In 2020, when Netflix released the first season of Emily in Paris, it received great interest from viewers. The show centres on the life of Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins, as she tackles her new life in the City of Love. The story follows her career in a French marketing company, Saviour, which specialises in the marketing of luxury brands. Despite her move being career-based, the show’s narrative is based on Emily’s love life. Throughout seasons 1, 2, and 3 we follow her story with her neighbour Gabriel, a young, hot chef who is keen to get to know his new neighbour. However, his presence in Emily’s life creates problem after problem for her social life and work. When Emily first moves to her new city, she is not welcomed as the staff at her new job hate her American point of view and especially hate that she cannot speak their language. Living in a country and not understanding the language seems like an impossible task. Yet as the seasons progress, our main character continues to live without an understanding of French and how to succeed in creating a life in a new city.
Season four of Emily in Paris was released in two parts. The first part of this new season was met with great enthusiasm, as loyal viewers could not wait to find out what would happen to Emily after such a dramatic end to season three. We were left with excitement after season three’s finale, when at last the opportunity for Emily and Gabriel to be together finally arose. The start of the new season did not disappoint, as fans got to witness the pair as a loving couple living in bliss. That was until yet another problem separated the couple. Here lies the main problem with this new season – it is too repetitive. We saw this in the first couple of seasons whenever our two stars almost got their happy ending, as something bad always happened to ruin it. After four seasons of will-they-won’t-they, it has become dull. Viewers need something different to bring back the spark Emily in Paris had when it first premiered.
Despite the negatives of the first part, the second brings exactly what fans wanted to see: new and exciting storylines that are fresh and different from what we have seen before. Since her relationship with Gabriel has once again failed, Emily moves on to a new love interest, Marchello. Marchello is an Italian man who happens to be around when things with Gabriel start to sour, offering himself as a better man for Emily and pampering her with affection while showing her his part of Rome. While this story has been short so far, only being introduced in the last few episodes, fans are left eager for more after the beginning of a new adventure for Emily. Goodbye to Emily in Paris, and hello to Emily in Rome. A new home, new man, and new life await her as she moves to Rome to run a branch of her marketing firm all on her own.
Season Four of Emily in Paris was disappointing in most aspects but not a complete disaster. Some viewers may decide to end their watch now while things are good, whereas others may be excited for more, living their travel fantasies through Emily until they can experience it themselves.