Emily in Paris. Lily Collins as Emily in episode 403 of Emily in Paris. Cr.

STEPHANIE BRANCHU/NETFLIX

With the Paris Olympics wrapping up last week, the timing couldn’t be more perfect for the return of Emily in Paris. The stylish and delightfully chaotic romance drama has become one of Netflix’s biggest hits since its premiere in October 2020.

Season 4, which released its first part on August 15, sees Lily Collins return as Emily, the fashion-forward and impressionable American marketing executive who moves to Paris and must navigate the culture, new coworkers and friendships, and falling in love with not one—but two men.

This fourth installment continues after the fallout from Camille (Camille Razat) and Gabriel (Lucas Bravo)’s botched wedding in the Season 3 finale. Before they were about to say “I do,” Camille revealed the unresolved feelings between Gabriel and Emily, causing Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) to break things off with Emily.

“It’s picking up the complicated remnants of the bomb blast of Camille running out of the wedding and the announcement that she’s pregnant,” said Andy Fleming, the Emily in Paris EP who directed the first three episodes of Part 1.

Fleming added that at the start of the fourth season, Emily also questions whether there’s anything left with Alfie or Gabriel. “That’s the journey of the season. Like, where should she go? Should she move towards either either of them or in a new direction, and is just being single a good thing.”

For the first few episodes in Season 4, it seems as though Emily could be with Gabriel or Alfie, or potentially with no one, as she realizes how many hunks live in Paris. Although Alfie is initially reluctant to forgive her—dampening any hopes of reconciliation at the tennis match—he eventually has a change of heart. But it’s too late, because Gabriel seizes the moment to reveal that his feelings for Emily have remained unchanged, even if he has a baby on the way with Camille.

In Episode 3, the moody and extravagant Masquerade Ball marks a turning point in their seemingly endless love triangle, as both Gabriel and Alfie profess their love for Emily. “Every character comes into the party with one idea of where their life is going, and then it takes a right turn,” Fleming explained.

Filmed at the Baccarat Museum, which Fleming described as “one of the most beautiful places in Paris,” the director praised the ball’s black, white, and red palette. The scene also features dance numbers, special effects, and “amazing” extras to pull off the stunning sequence.

Emily faces a tough decision at the ball and ultimately chooses to be with Gabriel. When the night ends, they slip away together, only to be seen by Alfie, who mistakenly believed he confessed his true feelings to Emily. (He had actually spoken to Sabine, who was wearing the same outfit as Emily.)

Emily in Paris. Lucas Bravo as Gabriel in episode 403 of Emily in Paris.

STEPHANIE BRANCHU/NETFLIX
Emily and Gabriel share a steamy, Bridgerton-esque moment in a carriage, which, while less graphic than Penelope and Colin’s scene, still marks a defining moment in their relationship. But that wasn’t the only nod to Bridgerton in Season 4. Earlier in the episode, Mindy mentions Bridgerton by name when she and Emily arrive at the ball and spot a carriage suspiciously rocking. “Oh! Someone’s living out their horny Bridgerton fantasies,” Mindy says, to which Emily replies, “Are you kidding me?”

“There was a Bridgerton joke in there, like we referenced Bridgerton in that,” Fleming said about Mindy’s mention of Netflix’s regal drama, which dropped its third season earlier in the summer. “We’re not going to out, out Bridgerton,” he added, noting that they “dipped our toe in that pond and then went in another direction.”

When I asked Fleming about the most emotional scene to shoot in Season 4, he referenced a small but impactful scene in Episode 2. “It’s a fight between Emily and Gabrielle in front of the restaurant. They’re yelling at each other, and he says, ‘I’m so sick of these lies.’ And she says, ‘I am too.’ You’ve never heard them speak to each other like that.”

He continued, “You’ve never heard Emily connect with her gut like that. And that was really it was really nice. It takes her to a different dimension and shows her really connecting with her rage and her inner voice.”

Fleming added that he also loves the scene when Emily and Camille return from Giverny. “Emily and Camille are walking up. And then Gabrielle comes out, and he hugs Cami, and Emily kind of stands off to the side awkwardly. And then Sofia appears, and she kisses and hugs Emily, and they say, ‘I love you.’ And Emily and Gabriel are just standing on either either side. I was very happy with that scene.”

There’s plenty to look forward to when Emily in Paris Season 4, Part 2 resumes on September 12, especially after the shocking revelation that Camille is no longer pregnant—and she lied to Gabriel about it. Emily is also slated to leave Paris for Rome at some point in Part Two, though by the end of Episode 5, the reason for her Roman holiday is not yet revealed.

Emily in Paris Season 4, Part 1 is streaming on Netflix.