Can We All Agree “Emily in Paris” Isn’t Good?
You see, I didn’t catch Emily in Paris at first. I didn’t want to. I knew what was coming and I didn’t like it one bit.
But, at the end of the day, I’m not fully a free thinker. If something gets mentioned enough on social media — whether it’s a positive or negative review — I have to watch. And I was even far more interested when it seemed like people loved and hated Emily with equal fervor.
Starring nepo baby Lily Collins as Emily, this car wreck of a show follows an American actually making it in the Parisian fashion world. On the surface, this sounds great. But once you watch, you realize it’s a disaster.
We rarely follow a plot line. For a good part of the show, the main character Emily is torn between moving home and staying in Paris. She left her humdrum fiance in the American dust and moved on to a bunch of hotties in Paris. What a dream.
Not only does Emily win over these Parisian dreamboats — Alfie, I would treat you better — she does it wearing the worst possible outfits. Paris, France is the fashion capitals of the world…and with a show about working in fashion, you’d think Emily’s style would eventually mirror that.
It doesn’t.
Four seasons in and Emily is still trying too hard, mixing heinous prints, and applying bright red lipstick on her drab little lips. These past two seasons, she’s even added bangs.
I get angrier as I write this…but season four of Emily in Paris is out on Netflix.
Emily in Paris - Season 4, Part 1 Review
Honestly, going into this season, I remember nothing. I don’t know the characters’ names except for Alfie (and this seems to be the right choice). I forget most of the plot (if there ever was one). And it’s like I’m watching a whole new, awful show. Fun!
But this season, the writer’s decided to throw in every single plot line they could possibly think of and cram it into four episodes. If you don’t want spoilers, skip ahead.
We’ve got Emily’s boss — Sylvie — accusing industry titan Louis de Leon of sexual assault. There’s Camille — who got dumped by her girlfriend and moved next-door to her ex, Gabriel — only to find out she isn’t pregnant with his baby and he’s actually back with Emily.
Then, of course, we have Emily who has to forge a relationship with Alfie in the name of business. What a hard life she lives, truly. Imagine I wore the most atrocious outfits and had all the attractive men in France still think I’m cute. I, too, would never leave.
All the while, Emily’s boyfriend Gabriel is aiming to add a Michelin Star — or 3 — to his restaurant. There’s a lot to keep track of here, especially since the Netflix writers are trying to tie up a bunch of loose ends. Even they know there are far too many plots, but I’m not done.
The other crazy plot line they’ve decided to throw in there is a corporate issue: the marketing firm is selling a viral glass skin face mask…The only catch? Emily finds it’s actually just lubricant packaged in a fancy container.
This is one of the times I outwardly groaned. Seriously? This is what they could come up with? Was the Writer’s Strike really that bad?
On August 15, I sat down to watch the first four episodes of the season. If you think that means Netflix left us on a major Bridgerton-esque cliffhanger, you’d be wrong. We’re currently left wondering what’s going to happen to the lube face mask.
Why Emily in Paris is so bad it’s good
The phenomenon is that social meida has come together and collectively agreed: the show is so bad…but we won’t stop watching.
Maybe it’s for lack of better television right now, I know my options are bleak. Or maybe we crave a disastrous series that distracts us from our real life problems. But no matter about that, it’s working.
For those of you saying that Emily in Paris is a Golden Globe-nominated show — honestly, all that does is make me question the legitimacy of the Golden Globes.
Either way, unfortunately, I’ll be seated when Emily in Paris Season 4, Part 2 comes out on Netflix on September 12.