It’s time to switch off your brain and switch on your Netflix, because Emily In Paris is back for a brand new season.
Or, rather, half a season.
Yes, in keeping with other popular shows like Stranger Things, Bridgerton and The Witcher, the streaming giant has made the decision to split the new series of Emily In Paris into two, the first half of which debuted on Thursday.
Let’s face it, anyone who enjoys Emily In Paris has clearly never been bothered about critical consensus, but early reviews suggest more of the same for the globe-trotting rom-com, with plenty to keep existing fans engaged (and, seemingly, little to win over those who’ve already written it off).
Interestingly, though there’s also a bit of a disagreement among critics about the show’s handling of a more serious storyline for Emily In Paris, revolving around workplace harassment, and how efficiently it has been handled.
Here’s a selection of what critics are saying about the new season…
The Guardian (1/5)
“In every episode, she has to use her talent and sunny disposition to ensure social media strategies are executed with aplomb. To say that this is as thrilling as watching paint dry would be a disservice to the many excellent shades of paint [...] To get annoyed by TV as blandly pleasant as Emily in Paris does at times feel like kicking a puppy. But don’t we deserve better?”
The Independent (2/5)
“While the show’s silliness has a certain limited charm, the cumulative effect is akin to eating too much sugar too quickly: it leaves you feeling a bit queasy and vowing to swear off this stuff in future.”
“Given Netflix’s recent penchant for splitting its seasons into bits, this is only Part 1 of the new instalment, suggesting that there’s much more in store for romantically challenged influencer Emily Cooper and her endless parade of European boyfriends and sassy French coworkers. And good thing too, because in the first five episodes of the season, nothing much seems to be going on.”
“The most disappointing part of the first half of Season 4 is the failure to explore, to any satisfactory capacity, the sexual harassment plot revolving around JVMA CEO Louis de Leon [...] Obviously, Emily in Paris, a lighthearted dramedy about finding yourself in the City of Lights, wouldn’t dig too deep into such a twisted topic, but it’s baffling that it was introduced at all.”
“It should go without saying that telling stories about workplace harassment, abuses of power and speaking out against such things are important. But are they in the Emily in Paris wheelhouse? It’s not just that the storyline upsets the show’s stress-free, dissociative power, but that perhaps unsurprisingly, the whole thing has so far been handled with a clumsy narrative grip.”
The Evening Standard (4/5)
“I wasn’t sure how such a light-touch show would deal with heavy issues – or indeed how it would then travel back to its natural state. I shouldn’t have worried. It was fluid, fairly sensitively dealt with, and we are given a good look at the fallout from people brave enough to reveal their trauma – I was impressed that they went there.”
Collider (7/10)
“Part 1 of Emily in Paris Season 4 has managed to meld together the Emily we’ve known for years with a refreshed, more mindful version [...] Part 1 also displays more self-awareness than in seasons past, with characters having honest conversations both with themselves and each other, holding a mirror up to many of the interpersonal dynamics that, up until now, had been quietly at play in the background.”
“At this point, Emily In Paris has a formulaic story structure that it will adhere to no matter what. It’s devised to be enjoyed and then to moved on from. The writers and performers aren’t challenged, so the audience isn’t either. And perhaps that’s the fun of it.”
“Obviously, it is fantasy fluff, but it’s more than that too, because [Darren] Star is a very gifted writer and producer. Who can’t admire ‘just because he’s hot doesn’t mean you can’t be with him for his money — multi-task, bitch!’. Or the Song Contest obsessive who moans, ‘We set the city on fire for retirement [pensions] … Where were the riots in the street for the cuts to Eurovision?’. Writing that good can’t be easily dismissed. I can’t help thinking that an indecent portion of ageism and sexism colours some critical responses.”
Part one of Emily In Paris season four is streaming now on Netflix. Four more episodes will be released on Thursday 12 September.