You’ll be able to chart the decline and fall of the American dream by way of the prism of Darren Star protagonists. Carrie Bradshaw of “Intercourse and the Metropolis” might afford an condominium filled with Manolo Blahniks as a contract columnist, whereas Liza Miller of “Youthful” has to deceive her method into an entry degree publishing job. Like her predecessors, the titular heroine of “Emily in Paris” (performed by Lily Collins) has a ardour for storytelling — however quite than the written phrase, she’s channeled that ability into social media advertising for manufacturers, plus her private Instagram account. A transfer to Europe hasn’t put a dent in Emily’s ultra-American work ethic; if something, she’s infectious, together with her unconflicted capitalism rubbing off on colleagues, associates and lovers like a virus.
Upon its premiere in October 2020, “Emily in Paris” went viral in one other sense: the present grew to become an enormous hit for Netflix, bestowing upon Season 4 the multipart launch technique reserved for the binge-happy platform’s hottest titles. (The primary 5 episodes are at present streaming, whereas the again half will premiere subsequent month.) With microscopic stakes, eye-popping outfits and a second-screen potential hindered solely by its liberal use of subtitles, the collection has turn out to be emblematic of the so-called “gourmand cheeseburgers” prized by Netflix executives.
It’s thus equally seemingly that you just by no means observed “Emily in Paris” taking an prolonged hiatus — greater than 18 months! — between seasons on account of final yr’s leisure strikes and that you just’re overjoyed to see it return, particularly after the 2024 Olympics have left the Metropolis of Lights at high of thoughts for a lot of viewers. Little Berets (that’s what I name Emily’s fan military), concern not! “Emily in Paris” stays a feather-light soufflé of office comedy, bland romance and shameless commodification. Whether or not she’s utilizing a rooftop tryst as inspiration for a skincare marketing campaign or guilting an ex into collaborating in an activation, Emily is the delulu Don Draper her technology deserves.
Describing the plot of Season 4 looks like studying the high quality print beneath considered one of Agence Grateau’s glitzy ads: completely moreover the purpose of all that visible stimulation. However, Season 3 ended on a cliffhanger, with the marriage of Emily’s love curiosity Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) and his longtime girlfriend Camille (Camille Razat) referred to as off by the bride on the altar, blowing up Emily’s personal relationship with British enterprise bro Alfie (Lucien Laviscount). However whereas Gabriel and Camille’s relationship is not any extra, they’ve an enduring memento within the type of Camille’s shock being pregnant.
Gabriel and Emily have the excellence of being one of many least attractive or suspenseful {couples} within the historical past of will-they-won’t-theys, rivaled solely by Camille’s dalliance with Greek artist Sofia (Melia Kreiling) or the affair between Emily’s singer roommate Mindy (Ashley Park) and billionaire scion Nico de Léon (Paul Forman), inheritor to the present’s model of luxurious conglomerate LVMH. (It’s referred to as JVMA, solely bothering to vary 50% of the acronym.) Even “Emily in Paris” appears slightly bored by romance, spending the primary act of Season 4 both dutifully advancing the predictable plot or casually abandoning its few main twists. Very similar to Emily herself, the main focus of the present is squarely on work, the place the withering gaze of company boss Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) creates sufficient friction to provide the proceedings some spark.
“Emily in Paris” is most enjoyable when it breaks the fourth wall, whether or not using product placement from real-life manufacturers like Baccarat, stunt-casting playwright Jeremy O. Harris as a diva dressmaker or — most gratifying of all — acknowledging that Emily is each egocentric and worsening. (At one level, Emily dines and dashes on Camille’s associates, leaving the miffed Frenchwomen to pay for her very un-French iced tea.) However such flashes of self-awareness get their energy for being so uncommon. Advertising and marketing is all about creating an phantasm and committing to it in any respect prices, an artwork “Emily in Paris” stays as adept in as ever.
All 5 episodes of “Emily in Paris” Season 4, Half 1 are actually obtainable to stream on Netflix.