“Emily in Paris” season 2 – what what what the F?

I don’t usually chase romantic comedies, especially if it’s not a movie but a whole series. However, I have to admit that “Emily in Paris” is a good show. It keeps pulling you to the next episode. Just that a good show doesn’t mean you’ll like it — like to watch it and to like the ideas / characters too as in loving the show are two different things.

I finished watching Season 2 which was released a few days ago. Here, let me briefly talk about how I feel after first watching Season 1 here: Interesting, uncomfortable, and related. Season 1 introduces all of the main characters and their relationships, interesting storyline, etc.

As for me personally, I can relate a lot to Emily from the first season, especially in relation to “working in a foreign city and the feeling of alienation from the locals, mainly because of the language”.

As an East Asian living in Germany, this reminds me a lot of the first year I worked in a local German office. I can communicate in German, however at that time I’ve only learnt the language for less than a year, I wasn’t fully able to express myself. For my colleagues, they don’t need to understand my struggle — if you can’t speak the language well, you shouldn’t have the job.

That one point that I ONLY felt a little uncomfortable about watching Emily make so little effort to learn French. Going to class is like telling people, “You see, I am trying” but she wasn’t really. I know it’s a drama, and in reality, the characters in the show wouldn’t speak as much English as the French (speak English for one person, Emily — and for the audience too), especially if the two French are talking to each other. But for Emily, knowing that she will only be staying in Paris for a year, it is still understandable why she is not trying too hard, and this is JUST like what Sylvie said:

“You come to Paris. You walk into my office and you don’t even bother to learn the language. You treat the city like it’s your amusement park. And after a year of food, sex, wine and maybe some culture, you’ll go back to where you came from.”

In season 1, you might think of Sylvie as a typical old B in the office, but she was actually right.

This is not the main point that made me feel uncomfortable, though, just that the attitude of Emily not trying to integrating into the culture at all speaks a lot about the character, as Sylvie describes it.

The main thing that made me feel uncomfortable is the relationship part, which is the main plot of the series.

Emily had no friends when she just arrived into the new city. Later she met Mindy, Gabriel and Camille. Gabriel is a very charming man, but to be honest, besides being very handsome, his character isn’t that… likeable. I know most of the people who watch the show want him and Emily to get together, but. Really?

At first he has a stable girlfriend, but he flirts with Emily, and Emily initially doesn’t know about it. In the show he couldn’t decide what he wants, he’s not sure about everything and his attitude can almost only be explained by “they are French, they are French”. But not everyone in France is like that. Long story short, imagine if Gabriel were an average looking guy, I don’t think this couple would have that many supporters. Emily later realised that Gabriel was Camille’s boyfriend, so yeah, she was trying to stay away … You can’t blame her for being emotional attached, but on action-wise, staying away is the right thing.

However shortly after Camille and Gabriel broke up (like in a week?), she went to his bed.

Even Gabriel might goes away, even they ‘already broke up’, do you sleep with a friend’s just-broke-up-boy-friend so soon?

The only explanation is this: She wants to shag her friend’s boyfriend while they are still together.

To date a friend’s ex boyfriend after they split for a while might not be a problem, but it would be a huge problem sleep with him the day after they broke up. If you think a little of your friend, you can’t do it. Sometimes it is not all about what we want, also not to make everyone happy like what Mindy said, it is just the basic moral …. when you know this is not right, then this is not right.

Camille was so kind to Emily (at least in the first season, before all the betrayal). Camille was very friendly and invited Emily to attend events and do things together. I would love to have a friend like Camille. I feel very bad for her after season 1. As for Gabriel, if he doesn’t like Camille that much, he should have break up with her from the start, not until he meets a new person. It’s not fair for Camille and wasted her time as well.

The bottom line is, if someone is attached, don’t touch. If you are attached, be loyal or break up unless both parties are into swing couples and are open about it.

SO now we talk about Season 2. (Spoilers!)

Gabriel decided to stay in Paris at the end, so OOooooooops for Emily.

Now it’s a big mess.

Camille was still very nice to Emily, until she found out the whole thing and had a 180ºC change. A lot of people say they hate Camille because she was a fake friend to suggested Emily that they should both stay away from Gabriel but end up “get him back”. OH….Really? Who was a fake friend first? Don’t get me wrong, after watching Season 2, I also think Emily is a very sweet person and she just messed things up because she has been handling things badly, and yes she wouldn’t have slept with Gabriel just soon after the couple broke up. She was trying to date other guys, stay away, even it won’t change the fact that she betrayed her friend once. But you also can not blame Camille for doing what she did in the show, she has every reason to.

Alfie seems like a very hot character, but the show didn’t describe him enough. It’s more that he is only added into the show to have someone to distract Emily’s desire for Gabriel. The chemistry between Alfie and Emily is not strong enough and Alfie is just too checked out. Suggest to do a long distance at the end with Emily? Long distance never work unless you can made it short, i.e. One side have to move to another side’s country/city. The one who moves has to sacrifice more and the one who takes his/her partner into his/her city has more responsibility. Alfie and Emily have only just started dating and it won’t end well if they keep their distance from the start.

How I look at their relationship now. Is that even Camille and Gabriel are getting back together now, it won’t works — Because Gabriel is a guy who can’t make up his mind and they have had too many bad memories together. “You can forgive, but you can never forget.” It’s hard for a couple to keep going.

Gabriel and Emily pairing doesn’t look good either — unless Camille meets someone else who deserves them better and she thinks he’s better for her than Gabriel, and Emily decides to stay in Paris, learn the language and plan her life and future in Paris. It could happen in season 3, but who knows.

There are some other side stories that put me off on the show, but I think a highlight here is the Ukrainian woman in season 2, episode 4. Netflix has been so wary and supportive of issues like “BLM”, “LGBTQ” etc. But this one Episode they made a stereotype about Eastern European women — A greedy, uneducated, stupid thief. Really? in 2021 (almost 2022!) ????? Some comments said if they can make fun of the French, they can make fun of everyone. But the so-called jokes about French are very mild, and not so negative, somehow they help to push and explain the story. That Ukrainian woman part was however completely unnecessary, didn’t help the show, and wasn’t funny at all either. It’s such an insult. I am surprised that they are overseeing this and letting this story roll out! Imagine if it wasn’t a Ukrainian but a black woman, I think there will already be protests in the USA.

I can go on, but I’ve written enough. Personally, I hope that both Emily and Camille will meet someone else and are happy. I don’t know when season 3 is coming, but given the open ending, it definitely will. Hopefully we don’t have to wait another year.

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