Usually, year-end for streaming services means high-octane and well-performing shows get their brand-new season, and everyone jumps in to join in on the fun. In the never-ending digital FOMO of shows dropping like flies, no one truly does it like Netflix. With their flagship show- Stranger Things getting its grand finale season, it seems like the stepchild treatment has gone to its other popular shows, and Emily In Paris is a strong contender for that.
We left Emily in Rome, but that is as short-lived as one of her romances
Season 4 of Emily In Paris gave us the romantic arc that we were waiting for since the beginning of the show- Gabriel and Emily get together, but since the writers of the show want more plots than sense in the writing, that fizzles out way too soon for reasons we are yet to understand. Sylvie puts her in charge of the Muratori account, a quiet luxury brand that wants to reach out to the rest of the world but is facing acquisition pressure from JVMA (Nico’s company!). And in her usual fastidious charm, Emily saves the day (as usual!)- saves Muratori from getting acquired with an idea that a NIFT intern could probably think of in a few seconds, fights off a billion-dollar company- phew! For a woman who is so classy and difficult to please, Sylvie folds like a plastic chair from a dollar store and gets Emily her OWN OFFICE in Rome! And that’s where we left our Emily...in Rome.
Emily in Paris Season 5 is a second-screen viewing experience at best, brainrot at worst
We know that when Emily in Paris had just started airing, nobody really viewed it for its artistic and storytelling prowess. It is definitely a mindless guilty watch—but everyone tuned in for its charm and the naive yet somewhat likeable characteristics of Emily. Emily showed up as the heart of the show, and very American against the somewhat reserved yet snooty French agency. The chemistry between the two cultures effervesced into an enjoyable viewing experience, albeit Emily saving the day with the most milquetoast of suggestions being a little too on the nose. Gabriel served as eye and heart candy, and the character really endeared itself to the audience, but in season 5, he has a glorified cameo at best. Suddenly, he becomes interested in plant-based cooking after having one lunch in Italy, where he went to stalk his ex—that is the potential Emmy-winning writing that you will witness in Season 5.
Sylvie’s story as the matriarch of Agence Grateau could have been a solid plot this season, but instead, it focuses on her being caught between men, which is very uncharacteristic of her! Minnie Driver is a breath of fresh air as the bankrupt royal who brings a level of camp and an amazing sense of humour to this doomed season, but the only problem is that her screen time is too low!
This season, Emily’s arm candy is the heir to the Muratori business. And when we say "arm candy," I am being as generous as possible. There is no discernible chemistry- he has more oomph with Mindy, whom he accidentally flashes, than with Emily this entire season. There is so much potential wasted in developing the romance because the show wants to do a million things at once, but cannot stick to what the show is actually about!
Emily’s love affair with Paris is never explored after all these years! She feels her most empowered self in Rome, but cannot escape the je ne sais quoi of Paris. But while she returns to Paris, she feels homesick for the States, as there is this bizarre subplot of her evolving romance with an American consul officer. If this review feels like it is all over the place, then let me assure you that it’s not my writing!
Tiktok is the main villain of the season- and we’re not joking!
The most ironic, and dare I say, hilarious take of this season is that Tiktok is the villain! Yes- they are a marketing agency, yes, they leverage social media as their main bread and butter, but guess what truly drives Emily’s Roman Holiday to the ground? Tiktok! Emily, whose main plot armour in the show, is that she has a decent following on social media that she uses to draw her “ingenious” marketing solutions, blames social media for tarnishing the quiet luxury aspect of the Muratori brand, which is her client.
The cadence of the plot is this season’s biggest problem
The cadence of the plot is Season 5’s biggest problem. Emily is in Paris, then Rome, then emotionally wrapped in red, white, and blue—and the show barely pauses to let any of it settle. The pacing feels less like a narrative arc and more like a frantic passport stamp collection. Conflicts emerge, peak, and resolve within minutes, leaving little room for consequence or coherence. Rome, in particular, is treated like a narrative fling: intoxicating at first glance, wildly convenient, and abandoned before it can develop any real meaning.
This whiplash extends beyond Emily. Mindy Chen’s love life follows the same erratic rhythm. She flirts with emotional clarity while exploring things with Alfie, circles back to Nico, says yes to his proposal, and then promptly unravels again the moment Alfie reappears in Paris. What is the emotional logic here—romantic growth or narrative panic? Instead of exploring complexity, the show splashes plot points around like spilt milk. Season 5 isn’t lacking ideas; it’s rushing through them, hoping charm will do the rest.
Yes- Emily looks amazing in her outfits, although little can be said about her hairstyling this season. Lilly Collins looks as bored and uninterested as Emily is with her city of residence. If this is any indication of how the future seasons are going to look like- Emily may keep changing cities and couture, but the show itself seems increasingly uninterested in giving either real depth or direction.
The final word
Everyone looks impeccable—Alfie and Gabriel remain distractingly handsome, Italy looks like a luxury tourism board’s fever dream, Sylvie’s tailoring is still peerless, and Minnie Driver is deliciously camp. If Emily in Paris is “well written,” it’s for perfecting passive viewing—and that should mildly terrify its audience.