You can tell season two of Emily In Paris is going to be just as ridiculous as season one from the first scene. Emily – reeling from her hot hookup with Gabriel – is going for a casual jog through Paris wearing… an asymmetrical top. I don’t think anyone in the history of the world has gone for a brisk jog in an asymmetrical top.

But this is why we love the series, right? It’s silly, chaotic and trashy but in the most endearing, escape-real-life way. Season one landed right in the middle of this damn pandemic, bringing us a welcome, Parisian reprieve from daily COVID case numbers and disappointments, so it makes complete sense that season two has dropped in what might be 2021’s most tense, stressful period. Could there be any better way to deal with pandemic anxiety close to Christmas than to lose ourselves in the world of Emily In Paris?

The escape we needed right now. Credit: Netflix

Let’s recap. In case your brain digested then wiped out the events of season one, we left Emily as she bathed in the post-hot-coitus glow of a now very requited love. She had finally slept with Gabriel, thinking he would be fleeing the city for Normandy forever. Except then… he did not. He stayed to open his own restaurant, leaving Emily in a bind – Camille (Gabriel’s now-ex) is her friend, and the whole “I just slept with your ex” issue has become far more real now Gabriel is staying and kind of in love with her.

So that’s still the focus as we enter season two. Camille is devastated by their breakup and leaning on Emily, who has decided the best course of action is to try and sweep her feelings for Gabriel under the rug and get him and Camille back together. Gabriel, meanwhile, is hell-bent on addressing their wild night of passion and all the feelings that it spawned. Meanwhile, Emily’s burgeoning romance with Mathieu Cadault (Pierre Cadault’s nephew, and client of Savoir, the marketing company Emily works for) is on the rocks, and as always, she’s screwing up campaigns left, right and centre.

Emily is once again a pretty bad Instagrammer. Credit: Netflix

All this chaos is the perfect escape right now. The beauty of this show is that it knows it’s over-the-top, from the fashion (with Patricia Field at the helm, who could expect anything less?) to the Darren Star plot lines. It’s all drama, all the time – but in a fun way, like having boozy brunch with your girlfriend who always has a story. 

Oh, Emily In Paris still has its faults. Emily still can’t Instagram to save her life, so her 27,000 followers seems totally unrealistic given her inability to take an aesthetic photo is at maximum levels this season. Sylvie is probably a bit too present and too bitchy in the first few episodes – we watch this show to have a delicious adventure, not to watch Emily get repeatedly humiliated by her boss. I also cannot see a way in which we get everything we want here – how will Emily keep Camille as a friend, and end up with Gabriel? Currently, I’m enjoying the Camille/Emily/Mindy friendship trio far more than I’m enjoying the Gabriel romance, so I’m not exactly rooting for Emily to find love yet.

I hate the idea of Camille and Emily becoming enemies. Credit: Netflix

One fantastic omission? Any presence of this damn virus. While And Just Like That chose to place its characters firmly in the real world, weaving mentions of COVID and vaccines through its dialogue, the world of Emily In Paris is COVID-free and I personally welcome this alternate universe. After all, we don’t watch shows like these for their realism, right? 

I am convinced the producers of this show are psychic, because once again, Emily In Paris is here right when we need it. Would we adore this show if it released seasons during periods where we have less stress and more freedoms? We might watch it casually, but I don’t believe we’d fall for it the way Emily has fallen for Paris (and Gabriel). We needed this. Thankyou for this gift, Netflix.

Melissa is a freelance writer. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter.