Episode 5 of *The Paper* kicks off with Ken convening a meeting with some of the office staff to brainstorm ideas for the upcoming Pride Month celebrations. Oscar, visibly taken aback by some of the proposals, opts to bite his tongue and simply overlook them. The scene then shifts to a visit from a detective of the Toledo Police Department, who pays Ned a call. The detective fills the team in on a cunning catfisher who's been preying on unsuspecting women online. Seizing the opportunity, Ned decides to weave this newfound information into his next exposé for the paper.
As Ned spills the beans about the catfisher's antics, Esmeralda is suddenly overcome with panic and hastily exits the room. Nicole, ever observant, picks up on the tension and confides to the group that Esmeralda is likely one of the victims. Ned, his journalistic instincts piqued, realizes the potential magnitude of this story for the paper. The office buzzes with speculation and assumptions as Ned sits down with Esmeralda to delve deeper into the matter.
Initially, Esmeralda clams up, but after some gentle coaxing, she finally opens up. She recounts her online romance with a man named Jarson from Germany. Just as she's sharing this, a text from Jarson pops up on her phone, offering her a glimmer of relief that her boyfriend might not be a fraud after all. Seizing the moment, she ushers Ned out of the room, urging him to cease his skepticism about Jarson.
Meanwhile, the team decides to dive into the world of dating apps, creating profiles of their own. Detrick, in a candid moment, reveals that he deleted his dating app the moment he started dating Nicole. This revelation prompts Nicole to question why Detrick isn't on the app anymore and encourages him to reactivate his account. She, on the other hand, expresses her desire not to rush into anything too quickly.
In a bid to coax more out of Esmeralda, Ned attempts to share an embarrassing anecdote from his own past. Esmeralda, feeling more at ease, shows the group a photo of Jarson. Oscar, with a keen eye for detail, points out that the man in the picture is none other than Josh Holloway, the actor who portrayed Rourke in *Yellowstone* and starred in *LOST*.
Esmeralda is convinced that Mare harbors jealousy towards her and stubbornly refuses to acknowledge that she's being duped. Meanwhile, Adam stumbles upon his high school classmate on a dating app and successfully matches with her. Mare peruses Ned's dating profile and playfully ribs him about it, even offering to help polish his profile to make it more appealing.
Nicole's envy flares up when Detrick reveals his abundance of matches on the app. Simultaneously, Esmeralda excitedly announces that Jarson has sent her a video. The clip features Josh Holloway delivering a third-person message from Jarson to Esmeralda. Esmeralda further discloses that Jarson had been swindling other women to buy her jewelry.
The team then steps in to clarify to Esmeralda that the video was actually a purchased Cameo from the website, not a personal message from Jarson. Ned attempts to reason with Esmeralda, but she firmly retorts that she's merely supporting her man financially, a duty she believes a woman should fulfill. Ignoring Ned's pleas, Esmeralda goes ahead and wires a substantial sum of money to Jarson's account.
Detrick informs Nicole that he's planning a date with another woman. Annoyed yet composed, Nicole urges him to proceed. Mare and Ned share a moment of camaraderie over his dating profile, with Mare confessing to the crew that she would definitely swipe right on Ned.
On the other hand, Adeola is cleverly profiting from elderly men on the dating app, including Barry. Ned extends an invitation to other victims of Jarson to the TTT office for an interview. Esmeralda, eavesdropping on the conversation, realizes that the man she's been dating employs the same deceitful tactics as those described by the victims.
With Mare's assistance, Ned secures a new match on his dating profile. Nicole buys a Cameo video featuring Josh and plays it for Esmeralda, hoping to set the record straight. Josh clarifies that he is not Jarson, leaving Esmeralda heartbroken.
Ned rushes to console her. He decides to proceed with the story without Esmeralda's input, while Mare and Nicole extend an invitation to Esmeralda to join them for a night out at a bar. The episode concludes with Esmeralda letting loose on the dance floor, surrounded by the cheers and encouragement of Mare, Nicole, and Adelola.
