Emily in Paris season 4: Promising start, disappointing finish

The absolute Netflix hit "Emily in Paris" has reached four seasons. The latest installment has been split into two parts. The second part of the fourth season premieres on September 12. The main character still flounders around the same men and problems as if she were a character from a Brazilian telenovela.

Emily (played by Lily Collins) first appeared in Paris in 2020 and instantly won the hearts of Netflix viewers. The series, which chronicles the adventures of an American in France, was colorful, funny, pleasant, and engaging. The main character delighted with her elaborate outfits, entertained with her lack of knowledge about European culture, and fueled fans' imaginations about romances in the most famous city of love. This formula worked well for the first three seasons, but things went downhill. In August, the first part of the fourth installment debuted on the platform and was hard to digest. There was hope that the action would pick up in the second part, which was announced for September. These hopes proved to be in vain.

The third season left viewers with a series of unanswered questions. The climax was Camille and Gabriel's engagement party, which turned into a wedding that ultimately didn't happen. There was a subplot about the bride's relationship with a woman. Emily broke up with Alfie, thinking she could finally be with Gabriel. However, he found out that his almost-wife is expecting his child. The last episode left viewers on the edge of their seats. Instead of providing answers, the beginning of the fourth installment has slowed down, with the characters going in circles.

The first part is mainly a recap of the previous season. The characters, along with the viewers, had the right to feel lost. It felt like one dialogue and situation stretched over several episodes, much like in Brazilian telenovelas from the 90s. Unfortunately, not much more happens in the second part of the fourth season.

Changing the scenery in one of the episodes, when Emily goes from Paris to Rome, didn’t help. Introducing a new character, who for a moment seemed to be the third (or maybe fourth) person who would free the main character from the eternal dilemma of choosing Gabriel or Alfie, also didn't help. The only bright spot of the fourth season seems to be the development of the plotline of Emily’s mature boss, Sylvie. We get to know not only her professional but finally also her colorful private life.

And besides that? The same problems of the title character at work, the same ones outside. Breakups and reunions with the same men and discussions about them with the same friend. Even though the series was meant to be pure entertainment that doesn't demand much from the viewer, even such a concept must maintain a certain quality level. In the fourth season of "Emily in Paris," this is definitely missing. It’s boring. You almost want to tell the main character to pack her bags and end her seemingly endless adventure in Paris. We can reveal that this will somewhat happen, but not in the way we would expect. The final episode opens another door, which the creators do not intend to close.