Emily In Paris Season 2: Short, Sweet, and Still without a Plot

Image Courtesy of Netflix

By Kat Kaderabek 

The long-awaited exploits of actress Lily Collins, who stars as Emily in Netflix’s Emily in Paris, have returned with even more spunk and questionable fashionable choices in the recently released season two of the show. Following the not-so-startling cliffhanger from last season, Emily is forced to deal with the fallout of her romantic night with chef Gabriel, who also happens to be her friend Camille’s very recent ex-boyfriend. Camille is determined to win Gabriel back, and Emily spirals under the guilt and shame of her affair with the young and sexy chef, who now only has eyes for Emily. 

Very little occurs during this second season of the show, other than the expected blowout between Camille and Emily and the introduction of yet another love interest for Emily. This time the dashing Brit, Alfie, played by actor Lucien Laviscount, reluctantly falls for Emily’s charm and determination to get him to enjoy the city of Paris. With a new man on her arm, what could possibly go wrong? 

While the plot is just as lacking in the second season as in the first, the sights and sounds of Paris do not get any less beautiful and breathtaking. This time, the show takes the audience on a tour of France to places like Saint-Tropez, the Palace of Versailles, and Champagne. These scenic countryside views leave audiences feeling both wistful and struck with wanderlust for the sprawling French coastlines. 

Additional new Paris cityscapes are seen in this season. This includes Fontaine Saint-Michel, Père Lachaise Cemetery, and Champ de Mars, a sprawling public garden. All of these beautiful locations add to the overall quality of the show and this aspect is one of its most desirable watch factors. You should not watch Emily in Paris for the plot, but rather for the heart-stopping views of the city of lights. 

Of course, the scenic views need to be paired with outfits to match their striking beauty; Emily in Paris partially delivers on this. Renowned for her fashion choices, Emily makes quite a few questionable ones during this season. She regales her Instagram followers with some breathtaking pieces, including her season finale dress: a red tulle ball gown with a high-low cut and large, swanlike sleeves. However, many of her other outfits did not deliver. She often pairs the most atrociously contrasting colors together as if she is trying to model herself after traffic light. For example, she wears an outfit that entirely covers herself in yellow, orange, and green stripes, paired with a horrendously large french beret. The costume department did not excel, as expected, this season. While they placed several gems throughout the episodes, many of Emily’s outfits were lackluster and gimmicky. 

Emily’s friends, Camille and Mindy, received more spotlight than expected during this season. Camille was directly involved due to her key role in Emily’s guilt over her affair with Gabriel. However, Mindy, played by Ashley Park, also received an enormous amount of air time and even a love interest this season. After joining a band, Mindy quickly falls for a fellow band member and they quickly craft a whimsical and wistful Paris romance filled with hand-written songs, gelato by the Seine, and a romantic gesture that tied their short filler-plot into a nice little bow. Her romance plotline seemed to deviate from the main focus of the show and added little to the already lacking plot, but it was endearing to see the character happy. 

In true soap opera fashion, quite literally everything goes wrong in the most predictable and exhaustive manner. There is very little creativity in terms of the plot of the show; it feels like a beach-read come to life on screen. The episodes are short and easy to binge during an afternoon of folding laundry, but there is little to write home about in terms of Emily in Paris season two. Save it for a rainy day. 

Each episode passes by in a breeze, most likely due to the lack of a decent plot. This was unfortunate because it made the season feel very short and irrelevant to the development of the overarching story of Emily in Paris; the most important episodes of the ten-episode series were the first and last. Everything that happens in the middle was all filler content leading up to the career-making or ending decision Emily is left with during the finale. Due to the show’s incredible popularity, there will most likely be an answer found in season three. If tradition is kept, the third season will be released around the same time next Christmas for that perfect holiday binge marathon between Christmas and New Year.