Emily in Paris (Netflix)
This August, Emily In Paris, the show that all serious TV critics hate, is back with a whirlwind of brightly colored designer outfits and romantic antics.
The first half of the fourth series, starring Lily Collins as the eponymous Emily, is now available to stream on Netflix and fans (myself included, without any shame) watched the entire series in one sitting.
We've waited almost two years for the latest installment – season three premiered in December 2022 – and this installment picks up where the previous one left off.
Emily remains torn between her two loves: “Hot Chef” Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) — whose bisexual fiancé Camille (Camille Razat) walked out on their wedding and announced her pregnancy in the final moments of season three — and the courtly businessman Alfie, played by British actor Lucien Laviscount.
Emily's best friend, aspiring Eurovision Singer Mindy (Ashley Park) is caught in her own love triangle, while the head of her marketing firm, the unyielding Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu), struggles with her personal and professional loyalties as she chain-smokes her way through long Parisian lunches.
The first half of the fourth season, starring Lily Collins as the eponymous Emily, is now streaming on Netflix and fans have binge-watched the entire series in one go
We've waited almost two years for the latest installment – season three premiered in December 2022 – and this installment picks up where the previous one left off
Emily is still torn between her two loves, 'Hot Chef' Gabriel (Lucas Bravo, pictured) and the courtly businessman Alfie, played by British actor Lucien Laviscount
Viewers can expect a masked ball, mistaken identities, glamorous events, steamy rooftop sex scenes and – as ever – more hair-raising fashion than you'd find at a French Olympic opening ceremony.
The sartorial creativity seems to have reached a peak, with some of Emily's outfits truly defying the imagination: in one scene she's dressed in a Morphsuit that resembles a zebra crossing
Then there are her coworkers, Luc and Julien, each with their own messy storylines. And that's not to mention the fact that Camille has a new girlfriend, Greek artist Sofia, who moves into the apartment she shares with Gabriel, below Emily's — creating the ultimate ménage à quatre.
Viewers can expect a masked ball, mistaken identities, glamorous events, steamy rooftop sex scenes and – as ever – more hair-raising fashion than you’ll find at any French Olympic opening ceremony.
The creativity in clothing seems to have reached a peak. Some of Emily's outfits are truly beyond imagination: in one scene she wears a Morphsuit that resembles a zebra crossing, in another she wears a large, pleated underdress around her bosom.
The location coordinators must have had a blast picking the sets for the action. Scenes were set on the sidelines of Roland-Garros, in an indoor beach-themed nightclub and on the boating lake outside Claude Monet's house.
Reviews for the new season of Emily In Paris on Netflix are starting to roll in
Lily Collins returns as the title character – Emily Cooper – a young American woman from the Midwest who turns her life upside down and takes a new job in Paris
Of course, this isn’t real life, with Emily navigating a Paris filled with tropes and fantasies that only belong on the small screen. Previous series of the romantic comedy have been criticized for their superficial take on Parisian life.
But there's a reason thirty-somethings like me love this show; in a world where the news is often awful and disturbing, it's the ultimate escapism – unimportant, absorbing, fantastical nonsense
Of course, this is not real life, with Emily parading around in a Paris full of clichés and fantasies that only belong on the small screen. Previous series of the romantic comedy have also been criticized for their superficial view of Parisian life.
But there's a reason thirty-somethings like me love this show: in a world where the news is often terrible and disturbing, it's the ultimate escape: unimportant, engaging, fantastical nonsense.
Creator Darren Star, the genius behind Sex And The City, should be commended for his tenacity. This is Emily In Paris at its best: light, funny storylines that tackle real-world issues (betrayal, commitment, insecurity, identity – there’s even a fleeting “#MeToo” plotline), underpinned by witty dialogue that keeps millions of viewers hooked.
Some of the best lines go to Sylvie, who is more front and center than in previous series, and rightly so. Leroy-Beaulieu’s portrayal of this Anna Wintour-esque PR queen is brilliant: she’s powerful and vulnerable, and her hair is never perfectly coiffed.
The series remains one of Netflix's most popular romantic comedies of all time, with the ongoing love triangle keeping viewers captivated
The show continues to inspire audiences with lead character Emily's achingly chic ensembles
When Emily offers a non-alcoholic cocktail to a patron at a drinking establishment during a meeting, Sylvie counters: “Sobriety may be popular in America, but it's the opposite of French culture.”
The supporting roles are played more often in this series: something is wrong with Luc's girlfriend Marianne, a Michelin-starred restaurant inspector; Mindy's relationship with her wealthy heir, Nicholas, is on the rocks; and Sylvie's mother is called in to finance her husband's new Parisian club after his backer backs out when Sylvie sells a story about him to Le Monde.
This time around, I found myself caring less about Emily-Gabriel's actions or inactions and feeling more sorry for poor Alfie, who was tricked by a Venetian mask and ended up kissing a stranger.
Of course, nothing has been decided yet: due to clever scheduling, the second half of the series won't air until next month, prolonging the endless online chatter about what's to come.
It’s not exactly edge-of-your-seat action, and perhaps notably, not all that much happens in its five half-hour episodes. But as fans know, that’s not what Emily In Paris is about.
In this Disneyland version of the City of Love, we're here for a fun ride.