How do you make a life changing decision? We’re dealing with that as Emily in Paris picks up with Emily having to do just that, but she’s unable to do just that.
We think that one thing we can all agree on is that Emily is a people person. She wants to please everyone and feels guilty over everything. But that’s the thing – it’s how a lot of people are, so we can relate. Emily doesn’t know how to put herself first.
And she doesn’t know how to let anyone down, effectively letting herself down.
Part of the genius of Emily in Paris is that even though this world is, well, fictional, there isn’t a part of every character that you can’t relate to. Darren Star has always written shows that are that great, because they make you dream, but also feel like it could be you.
But back on the subject – Emily in Paris’s first episode of season three.
Like Coco Chanel said, “a woman who changes her hair, is about to change her life.” We’re all for change, but Emily takes it to an extreme, she cuts bangs. It’s just a warning of things to come.
But luckily for Emily, she’s got Mindy and Paris. The two besties go to breakfast together and have a bestie talk, but one thing we wondered immediately was – why are we always talking about Emily? Yes, we understand it is her show, but we also think that in these bestie moments, we should also hear about Mindy’s life. There is no part of us that doesn’t understand that this is because we’re setting up Emily’s decision making, but over the past two seasons we’ve really grown to love Mindy as much as Emily and would love more of her life.
But Cami – we don’t like her. She’s been shady and not a good friend to anyone. However, she’s still made sure to blame everyone but herself for issues. Yes, she got the man – but we believe that there is some shady shit going on there. We don’t understand how Emily wants so badly to be her friend, when Cami’s never been a friend. She’s just never wanted to lose to anyone.
This again goes back to Emily’s inability to make choices.
She’s juggling working for both Madeline and Sylvie, feeling unable to quit because she doesn’t want to leave Madeline high and dry. While we can admire and appreciate loyalty, this is definitely going to backfire. Madeline is emotionally manipulating Emily, but you can’t be extremely mad at her, because Emily is doing shady shit too.
We loved that the show brought Gabriel and Antoine into the mix, where because of meetings they know that Emily is towing the line and working for both, but keeping her secret. Any scene with Emily and Gabriel is one that we welcome.
One person that we never thought that we would see again would be Doug. Remember him? He’s Emily’s boyfriend from Chicago from season one. He’s apparently grown a nice bone in his body, because he calls Emily to tell her that he’s got a job at McDonald’s and he’s teed her up for a pitch with McDonald’s. They are looking for a French marketing agency to help launch the McBaguette. When she tries to tell Sylvie about it – she shuts it down immediately. Sylvie wants diamonds and luxury. But Emily is trying to explain that McDonalds would help launch the company and is a major coup.
Having been to France many times, I will say that though I won’t eat McDonalds in the states, I will there. It’s so much better. It’s not trash. Sylvie may think that McDonalds isn’t luxury, but in Europe, it’s completely different.
Gabriel taking Emily to McDonalds (even after she snapped at him when he asked what she did to her hair) was sweet. The moments with them together are some of our favorite moments. Everything is an innuendo and every moment reminds you why, as a watcher, you want these two together.
Lily Collins and Lucas Bravo have unbelievable onscreen chemistry. It’s something that you can’t fake. Their subtle looks, the way they move, the way that their eyes light up around each other. You want their characters together, because you want a love like Emily and Gabriel obviously have. The two of them are some of the best parts of Emily in Paris.
We are aware that some people will tell us that we shouldn’t be focused on ships – but ships are what make the world go round. At least in fandom. It’s part of what keeps you invested in any show. The reason? We’re all spending a part of our lives looking for love. We’re all spending a part of our lives looking for someone or something that makes us feel alive. What or who you love in life is a big part of who you are, even if you don’t want to recognize it.
The other part of that on Emily in Paris is a rare thing. Sometimes (well most of the time) the main character has chemistry with someone else too. It is rare that the main character has undeniable chemistry with someone else. Lily Collins and Lucas Laviscount have great on screen chemistry too.
We’re normally all in on a ship – but the truth is that when it comes to this show, we’d go down with either ship – Emily and Gabriel or Emily and Alfie. We love them both.
It’s kinda funny when you are watching a show and you know that a line or a moment is important. This season we’re hit with it in the first episode.
Not choosing is still choosing.
Somehow we believe that line is setting up the entire season. Why? Because we’re in the first episode and Emily has already shown all the things that she’s incapable of making choices on. We admire that she’s so focused on work, growing her career, and making a name for herself. But Emily doesn’t know how to balance her life.
Alfie has to return to London, and he’s asking Emily where her head is. She automatically thinks about work, but he’s meaning about them. When is she coming to London? How are they going to make this work?
Paris was definitely Emily’s romantic choice, but here’s the thing about romantic choices – they can define us and propel us. They aren’t always going to work out, they aren’t always going to be positive, but they are going to be things that change us. Change isn’t a bad thing.
It’s just not always easy.
Emily isn’t about to give up on the McDonald’s pitch and brings the McBaguette to the office. Julian and Luc are loving it. Sylvie doesn’t like them eating in the office, but it does talk her into doing the pitch. Julian isn’t happy about it.
While we love Julian, it feels like something in him has changed. The way that he looks at Emily is as if her ideas annoy him. We do respect him and that he has an idea for the company and wants a bigger voice. It’s respectable.
Luc is just this innocent voice who just loves everyone and everything. The two of them (Julian and Luc) arguing is something that makes you smile, because you’re like these two are definitely work besties. The two look out for each other, but we’re about to wish that Julian taught Luc to STFU.
Why? Because Luc has to go to Savior and get the computer he left behind. In that moment he ends up telling Madeline that Emily is working with their company, that they are pitching McDonalds and where they are going to do it.
Americans love the Eiffel Tower. Hell, we remember our first time seeing it in person. Though we didn’t eat at The Jules Verne, we do understand why Sylvie would choose it for the pitch. We’d love to go there.
The Eiffel Tower also is a dream. It’s a place the signifies dreams coming true. Or in Emily’s case the fact that she needs to have a come to Jesus moment. She can’t do everything and she’s going to let people down.
You see, Sylvie lets her guard down for a second and tells Emily that she knows that the choice to work with her and leave Madeline wasn’t easy, but she hopes in time that Emily will also look at her as a mentor. It was a moment that we could really look at Sylvie and feel bad because we know that at a certain point Emily is going to let her down.
We just didn’t know that it was going to be so soon.
Madeline shows up and breaks the news that Emily has been working for them both. She’s pissed and you can see that she’s hurt. The thing is with Madeline – she’s not our favorite person. She’s too dramatic and too over the top. But we do feel bad for her and this situation.
We did love that her fit was interrupted by her water breaking. Madeline is finally going to have her baby. Feels like she’s been pregnant forever. Way over nine months.
It seems as if everything is happening, but what needs to happen is decisions. Sylvie makes one decision easy for Emily – she fires her.
Emily has always put work first, but what she needed to do was put her relationship first. When she doesn’t show up for Alfie’s departure party and only makes it when he’s getting ready to leave, she’s definitely made a choice.
And Alfie is going to make the choice on their relationship for her.
After all, he reminds her that not choosing is still choosing.
Such a dramatic start to the new season of Emily in Paris but we’re excited for it all. The growth that these characters have shown season after season is what keeps us loving this show.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- Mindy and the boys booking a gig – WE LOVE.
- Mindy kills it on stage. Ashley Park has an unbelievable voice.
- We love Benoit, but we’re also like he needs to gain some confidence, because like, he really doesn’t seem like he has any, except when it comes to his music. We want him to have it in his personal life too.
- Love Eric and Sylvie. They are adorable and we love Sylvie letting a little bit of her guard down.
- We admire the grace that Sylvie showed when Madeleines water breaking all over her show
- Sylvies attitude of everything is fine is something we need to adapt in our lives
Season 3 of Emily in Paris is streaming now on Netflix.
