Ah, Emily in Paris. A show by Darren Star that has become quite beloved on the popular streaming platform, Netflix. And while the show has faced criticism for its portrayal of the French, it still managed to have several million people watch it every season – me being one of them - for its drama and French atmosphere.
But man, Season 3 might have been my breaking point.
I watched Season 1 and really enjoyed it, despite its flaws. I watched Season 2 and thought, “Well, the story itself isn’t as strong, but I like the love triangle aspect a little bit. And Alfie is cool.” Then Season 3 came along and I’m pretty sure there were more moments in this season that made me want to pull my hair out than any other.
Emily in Paris Season 3 will remain infamous in my mind, and here are my reasons why, because these instances made me want to just close my Netflix page all together.
How Emily Was Actually Struggling To Decide Where To Work
Like seriously. Why was this dragged out for so damn long?
When Emily in Paris Season 3 was announced, one of the leading problems that was a big draw for people to return to the show was the fact that Emily had to choose between returning home to Chicago with her boss or leaving the company all together and joining Sylvie at her firm.
This should not have been as big of an issue as it was. For two whole seasons, we saw how much Emily (played by Lily Collins) loved Paris. She loved the fashion, the food, the atmosphere, and eventually, she made genuine friends there and connections with people she didn’t expect. Hell, she even had a boyfriend in Europe at the end of Season 2 – who was most certainly not Gabriel, thank God.
So, why on Earth would she want to return to Chicago when she’s given this golden opportunity that she never would have been given when she first started to work there? I can’t fathom her wanting to go back and be with her boss when she saw how she treated Sylvie. It just didn’t feel right to me at all.
That Camille Ends Up Having An Affair
First off, I love the Emily in Paris cast and think they all do an amazing job, but one person I love especially has always been Camille, because she’s not only fashionable as heck, but knows what she wants. And in Season 2, there was literally a whole plot-point about how she wanted to never be with Gabriel again and instead made a pact with Emily that neither would be with him.
But in Season 3, she not only breaks that pact by being with Gabriel, but has an affair with Sofia, a Greek artist. This affair continues for some time, and eventually, Camille supposedly breaks it off with Sofia when Gabriel proposes to her – but she still doesn’t tell Gabriel about what happened. Only Emily knows and she’s finding it hard not to tell him.
It just aggravates me how Camille, who was so angry at Gabriel and Emily sleeping together at the end of Season 1, ends up in an affair. It feels like backwards character development to me.
That Benoît Didn’t Freaking Tell Mindy The Truth About The Song He Wrote
The love plot line between Mindy, Benoît, and Nicolas was honestly something that I didn’t care about at all during Season 3 of Emily in Paris because it just didn’t do it for me. I’m not a big fan of pushing drama onto couples that, for the most part, have remained drama-less, just by introducing a former friend or flame, or whatever.
But I have to talk about this – why didn’t Benoît just come clean about the reason why he didn’t want to sell his song to Nicolas and his company? That he wanted to submit it to Eurovision?
If he had told Mindy the truth, I doubt they would have broken up, and we never would have gone on this ridiculous adventure with Nicolas and the slight tension between Emily and Mindy. I get that he wanted it to be a surprise, but come on. It’s just such a waste of time.
That Alfie Was Emily’s Second Choice
Girl. Have you seen Alfie?
I understand that everyone has preferences, but there were so many reasons why Alfie should have been the clear winner between him and Gabriel. I mean, Gabriel is literally taken by Camille, so there’s that. Emily made a pact not to be with Gabriel (even if Camille broke that pact). But the bigger issue is that Gabriel actively chooses Camille. Every time.
I feel like he’d only choose Emily if Camille was completely out of the picture. But she’s not. And that’s the issue here – which is why I can’t get over how Emily doesn’t just want Alfie as her own.
Not only is the man good-looking as heck (c’mon, the actor is considered for the role of James Bond), he’s smart, witty, and British. Okay, maybe the latter item was a little bit more of my own preference, but come on. Come on. This is a sin. Move on, Emily!
That Luc Just Happened To Know Someone Who Was A Michelin Star Judge
For those who don’t know me, I’m a huge foodie. I love watching cooking shows, I’m a big fan of Gordon Ramsay, and I watched The Menu with the love of horror and food in my heart. I love learning about food, and the industry behind it, including the process of getting a Michelin Star.
I find it hilarious that Luc happened to be the ex of a Michelin Star judge, just so casually. However, what frustrates me the most is that Luc is so blunt with Gabriel, saying, “Oh, you’re heading for a Michelin star fast” or something like that. Michelin Stars just don’t happen overnight. They sometimes take years. I mean, even Ramsay himself didn’t receive one until after a year of working as head chef at a London restaurant called Aubergine.
The fact that Emily in Paris shows this as being so easy sickens me, to be honest. It's almost an insult to the profession. Gabriel is still so young. It’s rare for someone that young who runs a restaurant to earn a Michelin Star.
That Cliffhanger Made Me Roll My Eyes So Hard
Ugh. Just ugh.
Why? Why this trope? Why this of all things to run with?
Of course, of course, they have to keep pushing this love triangle into Season 4, as if it’s not already dead in the water at this point. But to add onto that, Camille is pregnant now! How great.
It’s just so lazy. So lazy. The finales have only gotten less and less interesting. The first one with Gabriel and Emily was at least entertaining, but then the job cliffhanger came around and now I’m just feeling like I’m watching my mother’s daytime soap operas.
Not that there’s anything wrong with those shows, but they do sometimes have these cliché ending tropes of someone getting pregnant just to continue a storyline (and I know, as I've watched them with my mother) and I’m kind of over it. Let Camille live her life. Let Gabriel do him. Let Emily find literally anyone else. I’m so tired of this back and forth.
Emily in Paris is coming back for Season 4, and I can only wonder what fresh heck I’m going to go through when it debuts. Until then, I’ll be taking biotin pills to grow my hair back, thanks.
