The 2024 Netflix schedule was filled to the brim with new releases, and one of those was Emily in Paris Season 4. In the new episodes, we got to see the continuation of Emily and her adventures in the City of Love, as well as new love triangles forming amidst old ones ending. But it seems Emily in Paris Season 5 might lose ⅓ of the current triangle – as Lucas Bravo, who plays Gabriel, has said he might not return for the next part of the story.
What Lucas Bravo Has Said About Potentially Leaving Emily In Paris
Bravo recently opened up to IndieWire about his time on the show. While at first he did love and see shades of himself in his Emily in Paris character, as time went on, he's grown distant because of the choices the character has made – relating it to Gabriel getting "slowly turned into guacamole" by the writers over four seasons:
In Season 1, there was a lot of me in him. But as they made him kind of unaware of his surroundings, of the dynamic, always victimizing and always being completely lost in translation and oblivious to anything that is happening around him and being manipulated by everyone, it kind of became not fun for me to shoot or to see a character I love so much and brought me so much, being slowly turned into guacamole.
Bravo continued to say that he has tried to add "nuances" to the character, but the actors don't have much "liberty" when they're working, and they have to do what is written down, further causing him to question whether he wants to continue the show:
It makes me question if I want to be part of Season 5 […] because my contract ends at Season 4. I really want to see if Gabriel gets back to his fun, cheeky, playful, alive self. Because three seasons playing melancholic, sad, depressed, and lost is not fun anymore.
I mean, it's not like I disagree. Emily in Paris is one of the best shows on Netflix to binge-watch, and it is primarily known for its rom-com atmosphere. Despite this, amidst everyone in the Emily in Paris cast, Gabriel has undoubtedly been a character who is more down in the dumps, particularly in Season 4.
The actor further stated he "loves" everyone on the show and the series itself, but he just doesn't know if he can stick around if this the direction his character is going:
I love the show and the people in it. With saying that, I feel like I am not being nice or grateful, but when you love something you want it to be…you want the best version of it. I'm not going to lie, I've been frustrated with the direction by character is taking. But we'll see where it goes. The show is not over.
The actor has really been doubling down on these types of comments lately. In fact, he also spoke in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro (via New York Post) and said the series does not "stimulate" him anymore and that he doesn't want to be a "part of a cog" that doesn't take the intelligence of the people watching the show seriously. He also states that the way the show deals with love is very "archaic:"
Everything is based on a lack of communication. It's a bit archaic. Today, the new generation expresses [its emotions] and confronts [them]. I would like [Gabriel] to rediscover a bit of panache.
Truthfully, I fully agree the character could use a refresh. Let's talk about what's going on with Gabriel in the show for those who need help remembering.
What's Going On With The Character Of Gabriel On The Show
As Lucas Bravo said, Gabriel is in a bit of a tight spot right now-- and I'm about to get into spoilers if you are not fully caught up! Emily is still drawn to Gabriel, and eventually, they do test out a relationship, but it falls apart when they try to make things work while Gabriel also attempts to take care of Camille, whom he believes to be pregnant.
However, during a holiday skip trip, Gabriel leaves Emily on a mountain while he chases after Camille. Emily realizes Gabriel will always take Camille's safety over hers because she is carrying his child, and decides to end things. This doesn't happen in the best way, considering he left her on a mountain as a fresh new skier.
At this point, we also know from the SPOILERY mid-season twist that Camille isn't pregnant and that it was a false positive, but things are already over, and everything is a mess.
Camille decides to move away and start a family on her own through adoption. Emily somehow winds up with another guy – Marcello, who actually helped her down the ski mountain – over in Rome while working there for her company for a bit – leaving Gabriel in Paris.
At the end of the Emily in Paris Season 4 finale, we see Gabriel is about to head off to Rome to go and fight for Emily. But after this, who really knows what's going to happen?
I have to say, when I was caught up with Emily in Paris Season 4, one of my biggest qualms was about Gabriel, so it makes sense the actor would feel the same way. Even so, I don't know how it would play out if Gabriel just suddenly vanishes after that cliffhanger. We'll see if Lucas Bravo returns or not when Season 5 comes around!
