When “Emily in Paris” returns for Season 5 on Netflix Thursday, there’s an immediate sense that this series is no longer living in the past. That’s partially thanks to Emily (Lily Collins) living in her new Italian digs with her hot Italian man, Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini), having moved there at the end of Season 4 to run the new arm of Agence Grateau. More importantly, Italy looks good on Emily as she begins adulting and viewing her life through fresh eyes.
It’s a much-needed reset for the Darren Star series, which has devoted ample screen time over the first four seasons exploring the love triangle between Emily, her hot chef neighbor Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) and his former fiancée and Emily’s bestie, Camille (Camille Razat). It’s a shame to lose Razat entirely given her fandom and potential to transition into an interesting supporting character and friend with the right storylines, but after last season’s fake-pregnancy disaster there wasn’t any coming back. Even in this fashionably fictitious world, some storylines are just too soapy to keep the characters semi-grounded.
Gabriel, meanwhile, has also been relegated to the sidelines in this newest chapter and that isn’t a bad thing. He and Emily are probably still end game (sorry Aidan fans, but Carrie Bradshaw was never going to end up with anyone other than Big), but he’s realized that dwelling in the past isn’t a good thing. And although he shows up looking like a lost puppy dog, he’s content to let Emily do her thing with her new man because she’s happy. At least for now. And so he eventually takes a new gig that gives him space to grow as well, rather than waiting around for his life to happen to him.
The result is a stronger and more interesting season that doesn’t forget about its supporting cast, but that propels Emily back into the spotlight. Season 5 finally gets personal about Emily’s past, including her parents, and opens up about her issues beyond work. If your twenties are about exploring and living your life to the fullest, your thirties are about accepting who you are and figuring out your place in the world. That’s exactly what Emily does in Season 5, with plenty of work capers, romantic entanglements and self-discoveries along the way.
That’s not to say the series has ditched its breezy nature or penchant for wild characters. “Emily in Paris” quickly finds excuses for its cast to travel to Italy and stay with Emily, including new love interests for Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) and Luc (Bruno Gouery). There are also work dynamics to figure out, marketing challenges galore as the Italian division struggles to secure clients among their cultural differences, and the debut of Minnie Driver as Sophie’s friend, Princess Jane. Jane is as wild as the characters on this series get and she is as over-the-top with her brand deals as she is with her comments toward Emily. It’s clear Driver is having a blast while being as unhinged as possible, and that alone allows her to fit in with this equally colorful crew.
Speaking of, Mindy (Ashley Park) has a solid arc in Season 5 that goes beyond showcasing her quippy one-liners, nuggets of reason and memorable performances — although of course, she continues to do all of the above. This season, when Mindy’s not dazzling with her charm and Grammy-nominated voice, she enters a love triangle of her own involving Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) that hits a note with Emily and puts their friendship to the test. It’s an interesting comparison to the rift between Emily and Camille, and reminds viewers that true friendship isn’t just performative: being your true self sometimes means that you aren’t your best self, but your real friends will love you anyway.
The biggest shift in “Emily in Paris” doesn’t come from any character, though, but from the location itself. It can be a gamble to take a series like this with strong ties to its background and uproot it for something new. That risk pays off here though, as the show continues to feature beautiful European backdrops. (Hey, if you aren’t spending the entire season in France, Italy is a pretty nice alternative.) The location change also ignites a much-needed chapter of growth for the protagonist, both in her personal and professional lives.
In Season 1, Emily’s social media presence in Paris was a tone-deaf exploration of tourism and surface-level culture. As an aspirational aspect of the show it worked, but Emily’s ties to social media have been dwindling over the seasons. Fast forward to Season 5 and it seems as though she’s learned a lesson on genuine connections. She is no longer escaping online in her new city with faceless followers and clichéd posts, but simmering in the real-life relationships and locations that surround her. Not every moment in her life needs to make the feed, and although her character never actually addresses this change, it feels like a conscious decision she’s made in her life.
That full-circle moment is apparent following one particular marketing moment that backfires a few episodes in, and serves as a real-life commentary on the potential repercussions of chasing the perfect photo op. Naturally it’s told through signature “Emily in Paris” humor, and leads to yet another shift for Em.
By the season finale there’s a feeling that Emily has learned a lot from her Italian venture, and discovered more about herself and her love for Paris than she thought possible. It’s a nice bookend to one of the strongest seasons yet, one that reminds viewers why they fell for this show in the first place..
Is “Emily in Paris” the best scripted and acted series, or even the most realistic? Of course not, and it never pretended to be. But in Season 5 it does what the series is meant to do best: Provide a fashion-forward and romantic escape with absurd moments, likeable characters and good intentions. Not all television needs to be prestige to be widely enjoyed or to make you feel happier while watching it, and “Emily in Paris” continues to be proof of that.
“Emily in Paris” is now streaming on Netflix.
The post ‘Emily in Paris’ Season 5 Review: Move to Italy Sets Up Netflix Comedy’s Strongest Season Yet appeared first on TheWrap.
