Emily In Paris is still all fluff, all cheese, all fun
Darren Star's show lacks women of agency, clarity, and depth. It still manages to become a fun but superficial watch with its cheerfulness, and the diverse representation
Emily In Paris 3 released on Netflix and it can be best described as cheese croissants for the mind – feels rich while you have it, but health benefits are still questionable.
Created by Darren Star of Sex and The City fame, Emily In Paris lacks women of agency, clarity, and depth. Yet the chirp, the colourful French backdrop and the diverse representation together make it a fun albeit superficial watch.
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Emily In Paris is about an American woman (Emily Cooper, essayed by Lilly Collins) who moved to Paris for a short work assignment but discovered love, life, and her own self in the city, and then decided to stay on. The first two seasons showcased how she navigates around the city, the culture shock it offers and the professional struggles she faces as an outsider.
The third season of the show is as dramatic, loud and stuck in indecisiveness as the previous two seasons.
Emily is now caught between two boss ladies – Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) and (Kate Walsh) – and she loves them both. Sylvie and Madeline worked together for Savoir, but the former quit and founded her own marketing agency. She is now a business rival for Madeline who is yet to find a balance between her new motherhood duties, and the challenges of saving her marketing firm's French office with zero French employees.
For a show propping ladies not just in the lead, but in all positions of power, Emily In Paris shockingly lacks women with agency. The titular character (Emily) is not sure what she wants from her love life. Darren's attempt to recreate the Ross-Rachel chemistry (from the popular American sitcom FRIENDS) in the post-millennial era teases a few heart-warming moments, but it often becomes frustrating to watch a couple caring for each other so much that they can push each other away.
Emily is also not sure which side to choose between Sylvie and Madeline. Sure, she comes up with the most brilliant marketing ideas and bounces them off business persons but she never asks for the credit, or the money. Sylvie and Madeline, on the other hand, are equally indecisive, but theirs can be blamed on a lack of choices and the limitations their life situations restrict them with.
On the plus side, the narrative has widened to include a better view of the characters around Emily. We get to see more of her roommate Mindy Chen (Ashley Park) who struggles to find her way up in her choice of profession. The show also delves into the lives of Sylvie who is forever mean to Emily, explaining aspects of her personality. We also get to see more of Emily's co-workers Luc (Bruno Gouery) and Julien (Samuel Arnold).
Emily In Paris is certainly raising the bar for itself, making it worthwhile to looking forward to the next season.
