Emily In Paris’ Negative Reviews Don’t Understand The Show

Warning! SPOILERS for Emily in Paris season 2

Since its debut in 2020, Netflix’sEmily in Paris has gotten a slew of negative reviews, but the reviews reveal that viewers may be misunderstanding the show. Created by Darren Star, Emily in Paris has many similar elements to Star’s previous smash hit Sex and the City. However, Emily in Paris seems to be misunderstood by contemporary viewers with its negative reviews revealing that new viewers may be missing the show’s point and appeal. Interestingly, despite Emily in Paris’ negative reviews, the show continues to be a massive success.

Emily in Paris begins as Madeline (Kate Walsh), Emily’s boss at her marketing firm in Chicago, becomes pregnant and sends Emily for a year in Paris in her stead. It doesn’t take long for Emily’s Chicago boyfriend to bail out of their long-distance relationship and—voila!—Emily is young, beautiful, and single in Paris. Unable to speak French and ignorant of France’s local customs, Emily quickly finds herself alienated by her French co-workers who see her as obtusely American. Adding to the dramedy, Emily seems incapable of making sound romantic decisions, falling into several hilarious flings before becoming entangled in a relationship with her neighbor, Gabriel (Lucas Bravo). Things only get messier when the romance grows between Emily and Gabriel in Emily in Parisseason 2 and Emily’s professional life explodes when Madeline arrives from Chicago to investigate the French office.

In what could be considered the cinematic era of television, shows have become increasingly grand, with budgets for television shows like Game of Thrones and Netflix’s The Crown costing nearly as much per episode as some feature films, and Emily in Paris’ cinematic appeal does not disappoint. Emily in Paris’ negative reviews seem to fall dominantly in the category of content, with many pointing to the show’s heavy saturation of clichés and stereotypes along with Emily’s apparent vapidity. Here’s a look at why Emily in Paris’ negative reviews reveal a widespread misunderstanding of the show and why, ultimately, the negative reviews won’t matter.

Should Emily in Paris Have Been Nominated For An Emmy?

When Emily in Paris was nominated for a 2021 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Comedy, people were outraged. Though Apple TV+’s beloved football/soccer series Ted Lassotook home the award, public outcry was heard about Emily in Paris even being considered, with many claiming the show lacked the substance and creativity of the other contenders. This is not the first time a show about young, single woman’s life in an exciting city has been nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, however. Sex and the City was nominated for the prestigious award six times (a nomination for each of the show’s seasons) and won the Emmy in 2001.

Inside Emily From Emily In Paris

Emily in Paris shows Emily as an unwaveringly optimistic character that always looks for the best in people. When people are horrible to her (particularly the French characters fromEmily’s Paris office), their snide comments and aggressions seem to affect Emily little—she shrugs and carries on, taking nothing personally. While some Emily in Paris negative reviews point to Emily’s vapidity, this trait is one of the leading pieces of advice from mental health professionals the world over and by far one of Emily’s most brilliant attributes. It leads to some of the show’s greatest comedy, in that Emily is like a puppy that is always waiting by the door when its person arrives home, even if the person is an unloving owner of the adorable little creature.

A similar character to Emily was seen in the beloved 1995 cult classic Clueless, in which Cher (played by Alicia Silverstone) navigated the turbulent waters of her Beverly Hills high school. Cher was wide-eyed and (as the name implies) clueless, but audiences loved her for it. The audience understood the wit behind Cher’s character and the point she served in the comedy of the film, providing a humorous look at the rules of engagement for the social norms in society (like its origin story, Jane Austen’s Emma). Similarly, Emily from Emily in Paris is a caricature of Americans (the good and the bad), seen from the glaring contrast of other cultures. Based on the negative reviews, it seems that Americans have lost their sense of humor on this point.

Emily in Paris’ Negative Reviews Reveal Problematic Females

Not all Emily in Paris negative reviews come from reviewers that miss the comedy, however. Many critics are saying that Emily in Paris consistently undermines women, an issue that the show’s writers would do well to consider for Emily in Paris season 3. Emily is young and her mistakes often drive the show’s comedy, but her character seems to operate much of the time with little thought to the consequences of her actions.

When Emily first kisses Gabriel, she is unaware of his girlfriend, Camille. However, the second time she kisses him, she not only knows about Camille but has become very good friends with her. This betrayal severs the viewers’ trust in Emily’s character being a good person and detracts from her likability as a woman by a dominantly female audience. The relationship with viewers is only further destroyed when Emily and Gabriel later sleep together, because while Camille and Gabriel’s relationship may have ended, Emily and Camille’s friendship has not. Emily is very aware of Camille’s lingering feelings for Gabriel.

What of Emily’s treatment of Mathieu? Pitched as the catch of Paris—rich, handsome, and enamored with Emily, Mathieu is essentially used and discarded with little remorse from Emily. The show did not create any repercussions for Emily’s insincerity. After Mathieu learns he is nothing more than folly to Emily, he leaves her on the train. However, Emily continues on to St. Tropez, uses the car service Mathieu arranged, stays in the hotel suite for which Mathieu has paid, and even invites her friends for the weekend.

Camille is another missed opportunity by Emily in Paris. Camille’s character throughout season 1 was one of the most reliable—a caring, honest, loving friend for Emily from the very beginning. In Emily in Paris season 2,Camille becomes a villain, lying to Emily about their restored friendship while secretly in pursuit of Gabriel. The problem with Camille’s character is not onlyin her fake dealings with Emily but also in her pursuit of Gabriel. Camille is a stunningly beautiful, successful, smart, funny, charming, and kind woman, yet all of that is forsaken in pursuit of a man that cheated on her, left her, and chose another woman.

Emily’s French boss, Sylvie is by far the most admirable female character in Emily in Paris. Though painted as a foe throughout season 1, Sylvie is the only one to ever tell Emily, albeit rather snidely, that there are consequences for her actions and, in the show’s defense, this seems to draw Emily to Sylvie more. By Emily in Paris season 2, Sylvie and Emily have grown past their initial friction (despite their disagreement over representing Emily in Paris’ version of the Peloton brand) and the show would be smart to continue Sylvie’s powerful, self-assured character.

Why Emily In Paris’ Negative Reviews Don’t Matter

Emily in Paris debuted in 2020 when viewers were more reliant than ever on television as a mode of escape. Despite Emily in Paris’ negative reviews, the show accomplishes this escape along with a mental cruise control that Kyle Chayka (via The New Yorker) has deemed “ambient TV.” Though Chayka may use the term in a negative connotation comparing Emily in Paris to New Age music, the idea of “ambient TV”—or undemanding television content—is worth consideration.

Chayka goes on to define the term as “something that you don’t have to pay attention to in order to enjoy but which is still seductive enough to be compelling if you choose to do so momentarily.” Certainly, in a pandemic when viewers are enduring quarantines and isolation, “ambient TV” like whether Emily will stay in Paris past season 2is a welcome respite. Even when the world emerges from the pandemic, many may find that a show that resists the urge to have underlying messages of social reform, political agenda, and has no great wars raging is welcome.

Ultimately, the Emily in Paris negative reviews don’t matter, as far as the show’s success goes. Netflix reported that 58 million viewers watched Emily in Paris in the first month after its debut. It was the streamer’s most popular comedy of 2020 and Emily in Paris season 2 is already reigning in Netflix’s Top 10. In comparison, Sex and the City season 1 debuted to roughly 7 million viewers on HBO in 1998 and received critical reviews (via Rotten Tomatoes) that called the show “hollow,” “shallow and clichéd,” and “meaningless.” Over its six seasons, Sex and the City saw 54 Emmy nominations (winning seven) and 24 Golden Globes (winning eight). In 2007, TIME Magazine listed it among the “100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME.” While Emily in Paris may be “ambient TV” and Emily in Paris negative reviews may be in abundance, Emily in Paris seems likely to continue its success.

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