In a year in which the pandemic hit hard, the mere thought of hopping on a plane to a random destination was out of sight and out of mind. However, Netflix somehow made viewers feel at ease on their couches when Emily in Paris arrived on the streaming platform filled with haute couture looks, drama, and a lot of “bonjours”. Although we weren’t physically in Paris like the lead character, its undeniable lighthearted narrative was a welcome form of escapism.
As viewers get ready for more intrigue from Emily’s (Lily Collins) professional journey at Savoir, as well as her complicated relationship with Gabriel, here is a complete overview of everything that happened in Season 1 and how it all ended, if you need a refresher.
Emily’s Move to Paris
After the American marketing company she works for acquires Savoir (a top-notch marketing firm in Paris), Emily Cooper is selected to move overseas and become the American representative overseas, given that her boss (Kate Walsh) is pregnant and unable to go. Despite her enthusiasm to join the team, Emily has no knowledge of the French language or customs. This is clear during her first weeks in the country when she is instantly criticized by her peers for speaking loudly, arriving places early, and never not working. While Emily is committed to her job and excited to kick-start different projects, her Parisian coworkers are not in the same headspace as her, preferring to smoke cigarettes, take things as they come, and generally embrace a healthier work/life balance. In the beginning, Emily was also determined to remain in a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend Doug (Roe Hartrampf), who stayed in Chicago. Their breakup happens soon after her move, given that her boyfriend wasn’t willing to leave Chicago aside to visit her in Paris.
The Hope at the End of the Tunnel
Just when everything seems to go south, Emily’s life takes an unexpected turn for the better when her campaign for a menopausal product goes viral (questioning the fact that the word "vagina" is masculine in French), even attracting the attention of First Lady Brigitte Macron. At the same time, she earns more and more followers on Instagram as she captures beautiful shots of her surroundings and everyday affairs in Paris. Talking about affairs, love isn’t that far away from Emily’s radar. From Antoine (who secretly has an affair with Sylvie) to Camille’s (Camille Razat) younger brother Timothée (remember the awkward moment when she noticed he was just 17?), the character had multiple encounters with bachelors, but none of them stole her heart the way her neighbor Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) did. However, there is a slight problem. He is in a relationship with Camille, a girl whom Emily quickly befriends.
New Friendships Blossom
Camille and Gabriel aren’t the only ones to cross Emily’s path when the subject is friendship. Most notably, Emily becomes close to Mindy Chan (Ashley Park), a wealthy Chinese woman who works as a nanny in Paris after she failed at her chance to fame in an Americal Idol-like competition. As the two confide to each other, Mindy helps Emily understand the French ways better and in return, Emily supports Mindy by reminding her of the dream she used to have of becoming a well-established singer. Witnessing Mindy singing “La Vie En Rose” in the middle of the park was a highlight during this season. She is also the only one who knows about Emily and Gabriel’s fling, so the two best friends keep the details under wraps whenever Camille is close by.
A Disaster for the Better
Despite the successful turnaround of the Vaga-Jeune campaign, Emily faces a PR stunt when she poses on a fashion show wearing Pierre Cadault’s (Jean-Christophe Bouve) dress and is slammed with paint by a group of controversial designers called Grey Space. The repercussions are disastrous as the character lands on the front cover of newspapers, unintentionally tarnishes the designer’s reputation, and gives her boss Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) a valid reason to fire her. In order to make amends, Emily helps Cadault get his payback by crashing Grey Space’s Fashion Show and securing her job back. Not to mention that she sparks a potential romance with Cadeau’s nephew Matthew (Charles Martins).
A Faux Goodbye
Gabriel decides to move to Normandy and open a restaurant there, since his restaurant in Paris is going through a financial crisis. Camille tries to convince him multiple times to accept her family’s offer to pay for the restaurant’s expenses, but he is still determined to leave. When the announcement is official and Gabriel is set to move away, him and Emily give into their desires and have sex before saying goodbye. Although, to their surprise, Gabriel doesn’t have to go away anymore given that Antoine (William Abadie) offers to invest in his restaurant. Despite being happy for Gabriel, Emily comes to the realization that their night together will pose an even greater threat to her friendship with Camille and her newfound romance with Matthew.
What Can We Anticipate from Emily in Paris Season 2?
Now that Gabriel is back in Paris for good and Emily will remain at Savoir, the next chapter of this Netflix original is destined to deliver a lot of drama. Emily will have to deal with the misstep with Gabriel and either keep what happened from Camille or eventually admit to it. Both options won’t be easy for the character to handle. On top of her romantic woes, there is the fact that Emily must continue to impress Sylvie and the rest of her team at Savoir if she doesn’t want to risk her career again.
From what we can tell from the trailer, Emily will also be drawn to a new man this season, who could potentially take her mind off Gabriel (even though we know that will be unlikely). Amid all of this uncertainty, we do know that Emily and Mindy’s bond will be even tighter as the two venture through Paris in search of what is best for themselves. As Mindy utters on Season 2’s official trailer: “You need to decide what you want and not what will make everybody happy.”
Check out Emily in Paris Season 2 on Netflix starting on December 22nd.