Emily in Paris: a review of the new Netflix Original series

Fun, flirty and very French, “Emily in Paris,” is a new Netflix Original series released on Oct. 2. If you’re into the whole “It-girl takes-on-the-big-city” kind of show, then you’ll be quick to fall into your new obsession with Emily and her Parisian lifestyle — and the drama that ensues.

This new series, by the creators of “Sex and the City,” strays away from the traditional locale of New York City and follows Emily in — you guessed it — Paris.

A work-obsessed marketing executive at a firm in Chicago, Emily, is unexpectedly sent to Paris to introduce an American perspective to a luxury French company, Savoir. Emily is thrilled with the news of this new opportunity that she ignores a slight problem — she doesn’t speak a word of French. 

Despite the language barrier, Emily is determined to win over her new, not-so-welcoming batch of coworkers who aren’t exactly pleased to have their work-life interrupted by a loud and upbeat American girl. Her new boss, Sylvie, is the least inviting of them all and is hell-bent on sending miss America right back to where she came from. Still, Emily has her heart set on getting her peers to like her and helping to widen the firm’s public presence by bringing in new social media strategies.

When I began to watch the show, I got the same feeling about Emily that her co-workers did — that she was a stereotypical American tourist that wanted to treat the city as one big photo-op for her social media. But not only does this series show the progression of her character as her world view expands, it confronts American entitlement as a quality that Emily learns to correct as she gains a better understanding of the French society and lifestyle.

To many watchers, the use of stereotypes about Paris may be detrimental to the show. It doesn’t fail to repeatedly surround Emily with every stereotype you’ve ever heard about Paris — the pastries, the Eiffel Tower, the snobbish French and their stylish outfits. 

But these cliches are just what our generation lives for — to feel like we are Emily having our dreams come true in a city that lives up to the expectations of Paris we’ve been dreaming about our whole life through unrealistic kids movies. This show definitely delivers if that fantasy is what you’re looking for.

Emily’s determination to succeed in her job even when the odds are stacked against her made me obsessed with her character. Emily’s naive yet always-optimistic qualities teach a teenage audience about perseverance and taking opportunities as they come, making this show an even better option for young girls to watch than drama-filled sagas such as Gossip Girl. Don’t get me wrong — Serena Vanderwoodsen will continue being one of the biggest female icons of TV history in my book — but Emily is a more updated and empowering take on what a girl should aspire to be.

While this may not be what an older generation is looking for in a show, it has that special je ne sais quoi that’s perfect for a teenage girl who wants to feel like she’s getting swept off her feet and taken to fancy events in the City of Love. And I’m that girl.