By Natalie Soldatova
If you are like me and a fan of the well-known Netflix show “Emily in Paris, “I have good news for you! A few weeks ago, they announced that season four is now in production. The first time I found out was when the actress Lily Collins, who plays Emily Cooper, posted a picture of her with a script for the new season on her Instagram. All the fans have been impatiently waiting for the announcement since season three was released in December 2022. All the seasons have been released in December each year since 2020, but the possible delay in production was due to the writers’ strike.
“Emily in Paris” is about a marketing executive from Chicago, Emily Cooper, who moves to Paris for a year to work for a French marketing agency, Savoir, to offer her American perspective. Throughout the series, Emily meets her best friend Mindy, Camille, and many love interests while trying to fit into French culture and overcome many challenges of living and working in Paris. This comedy, created by Darren Star, is one of the favorite TV shows among many people.
Whether you watched Emily in Paris or not, there are many ups and downs and unexpected twists. Throughout the series, you can see the glamorous portrayal of Parisian life and Emily’s iconic fashionable outfits, which makes everyone wonder how she can keep all the different clothes and shoes in her tiny apartment with her friend Mindy.
I won’t say where the last season ended in case you decide to watch the show, but looking forward to what might happen in the upcoming season, the fans wonder whether Emily will choose the well-known chef from Paris, Gabriel, or the British man named Alfie.
Despite the show’s charming characters and romanticizing of life in Paris, French people criticize it due to its portrayal of French culture and stereotypes. French people see the show as cliché and as if they are being made fun of. Some of the main differences that French people brought up were the unrealistic daily life in Paris, including the short working hours, luxury life, and not showing the different parts of Paris or including more diverse characters. According to an NBC News article, they didn’t see their real lives or the real Paris in the show.
I visited Paris in December of 2023 and had to take the opportunity to see the real location of Emily’s apartment and Gabriel’s restaurant. This small square with a fountain is located at 1 Place de l’Estrapade in the central area of Paris. Once I arrived, there were already a few people taking pictures in front of the restaurant, which I found out was an actual restaurant, not just one they created for the show. Some people were also taking pictures in front of the main door of Emily’s apartment building. The square was quiet and not as busy as I expected due to the show’s popularity.
However, I noticed a big sprayed writing on one of the buildings saying, “Tourists go home; Emily is not welcome.” It did not surprise me that much since I had already heard what French people thought about the show, but I was curious and looked at Emily’s apartment on Google, which even has reviews from tourists and French people. Some comments from French people found it funny that tourists are taking pictures in front of an ordinary old door just because it was in the show. Some were unhappy about the square being constantly visited by tourists taking pictures and that it used to be a calm, quiet area before.
I understand the local people’s frustration about the show, but I don’t think the tourists will stop coming to the area anytime soon with season four coming up. Since all seasons came out in December, that is what is expected for the new season, but hopefully, we will be able to watch the new adventures for Emily sooner!