Emily in Paris Season 4 Part 1 review: More of the same in a chic package

1.5/5

Emily (Lily Collins) is still in shock about what happened during Camille's (Camille Razat) and Gabriel's (Lucas Bravo) ill-fated wedding: Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) has validated his worst suspicions about her and Gabriel, and now that Gabriel is having a child with his ex-girlfriend, leading her to harbour strong affections for both men. Sylvie faces a difficult choice from her past that could affect her marriage, while the Agence Grateau team deals with staff changes. Mindy (Ashley Park) and the band must be frugal because their money runs out before Eurovision. Gabriel and Emily's chemistry is palpable as they strive for a Michelin star together, but two devastating secrets dash their dreams.

Each year, viewers immerse themselves in the tumultuous world of Emily Cooper and her life, anticipating the emergence of new developments. In the third season finale, the plot took a telenovela turn when Camille revealed that Emily and Gabriel still harbour feelings for each other, a move meant to shield her from revealing that she is bisexual and from hiding the fact that she is pregnant with his child.

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The first half of the fourth season is now available, and in five episodes, we see Emily and Paris' story deteriorate, leaving viewers on the receiving end. The series gets all Emma-ed up with Emily's lives getting intertwined with each and every character in some way. No one would escape the vortex.

The conversations open up, revealing fewer secrets from one another. Even when the conversations become serious, it's important to minimise them and move on to the next chapter. There's a scene in which Emily divulges Camille's secret to Gabriel, a revelation that, to be honest, is incredibly wrong of her. Despite the betrayal, Gabriel should have learnt the truth directly from Camille, not from his inquisitive girlfriend. Unfortunately, a shady storyline once again encircles you, transforming love triangles into rectangles and introducing more angles.

After four seasons, Emily's journey to Paris serves as a constant reminder of the revolution she must instigate within her company, particularly through her adept use of social media. However, what is the purpose of a professional life when all one needs to do is dress in ultra-chic outfits and, after clocking in, leave the office to deal with personal issues?

Although Emily's personal problems are close by, she frequently decides to walk all the way to her office, putting her company's progress on hold as she struts around embracing her juvenile issues. 

At the heart of a show that has rebranded female emancipation with a charming bow but is scared to make its heroine too wild, too passionate, or too flawed, her take on romance and relentless sweetness comes across as sinister. The protagonist and the city lose all of their appeal due to an Instagram filter applied on top of a lens.

As previously mentioned, when discussing telenovelas, Jane the Virgin comes to mind as a delightful romantic comedy. The latest season provided a glimpse and an opportunity to showcase the intriguing twists and cliffhangers in the series.

Emily in Paris Season 4 Part 1 did have a plot that could get a serious turn, such as those involving missing persons, #MeToo, and Michelin stars. However, they disappear from the story, leaving us to devise our own solutions.

Not that Emily in Paris is uninteresting or lackluster, or that she has an annoying obsession with superficial material possessions; it's just that she doesn't deal with anything particularly noteworthy.

What can be said about the performances if the character arcs are still the same from the past four seasons? There's no escape from the writing or the creation that Darren Star brought to Netflix. The first five episodes don't bring anything exciting into play, so we can expect that the rest of the episodes will shape the story for the better. But all we can do is stay with the hope that probably leaving Paris is the only solution, and our next stop, as we know, is Rome.

While Emily in Paris Season 4 continues to dress up its drama in chic outfits, the storyline seems to lose its way amid a swirl of superficiality and repetitive triangles.

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