Emily In Paris Season 5, Episode 2 Review: Got To Be Real

Rome seems to be both agreeing and disagreeing with Emily. She’s thriving, and she’s finding that there is a part of her that she didn’t know existed. It’s the part of her that is trapped between confidence and insecurity. It’s the part of her that will need to work harder to find the balance of where her creativity works and where she needs to grow. Emily In Paris, Season 5, Episode 2 is one of the most vulnerable episodes it has had, and I absolutely loved that for Emily… and Sylvie.

Emily is finding that life isn’t this easy place where she can just fake that she knows, and that there is strength in admitting that you don’t know something.

There is always this opportunity to learn in life, and that is something that Emily, Sylvie, and Julian avoid learning. They get angry at it, or they fill their response with sarcasm. Luc – he’s always amazing at what he learns. Rome is giving a lot of lessons – for the characters and for us, the viewers.

MINDY ARRIVES IN ROME

The Rome office needs to gain more clients, and that means that the office is hustling. The launch party for Bavassa is a way to showcase what they can do. The Bavassatini (an espresso martini made with their coffee), Mindy performing, and Luc showcasing his wit and charm. Though his wanting to have Mindy in nipple tassels is quite funny.

Emily in Paris. (L to R) Lily Collins as Emily, Ashley Park as Mindy in Emily in Paris. Cr. Giulia Parmigiani/Netflix © 2025

Mindy being in Rome – I am excited for her and Emily to be back together. However, I am mad at Mindy. We’re gonna have to talk about Mindy and Alfie. I didn’t want to in the first review, but those who are crossing the line. They flirted their way too hard, and they are gonna end up hurting Emily, but I do believe that a lot of the hurt Emily will feel is because of their dishonesty. Alfie is messaging her for dinner, and I have no issue with them having dinner. What I have an issue with is that Mindy needs to tell Emily what is going on.

Once you are friends with somebody, you don’t get with their ex. It doesn’t matter how things have moved on, and if there is any part of you that is going to do that, you need to have that conversation beforehand.

Sylvie’s MEN HAVE SOME ISSUES

One of the things that I have noticed about Emily in Paris is that they are willing to examine all cultures, beliefs, and thoughts. Now, some may not hit the nail on the head and may make jaws drop – but they try.

And one of the things that they have ingrained in all of us is the freedom that Sylvie has in her marriage. However, it seems Laurent isn’t thrilled that she’s still in Rome.

He misses her, and I do love that for the first time we are seeing that side of their story. It’s weird to see this because their dynamic has always been do whatever you want, and we’ll see each other when we see each other. And now he’s like when are you coming home? That is definitely a change. She’s distracted by Giancarlo and doesn’t hear Laurent being honest with her. When Laurent tells her to call back later when she has time, I actually feel for him. The guy just misses his wife.

Something may have changed for him, but not sure it has for Sylvie.

ANTOINE THE CHARMER

Marcello being protective of his Mom is one of the best things. Listening to Antoine try and make the perfume deal is quite funny. He’s charmed every woman he’s come in contact with, Antonia included. Marcello is hesitant that his Mom has a crush.

The lunch is kind of funny because of how Antonia is flirting. She’s so cute – the way she is flirting and wanting to smell him. She even goes as far as to invite him to spend time with her in Solitano. How can he say no to that? Well, making a deal, there is no way that he can say no. Antonia is softening up a bit because of Antoine. It’s really beautiful to see her remember that she’s alive.

The team pitched a “short film” for the brand, and they would premiere it on their Instagram. Marcello reminds Emily that they don’t have one, but he’s quickly corrected. Marcello and Emily underestimate each other. It is so cute to see how they learn to find peace with each other.

PARIS DRAMA MAKES IT TO ROME

One thing that I love about Julian is that man can find any gossip. It doesn’t matter where he is or what he’s doing – the gossip will come to him and he will find a way to use it. It does help him that Genevieve is the one starting the gossip. That girl loves to try and destroy Emily.

Julian called to tell her to do her job better, but she’s got some witty comebacks. She didn’t know that Mindy was a client – ya ok Geneiveve. She found a way to work in that she saw Alfie and Mindy together, looking like they were dating. I had to love that Julian was one to set her straight and tell her that she shouldn’t be spreading rumors.

And yet, he’s the one who runs straight to Luc with the gossip.

The first time that he sees Mindy, he confronts her about it. Julian is a man’s girl, but also he’s this person who enjoys being in the middle of the gossip. Where Mindy wants to deny it, anyone with eyes can see that there is a connection between Mindy and Alfie.

The issue is – again – she didn’t tell Emily. She wasn’t upfront with her best friend.

ISSUES IN THE OFFICE

Princess Jane is a liability. She’s definitely someone we can’t trust. The issue is that Sylvie is at a point where she’s not sure she’s so frustrated with things in her own life that she is putting others down and pushing them away. Everyone wants a piece of her.

Jane has connections, and I can respect that. It’s really exciting to have someone who has all of the connections, but Jane is overstepping. Sylvie is not communicating, which is something that she seems to be good at. Sylvie keeps telling everyone that their titles and roles are under consideration, and I have to admit that it frustrates me for them all. Emily has given up everything to move to Rome. And now, here we are.

Nothing seems real.

EX-FILES

I can tell that Emily really feels something different and deep for Marcello. What do I mean by that? Well, when they go out for the night, and she’s having a great time with Mindy, she gets jealous when she sees him talking to another woman. With Alfie and Gabriel, those things didn’t matter. But with Marcello it does.

Emily in Paris. (L to R) Eugenio Franceschini as Marcello, Lily Collins as Emily in Emily in Paris. Cr. Giulia Parmigiani/Netflix © 2025

Carefree Rome Emily is replaced by Paris Emily, the one less confident and the one less able to see what is right in front of her. She shouldn’t open the past, but the thing about Emily is that she doesn’t know how to trust the love that she and Marcello share.

Mindy may be on my crap list – but her reminding Emily that she shouldn’t try to keep living in the past, but that the present is what is important. I hate that Mindy is using it as a moment to make sure that Emily is over Alfie.

FAKE FENDI

A meeting at Fendi? Well, the team is excited about it, but it does go horribly wrong. Emily thought that her Grandmother had given her a real Fendi and she treated it so special. She’s taken such great care of this fake purse for years, but was called and told it is a fake by Fendi. Well, that was the worst thing.

The whole experience at Fendi went so wrong. Emily’s ideas are not translating to Rome, and that is hard for her. But that just means that she’s going to have to find a way to make peace with a lot.

Nothing is going right, though. Mindy’s rehearsal, the whole thing with Sylvie, and her feeling insecure with her relationship with Marcello. The party for Bavassa isn’t making it any better. Sylvie is still upset over things in her life and the whole Fendi meeting – reminding Emily that it’s stronger to say that you don’t know something, but she needs to realize that she doesn’t know everything.

She can’t seem to find her peace. She sees Marcello at this point becoming flirty with other women, and that is a lot for her to deal with. Luckily, she can get distracted by Mindy’s performance of Espresso.

That is, until later, when Marcello introduces Emily to Celia, a family friend whom he almost married. Her family owns the hotel, and Emily has to listen to them talk about how they almost ended up together. I can’t blame her for being upset. I can tell you that Marcello is clueless. He doesn’t get that he’s hurting her.

And when Emily sees them later, she goes to leave, not thinking that he’ll notice. Everyone tells her that Marcello is a player.

I truly believe that he loves her and wants to protect her. He wants to love her unconditionally and make sure that she feels that there is a world in Rome for her. But with all of the things going wrong for Emily in Rome, I understand her hurt. She’s thinking about everything being fake, and she’s wondering if what they have is another fake thing. But her saying that looks like it’s physically tearing him limb from limb. They both look heartbroken over how she’s feeling.

He doesn’t want her to feel this kind of pain.

So he asks her if he can pick her up the next day.

SOMEWHERE IT IS REAL

When Emily and Marcello are together, something in me smiles when they are right there together. His showing up at her apartment with his little Vespa and instantly wanting to comfort her – I felt at ease for her.

Gabriel and Alfie never did that for me with her. With him, though – he doesn’t want to change Emily. He wants to love her regardless of whatever it is that she is afraid of. He may speak to women he’s known, but they are things of the past, and she’s all he wants. Ancient history is all around Rome, but Emily doesn’t want to be confronted with it. She needs to listen to him when he tells her that they are the future. He’s never lied to her, and he never will. While I wouldn’t believe in most men saying that, him I do.

He gives her a helmet, and the two take off on his Vespa. He takes her to Fendi – and points at the wall, telling her to pick any bag she wants. She knows that he is being generous, but tells him that he doesn’t have to. The thing about Marcello is that he knows he doesn’t have to. Why he wants to give her a bag isn’t about the bag – he wants her to have the real thing because, since the moment he met her, he knew he had the real thing with her.

Team Marcello forever.