Emily in Paris Recap: Thirst Trap

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We’re kicking off the episode with a central metaphor: the rebuilding of Notre Dame. It’s all about second chances, and I’m a little concerned about how Emily will interpret and use this idea.

Sylvie was the main speaker at the “Future of Fashion” event, and things were going smoothly until the Q&A. That’s when Marcello made a scene, dramatically taking off his sunglasses and turning the focus to himself. Sylvie managed him well, but then Emily unexpectedly started arguing with her ex right there at the event. On top of that, Marcello announced he’d left his family’s business – a strange way to share that news, and it seems like he could really use some PR help. Considering his history and reputation – his mother describes him as reckless and unreliable – it’s hard to believe he’ll succeed with whatever he’s planning.

This episode is full of descriptions of the couples – Emily and Marcello, and Mindy and Nico – that completely ignore what’s actually been happening on the show. It’s almost as if the writers assume no one is paying attention! Mindy is suddenly back with Nico, acting like his past behavior never happened, and she’s even having dinner with him and Marcello. That’s a terrible idea under any circumstances, considering Marcello is Emily’s ex who constantly lied to her and even wanted her to fail. But it’s especially bad now, since Mindy just repaired her friendship with Emily after the drama with Alfie. A good friend would tell Marcello to stay away, not encourage him and Emily to reconnect!

Mindy is surprised to find out Nico and Marcello are becoming business partners during dinner. It’s strange that Nico would share such big news at the table – a good boyfriend would have discussed it with her beforehand! Mindy’s frantic texting to Emily is incredibly frustrating, and Emily should really reach out to Jake. It’s also baffling that Marcello doesn’t understand why Emily is upset with him, even considering his past… it’s just frustrating!

I’m really confused about how Nico and Marcello are starting a business together. Nico claims he has no money, and Marcello recently cut ties with his rich family. Where are they getting the funding? I clearly remember Nico telling Mindy he was broke, to the point where she had to double-check if he could even afford their drinks.

Sylvie and Yvette have rekindled their friendship. Sylvie feels confident enough in their bond to wear a daringly sheer dress to Yvette’s dinner party, even though she previously had an affair with Yvette’s husband! Yvette attempts to set Sylvie up with a particularly unpleasant Swiss chocolatier—who bluntly admits he only dates younger women—but Sylvie quickly escapes him for a cigarette break. There, she meets an incredibly attractive man, and they end up sleeping together almost immediately. He’s barely finished when he’s already planning their next encounter, launching a passionate affair (complete with suggestive banter about getting off work on time!). I’m rooting for Sylvie! However, I suspect this younger man is actually Yvette’s son, given his convenient location outside the party and Sylvie’s insistence on keeping his personal life private. This is a recipe for disaster, and I predict everyone will quickly figure out the connection.

Mindy has somehow convinced Emily to go horseback riding with Marcello and Nico, and I’m really not happy about it. I don’t understand why Mindy thought this was a good idea, and Emily shouldn’t have agreed to it. Mindy claims she wants to ‘clear the air,’ but honestly, sometimes it’s better to just let exes dislike each other. Why would Emily put herself in a situation with her ex where she’s practically guaranteed to embarrass herself? And on top of everything, Mindy is wearing a ridiculously loud leopard print outfit. Marcello is acting particularly arrogant and unpleasant, for no apparent reason. As expected, Emily’s horse bolts with her, and Marcello ends up having to save her. Their entire conversation is just frustrating and gets nowhere. Honestly, Marcello is the worst. Emily needs to find her own happiness – maybe with Embassy Jake – and just be independent for a little while. It would do her good!

A chocolatier sends Sylvie chocolates meant to capture her essence, but they turn out to be awful. Luckily, everyone can wash them down with Apogee water. Sylvie bumps into the CEO of Apogee at a conference – he’s strikingly handsome, which Sylvie notes with amusement. Emily, for the meeting, chooses a particularly flamboyant shirt covered in ruffles. Meanwhile, the Apogee CEO is dealing with a public relations nightmare: his company donated to organizations against same-sex marriage, leading to a widespread boycott from the LGBT community.

Julien advised the CEO to apologize, but he flatly refused, insisting he’d done nothing wrong. Then Emily suggested rebranding the water, and it turned out the new CEO is openly LGBTQ+ and fully supports participating in Paris Pride. When the marketing agency jokingly called this the start of an “apology tour,” the CEO surprisingly didn’t object, despite vehemently opposing any apology just moments before. This is a rapid shift – we’ve gone from major changes happening between scenes to now, changes happening even within shots!

Let’s move on – Sylvie’s got a lot going on! She’s starting a new relationship, but it’s complicated. She’s going to discover that this new guy’s mom is one of her friends, and she previously had a relationship with his father. Aside from the drama, the show is surprisingly consistent with showing both men and women nude. We just saw another tastefully shot scene of a naked man walking away. Later, Yvette sets up a double date, seemingly hoping to reveal the existing connections between everyone involved. It’s going to be awkward – and I’m here for it.

Heading to the Paris Pride Parade! Our water brand has a new, playful name – Libid’eau – which was Julien’s idea. It’s quite clever! Apparently, Julien and the CEO stayed up all night working on it, which is typical for Agence Grateau – they always mix business with pleasure. I’m sure this is the talk of the Paris marketing scene. It’s hard to imagine it wouldn’t be!

Okay, so Nico and Marcello are on the float spraying water while Mindy sings “It’s Raining Men.” It’s just strange – someone with money needs to explain why Marcello is staying with Nico, especially considering he should be able to afford his own place in Paris. It doesn’t make sense that Nico is supposedly broke, yet he’s also expected to fund Marcello’s fashion business?

Mindy is upset with Emily for leaving Marcello in Solitano, mirroring what she did with Gabriel in Megeve. However, Emily was actually fired by Marcello’s family while in Solitano, and it turns out Marcello was secretly plotting against her! As for the Christmas trip with Gabriel, Emily got stuck on a mountain because he was busy with his ex-girlfriend – after he insisted she come skiing with them. Then, she finally did the right thing and broke up with him because he was a terrible boyfriend, and naturally returned to Paris rather than spend the rest of the holiday with his ex’s family. Mindy’s reaction is shockingly unsupportive – she should be tried at the Hague for not being a good friend!

Mindy describes him as a great guy, but it’s incredibly frustrating because he’s been completely dishonest with Emily throughout their entire relationship. She even says they had a genuine connection, despite him constantly lying. It’s so infuriating, I just want to shake some sense into these women!

Marcello and Emily acted like their disagreement was just a normal mix-up, as if they were equals. But I really wish Emily would try being on her own for a while. Instead, she and Marcello got back together, which is frustrating. And honestly, seeing them make out in public at Pride? It was irritating and just not a good look.

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2025-12-19 17:56