Tag: Twist

Emily in Paris shook things up by having their main character leave France — but what comes next?

The Netflix series, which debuted in 2020, originally centered around Emily’s move from the U.S. to France, and the challenges that come with that. Emily (Lily Collins) subsequently found herself caught in a love triangle (Lucas Bravo) between Gabriel and Alfie (Lucien Laviscount), but the situation changed significantly by the time season 4 came to an end.

Emily and Gabriel’s attempt to give their romance a chance ended quite abruptly. From there, Emily moved on with Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini) while Gabriel realized that he wanted to fight for her. Emily, however, had made the move to Rome and appeared to start her future with Marcello.

Off screen, creator Darren Star shut down concerns that Emily in Paris would now be Emily in Rome. But there were still concerns about Gabriel’s future on the show after Bravo said there was “lack of risk” on the show.

“In season 1, there was a lot of me in him. But as they made him kind of unaware of his surroundings, of the dynamic, always victimizing and always being completely lost in translation and oblivious to anything that is happening around him and being manipulated by everyone, it kind of became not fun for me to shoot,” he told IndieWire in October 2024. “Or to see a character I love so much and brought me so much, being slowly turned into guacamole. I really grew apart from him.”

Bravo hinted that he might step away from the show.

“It makes me question if I want to be part of season 5 — because my contract ends at season 4. I really want to see if Gabriel gets back to his fun, cheeky, playful, alive self,” he continued. “Because three seasons playing melancholic, sad, depressed, and lost is not fun anymore. It’s a comedy, everybody is having fun around me, everybody is jumping around, and I’m just slowly sinking into god knows what.”

The actor, however, signed on for season 5 after Netflix renewed the series. It remains unclear how Bravo’s criticism will — or won’t — be addressed. Keep scrolling for everything to know about season 5 of Emily in Paris:

Will Season 5 Return to Paris or Stay in Rome?

Despite fan concerns about where season 5 will be set, Starr pointed out a crucial detail to Deadline, saying in September 2024, “She didn’t change her Instagram handle to Emily in Rome. She is working in Rome sometimes. Sylvie’s company has an office in Rome. Emily’s getting that on its feet. I don’t necessarily think that it means a permanent — in my mind, it’s definitely not a permanent — move to Rome. We’re not leaving Paris.”

What About the Campaign for the Show to Stay in Rome?

French President Emmanuel Macron told Variety in October 2024 that he planned to “fight hard” so Emily in Paris didn’t relocate to Italy for season 5. The outlet has since reported that the upcoming season will remain in Paris — with some scenes being filmed in Rome. A third destination for the show is being explored with Saint-Tropez or Megeve in consideration.

“I feel like it just expands the universe of the show. Just at the point that Emily has gotten comfortable in Paris, she’s sort of thrown into another country where she’s going to experience some cultural differences,” Star teased to TVLine in September 2024. “And also, I think there’s cultural differences to explore — and we do — between French and Italians. It’s a whole new world, but it doesn’t mean that we’re leaving Paris.”

Is There a Chance for a Reconciliation Between Emily and Gabriel?

“I think Gabriel realized that he doesn’t want to let Emily go so easily, and he might have made a big mistake. They certainly had a big fight and a cooling off period. But I think he realized that by the end of the season, that there’s something that he doesn’t want to let Emily go,” Star explained to Deadline after the season 4 finale. “I don’t know what that means. Doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to be together instantly or ever. I don’t know, but I think he feels there’s unfinished business with the two of them.”

Could Marcello Stick Around?

Star wouldn’t confirm or deny the role Marcello would play in season 5, telling TVLine, “First of all, we know a lot more about Gabriel than we do about Marcello. I think Marcello is somebody Emily is just getting to know and has this infatuation with at the moment. Gabriel and Emily are building history.”

He continued: “A big part of what happened this season for Emily and Gabriel was sort of like the romantic fantasies of each other, like the rose-colored glasses coming off a little bit. I think a lot of couples get real and they go through shakeups. So sometimes you have to, like, lose what you have before you realize how much it means to you.”

Is Lucas Bravo Coming Back?

Bravo will film scenes for season 5 when the show goes into production in May 2025, according to Variety. Gabriel’s Michelin-rated restaurant is set to be one of the backdrops of the upcoming season after Bravo previously expressed frustration with Gabriel’s arc in recent seasons.

“The ‘sexy chef’ was very much part of me in season 1 and we grew apart season after season because of the choices he makes and because of the direction they make him take,” Bravo told IndieWire in October 2024. “I’ve never been so far away from him.”

Bravo recalled attempting to voice his issues, adding, “[But] there is only so much I can do in the limits of a script. I tried for seasons to bring nuances but we don’t have much liberty on set. We cannot change a word or an emotion. They know what they want and we just have to comply.”

At the time, a source gave Us Weekly insight into the situation. “The show is Emily in Paris — not Gabriel in Paris,” an insider shared at the time. “Everyone is so upset about the remarks he made. There is going to be a lot of tension.”

Will Alfie and Camille Return?

Alfie and Camille (Camille Razat) had reduced screen time during the second half of season 4, but Starr promised a return.

“People come and go out of people’s lives in shows for a period of time, but it doesn’t mean that they’re off the table,” Star told Deadline but remained more tight-lipped about Camille’s story. “Characters can come in and out of a series, but you don’t necessarily have to see them. We may or may not. I don’t know how much of Camille we’ll see next season. But again, she’s part of the world of the series. I’m not sure how soon we’ll see her, but it doesn’t mean, again, that we won’t be seeing her.”

Laviscount is officially set to return as a series regular in season 5.

“I think the show is great and brings a lot of light and love to people,” he told Us in October 2024. “I enjoy shooting it and I love my castmates.”

He continued: “That’s exactly what you see on Emily in Paris — a character that I’ve loved playing for three seasons now. I feel so grateful to have been able to bring Alfie to life on screen.”