When I first saw Emily in Paris advertised, I was very excited. Who wouldn’t be? It’s a show set in Paris with Lily Collins as the lead star. And while Sex and the City phenomenon hit in 1998, bypassing me completely as I was far too young to watch it, I could definitely appreciate the power of creator Darren Star and was excited to see what he had up his sleeve next.
The series follows titular Emily who works for a marketing firm in Chicago, until her boss, who is about to move to Paris, falls pregnant and passes the transfer to her underling. It’s a dream job, a dream city, why wouldn’t Emily not accept? Oh, maybe the one minor issue being that she does not speak French. And this isn’t the only problem Emily has. The employees at Saviour, as expected, don’t take kindly to being told to do everything the ‘American’ way.
Since it’s release, Emily In Paris has received a LOT of criticism. Criticism, which in my opinion, is not misplaced despite loving the show. Emily in Paris not only promotes American imperialism, but it is filled with French cliches from people drinking wine for breakfast, eating delicious, apparently calorie-free pastries whenever they get a chance and men in expensive suits talking freely and openly about sex. Collins herself was even condemned as an unlikeable, selfish character, with many publications warning French people to stay well away.
However, despite this criticism, it is still one of the most watchable new shows on Netflix at the moment and definitely scratched the crave I was needing for a silly, sexy new show. Emily in Paris can be described as the perfect happy hour for the brain that will make you feel good and fall irrevocably in love with Paris and Lily Collins (if you weren’t already head-over-heels in love with the actress!)
Ridiculous in the way the best Romantic Comedies are, the plot has ZERO depth, but it does have a charming cast of good-looking people and BEAUTIFUL locations. The fashion and the scenery of Paris is breath-taking that, if we weren’t stuck in a global pandemic, I would be rushing to pack my bags to have a month (or two) away in the city of love.
Lily Collins also has great wit, brill comedic timing and looks absolutely divine in everything she wears. I can’t begin to describe how satisfying it is to watch her strut down the street, all kicked out in Chanel as every boy in a 5-mile radius desperately attempts to get her attention. Lily’s character, Emily, hasn’t got any real problems in the show as she decides which man to sleep with, while working to get her boss, Sylvie to like her. Yet, nevertheless, the watching experience is like scrolling through Instagram: an addictive endeavour that you just keep clicking “next episode.” Trust me, I did – I stayed up till 4am.
Also, as with any rom-com, it is addictive watching Emily fall in love with her downstairs neighbour, a sexy French chef named Gabriel. While this relationship does have MAJOR problematic issues, I couldn’t help but ship them. I am a romantic who wants to witness love flourish and this show did not disappoint.
Overall, Emily in Paris is light television that is meant to be devoured all at once but will, sadly, be forgotten a few weeks later due to the lack of depth to both character and plot. But, if you want a lavish, glamorous picturesque show that makes you feel good and happy inside, Emily in Paris is it, even with the problematic issues at play.
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