Recently the series Emily In Paris aired on Netflix, a new escapist romantic comedy. Personally, I have always been a sucker for a good rom-com movie, so when this series came out I thought I would give it a try! With twenty- to thirty-minute episodes it’s a perfect length show to watch in order to take a break from school work.
The show follows Lily Collins as Emily Cooper, an ambitious millennial from Chicago with a masters in marketing who is highly skilled in social media platforms. She is assigned to work in Paris at a French firm in order to bring about an American perspective. However, within her career Emily is too confident, if that’s possible, and coincidentally a little too good at her job. Emily does face momentary setbacks within her career, be it offending a client or losing money due to a missing movie star she was supposed to be watching, but she always seems to find a way around it due to her savvy and brilliant skills of working her way out of jams and always comes out on top.
Additionally within the series, Emily’s American-centric point of view becomes an issue as she is slightly displaced and disinterested in her new home. When she first arrives in Paris, she speaks no French, and by the end of the season, that has not changed. She seems oblivious to the fact that she’s been living in Paris for months and still can’t properly communicate with those around her. Thus, Emily relies on help from others or expects them to speak English to accommodate her. In comparison, her friend Mindy has an appreciation for the French culture and has come to better insert herself into this life. Both Emily and Mindy are outsiders living in Paris but Mindy is originally from China and attended junior high in Indiana, which might explain why she has an easier time acolating to new experiences in different regions of the world. Despite the influence of her newly found friend, Emily seems to make a low priority of appreciating the French culture and customs. Despite taking language courses, she perpetuates the idea that Americans believe they’re better than everyone else and should not have to adapt to the world around them, creating a social barrier between her and everyone else she encounters throughout the show.
This is a rom-com after all, which brings me to Gabriel, Emily’s downstairs neighbor and love interest. It is clear from the moment they meet, when she attempts to enter the wrong apartment, that the two will embark on a romantic journey of flirtation that will be worthy of the beautiful city of love. Gabriel is an up-and-coming chef who works at a restaurant across the street from the apartment building which both characters live in. He is the picture-perfect, charming romantic lead you’d expect in a rom com that takes place in one of the most romantic cities in the world. Again, there are roadblocks within their relationship I won’t spoil, but I found myself chasing some sort of happy ending for the two of them.
The predictability of a rom-com is what we expect. A happy ending for both love interests despite roadblocks is what makes it so enjoyable to watch, at least in my opinion. So even if Emily In Paris is a bit misguided, the show follows the stereotypical rom-com format which viewers can’t get enough of because love is always stylish. So, should you watch these series? As a rom-com fan I would yes! This show is a quick watch and you will find yourself flying through episodes. Additionally, who doesn’t want to admire the beautiful views and cinematography of the city of light within this series?
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