"Emily in Paris" Grows Up
"Emily in Paris" Grows Up
Growing up is never easy, but the risk is stagnation or worse, becoming Benjamin Button
This week's format, like many of my posts, focuses on a specific theme while providing additional recommendations for TV shows, music, and a book.
Love, relationships, and intimacy are areas I gravitate to in show preferences.
To borrow a Paul McCartney quote from “The Girl is Mine”:
“I’m a lover. Not a fighter.”
Coincidentally, this is also the name of a song by The Kinks.
Whodunnits rate high on my list of preferred genres, especially when British, but as my kids like to remind me, I’m an emo person 🖤 who feels things deeply. So, it’s not surprising that this week, I'm contemplating the pain and joy that come with both romantic and platonic relationships, focusing on the themes of growth and nuance.
❗Warning: Spoilers below for Emily in Paris and The Old Man❗
Romantic Love - The Honeymoon Hump
Emily in Paris [Season 4] returned for the second half of Season 4 in the U.S. last week. I'll admit, I've taken my fair share of potshots at this show over the years, particularly after [Season 3]. But the fact that I'm still tuning in speaks volumes about its ability to keep viewers hooked.
What's more, these latest episodes might just be the strongest run the show has had to date. Why? Because they finally showcase the hard-earned gains of our leading ladies' growth experiences, bringing them to a place of genuine maturity.
It was refreshing to watch Emily and her bestie/roomie Mindy (Ashley Park) lean into their true passions - marketing for Emily and music for Mindy. While career and female empowerment have always been integral to the show, watching Mindy stand up to her 80s villain, James Spader-esque boyfriend, Nico, when he gives her an ultimatum - Eurovision or me, was one of the standout scenes of the entire four seasons. I credit Park, who effortlessly adds authenticity to every scene, whether she’s acting the part of the best friend, romantic partner, or shy diva on stage. Mindy has always known her worth, even if she hasn’t always actualized this. And guess what? When she finally did, good things happened because of her intentional choices, not despite them.
Similarly, Emily’s singular obsession with Gabriel, the smoldering French chef and neighbor she's been mooning over for four seasons, resulted in her getting the guy FINALLY, well kinda. He still thought he was having a baby with his ex, and there were some definite throuple dynamics between Emily, Camille, and Gabriel (minus the sex), but for the most part, Emily got what she thought she always wanted. And guess what? It wasn’t what she needed.
Sanity Check: When your boyfriend or SO convinces you, as a reluctant and newbie skier, to go with him to ski in the Alps and then leaves you at the top to go after his ex, you know it’s time to go. Broken bones aside, that’s a red flag. And to Emily’s credit, she did just that. That wouldn’t have happened a few seasons ago.
The fact that Emily acquired the sensitive, game-free Italian dreamboat Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini) was a bonus - an accoutrement, but it happened because Emily started to take her needs more seriously and make good decisions about her life, prioritizing healthy relationships. It also happened because Marcello literally helped Emily down the mountain after Gabriel ditched her. Subtlety is lost on this show.
Regardless, in an unrelated growth moment, Emily’s ability to change her narrative, adapting her mindset to fit her experience, resulted in her ability to accept Camille, her rival in affection for Gabriel, and move on. When she wishes Camille well in what seems to be a farewell of sorts, she doesn’t tell Camille that everything will be ok, reducing herself to a cliche. Instead, Emily opts for authenticity with Camille and explains that adjusting her definitions of what fulfillment looked like helped her achieve self-acceptance. So yeah, maybe Camille needs to try that for a change.
The fashion in this show is top-notch and always over the top in the best ways. There is some mad love for Audrey Hepburn, clearly, and Emily is an easy stand-in for the actress based on physical resemblance. The picture below with her strolling through the cobblestoned streets of Rome a la Roman Holiday (a film coincidentally frequenting my October Romance Film Lovers Club👇) is one such example of many. I’m ready for “EmilyinParis” to update her Instagram handle to “EmilyinRome” Anyone else?
Still Watching* :
Only Murders in the Building (Season 4) on Hulu.
Industry (Season 3) on Max.
Pachinko (Season 2) on on Apple TV+. 🔗[Review here]
The Old Man (Season 2) on FX and Hulu.
Bad Monkey on Apple TV+.
*in preferential order
Started Watching:
This season of Slow Horses on Apple TV+, Season 4, the addictive spy thriller that finally took home a much-deserved Emmy last week for writing. 👏 Season 4 is good, but not great so far. I should disclaim that Slow Horse’s “good” is far and away better than most other shows’ “great.” My main grievance was the wasted time spent toying with my emotions regarding River Cartwright’s fate (Jack Lowden). He’s not just Saoirse Ronan’s husband IRL. He’s this show’s heart.
Pop Culture Moment of the Emmys: Slow Horse’s Creator & Executive Producer, acceptance speech. His self-deprecation in response to his misfortune of sharing the same name as actor Will Smith (at an award show) resulted in him having to preface his acceptance speech with, “Despite my name, I come in peace.”
🏆 I hosted the [first-ever Emmy’s live chat] during last Sunday’s telecast. Thank you to
and for joining me. It was so much fun and can’t wait do return to his live chat format for the Golden Globe’s in January. Mark your calendars now. January 5th 8:00 - 11:00 pm est 📅Mature Platonic Bromance/Love
It’s time to switch our attention to some beautiful displays of male friendship and platonic love I’ve witnessed onscreen lately.
👴🏻 The Old Man (as referenced above) is a show I’m watching. Now in its second season, this spy thriller, boasts some major talent. Septuagenarians John Lithgow, as an FBI agent and Jeff Bridges, as ex CIA, are a mainstay and prominently featured this season in scenes together and it’s coup for us. Both are father figures for Alia Shawkat’s character, Angela Chase and as such have some unresolved issues in the form of rivalries and professional betrayals. They are forced together under dire circumstances, united in their love for Angela, to rescue her from capture in Afghanistan. The episodes so far that portray Lithgow’s and Bridge’s affection and annoyance with each other are the best part of this show. I can do without the Taliban and corruption, and Angela’s back story. Just bring me more of THE OLD MEN (the proper rename for this show) or GRUMPY OLD MEN. Felix and Oscar, move over.
Who knew a tagline for The Real World [when people stop being polite...and start getting real] would serve as a perfect segue to our next demonstration of platonic male love in the form of friendship show.
Bad Monkey started off strong, and is getting weaker by the episode, save the one redeeming aspect of the show and that is the friendship between detectives and former partners, Yancy (Vince Vaughn) and Rogelio (John Ortiz) known as Ro. Even when the two long-time friends hit snags, like they did in one of the recent episodes, they still manage to maneuver there way through it and emerge as stronger friends. Yancy’s tendency to talk incessantly and often say the most annoying things actually works in his favor with Ro. It allows him to openly express his love for his friend and share his feelings, contrasting with Ro’s more reserved and guarded demeanor. When Yancy finally says to Ro in the latest episode that he always has good intentions in mind, but goes about it in the worst ways, his vulnerability comes to the surface in ways that you can with good friends. Ro accepts this information with care holding onto it like a present. Similarly, Ro’s flustering in the face of expressing how sorry he is for what he did to Yancy and why he did it, was so poignant, especially with Yancy’s “letting him off the hook.”
Anne with an “E” but the ‘80s Version
My favorite book series growing up was Anne of Green Gables by Canadian writer L.M. Montgomery. My go-to adaptation was the CBC broadcast with Megan Follows and you can be sure I fell in love with Gilbert Blythe, Anne’s enemies-to-lovers love interest, but equally was enamored of Anne’s friendship with her BFF Diana. I haven’t watched the newish Netflix series, but my daughter is a huge fan.
One of my earliest memories of crying while watching a show was the scene in which Anne’s adopted father, the elderly, kind and gentle Matthew (Richard Farnsworth), a man of few words but much love, dies of a heart attack. I remember watching Colleen Dewhurst (who also played Murphy Brown’s mom) as Marilla Cuthbert cry in that scene, while trying to be brave with Anne, and I lost it.
Latest Book I’m Fanning Over
Because You Can’t Say Enough About Love
JOIN THE ROMANCE FILM CLUB
JOIN my October film club where we’ll be watching and chatting about these romance films via chat.
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Murder She Wrote, Or Close Enough
Writer Anthony Horowitz is no stranger to mystery and suspense. He’s known for the Alex Rider series featuring a 14-year-old British boy who spies for MI6, The Power of Five series, but it’s his Magpie Murders that put him on my radar. The show, whose sequel on PBS, Moonflower Murders, features the story of a fashion plate of a book editor (Lesley Manville), a fictional detective (Tim McMullan) and a deceased author who created said detective is such a fun time. As a mystery, there’s a murder or two generally and to solve it, the story alternates between the book world and real life uncovering of clues.
🎵MUSIC MUCH?🎵
I just found out this past week that Gracie Abrams, the talented chanteuse and daughter of J.J. Abrams, will be opening for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour when I see the concert in November in Toronto. Her new album, “The Secret of Us” is fantastic. Her song, “Close to Me” is used in the upcoming Netflix [romance comedy - trailer] with Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. The song was also used in the final few moments of Emily in Paris’ season 4 finale. It’s a vibe.
Random Gossip Girl “6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon” stuff - Kristen Bell was the narrator/voice of the titular Gossip Girl. Adam Brody is married IRL to Leighton Meester, who played the main character, Blair, in the show.
Let’s Discuss
What’s the last show or film you watched that had some healthy relationships shown?
What’s your earliest memory crying as a result of watching the demise of a beloved character onscreen?
Planning on joining my film club? That’s a rhetorical question. Of course you are.
Anyone else excited for the new season of Shrinking, speaking of platonic male love?
What’s a significant soundtrack song for you? I’m mesmerized by music that’s featured in scenes. For example, Lord Huron’s The Night We Met, has to have been used in some film, or TV show, but I can’t recall.
Earworm and Song Loop now belongs to the Michael Jackson - Paul McCartney duet, “The Girl is Mine” So awful it’s good. Thoughts?
Catching up on my reading.
I'm bummed that Emily... is in two parts. Season 4 is just half a season. Yes, the fashion does not disappoint. Is it true the rest of the season will be in Italy?
I LOVED the the Megan Fellows version of "Anne". The tears for Matthew were long and hard. Same for Alice in "Still Alice", and far too many other situations to mention! 😢 I recently picked up "Anne with an E" and enjoyed the pilot, but I'd had enough by the middle of the first season. I did enjoy the back story setups, the extension of storylines, and Geraldine James and RH Thompson as Marilla and Matthew.