Why Do People Love—And Hate—Emily in Paris So Much?
The Netflix hit that makes Paris sparkle
In mid-September, Emily in Paris fans clamored around TV screens to settle in and devour on Netflix the latest unfolding of Emily Cooper’s saga of romances, friendship, and career (and fashion!) in the fabled City of Light.
Season four’s part two episodes debuted to eager fans many of whom – this writer included – promptly binged all five new episodes in a single sitting. Emily in Paris is like candy: it’s brightly colored; it’s sugary; it’s fun, and in the moment; it’s deeply satisfying, offering a deliriously delicious sugar rush for viewers.
On September 16, Netflix announced that the hit show was renewed for a fifth season. Fans buzzed online – and in real life – with excitement at the news of its renewal.

Still from Emily in Paris on Netflix
A huge hit for Netflix
Emily in Paris has been a monster-sized hit for the streaming service since its first season premiered in October 2020, offering a respite and escape for viewers during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020. By 2022, the series was the most-watched show on Netflix. Starring Lily Collins as Chicagoan Emily Cooper, alongside her best friend Mindy Chen (Ashley Parks), the show quickly became a hit, and has only gained momentum, and viewers, over the years, as Emily’s life plays out on the silver screen.
Romances with her neighbor, chef Gabriel, her French language classmate, Alfie, and an Italian cashmere magnate, Marcello, only add to the escapism and sense of fun of the show. The creative brain behind the hit show is none other than Darren Star, creator of HBO’s Sex and the City.
It makes sense, then, that Emily in Paris sometimes feels like Carrie Bradshaw as a brunette traipsing around Paris. The parallels between the two female protagonists abound: saucy romances for our protagonist, enviable and chic (and over-the-top) Patricia Field-styled fashion looks, a career in media, and adventures in beloved metropolitan areas, New York City and Paris, which are a character unto themselves. Emily in Paris is, in a way, an unofficial multi-million-dollar marketing campaign for Paris.

Courtesy of Emily in Paris/Netflix
An unofficial Paris marketing campaign
But Paris needs no marketing. Even after the November 2015 attacks that devastated Paris and its residents, Paris eventually rose up triumphantly, as it always does, and glistened amid hardship. While Paris needs no marketing – because let’s face it: Paris will always be Paris, arguably the most beautiful city in the world – it has, indeed, benefitted from the Emily in Paris fan frenzy.
Google “Emily in Paris tours in Paris” and you’ll arrive at a plethora of options for the Emily in Paris fan visiting Paris who wishes to follow in Cooper’s footsteps and experience the places she does on the hit show, and see various filming locations, like Gabriel’s restaurant, the building where Emily lives on the show, and more. You can even book an entire Emily in Paris-themed vacation, reports The Washington Post.
France’s Le Monde even reported in January 2024 that “Netflix’s ‘Emily in Paris’ and ‘Lupin’ drive tourism, says French film center.” One article statistic reported that, “Four out of five foreign tourists to the French capital got an urge to visit after seeing a movie or TV series filmed in the city, according to a new study by France’s national cinema body.” Forbes reported earlier this year that “Atout France (the France Tourism Development Agency) has formally partnered with Netflix, for all of 2024.”
Backlash to Emily
Commercial success, no matter how celebrated, will always be met with detractors. With Emily in Paris, the naysayers do, sometimes, have a point. Even as a fan of the show, I must agree with the eye rolls at the fact that Emily’s French is subpar at best, despite working for a French company. Parisians and expats share many an eye roll over the concept of Emily in Paris on the whole.
She is American to a fault, and her American-ness makes even me, her Midwestern-raised countrywoman, cringe at times. To generalize with abandon, Americans are known for our positivity, friendliness, and earnestness. We try hard, we want people to like us, and we don’t believe in using all our vacation days because in the U.S., cash is king, capitalism reigns supreme, and using all one’s vacation days is not something most Americans do.
Speaking of work, some marketing-industry professionals (Emily works at a marketing agency on the show), say that Emily is bad at her job, too. (Glamour magazine unpacked the idea in an article titled, “I’ll Say It: Emily Cooper Is Bad at Her Job: Real-life marketing executives tell us their thoughts about her ideas on Emily in Paris.”)
The logistical-related backlash and the ways filming the series negatively impacted Paris locals – like with difficulty parking and walking through neighborhood squares – is certainly something with which one can empathize. At the same token, if you live in a beautiful and popular city like Paris, New York, Rome, or Chicago, most city dwellers accept and understand that navigating film crews on city streets are an expected price to pay for cosmopolitan living.

courtesy of Emily in Paris / Netflix
Why the show matters
Emily in Paris is not without its flaws, faults, and faux pas. However, it is delightful. It’s an escape. It’s deliciously addictive, even when it’s a bit cringe-y. The series is a popcorn fantasy version of Paris which makes the city sparkle even on the rainiest and coldest of days.
Watching Emily in Paris, you can’t help but have your heartstrings tugged at a wee bit, not because of Emily or her various romances (which are fun and swoony), but because of Paris. It’s always the city of Paris that has the power to elevate and enhance anything it touches, and this show is no different.
The City of Light has worked its magic yet again, and I’m here for it.
Lead photo credit : Photo credit: Emily in Paris/ Netflix
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