The vitriol towards Emily in Paris in its early seasons was undeniably overblown. The comedy series clearly pulled from Sex in the City and rom-com classics to build its premise. However, while the titular Emily rarely showed any willingness to grow, future seasons corrected the issue. While Emily in Paris has never reached excellence, it has been a reliable hit for Netflix. With a “Will they, won’t they” romance and some very funny jokes, the series took steps forward in seasons 2 and 3. Unfortunately, Season 4 undoes much of its goodwill, especially by breaking the show into Part 1 and Part 2.
Emily in Paris Season 4 Plot
Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) moved to Paris to work for a PR firm as their social media manager. After gaining wide visibility and going viral, her value to manager Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) rises. After a disastrous breakup at a wedding between Emily’s beau-to-be, Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), returns to work at a restaurant, hoping to gain a Michelin star. His ex-fiance, Camille (Camille Razat), goes missing. Alfie, Emily’s actual boyfriend, also goes incommunicado. With Emily gaining a new level of fame for the wrong reasons, she hopes to PR her way back into the hearts of her bosses and friends.
Emily in Paris Gets Caught in Repetitive Drama
The issues for Emily in Paris latest season kick off almost immediately. There’s something to be said about fun, mindless entertainment. On the other hand, running the audience in circles for no reason becomes a burden. It’s not only that Emily’s life is messy. It’s that everyone in the show has a messy life.
Emily’s choices between Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) and Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) endure. What’s most frustrating is how the series chooses to escalate both relationships. Alfie is non-communicative and seemingly self-destructive. Still, Emily wants to be with him. That is until the next episode when she goes full force after Gabriel…again. The series’ “will-they-won’t-they” question has resurfaced so many times that the results of this encounter feel wildly anticlimactic.
Additionally, Gabriel continues to deal with issues surrounding Camille (Camille Razat). For part of the season, she’s AWOL. For the next part, she must live with Gabriel. Her own relationship comes apart because her partner is unwilling to acknowledge she’s pregnant with another man’s child. The mental gymnastics needed to understand Camille’s mindset is tiresome, and the soap opera elements fall flat. Worst of all, this feels like another retread of ground Emily in Paris already covered.
The bubbly fun of watching rich people scramble goes away when more serious questions come into play. There are cultural reckonings regarding sexual assault and harassment. Some characters have to deal with their pain secretly (Ashley Park), while Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) does it publicly. Considering the fallout of the accusations leads to massive implications for the business and interpersonal relationships, this storyline contrasts heavily with the rest of the show.
As usual, Emily in Paris excels in its costuming and visuals. After all, it takes place in Paris, which helps it raise the bar. While their little Parisian circle outside Emily and Gabriel’s apartment building remains gorgeous, trips to Monet’s gardens at Giverny and nights with the Parisian high life only further highlight the extravagance. The non-stop costume changes allow for some unique and cool looks, especially in terms of variety. The costume team once again shines.
Is Emily in Paris Season 5 worth watching?
Unfortunately for Emily in Paris, Season 4 takes a step back. While the series had rebuilt some of its goodwill, the messiness and repetitive stories are too frustrating at this stage. While some performances are still fine, namely Park and Leroy-Beaulieu, Netflix’s flagship comedy has run out of gas. The storytelling is just not up to snuff to keep us engaged.
Emily in Paris is now streaming on Netflix. Five out of ten episodes were provided for review.
4/10
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