When Emily in Paris came to Netflix on October 2nd, I knew that I had to watch it ASAP. Lily Collins, the star and producer of the show, had promoted so many cute photos about it on her social media. It appeared to have everything that I live for: comedy, romance, fashion, and some serious girl power. As I sat down to watch the first episode, I was ecstatic— the more episodes I watched, though, I found that only three out of those four categories of mine were met.
Emily in Paris certainly gave me a good laugh. The characters Luc and Julien constantly played off of each other in a witty manner. I also highly enjoyed Pierre Caudaut’s character (anyone else have a strong desire to hang with him for a day?). Emily herself was even funny sometimes, but it was mostly out of her confusion towards French culture. None of the humor was the I’m-laughing-until-my-ribs-hurt kind, but for me, the ability to get the viewer to crack a small laugh was worthy enough.
The show was definitely romantic, too. I mean, Emily gets involved with multiple different men throughout the show, and even her boss, Sylvie, has sexual/romantic tension with a man who is her client. It seems like almost anything that Emily does leads her into romance. I found that watching Emily develop different relationships was entertaining, and honestly, I think that it probably felt super relatable for many viewers. She loses a boyfriend via troubles with her long-distance relationship, catches feelings for someone she shouldn’t, and helplessly dates around in search of her own happiness and satisfaction.
A large part of this show that I really enjoyed was not even related to acting: it was the fashion. Whoever the wardrobe head was for Emily in Paris, they deserve a raise. Emily’s outfits throughout the show were to DIE for. I can proudly say that I would have worn anything that she put on and loved it for myself. She is so chic but wears everything with a kind of casual cool that I can only dream of having. Her outfits make me want to wear a neck kerchief with a mini skirt, hoops, and ankle boots every day.
Now I’ve finally gotten to the point that the show did not hit: some serious girl power. I get it. You didn’t ask me, a “crazy feminist”, to squeeze this show dry with a feminist perspective. In general, Emily is portrayed as a confident, independent woman. However, the show does not do a great job of focusing on that aspect of her. In fact, a lack of girl power starts from the very premise of the show: Emily’s boss becomes pregnant and can no longer go to Paris. What does this tell the audience about motherhood and accomplishing goals? My friends and I interpreted this as showing that motherhood does not allow a woman to have a fun, glamorous lifestyle and that she suddenly becomes very matronly and undesirable.
Going back to a focus on Emily, it can be noticed that most of the time the show focuses on her romantic interactions with men, and not in an empowering way. Emily appears as a prop between different men, letting them make decisions for her. Through this, Emily becomes comfortable with the idea of cheating in a relationship. The show refers to the action of cheating as what equates to “just a Paris thing” among people. Emily is fine with this reasoning and kisses her friend Camille’s boyfriend (and Emily’s main love interest) Gabriel twice. There are also inappropriate actions taken towards Emily that would not usually be tolerated like they are on the show. For example, when Antoine gives Emily lingerie, she does not become angry about it or cite it as harassment, she just takes Antoine’s reasoning that it is to “empower her” at his word. In the episode where Emily goes to the vineyard owned by Camille’s family, Camille’s brother also touches her breast without consent, but the show passes it off as something desirable and sexy.
I really wanted to see Emily as a woman who freely loved and had romances, but who also worked hard and went on Paris adventures for herself, not to please a guy and have sexual tension. I craved a focus on her drive and her everyday life living in Paris, and I wanted to see more interactions between her and her friends that did not deal with a guy. All in all, though, I found Emily in Paris to be a fun watch. It’s glamorous, funny, and has some serious drama. Needless to say, I’ll be anxiously awaiting to see what the next season holds.
