general have become ruder, and that influences our communication styles. Do you think that’s true?

Yes, absolutely. The way we speak to each other online has bled into how we speak to each other everywhere. There’s a performative edge now — people talk at each other instead of with each other. We’ve gotten so used to reacting quickly that we’ve lost patience, nuance and empathy. And that spills over into our workplaces, our friendships, our families.

Q: What do we lose when we don’t communicate nicely with each other?

We lose trust. We lose connection. And we miss out on real collaboration. “Nice” isn’t about being soft! It’s about being intentional and respectful. When that’s missing, people shut down. They hold back. They don’t feel safe to be honest, and everything suffers: team morale, creativity, even performance. It’s not just a vibe shift; it’s a business issue.

Q: In your new book, you write about the seven workplace trust languages: Sensitivity, transparency, security, demonstration, feedback, acknowledgment, and follow-through. You put sensitivity first. What does that mean to you?

Sensitivity is really about being emotionally aware. It’s the opposite of walking into a room and ignoring the temperature. It means paying attention to how your words land, being mindful of their impact. You can have the best intentions in the world, but if your delivery shuts someone down or dismisses their experience, it creates distance. Sensitivity builds a bridge; it says, I see you. I respect you enough to think and act before I speak.

Q: You say the old ways of communicating are no longer working for everyone. Can you talk more about that?

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For so long, communication at work was built around hierarchy and power. One person talks, everyone else listens. Or worse, people pretend to, but don’t feel safe enough to say what they think. That doesn’t work anymore. People want transparency, not top-down directives. They want to be acknowledged, not just for assignments. We’re in a new era, and if we don’t evolve our communication methods, we’ll lose talent, trust and momentum.

Q: Trust, and restoring it, is the central theme of your new book. You are aiming at business professionals, but it seems like a lot of these concepts translate to many aspects of current life…

Yes! We apply trust to our romantic and platonic relationships, but we rarely apply relationship skills at work. Studies show that we will spend 90,000 hours of our lives at work, and building and maintaining trust should matter there too. The seven trust languages are rooted in human behavior. They’re about listening, following through, and creating a safe environment. Whether it’s your team, your partner or your teenager, it all comes down to how we show up in our communication. Trust is the thread that runs through everything.

Q: If people make only one change and how they communicate, what would you suggest it to be?

Pause before you respond. That one small moment can change everything. It gives you time to consider tone, intention and impact. In that pause, you can choose trust over ego. It’s simple, but powerful.

The concept of “One Minnesota” became mainstream with state government initiatives in 2018 and often flows into sports with professional and college teams wishing each other good luck with #OneMN in social media posts.

Gophers football, in particular, is grateful the Vikings take it above and beyond quick well wishes slapped with a hashtag. In the last three years, the college program has increasingly benefitted from the NFL team’s willingness to open up its doors to talk ball.

Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck thanked Vikings’ General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell for the access. That includes watching practices and sitting down with the NFL staff at different times of the year. The Vikings already turn out en masse for the U’s annual Pro Day.

“The access (O’Connell has) allowed us to have as a staff, it’s humbling because that’s not normal amongst NFL teams,” said Fleck, beginning his ninth season at Minnesota. “It wasn’t even (there) before (O’Connell) got here.”

Given the cutthroat pinnacle of the NFL, it would be easy for Vikings to not pay much attention to a local college football outfit — even if they are in the Big Ten Conference.

“An NFL coach can easily just be like, ‘Listen, I’m gonna run my own organization, and you run your college program,” Fleck told the Pioneer Press. “I think Kevin’s really kind of looked at it as One Minnesota and what’s good for us can be good for them. What’s good for them can be good for us. Really kind of connect this whole city and this sport.”

Gophers offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh incorporated a red-zone concept used by O’Connell and peer OC Wes Phillips to success during the 2024 season, while new U defensive coordinator Danny Collins has lifted some of the versatile sub packages that’s been a hallmark of fellow DC Brian Flores’ units for early usage at Huntington Bank Stadium this fall.

When the NCAA added helmet communications between coaches and one player on the field before the 2024 season, the Gophers leaned on the Vikings for best practices and for troubleshooting when things might go awry.

Fleck asked O’Connell about the Vikings’ vast experiences with the technology. O’Connell talked about identifying the quarterback needs: Does the QB want a lot of information to be fed into his ear? Or is it a less-is-more situation, with a point of overload before each snap?

Then the two leaders discussed how to handle it if the headset communication cuts off, slips to a low volume or becomes scratchy.

“There’s all these things that you don’t know when you’re using it for the first time,” Fleck said. “Those are simple pieces of advice that go a long way.”

When Harbaugh sat down with the Pioneer Press last December, he pointed to a few plays with Vikings fingerprints on them. On Wednesday, he shared how a summer project dove into the Vikings’ system. In previous years, he dissected the Buccaneers and Lions.

“I studied a ton of it,” Harbaugh said of the Vikings. “I use a lot of those things, whether it’s under-center stuff or two-back game, drop-back, play-action versus run action. Coach McConnell does an awesome job with all that, manipulating it and making things look the same.”

When the Gophers went to TCO Performance Center in Eagan in June, Harbaugh had done his homework and was able to ask questions to McConnell and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown.

“It was cool to be able to have that,” Harbaugh said.

In Collins’ new leadership role, he used athletic young linebackers Emmanuel Karmo and Matt Kingsbury in a unique 3-3 front in early-down sub packages in the 23-10 win over Buffalo on Aug. 28. Flores does similar things to confuse opposing quarterbacks.

“That is very rare in the history of this defense to have packages like that on first and second down,” Collins said. “That is just a glimpse of what can happen.

“The relationship we have with Coach Flores, what he does and that whole Vikings staff has been huge for us to open up our minds.”

One benefit to the Vikings was the glimpse of quarterback Max Brosmer they received during the U’s Pro Day in 2024. It was a full year before Brosmer entered the NFL draft process, and he was throwing to other draft-eligible pass catchers in front of talent evaluators.

But it left a mark on O’Connell.

“Then all Kevin hears about is me talking about this kid every time I’m around Kevin,” Fleck said. “Anytime Kevin came to the house, (I’m) talking about Max.”

Brosmer went undrafted last April, but signed with the Vikings and made their 53-man roster. He joined a growing list of former U players to wear purple in recent years: Blake Cashman and Esezi Otomewo as well as short-timers in Mo Ibrahim, Tanner Morgan, Sam Schlueter and Chuck Filiaga.

“I would have loved to see (Brosmer) get drafted, and I think everybody knows he probably should have been drafted,” Fleck said. “But if he would have got drafted, maybe he wouldn’t have went to the right fit. When you’re a free agent, you get to pick the right fit. He had offers from the Jaguars and some other suitors, but he knew Kevin was the right fit.”

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