“Emily in Paris” takes viewers on a whimsical trip abroad
November 11, 2020
Paris, the city of love. With a fancy language, new foreign men, and exquisite dining, nothing could go wrong. Right?
On Oct. 2, Netflix released the show “Emily in Paris,” a twist on an American taking on life in France. The show takes place in Paris, and over the course of ten episodes, it depicts the ups and downs of Chicago marketing executive, Emily Cooper, as she is sent to France to provide an American perspective for a French marketing firm. However, the cute storyline and miniature adventures draw viewers from all over.
The show begins with Emily (Lily Collins) finding out that her boss, who was originally supposed to go to Paris, is pregnant. Due to her unexpected pregnancy, Madeline (Kate Walsh) decides that she will not go overseas and provides Emily with the opportunity. After talking it over with her boyfriend, Emily decides to take the job.
After its release, the show became extremely popular and has released different clips and content over Youtube and Instagram. While Collins and Walsh were already well known in the industry, the actors and actresses are also gaining popularity and fame, and many fans are anxiously waiting to see more.
The writers managed to create many smaller stories within the overall plot. For example, Emily is challenged with fending off advances from a married client, who also happens to be having an affair with Emily’s boss. At the same time she tries to push away her feelings for a new neighbor and maintain a struggling relationship with her boyfriend in Chicago. The intense love drama adds nice surprises throughout the episodes and overall season, creating extra excitement for the viewer.
Another brilliant aspect of the show is that the show depicts the realities of moving to a foreign place alone. Emily, who barely knew “bonjour” before heading on her flight, is challenged with a variety of tasks, like pleasing her harsh bosses and coworkers, helping the company succeed, finding new friends and navigating the new culture. In each episode, Emily is faced with another problem that can take the whole season or just one 30 minute period to resolve.
Rotten Tomatoes gave the show a 65 percent rating and while this might feel a little low, it is quite accurate. The show has an interesting plot line but it felt very childish. The acting was tacky, the general plot of each episode was predictable and the outcome of some events seemed outright impossible. While the setting of Paris creates an amazing visual appeal to the show, there are some factors that can not be overlooked.
The clothes are basic and cringeworthy, which is disappointing as the show takes place in one of the fashion capitals of the world. Emily seems to constantly be facing a new issue, which while it does provide an interesting plot line, can get frustrating as the viewer simply wants her to succeed. Lastly, the show made most of the characters seem like they hated Emily and it was confusing to follow who was hating who that week.
“Emily in Paris” is definitely worth watching, but be prepared to have some frustrations as each episode goes on. The cute dramedy manages to keep the viewer interested throughout the whole season, and enough people enjoyed the show that a season two is on the way.