Die-hard fans have barely been able to wait for brand new episodes of "Emily in Paris" - much to the chagrin of many Parisians.
The cliché-laden series about Emily, a marketing manager from Chicago who is looking for love, success and adventure in Paris, has made both friends and foes in France.
Netflix began screening the second half of the fourth season (episodes six to ten) in September, with a plot development that threatens to steal the lead character away from Paris - something that French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his disappointment over.
Problems on every level
Parisians roll their eyes at the fairy-tale version of Paris depicted in the series since its launch in 2020. Produced by Darren Star of “Sex and the City” fame, the series is not the first to romanticize Paris as a post-card idyll.
Harper's Bazaar France has likened the series to a comic strip rather than a realistic depiction of the fashion world or even Paris. "There are problems on every level," the magazine writes. The juxtaposition of characters full of outdated clichés annoys both the French and the Americans.
French women, who are portrayed as wine lovers and even drinking while pregnant, is likely to be seen as a gratuitous and pointless affront, especially in France.
And the countless product placements, which led GQ magazine to call the series "one giant billboard", are likely to be more easily digested in the highly commercial US than in culture-conscious France.
'Emily is not welcome'
Anti-Emily graffiti appeared in central Paris before filming of the latest season began. "Emily is not welcome" read one message on the apartment block where Emily (played by British actress Lily Collins) lives in the series. Others reportedly read "South Paris is not yours" and "Fuck off, Emily."
The frustration is less about the countless stereotypes or the ditsy main character, but more about the numerous tourists who haunt the show's locations. Several tour operators now let people follow in Emily's footsteps.
And although Paris City Hall has criticised the show, be wary of idealised buildings as many Parisian buildings are actually badly insulated. The city's tourism website now lists the most important addresses in the series for fans.
The rise of Emily tourism in Paris
Paris does not need the extra publicity, says the AlloCiné website, as the French capital is one of the most visited cities in the world. Some 24.5 million tourists - not including French people - flocked to Paris in 2022. Americans accounted for the largest group of 7.9%.
Clearly, not all Parisians are keen on holidaymakers who send rents in the city centre sky high and clog up pavements. Anyone who has watched even a few episodes of "Emily in Paris" will quickly realise that the American way of life can clash with French savoir vivre.
But Parisians may now be able to breathe a sigh of relief as Emily will be travelling to Italy in the second part of the fourth season. Paris and Rome, which is also already groaning under masses of tourists, will soon perhaps vie for the attention of fans.
Tourists and clichés aside, the French like and even love Emily. The latest season topped the Netflix charts in France and the US, with nearly 20 million views worldwide during the first week.
One French fan of note is Brigitte Macron, the wife of President Emmanuel Macron, turning heads in France with a season four cameo on the show.
Who knows whether the French watch out of hate and actually think the show is stupid and are annoyed by the lack of French subtitles or words like "cauchemarque".
Macron to Emily: Stay in Paris
Amid the loss of Emily to Rome in season four, President Emmanuel Macron has even said wants the hit series to return to its titular city.
"'Emily in Paris' in Rome doesn't make sense," Macron told Variety magazine in October. "We will fight hard and we will ask them to remain in Paris."
According to Macron, the hit series is having a positive effect on France's reputation and he was "super proud" of his wife making a brief guest appearance in the latest season. Asked if he had also been asked to make a cameo appearance, Macron replied: "I'm less attractive than Brigitte!"
In the fourth season of the Netflix show "Emily in Paris", the main character (Lily Collins) heads to Rome - at first for a holiday, but then she gets the chance to run a marketing office there.
She also finds new love in Italy. And yet it remains to be seen whether the love affair will last or whether Emily is still drawn back to her on-again-off-again heartthrob French chef Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) in Paris.
Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri gave a prompt tongue-in-cheek response to Macron's statements: "Dear Emmanuel Macron, don't worry: Emily is doing very well in Rome. Besides, the heart wants what the heart wants: Let her decide."
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