Glamorous Allure! Complex Romance! Comedic Drama!—the accoladed show Emily in Paris dives into a fanciful world of Parisian life through unexpected lenses; the main character, Emily Cooper, is sent from her Chicago firm to work in Paris for a year. With almost no knowledge of the French language, customs, lifestyle, etc., the show revolves around her foreign experience with the culture. High on French charm, Emily makes her way through life on a highly compelling, yet far from accurate, account of what it’s like to live in Paris, France: the renowned City of Love—La Ville de l’Amour.
There are, of course, some elements of the show that hold true to reality. For instance, Emily and her coworkers’ work ethic is often laid back and carefree—laissez-faire, even. And despite the show possibly overexaggerating this on some occasions, Parisian professionalism is much less demanding than other styles of labor, such as America’s. In many ways, the show flirts with being quintessential, but for every moment of authenticity, there are countless more that are pure fantasy. As the show is filled to the brim with color and vitality, it offers more spectacle than substance when portraying real life in Paris. Emily’s wardrobe is an excellent example of this; her outfits fit the inflated idea of the American outlook of Paris, one heavily fueled by Paris Fashion Week. Often, her outfits are straight-up horrendous and comparable to a highlighter—she rarely nails the true chic essence. Whether this issue stems from poor taste in production or perhaps the influence of the fictional brands, like Pierre Cadualt, that have been shoehorned into the show, one thing is sure: the only thing less stylish than Emily’s ensembles is the notion that they represent authentic Parisian fashion.
Additionally, the plot playfully exhibits the American perspective on Parisians, who are stereotypically portrayed as some of the most stuck-up members of the European Union, whether this interpretation is accurate or not. Emily struggles in this new crowd at the show’s beginning, but only temporarily. She might not have been wanted at first, but she quickly gains the friendship of Julien, Marc, and even Sylvie.
Along the way, she makes some other acquaintances, including her downstairs neighbor and his girlfriend, to name a few. We all know the resulting menage a trois this produces, but why is Emily so beloved by the French eye? We further see this with the numerous brand deals she scores and the crucial ideas she saves, and she ends up being fought over between her former boss and Sylvie, a stark contrast from her start. Some might use French itself as a reason, that she just has a je ne sais quoi, but she can’t be that special. In the latest season, Emily has been living in Paris for around a year, but still peu francais? What happened to those French classes? Somehow, she still manages to be the American sweetheart in the heart of France because she attracts the three leading men’s eyes: Chef Gabriel, Alfie, and most recently Marciello, a Norman, Londoner, and Italian, respectively. With some magic, she manages to not only snag the cute English boy but change his entire perspective on France. Falling on the Alps, a handsome Roman helps her up and flies her out.
With all this being said, Emily in Paris is still a good, comfort show that is an easy watch (and a little hard not to binge). Her course of events brings her down to Europe’s boot, where it appears she will be living for some time. Of course, it is never a clean break, with her ex-chef asking her roomie for her exact location. Paris loves her so much it will chase her. Will the Italians love her as much as the French? Bon Voyage!
