Emily in Paris Season 4 Episode 5 Review: Reach for the Stars
It is the midseason finale of Emily in Paris Season 4! The first five episodes dropped on August 15, and the story of Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) and her friends and colleagues set in France continues with the final five episodes on Thursday, September 12. And with that not-so-little cliffhanger—and this snowy preview of what’s to come—we’ll be counting down the days until all our questions are answered.
Will Camille’s (Camille Razat) secret ruin the relationship between Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) and Emily? Will Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) be back for part 2? And who is that attractive Italian we saw Emily with on the ski slope?
But before we get to Emily in Paris, Let’s recap how it all went down in Emily in Paris Season 4, Episode 5, “Trompe l’oeil.”
Lovers with shining eyes
It looks like the romantic fantasy between Emily and Gabriel from last episode is still going strong. Sure, Gabriel isn’t a fan of his new pastry chef’s over-the-top dessert theatrics and soufflé-related snappiness—especially since Luc’s (Bruno Gouery) Michelin inspector girlfriend is coming by for the third time to test L’Esprit de Gigi—but the odds are good for the coveted Michelin star.
Gabriel reveals how much the industry award means to him at an after-hours meeting with restaurant colleagues at the Bouillon Chartier, to which he invites Emily. Later, during a romantic walk along the Seine, Gabriel says to her: “I just want to freeze this moment, standing here with you.” He drops the big L-word and the two are radiantly happy – at least for the moment.
Let it shine everywhere
Speaking of happy, Julien (Samuel Arnold) is back! The Agence Grateau gang is now officially back together after Julien split from JVMA, and the timing is good too, because their newest client is a real hottie.
Li (Elizabeth Tan) is an old friend of Mindy’s (Ashley Park) who has developed a new Korean skincare line called Kadiance for Agence Grateau to sell in the Paris market. Emily believes they can turn the “Glass Skin” moisturizer into the new La Mer and suggests hosting a big tasting event for well-heeled buyers to try the product.
The only problem is that during the Kadiance event, Julien brings Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) and the team a disturbing message: Li had previously tried to sell the product on the French version of The Shark Catbut back then, she was marketing Kadiance as a KY-style lubricant. Yes, the super-shiny moisturizer that all the customers excitedly smear on their faces is pure lubricant. But when Emily and Co. see how popular the product seems to be with customers, they decide to just keep it that way – and raise the unit price. It looks like Ms. Cooper is rubbing off on the gang!
Clouded Michelin dreams
Laurent G’s club was so busy that Sylvie didn’t get a chance to celebrate her husband’s birthday. She wants to take him out to dinner at a special place but can’t get a reservation, so she asks Luc and his girlfriend Marianne (Laurence Gormezano) for help. The latter believes that this big favor will give Luc the opportunity to ask for a promotion, so they get Sylvie and Laurent G (Arnaud Binard) a table at the chic L’Ambroisie.
However, Sylvie is not particularly pleased when she learns that not only are Luc and Marianne unexpectedly coming to their birthday dinner, but that Luc is also asking for a raise right at the dinner table. Sylvie says that her husband’s birthday party is not the right place for such a conversation, so they postpone it until another time.
But Luc’s prospects of a pay rise are put in grave jeopardy when, mid-meal, it is embarrassingly revealed that Marianne is no longer a Michelin inspector, having been fired last year for insider dining. Her expensive dinner is no longer free – Sylvie is footing the bill because Luc can’t afford it, “not without a pay rise” – and it looks like Gabriel’s chances of a Michelin star are over.
Will the truth come to light?
Camille (Camille Razat) and Sofia (Melia Kreiling) have officially moved out of Gabriel’s apartment and into the apartment next door, but that hasn’t solved all of their relationship problems. Camille wants to use the second bedroom as a nursery; Sofia wants to use it as her art studio. When buying furniture, Camille wants to spend money on an expensive rocking horse; Sofia wants an easel.
The mom-to-be isn’t happy with Sofia’s attitude towards all things baby-related, which leads to an even bigger argument. It also doesn’t help that Sofia spotted Camille and Gabriel sharing a tender embrace after the latter told his former fiancée to keep the engagement ring he gave her because with a baby on the way, they’re still family.
Soon Sofia packs her bags and heads back to Greece – she had originally come to Paris because she was worried about Camille, but had not expected to have to turn her whole life upside down. She offers to take Camille to Athens with the baby, but Camille refuses – she cannot take the baby away from its father.
However, at an appointment with the gynecologist, Camille learns shocking news: there was never a baby. The home pregnancy test was a false positive and she missed her period the whole time because she was stressed. Later, when she talks to a friend in a café, she is visibly devastated and worried about how this will affect her relationship with Gabriel.
That evening at L’Esprit de Gigi, where Gabriel drinks the bad news of his failed Michelin chances with a lot of wine – he also immediately fired the pastry chef and his disgusting soufflés – the father-to-be drunkenly explains that the missing star doesn’t matter, he has everything he needs with Emily, Camille and the baby on the way. Camille can’t bring herself to tell him, so she doesn’t. But will she? Cliffhanger!
All five episodes of Emily in Paris Season 4 Part 1 is now available to stream on Netflix.
