Just days after the closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, a beloved Netflix romantic comedy set in the City of Light will debut its fourth season after a nearly two-year break. Emily in Paris, starring Lily Collins as the show’s wide-eyed American expat, returns for its split-in-half new season on Aug. 15, following that très dramatic end to Season 3 — which included the reveal that Emily’s flirt buddy Gabriel is expecting a child with his on-again, off-again French girlfriend Camille (who’s also friends with Emily).
You know you’re dealing with a major Netflix release, by the way, when the release schedule looks like this one: The first five episodes of Emily in Paris Season 4 are coming on Aug. 15, followed by the second half of the season a little less than a month later (on Sept. 12).
As for what viewers can expect from the new season, there’s basically going to be more of everything. More characters, more drama, obviously much more romance, and all new locales thanks to Emily’s busy travel schedule, which will take her from the French Alps to the piazzas of Rome.
Another bit of newness this time around is a seasonal change. Specifically, the use of winter as an element of the story lets people see Paris a bit differently — a little more gray and cozy, in other words, and not all twinkling lights and flowers. And as far as the plot goes, according to Netflix: “After the dramatic events of Camille and Gabriel’s misbegotten wedding, Emily is reeling. (Wouldn’t you be?)
“Emily has strong feelings for two men, but Gabriel is on the verge of becoming a father, and ex boyfriend Alfie’s (Laviscount) worst fears about her and Gabriel have been confirmed. Unfortunately, Emily and Gabriel’s chemistry is undeniable as they work together toward a Michelin star, but two big secrets threaten to undo everything they’ve dreamed of.”
Sylvie, meanwhile, is forced to confront a dilemma from her past for the sake of her marriage while the Agence Grateau team is also dealing with personnel shake-ups. And as if all that wasn’t enough, Emily’s bestie Mindy and her band find themselves forced to get creative when they run out of funds preparing for Eurovision.
In a world where streamers are increasingly cancelling shows right and left — both underperformers as well as seemingly popular titles — Emily in Paris is a bit of an outlier at this point, having lasted for four seasons now. Based on the audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, though, viewer satisfaction with the show has dipped a bit since its debut back in 2020, so hopefully the new season can recapture some of the show’s original magic.
