There are few modern television shows that have divided women quite like Emily in Paris.
Some loathed every wildly impractical outfit, every chaotic workplace decision, every ill-fated love triangle. Others, like me, defended it passionately for being exactly what it claimed to be: the best kind of escapism with a side of pain au chocolat.
Whether you loved it, hated it, or hate-watched, the end of an era is officially here.
Netflix has confirmed that Emily in Paris will wrap up with its upcoming sixth season, which has now entered production in Greece.
Lead actor Lily Collins shared a farewell message to fans this week, promising the final season would deliver “everything you love about the show” and end “in the most chic way yet.”
And while I agree with producers that stringing the improbable story lines on any longer would nearly certainly end in ratings disaster, I’m still just a bit… bummed. Emily in Paris arrived at a time when people desperately needed low-stakes television. In a world increasingly dominated by doomscrolling and burnout, Emily in Paris offered something refreshingly unserious.
The series began streaming in the peak of the pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and quickly became the most popular comedy on Netflix that year. Since then, it has remained steadfast on Netflix’s top 10 lists.
“It’s a saccharine series filled with stereotypes, and yet we can’t get ourselves to totally hate it,” French culture magazine Telerama said when the show started.
It also became strangely influential. When the show pivoted to Rome for season 5, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on social media: “We will fight hard. And we will ask them to remain in Paris! Emily in Paris in Rome doesn’t make sense.” Brigitte Macron also played a cameo appearance in the fourth season.
Of course, the series also sparked endless conversations about ambition, career reinvention, friendship, and the very millennial tendency to move countries in search of a better life.
The final season is expected to continue Emily’s increasingly international adventures, with filming taking place in Greece and Monaco, although creator Darren Star has reassured fans that Paris remains central to the story.
So now comes the big question: what does Emily’s fate actually look like?
Gabriel? Alfie? Mindy? A long-overdue LinkedIn recruiter from Chicago offering hybrid work and emotional stability?
At this point, we’re just hoping Sylvie, our true heroine, gets the ending she deserves.
Emily in Paris may not go down as the defining television masterpiece of the decade. But as comfort viewing? It’s the crème de la crème.