Episode 6 of *The Paper* kicks off with Ned bursting into the office, his face a mask of urgency as he races to use the restroom. Later, he confides in the camera crew that the bathroom he usually relies on en route to the office was inexplicably locked—a suspicious turn of events. Meanwhile, Esmeralda steps into a team meeting with the TTT volunteers, where a lively brainstorming session is underway, with everyone eagerly pitching story ideas. Esmeralda throws her hat into the ring with a proposal to delve into the world of a Korean skincare product company.
Simultaneously, Ned brings up a pressing local issue: the public restroom in McGundry Park is slated for closure, with the government planning to replace it with an e-bike kiosk. Tensions flare as Ned and Esmeralda engage in a heated debate, each staunchly defending their story's merit and dismissing the other's.
Ken steps in to mediate, proposing a compromise: Esmeralda will tackle the story on the park's restroom closure, while Ned takes on the Korean beauty products angle. Ned readily agrees and decides to assign each of the products to a different reporter, who will then use them and provide honest reviews.
Ned then enlists Mare to accompany Esmeralda in investigating the McGundry Park situation. Back at the TTT office, Ned hands Nicole a gut health Kombucha drink, while Detrick opts for the jawline enhancer, Travis grabs the melatonin, and Oscar selects the abs machine. Meanwhile, Ken ropes Adam into reviewing male enhancement pills from a local business, using him as an unwitting test subject.
Adam's anxiety mounts as he frets over the pills' potency and the possibility of inadvertently impregnating his wife. Adelola teases Oscar for his exaggerated complaints about the discomfort caused by the abs machine, insisting that she endures far worse during her period—a claim Oscar stubbornly refuses to accept.
Detrick notices Nicole struggling after her Kombucha concoction, while Esmeralda makes a call to Mr. Durham, the project manager overseeing McGundry Park. The conversation is fraught with tension, but Mr. Durham does let slip that the restrooms were closed to make way for the e-bike kiosk, shedding some light on the mysterious closure.
Mare is on the verge of wrapping up the story with the information at hand, but Esmeralda remains unsatisfied, her curiosity piqued. Ned finds himself embroiled in a business video call with Marv and another affiliate when a sudden, intense burning sensation overtakes him. In a frantic dash to the bathroom, he's met with the misfortune of discovering it's already occupied by Nicole.
Meanwhile, at McGrundy Park, Esmeralda and Mare stumble upon clues that lead them to believe Mr. Durham has been deceiving them all along. Determined to uncover the truth, they decide to tail him, their hearts pounding with anticipation.
As the day draws to a close, Ned urges the team to persist in using the products, despite the harrowing effects they've had on nearly everyone. However, his plea falls on deaf ears as the team stands their ground, refusing to continue down this perilous path.
In a surprising turn, Ned admits that Esmeralda's narrative is more compelling and expresses his reluctance to let her down. In a reckless display of bravado, he decides to personally test all the products simultaneously, even going as far as to use the jaw enhancer and abs machine. That night, Esmeralda gives Mare a glamorous makeover and encourages her to engage Mr. Durham in conversation to extract some crucial information.
Against all odds, Mare succeeds in her mission, gathering the vital intel she sought. Just then, Ned stumbles in, his skin peeling off in shocking patches, only to be met with the sight of Mare in her newfound glamour.
In the meantime, the team continues to document their individual mishaps with the products, even venturing beyond office hours. Ned, exhausted, drifts off to sleep at his desk and awakens to the unexpected sight of his skin transformed into flawless, Korean glass-like perfection.
Detrick, with a mischievous grin, recounts the previous night's escapades with Nicole, regaling the team with tales of how he held her hair back as she vomited. The episode concludes on a tense note, with Ned revealing to Mare that he knows she is asexual, a revelation that leaves her visibly upset.
