Emily in Paris is heading for disappointment in Season 4 Part 2 – with a betrayal of what makes the series special

Fashion, men and cultural faux pas were also featured in the first five episodes of the fourth season of Emily in Paris on Netflix. The loves and sorrows of the American marketing manager (Lily Collins) in her adopted French home have moved away from the British man in finance Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) and increasingly focused on the local top chef Gabriel (Lucas Bravo). But it won’t stay that way for long.

Because the series threatens a big change in the second part of the fourth seasonwhich could completely overturn the previous concept: Emily, as the Netflix trailer tells us, is expecting a new love interest soon – in Italy.

Emily in Rome: Season 4 Part 2 of Emily in Paris says goodbye to iconic setting

Even though Emily has left the French capital several times over the years – for example to visit Camille’s family in Provence, to track her down in exile in Giverny or to party in St. Tropez – Emily is now facing a completely new European setting for the first time. And this is happening just when Emily has really made herself comfortable in France.

Which of course makes sense for storytelling, as it paves the way for new stories, characters, tensions and faux pas, still seems almost like a cheap trickto bring back exactly those elements from Season 1. If you can’t think of anything else, take the main character and put him in an unfamiliar environment.

Watch a trailer for Emily in Paris here:

The series lives above all from the (semi-authentic) French charm, from the almost offensive flood of clichés and the panoramic cut-outs of the Eiffel Tower, which make us believe that it is the Paris of our wildest dreams. As much as I am happy for Emily to explore new countries like every US expat in Europe, I hope that her trip to Rome does not turn out to be too long – or even that she may have to move.

Because what could be more soapy and beautiful than going around in circles in Paris and to continue the story for a few more meaningless seasonsbefore she finally decides on Gabriel and starts her own marketing company? With the wild city hopping, the series threatens to become even more of a meme than it already is.

Emily in Paris is already a meme

The good and quite sympathetic thing about it is that Emily in Paris ‒ and Netflix ‒ are more than aware of this, as can be seen from these self-published pictures with a huge wink:

Maybe the series will surprise us after all and Rome will turn out to be exactly the right place for Emily. We can certainly be excited and will find out at the latest on 12 September 2024when part 2 of season 4 hits Netflix. Or as one fan on X summed it up:

I’m so happy that Emily is back in Paris. I’ve watched every episode and I don’t remember a single thing about what happened last season, the names of any of the characters or anything except the fact that she has a job in Paris. It’s perfect television entertainment. May it run for 1000 seasons.

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