Emily in Paris season 4 part 2: Change in setting in Lily Collins' harmless binge

Breaking up a breezy binge like this Lily Collins-starrer into two parts releasing across two months didn't make too much sense initially. The two parts are narratively alike, but also quite different. Emily is torn between two men, two cultures, two states of mind across both parts – but the last five episodes amp up the scale, and in turn, the magnitude of her dilemma. She's not only stuck between two men, two cities, and two countries, but also between work and life, growth and stability, and past and future.

Tying up of loose ends

Thankfully, creator Darren Star hits the accelerator on where it left part 1. The narrative isn't as obsessed with the love triangle between Emily, Gabriel, and Camille, as a lot of developments happen on that front in the very first episode. Tying up those loose ends does take one full episode, but it doesn't feel stale thanks to the visual palette. Paris at the time of Christmas looks like a dreamland, even sans snowfall. Emily skating with Gabriel on thin ice isn't only an omen, but also the warm sweater-y hug we needed as an early holiday present and as a familiar start to the world we've consumed for four seasons.

Some old characters give way to new ones – there's Genevieve, Sylvie's American step niece who's hired at Agence Grateu as a potential threat to Emily. Will she turn Emily into the Emily from The Devil Wears Prada, and project herself as Anne Hathaway to Sylvie's Meryl Streep? But like the rest of her life, her professional rival infiltrates her personal life as well, by bonding beyond work hours with Gabriel. Then there's also Marcello (Eugenio Franceshini), the "Italian stallion" she chances upon when Gabriel abandons her once. These two new characters shake things up in the Emily ecosystem, which now is no longer limited to just Paris. Enter: Rome.

Roman holiday

It's clear that when a new country is introduced in a show called Emily in Paris, it's sure to take an unexpected detour. The Vespas with muted colours sauntering across quaint bylanes dotted by open cafes and centuries-old monuments are a much-needed stark contrast to the bustling streets of Paris, populated by packed cafes and sharp turns. Emily also feels Paris is more orderly, which complements her inherent facility for planning and organisation. But Rome is probably what she needs to grow – to ruin with age, yet hold on to a certain grace and lived-in wisdom. Now that she's kissed in front of the Eiffel Tower, maybe it's time to sit back and admire the cracks in the Colosseum.

The variance lies in not only the topography, but also the cultures. A casual workplace discussion between Emily and her colleagues leads to a debate about which country's coffee is better. Emily proclaims she's a Starbucks girl as she likes to spruce up her macchiato with caramel. Her French co-workers judge her and then argue that Italian espresso is strong, whereas the France's Café au lait is subtle so that it goes well with food. The debate is synonymous with Emily's dilemma – whether to stick to the subtle pleasures of her life in Paris or demand more drama in Rome. Like her, Gabriel is a workaholic, but Marcello is an ambitious businessman with a slow way of life, a lifestyle that fascinates Emily.

Work-life balance

Emily's conflicts now transcend men, and also revolve around the blurred lines between her work and life. Blending both in a cocktail and gulping it down gave her the high she needed to conquer France amid the culture shock. But now that she's achieved what she had to in one country, is it time for her to relocate again? Or has she just found her footing in France and should continue to milk it? Hopping countries isn't really her idea of growth, but does it make sense to do that if where she's heading allows her to keep a healthy work-life balance? She doesn't want to evolve into her boss, who has not blurred, but obliterated, the lines between life and work ever since she started her company. But would she be content with the slow life that's seducing her?

One learning that Emily is surely working towards is to master the language as much as she's imbibed the culture of a place. After Gabriel claims that their communication gap has to do with her language constraint as much as it's to do with his closed approach, she makes sure to download an Italian course on Duolingo while wooing Marcello. She wants them to speak the same language – whether it's literal, of love, or of life. Becoming Emily in Rome is pretty much like a change in her DNA, and also that of the show. Like the city that wasn't built in a day, the show also holds great promise because it refuses to settle down – and remains a thriving, enticing work-in-progress