Do these new episodes outside the capital raise the bar?

A cloudless happiness never lasts in a series. Especially when it settles in at the beginning of the season. Returning to Netflix in mid-August for five episodes, Emily in Paris had surprised by swiftly resolving the love triangle between the American expatriate, her neighbor and boss Gabriel, the latter’s ex, Camille, and Emily’s British suitor, Alfie. Emily cooed so well on Gabriel’s arm, embracing without much protest the prospect of co-parenting with Camille that we ended up getting bored stiff. This Thursday’s episodes shake up this status quo.

Due to the Olympic Games, which interrupted filming in Paris, these last five parts of this fourth season take to the open field, giving the comedy a welcome boost. Megève serves as the setting for an electric Christmas episode. Camille must admit to never having been pregnant. An earthquake for Gabriel and, by ricochet, Emily. But all is not lost for the young woman. Shipwrecked on the ski slopes of the Alpine resort due to a small balance problem, she meets a charming Italian heir, Marcello, at the head of a luxury group producing cashmere clothing. She wins a client who would like to see himself as one of her suitors. Yes, another one!

Also read“We’re in front of Emily Cooper’s house!”: guided tour of the sets of Emily in Paris with fans of the series

At the agency, life is not a long quiet river either with the arrival of a new recruit, Geneviève, played by the daughter of the director of Fifth element, Thalia Besson. The hidden Franco-American daughter of Sylvie Grateau’s husband, she follows Emily’s example to the letter. Both in overly proactive professional initiatives and in flirtations, Emily gets her own back, a nice source of comedy in a season that reserves unexpected appearances: Brigitte Macron in her own role, the English actor Rupert Everett as an extravagant architect living in Rome.

Moments of grace

More than Paris, the Eternal City is the real star of these adventures. Like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, Emily discovers her on a Vespa, savors a sorbet on the steps of the Spanish Steps. The series multiplies the winks on the resemblance between the interpreter of its heroine Lily Collins and the icon of My Fair Lady. Situations, costumes… Showrunner Darren Starr also has fun with the rivalry between the French and the Italians. The former have the best cuisine but the latter are the best lovers. Or is it the other way around?

His vision of our transalpine neighbors is not devoid of clichés. The screenwriter exalts, during a rustic break in the Roman countryside, the gentleness, the authenticity of the Italian art of living. But this stopover in Rome, which might not be as brief as expected, offers beautiful moments of grace like this improvised piano piece by Ashley Park. The actress, who plays Emily’s best friend, reminds us that she is a Broadway star. The saga also makes good use of Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu’s Italian roots, which reveals another side of Sylvie. On the other hand, it’s a grimace soup for Gabriel. Tormented, sulky, the cordon bleu does not have a good role. Like a haircut that does not flatter the actor, Lucas Bravo, whose posture evokes that of Ross, a likeable loser from Friends.