Emily in Paris Recap: Nostalgia Means Pain From an Old Wound

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Okay, let’s talk about this episode, but first, I have to address the elephant in the room. Seriously, what is with the last few episodes focusing almost entirely on Marcello’s goals? It feels so out of left field, and honestly, it’s been a bit of a drag. I’ll get to what happened in the episode, but I need to vent about this storyline shift first!

I’m really frustrated that the show is focusing so much on Marcello! It’s supposed to be about Emily, and while I’m open to seeing her relationships explored, I don’t care about whether or not this guy can succeed in fashion. He treated Emily terribly – he lied and basically took advantage of her. Now he’s back with her seemingly only because he needs her financially and has no other support system (the fact that Nico is his only friend is a major warning sign!). The show clearly loves Gabriel, and even his newfound wealth doesn’t change the fact that all this time spent on Marcello feels pointless. Why is he suddenly taking center stage?

I’m not sure this will work, unless it connects to what I thought was Emily’s main goal: opening her own Agence Grateau office. But she’s given up on that dream, and now her entire life revolves around Marcello. She manages his moods, tries to set him up with a helpful mentor who can provide a free workspace, supports his impulsive decision to participate in Venice Fashion Week, and generally puts everything else aside to help him, even though his designs aren’t particularly impressive.

It’s incredibly frustrating to watch Nico rely so heavily on Mindy, especially since his family is no longer supporting him. I was shocked when she said she wanted to get a job to pay half the rent! I thought they weren’t even living together – isn’t she supposed to be Emily’s roommate? I recall them only agreeing to temporarily stay with their boyfriends. And honestly, what’s Mindy’s financial situation now that her judging job and the dance show are over? It’s baffling that she doesn’t seem to have any professional representation.

It’s clear these guys aren’t truly cut off from their families’ money. They’re the sons of very wealthy people who won’t let them fail for long. Marcello will definitely go back to his family’s support if his attempt at being an independent designer doesn’t work out. And if it does succeed, I’m sure Antonia will welcome him back into the family business to share the rewards and keep him close. As for Nico, I give him three months, tops, before he realizes he can’t manage without his trust fund. Just having to book a flight himself – and discovering he can only afford the cheapest seat – would probably be enough to send him running back home.

Honestly, I was really enjoying Mindy and Emily’s individual journeys – they were actually compelling! I just don’t get why anyone who loves The EIP would want to see our leads completely sideline their own dreams and ambitions to just be supportive girlfriends to two guys who treated them terribly before, and who have only recently re-entered their lives. It’s been barely ten weeks, and they’re already expected to put everything on hold for them? It just doesn’t make sense.

Just to recap: Venice Fashion Week is in October. I previously believed Paris Pride was at the end of June, but in the show, it happens after the Fourth of July. I usually handle complex timelines well, but this one is confusing! Since Venice is two weeks away, Mindy and Nico have already been back together for three months. However, the show portrays Emily and Marcello reuniting after Paris Pride, which actually happens before the Fourth of July. It’s hard to make sense of, so we just have to accept it as is. Let’s just assume their timeline is approximately the same, though.

Okay, so Emily really threw Marcello a curveball by getting him a free workshop space from Pierre Cadault! Honestly, her outfit was a bit of a mess – those boots and that dress with the huge belt just didn’t go together. It was pretty hilarious finding out Pierre helped because he was seeing Tio Lorenzo, though. But seriously, I was wondering how Marcello was even going to start without a place to work! What was his plan if Emily hadn’t come through? And it’s not just the space… where are they getting the money for supplies and employees? When did they even hire anyone, and who are all these people suddenly working with them? It just feels a little unexplained.

Someone at Agence Grateau finally has a client! Le Réveil Vert, an absinthe brand, is hosting a Belle Époque-themed party at Maxim’s – not Laurent’s club, as Sylvie thought. During the event, Laurent tells Sylvie his club is thriving and confesses he misses her, leading to a brief reconciliation. However, this turns out to be a manipulation. The episode highlights a recurring theme of the series: men mismanaging money and being untrustworthy. Laurent is deeply in debt, and his creditors have been bothering Sylvie’s mother, who originally financed his club. It feels unearned, though, as the show hasn’t established Laurent as a gambler or someone irresponsible with money. Ultimately, the plot feels forced, making the characters act inconsistently with their established personalities.

Mindy is pleading with Emily to be more understanding of Nico, though the reasons aren’t clear. It seems their problematic boyfriends are causing both of them to struggle at work and in their personal lives. Mindy reveals Nico is worried about money – unsurprisingly, since he lost access to his trust fund when he left his previous firm. He’s essentially gambling his entire inheritance on Marcello’s business, which Mindy clearly thinks is a terrible idea, comparing it to risky bets like sports gambling or cryptocurrency. This leads Mindy to declare she needs to earn more, even offering to cover Nico’s rent if she lands an audition. I was genuinely shocked! It’s unbelievable that Mindy’s main motivation for wanting to succeed at the audition is to pay the rent for her wealthy boyfriend, who’s in this situation because he impulsively left his family without a safety net. And it’s even more baffling considering Mindy doesn’t even live with Nico – she lives with Emily! After three months of being back together, she still seems to have feelings for Alfie!

That evening, Luc showed Emily around his neighborhood, a beautiful area with buildings from the Belle Époque era. Emily wore heels for the walking tour, which included some steep, cobblestone streets. Luc used to be a painter, even doing self-portraits, but he stopped to work in marketing. As they sipped absinthe, Emily received a call from Gabriel. He’d forgotten some knives and was going to be back in Paris; could she please pick them up and take them to the train station for him?

The next day at the workshop, Marcello’s sister, Livia, came to see the work, but she wasn’t impressed with the overall concept – basically, plain beige jackets with horse designs. She pointed out it wasn’t much different from their family’s existing brand and didn’t think it was worth a family feud. She was right, but nobody was going to heed her warning. Marcello became increasingly upset, telling Emily to cancel their trip to Venice because he felt he was creating uninspired work. And yes, he was! He then blamed Emily for “always trying to fix everything,” but it seemed like his ideas were the ones that needed the most work.

It was so good to see Emily finally put together a really stylish outfit – even comfortable flats! – when she ran into Gabriel at the train station. He was telling her all about his travels, which sounded amazing. And she shared that she and Marcello are officially back together. Honestly, something that always bothers me is when a woman’s entire response to “How are you?” is just about her boyfriend. But Gabriel did something different – he asked about me! It struck me how Emily doesn’t even seem to view herself as the main character in her own life, and that’s a huge issue, especially because she’s supposed to be the protagonist of the whole show!

Emily feels like season one was a golden age for her. Gabriel playfully disagrees, pointing out that while we tend to look back fondly on the past, it wasn’t always easy. He explains that we often remember things through rose-colored glasses, forgetting the difficulties, particularly when current times are challenging and the future is uncertain. He suggests that nostalgia, while pleasant, isn’t entirely truthful and can prevent us from appreciating the present.

Gabriel thinks Emily and Marcello are a good match, but how would he know? He only saw them together once, from a distance! They both genuinely want each other to be happy. Meanwhile, Mindy is trying out for an animated version of Moulin Rouge, but it turns out everyone in the movie is a rat. She’s playing Rat Satine – or ‘Ratine,’ as she jokingly calls it. Honestly, I’m starting to wonder: what is her agent doing?

Okay, so Emily went back to Marcello’s studio – which was totally empty, by the way – just to give him a little pep talk. Honestly, it feels like her whole life revolves around propping him up, even though he’s clearly floundering. And get this: after she talks to him, he throws out his entire collection and starts all over! It’s so frustrating because he literally just complained about them wasting money – and remember, he’s so broke that Emily’s been covering the rent with money from some cheesy movie! I’m really hoping the season finale will finally show us how getting involved with the wrong guy can completely mess up your finances, your career, and just…your whole life. Seriously, please let that be the lesson!

The absinthe party is full of drama. Luc is upset about a failed dream, but then surprisingly finds an old self-portrait at Maxim’s. Mindy’s wearing enormous earrings and connects with Alfie over her unexpectedly successful, though embarrassing, career as a cartoon rat prostitute. Nico pretends he doesn’t understand what’s funny. I’m annoyed that he’s so happy about not paying rent – why doesn’t he at least try to split the cost? Meanwhile, Sylvie confronts Laurent and slaps him – a satisfying moment! It’s unbelievable that Laurent didn’t realize Sylvie’s mother would tell her he took out a loan against her building. Sylvie’s filing for divorce, and based on my experience covering similar situations, I suspect she won’t be happy with what I’ve discovered about what happens when powerful women divorce men who haven’t been financially successful.

Marcello conveniently pulls Emily away from her work party just to declare his feelings and show off his new merchandise. It feels like this conversation could easily have waited until the next day. Emily was focused on her clients and hoping to eventually manage her own office, but she seems willing to abandon all of that for a man she barely knows. Why prioritize work or colleagues when a new romance is on the scene?

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2025-12-19 23:56