As you sit down to embark on the journey of watching the fourth season of Emily in Paris, just know you’re in for a messy ride. The first half of the season was released on August 15th, and the second half followed on September 12th. This massive gap between releases makes the two parts feel like they’re from different shows. This season feels like a disorganized jumble of ideas that somehow manages to maintain a cool vibe, which results in a frustrating yet enjoyable experience for viewers.

Let’s start off with what everyone’s thinking: “What is going through Emily Cooper’s head!?” The combination of her questionable life decisions, insane outfit choices, and constant need for a man by her side truly makes her unbearable this season. I just can’t get myself to fall for her stereotypical outlook on French life. The audience is in a constant consensus screaming “Why!!!!” at the TV when Emily yet again makes another baffling decision. Despite all these mistakes she continues to make, Emily seems to never face any consequences for her actions, which feeds into her completely unrealistic lifestyle.

Any good writer should realize that when you combine character arcs which aren’t fully fleshed out, and add multiple plot twists into the story, watchers will be left feeling whiplashed. This is exactly what I felt. As the show carried on, it was constantly overtaken by unnecessary plot points which I couldn’t even remember as soon as I stepped away from the TV. 

Even though there were clear negatives which took over the show, some other parts did shine through to present watchers with an intriguing experience. The scenery of this show is undeniably incredible, taking it to a whole new level. The setting was constantly fulfilling any unchecked boxes that were left. From the historic views of Paris to Rome, I was kept engaged and yearning to be enveloped in the ambiance. Blissful energy radiated off the show in order to make any issues in the plotline fade away, even if that’s not the ideal takeaway one should have after watching a show.

I somehow always keep crawling back for more when I see the announcement of the upcoming season of Emily in Paris because who can resist a story of a young woman searching for love in the city of love. Despite its flaws, I can’t tell if this guilty pleasure of a show leaves me with more guilt or pleasure, but it’s definitely somewhere in between. I will be back around for season 5, because I just can’t quite stay away…unfortunately.