Netflix gave us an early Christmas present this holiday season when it delivered Emily in Paris Season 2 all wrapped up in a pretty bow on December 22.
The new season followed the bubbly and gauche American with lovely tresses and a wardrobe that absolutely will never fit into that studio apartment of hers through her French escapades, which included parties in St. Tropez, champagne showers, and a lot of complicated relationships.
Here are the biggest moments from the second season:
‘Emily in Paris’ Season 2 Review – Emily Cooper Is So Bad, But So Good for Her Own Brand
Camille Found Out About Emily and Gabriel’s Hook-Up
Raise your hand if you thought it was really shady that Emily lied to Camille about hooking up with her boyfriend Gabriel?
While Emily felt terrible about it, and she likely thought it was a one-time thing since he was moving to Normandy, that didn’t change the fact that what she did was a huge betrayal of trust. When she realized that Gabriel was staying, she should’ve come clean immediately, especially when a heartbroken Camille confided in her.
Camille deserved better. She was one of Emily’s first and most genuine friends in Paris, so Emily should’ve paid back her kindness by telling her the truth.
If Emily was bold enough to sleep with Camille’s boyfriend, she should’ve been brave enough to come clean.
Instead, Camille had to piece it all together. She found out about Emily’s affair from Mathieu, and when she saw the frying pan in Emily’s apartment with Gabriel’s initials on it, she realized that the other woman was her best friend this whole time.
And you can’t blame her for publicly calling them out via a champagne toast at Emily’s birthday dinner or dumping the frying pan in the toilet.
Up until this point, I was team Camille. And she would have been best off by simply kicking both Emily and Gabriel to the curb.
The truth is, Emily and Gabriel never meant to hurt Camille. Their relationship just sort of happened. And if Emily had come clean about it, Camille likely would’ve understood that it was an “in the moment” situation, but the fact that they both kept it a secret from her made it that much worse.
Camille should’ve just went on with her life, however, she realized she still had feelings for Gabrielle, so she came up with some kind of revenge plot to get back at Emily and win him back, simultaneously.
When she reached out to Emily to make amends, they made a pact that neither one of them would pursue Gabriel romantically, but the whole thing felt off, and you just knew that Camille was going to use this to blindside Emily.
Sylvie is Married
Sylvia has been quite the enigma, which is part of what makes her character so great, but this season, we got to know her on a deeper level. She was a photographer in her past life… oh, and she’s married. Surprise!
While that was quite a shocker to both Emily and the audience, it was an even bigger revelation to her latest romantic interest, a younger photographer named Eric (not her son!).
Sylvie and her husband co-owned a restaurant in St. Tropez, but by the end of the season, he bought her half of the restaurant and became its sole owner.
And Sylvie used that money to start her own marketing agency!
Madeline in Paris
But before we get to that, we have to address the other American in Paris — a very pregnant Madeline who was the depiction of a stereotypical American. Even Emily wasn’t this bad!
Madeline and Sylvie are two headstrong women who butted heads almost immediately.
Madeline came to Paris with a vengeance as she immediately started interjecting her opinion and trying to do things her way. Americans think they always know best. And in this case, Madeline was basically trying to teach the French about their culture, which was never going to pan out well.
She suggested that the team poach Gregory, a rival fashion designer, whose agency dropped him ahead of his major fashion show at the Versaille. Sylvie informed Madeline that it wouldn’t sit well with their high-profile client, Pierre, but Madeline insisted.
The show went off without a hitch, and Pierre and Gregory even buried the hatchet, but the post-show was a different story.
Madeline was shocked when Pierre explained that his French fashion house needed an agency that understands what it means to be French, and Savoir, owned by a huge American conglomerate, was no longer that. He revealed that he was dropping them as an agency. When Madeline confronted Sylvie, she explained that she had done exactly what was asked of her. Madeline threatened to drag Sylvie to Chicago for a corporate review, but Sylvie beat her to the punch when she informed her that she resigned.
And not only that, but she was taking the team — Julien, Luc, and all of Savoir — with her!
With the money from her the aforementioned half of the restaurant, she had enough to open up her own independent agency. And who wouldn’t sign with them? Half of their previous clients agreed to follow them because everyone knows they are the best in the biz.
Madeline tried to spin this as a good thing, but the only head that will be served on a platter to the corporate team in Chicago will be her own.
I love how bold Sylvie was with her decision because she absolutely understood her worth. She also propositioned Emily to join the team and stay in Paris just a bit longer!
What will Emily do? Paris has changed Emily. She doesn’t vibe with Madeline anymore, and her loyalty is to Sylvie.
However, much of her decision still hinges on her love life!
Emily and Alfie
Emily in Paris Season 1 may have ended with Emily and Gabriel, but he wasn’t going to be the only man in her life. This is Paris, the city of love, after all.
Emily and Alfie met in French class, but they didn’t hit it off right away. They both seemed to resent each other, which meant that they would eventually end up in bed together. There’s a fine line between hate and love.
Once they admitted their feelings for each other, a relationship blossomed. And being with Alfie helped Emily keep her mind off of Gabriel.
Alfie was also pretty perfect — he was hot, a banker, spoke English, and really liked Emily.
Things with Alfie were easy. But they always say that what comes easy is never worth it.
When Alfie informed Emily that his assignment in Paris had ended and he was on his way back to England, he suggested that they embrace a long-distance relationship.
However, Emily wasn’t sold. Why? Gabriel, of course.
The Big, Belated Realization
Emily previously tabled her feelings for Gabriel because of the guilt she felt for betraying a friend. There was also that verbal pact she made with Camille about staying friends and only friends with him. However, when Sylvie offered her a job in Paris, she realized that her life in Paris was no longer a temporary pit-stop but an actual life with long-term potential. That’s when she realized that she needed to pursue her feelings for Gabriel no matter what.
She could no longer consider who it might hurt or how it might make others feel — she needed to prioritize herself and her feelings.
So, she ran to Gabriel’s door and attempted to confess her love, but it was too late — Camille was there and she informed Emily that she was moving in with Gabriel.
Yep, Camille went behind Emily’s back and broke the pact to get her man back.
Camille manipulated the situation perfectly. She knew she never stood a chance against Emily, but with Emily out of the picture, Gabriel was all hers. And when Gabriel realized Emily was serious about Alfie — who is a really great guy, by the way — he decided to settle for Camille.
And the realization crushed Emily. Talk about bad timing.
In the final scene of the season, Emily is trying not to have a breakdown when she phones Sylvie to inform her that she made a decision about her future.
Will she accept the job? My guess is that she will either stay and not allow Gabriel and Camille to sidetrack her career ambitions, or, she’ll turn down Sylvie’s offer only for Gabriel to realize that he can’t move in with Camille and confess his love for Emily.
How do you think this will play out?
Mindy’s Second Shot at a Career and Love
Ashley Park is one of the best things about Emily in Paris. And she got her own storyline that was more than just Emily’s sidekick. Sure, she was there for moral support and a shoulder to cry on, but she also got her own job as La Dame Pi Pi (truly love the name), a love story with Etienne, joined a band that made their money busking around Paris, and redeemed herself on the internet after her flub on Chinese Idol went viral.
Mindy’s adventure in Paris is just as exciting as Emily’s. And her voice was the soundtrack to the second season!
What did you think of Emily in Paris Season 2?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!