by Alice-Ginevra Micheli, Contributing Writer
Another show, another questionable strategy of splitting its anticipated season in half in order to get more subscribers, or something similarly silly that stakeholders would have been told was the reason behind the decision.
The Netflix mega-hit Emily in Paris has returned to our screens, and I have finally had a chance to watch, think about, criticize, and now to review it. I guarantee you, this is the behavior of many viewers, as Emily in Paris is not a show that has captured our minds and hearts, but has focused solely on the latter, while completely throwing away any requirement for the former.
In Season Four, we rejoin Emily (Lily Collins) and her pals as they experience the joys and heartbreak that any regular person would experience when living in Paris — except not at all, as nothing that happens in this show is remotely realistic, or believable… however, that’s kind of the point.
Let’s first deal with the previously mentioned elephant in the room: As with many shows beforehand — Bridgerton,Stranger Things, etc. — Netflix has decided to include Emily in Paris amongst its list of series that won’t release all at once, or week-by-week. Instead, viewers are given half the season one month, and the other half of the season the next. It’s an in-between strategy that is frustrating, annoying, and questionable regarding any returns they think it might have created.
While the idea behind it, from a storytelling perspective, might be that we are rife with anticipation, desperately waiting for the second half to drop and conclude the many threads that are up in the air, this is not the kind of show that this works for. The problems are silly, the threads barely hold on, and the energy is shallower than a drying puddle. All this to say, this is not a show where the plot actually matters, as evidenced by the fact that the main love story barely functions as one, to the point of now being incredibly tiresome — but we’ll get to that later.
Instead, what this splitting of seasons has accomplished is two halves of one season being completely different. The energy is different, the performances are different — even the way the characters look are different. This clearly indicates that they took a break in production halfway because of the season’s split, shattering the illusion. Overall, it felt like we were delivered two mini seasons, rather than one complete story, which doesn’t really make any sense for a show as short and carefree as this one.
The confusion of this season is alleviated by some of the characterization and performances. As always, Collins manages to keep the show functioning through her mere excitement and energy, depicting someone who is wholly living within her absolutely ridiculous circumstances. Ashley Park’s Mindy Chen and Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu’s Sylvie Grateau also make for great viewing, as they start to take bigger parts with each season — clearly in response to Emily as a character itself, given her aggressive optimism and refusal to learn the language of the country in which she resides.
Where the story is severely let down is in the attempt at a love triangle that has been dragging on season by season between Emily, Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), and Camille (Camille Razat). You can tell that even the show got bored with it, as both of the latter characters are kind of pushed to the wayside in the back half of the season, as there’s only so many times you can play out the same storyline without putting every viewer to sleep. Instead, we are introduced to a new romantic interest in the form of the Italian Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini), whose cultural background and mature personality is the desperate breath of fresh air this show needed to keep functioning. We’ll see if his motivation and presence will fall apart as quickly as English Alfie’s (Lucien Laviscount) did this season, in its already renewed fifth season.
While Emily in Paris’ plotting and characterization don’t really make any sense, the vibes continue to be immaculate. Viewers must remember that this series is not about highbrow storytelling. In a lot of ways, it is more fantastical than the most fanciful adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. As mentioned, everything in it is ridiculous, and so everything should be accepted with that flight of fancy that many viewers are missing in their life due to that humdrum reality they are all faced with. Emily in Paris is escapism in the truest sense of the word, allowing people to enjoy what they thought moving to a glamorous city would be like when they were children.
Emily in Paris Season Four is like most others, just with a distinctly different feeling and storyline between Part One and Part Two — which only worked during its release. Now, when watching it, you’re likely to just be confused by its sudden tone shift. However, if you have been watching this show since Season One, you’re likely more than used to its shenanigans. It’s not different in zaniness or absurdity. It’s the name of the game at this point.
Rating: Liked It
Emily in Paris is currently streaming on Netflix
You can read more from Alice-Ginevra Micheli, and follow her on Instagram and Letterboxd