IANS Review: ‘Emily in Paris 2’: Bright, bubbly and cheerful, worthy of binging (IANS Rating: ***1/2)

By Troy Ribeiro

Series: 'Emily in Paris' - Season 2 (Streaming on Netflix)

Duration: 30 minutes each episode

Director: Andrew Fleming

Cast: Lily Collins, Ashley Park, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Lucas Bravo, Samuel Arnold, William Abadie, Camille Razat, Bruno Gouery, Kate Walsh, Lucien Laviscount, Jeremy O. Harris, Arnaud Binard

IANS Rating: ***1/2

This ten-episode series, 'Emily in Paris' Season 2, is the extension of Season 1. It delves into the life of the skinny, pretty, and perky American, Emily Cooper who is working in Savoir, a small boutique marketing agency for luxury brands in Paris. She was sent here on deputation by the Chicago-based conglomerate The Gilbert Group, but because of her excellent rapport with some of Savoir's hard-to-impress clients, her stay at Savoir has been extended and thus unravels Season 2.

Emily's universe in Paris involves her office colleagues, her clients, her classmates at her French language classes, and her roommate Mindy along with her friends.

Time has moved quickly, and now Emily is more entrenched in her life in Paris, balancing her work life, romance, and friends. As usual at the office, being a non-Parisian or, for that matter, a non-French, she is given the cold shoulder and is often snubbed for being different.

Her focus in Paris is work which often gets complicated due to her friendship and romance involving her clients. But that does not deter her from being herself - an optimistic young woman who believes in herself and in doing things without malice this is what makes her indispensable and keeps her ticking in Paris.

Throughout the series, she carries the guilt of her romance which occurred in the earlier season, and tries to correct the wrong she did. There is grief and drama over misunderstandings packed into every episode.

Lily Collins as Emily Cooper is pitch-perfect for her role, and you love her instantly despite her flaws. She is aptly supported by a plethora of ace cast whose performances are relatable.

They are - Philippine Leroy Beaulieu as her mean boss Sylvie, the good-looking Lucas Bravo as Chef Gabriel Lavaux who has a soft corner for Emily and is also her client, Ashley Park as her Asian friend Mindy Chen who dreams of becoming a pop-singer, Camille Razat as Emily's client-cum-friend who is in love with Chef Gabriel Lavaux, William Abadie as the businessman Antoine Lambert who is an investor of the restaurant set up by Chef Gabriel, the charming Lucien Laviscount as Emily's classmate at the French Classes who affectionately calls her - "A sweet concerned American", and Kate Walsh as the heavily pregnant Emily's Chicago-based mentor Madeline who now appears in Paris.

Visually the series is glossy and bright. Paris, the city of romance, is evocatively captured in its glory. The aerial shots of the city that appears intermittently throughout the series, are alluring.

Overall, season two of Emily in Paris is bright, bubbly, and cheerful worthy of binging.

Source: IANS