Emily in Paris Season 4 Part 1: Recaps and ending explained
NetflixIt’s time to pull your best Ringarde ‘fit out of retirement, as Emily in Paris Season 4 Part 1 has landed on Netflix, and we’re here with recaps of each episode and a breakdown of the ending.
These are complex times we’re living in, and sometimes we need a bit of rom-com escapism. All you have to do is tune in and switch off, enjoying the lighthearted melodrama and outrageous outfits.
If you agree, no doubt waiting for Emily in Paris Season 4 to arrive has felt long. While Netflix normally drops new batches of episodes every December, the fourth chapter was delayed amid the now-resolved Hollywood strikes.
But the wait is over, with Emily in Paris Season 4 Part 1 streaming on Netflix now. Ahead of the release of Part 2 (September 12, FYI), here’s what happened in the new batch of episodes. Warning: spoilers ahead!
Emily in Paris Season 3 recap
Before we get into it, here’s a brief rundown of everything that happened at the end of Emily in Paris Season 3. As is always the case, Emily (Lily Collins) found herself in the midst of several personal and professional crises.
After a tumultuous season of juggling her loyalties between her American boss Madeline (Kate Walsh) and French mentor Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu), she decided to fully commit to Sylvie’s new agency, Agence Grateau, and stay in Paris.
But things didn’t go so smoothly, as she managed to anger her colleague Julien (Samuel Arnold) by constantly treading on his toes at work.
His frustration was clear when it came to Ami Paris, one of Julien’s clients who wanted a campaign run by Agence Grateau. For an advertisement, Emily jumped in to suggest placing Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) and Camille (Camille Razat) front and center.
When this fell through, she and Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) stepped in, with the couple kissing in a hot air balloon making the perfect snapshot for the ad.
On the personal front, Emily’s love life took another complicated turn. Her relationship with Alfie deepened, but lingering feelings for Gabriel complicated matters and the love triangle turned into a bit of a square.
You see, Emily walked in on Gabriel’s girlfriend Camille kissing a client of hers, an artist named Sofia (Melia Kreiling). The pair ended up going to Greece together, during which time Gabriel drunkenly confessed his love to Emily.
He also suspected something was up with Camille, although he believed she might have gone to Greece with another man.
As for Sylvie, she decided to give her marriage to Laurent (Arnaud Binard) another shot. In order for him to stay in Paris, he plans to open another club in the city. While this is all well and good, she wasn’t too happy when she found out JVMA CEO Louis de Leon (Pierre Deny) is an investor.
Louis is the father of Nico (Paul Forman), an old friend of Mindy’s (Ashley Park) from boarding school, and Sylvie’s former boss. However, Sylvie parted ways due to his inappropriate behavior, although what he did is yet to be fully revealed.
Speaking of Mindy, she continued to progress in her musical career with Etienne (Jin Xuan Mao) and her (now ex) boyfriend, Benoit (Kevin Dias).
Mindy and Benoit ran into issues due to her close relationship with Nico, who came back into her life after his dad’s company acquired Pierre Cadault’s (Jean-Christophe Bouvet) business.
By the end of Emily in Paris Season 3, Mindy and Nico were together but she’s also reunited with her band. They’re gearing up for the Eurovision song contest after Benoit submitted their track ‘Mon Soleil’.
NetflixAs for Emily and Alfie, the pair figured things out and they both attended Camille and Gabriel’s last-minute wedding. But things took a turn for the dramatic when, during the vows, Camille said she can’t marry Gabriel as she believes he’s still in love with Emily.
This is the news Alfie didn’t want to hear, having always been suspicious of Emily’s feelings towards the chef. Camille made a run for it, as did Alfie, who told Emily, “I’m nobody’s second choice.”
In a cliffhanger ending, Gabriel told Emily that when Camille returned from Greece, she announced that she’s pregnant, setting the stage for plenty of drama in Emily in Paris Season 4.
Emily in Paris Season 4 Episode 1 recap: ‘Break Point’
NetflixEpisode 1 picks up where we left off. In the aftermath of the wedding drama, Camille’s brother Timothee (Victor Meutelet) has shared an expose on the love triangle on TikTok, which has since gone viral.
But Emily is determined to get her head down and focus on work. Speaking of which, AMI is coming in to discuss its campaign, and before the meeting, Sylvie tells her to keep her mouth shut and let Julien lead.
There’s a slight issue, however. The next stage involves AMI’s courtside box at the French tennis tournament, Roland-Garros. They are using Alfie and Emily’s image for the face of the campaign, and the company wants them to appear at the event to share a smooch on a kiss cam – which would be fine if it weren’t for the fact that they’ve broken up.
Sylvie goes to visit Antoine (William Abadie), who reveals Catherine has filed for a divorce. As they chat, Alfie, Antoine’s financial advisor, walks in and Sylvie tries to convince him to help out with the campaign, but he doesn’t seem keen.
As for Mindy, the band is in the running for Eurovision. However, at a meeting for the event, an advisor runs off a long list of things they need to prepare, and they have to finance it themselves.
She’s also set to attend Roland-Garros with Nico, as his dad Louis has a JVMA suite there. In a seemingly romantic gesture, Nico gifts Mindy a couture outfit to wear to the event.
In the runup to the big day, Laurent asks Sylvie to come and meet with him and Louis, as he wants her support for the opening of the club. She’s reluctant but eventually agrees, although it’s clear this makes her uncomfortable.
At the Roland-Garros, Sylvie notices Julien chatting with Nico. When she heads, Julien drops a bombshell – he’s been offered a position at JVMA, and it’s a much higher salary. After a brief disagreement, Julien quits and storms off.
Meanwhile, Mindy overhears Nico speaking with his dad. Turns out, the outfit wasn’t a gift – it was a way to ease Louis’ snobbery over Mindy’s fashion choices. She’s understandably angry and decides to later sell the outfit, using the profit to fund the band’s Eurovision activities.
Back to Emily, she’s in the crowd wondering just how the hell she’s going to overcome the kiss cam moment. At the last minute, Alfie shows up and while she tries to apologize, he tells her that it’s over between them. But, as a parting gift, they kiss for the camera (so that’s one positive, at least).
At the end of the episode, we learn more about why Sylvie doesn’t want anything to do with Louis. She receives a message from a reporter who’s investigating the JVMA boss over his “complicated” history with female subordinates.
And the bombshells don’t end there. When Emily catches up with Gabriel at his restaurant, he reveals that Camille has gone missing.
Emily in Paris Season 4 Episode 2 recap: ‘Love on the Run’
NetflixEmily and Mindy spot a cryptic post from Sofia, deducing Camille’s in Greece with her. She leaves her a message before doing something she didn’t want to – breaking the news to Gabriel.
Up until now, he didn’t know Camille had been cheating on him, and he’s shocked to say the least. Meanwhile, Luc (Bruno Gouery) is struggling to pick up the slack after Julien left, while Nico is trying his best to make things up to Mindy.
Sylvie is struggling to forget the phone message, especially since Laurent lets her know JVMA wants Agence Grateau to help launch his club – meaning Sylvie would be working for Louis once more. She’s reluctant but eventually agrees.
At JVMA’s headquarters, Julien’s settling into his new role, while Nico invites Mindy into the brand closet and lets her choose whatever she wants as a peace offering. However, while hunting through the piles of clothes, she gets a visit from two female colleagues who tell her that, as a woman, she should have a “buddy” with her.
Later, over a glass of wine, she shares this with Emily, explaining that Louis has a tendency to approach women who are in the brand closet alone.
He insists they try on the clothes in front of him – if they say no, the implication is they don’t understand the fashion business, and if they stay, they’ll be harassed. Mindy’s concerned about her next move knowing it’s Nico’s father.
Later on in Emily in Paris Season 4 Episode 2, Sylvie, Laurent, and Louis have a meeting. At work, Emily reveals she saw Sylvie and Louis together and is concerned after what she heard about the closet. Although Sylvie insists it’s all in the past, Emily says his behavior is more recent than she might think.
Following their discussion, Sylvie picks up a phone call from the Le Monde reporter. However, she’s still reluctant to speak with them about Louis.
Emily later receives a call from Sofia, who says she hasn’t heard from Camille since they last saw each other. In other words, Camille really is missing.
At a work event, while chatting with Luc, Emily remembers that she has Camille’s location on her phone. She tracks her down in Giverny, a commune in France where Camille has gone to clear her head.
Emily heads over there to retrieve Camille, who eventually agrees to come home – she is pregnant with Gabriel’s child, after all. The pair return to Paris, only to find Sofia at Gabriel’s restaurant.
The episode ends on a relative high – Camille and Gabriel make amends, and while they’re not going to be in a romantic relationship, they’ll raise their child together. Then, Camille and Sofia profess their love for one another. When they kiss, Emily and Gabriel share an awkward smile.
Emily in Paris Season 4 Episode 3 recap: ‘Masquerade’
NetflixEpisode 3 starts with chaos – Camille and Sofia have moved into Gabriel’s flat, meaning the trio, Emily, and Mindy are all living in close quarters.
At the office, Agence Grateau is gearing up for the launch of Heartbreak, a new perfume created by Maison Lavaux’s collaboration with Baccarat. To celebrate, they’ve organized a masquerade ball.
Alfie’s in on the meeting, and it’s clear there’s still tension between him and Emily. On his way out, he bumps into Camille, who changes his mindset by explaining that if Emily really did still have feelings for Gabriel, surely they would’ve hooked up by now.
We cut to Sylvie and Laurent, who are arguing again about JVMA’s involvement in the opening of his club. She tells him that everything Louis is doing is to buy her silence, before spilling the beans about Le Monde’s investigation into Louis’ treatment of women. “Trust me, it’s not pretty,” she tells him. “I should know.”
Back on the streets of Paris, Gabriel spots Luc hanging up lingerie on his houseboat. They catch up, but Luc seems antsy – turns out, the lingerie belongs to Marianne (Laurence Gormezano), the Michelin restaurant reviewer from Season 3.
Although he manages to get Gabriel to leave, she overhears the conversation and is raging, saying he’s been using her to get his friend’s restaurant a star. He insists it’s not the case, but she says he could jeopardize her career and storms off.
At the masquerade ball, Emily and Alfie appear to make amends and have a little flirt. But the triangle continues when Gabriel shows up (who Emily also flirts with).
Despite their argument, Marianne decides to make an appearance, saying she’s willing to give it another go with Luc, and he asks her to move onto his houseboat with him.
Elsewhere, Sylvie receives a message from the reporter. Turns out, she did speak to her after all. The message thanks Sylvie for sharing her story and shows a preview of the feature, which is titled ‘Louis de Leon has designs on women’.
After bumping into Mindy, Sylvie says men like Louis need to be held accountable for their actions, to which she agrees. But as soon as she says this, Mindy receives a message from Nico, who says he’s not coming to the ball and he needs her at his house, pronto.
As for the love triangle, things get even more complicated when Emily bumps into the Baccarat representative, who’s wearing the same (bonkers, might we add) outfit.
Emily is at a crossroads, trying to decide between Alfie or Gabriel. She ultimately goes for the latter. But when Alfie bumps into the Baccarat rep, he mistakes her for Emily, saying he only wants her and giving her a kiss.
She takes off her mask, much to his surprise – and in a double blow, he spots Emily and Gabriel leaving together.
Sylvie and Julien make amends, and she shows him the story, suggesting he might want to rethink his position at JVMA. Antoine tells her she did the right thing but she’s unsure how Laurent is going to react.
Emily in Paris Season 4 Episode 4 recap: ‘The Grey Area’
NetflixBack at Nico’s place, he’s in total denial about the allegations. But Mindy explains that she’s heard things too and that Louis isn’t the man he thinks he is. He believes her, but says he’s going to need her support in the fallout.
Finally, at long last, Emily and Gabriel are together. But it’s definitely not smooth sailing. Between Mindy, Sofia, and Camille, they can hardly get a second to themselves.
Mindy’s going through struggles of her own – Nico’s family is in “damage control” mode, and they’ve been arguing, as she doesn’t want them to be complicit.
And just when you thought Louis couldn’t get any worse, he pulls the financing of Laurent’s club, meaning their planned launch party is a no-go. Sylvie apologizes, but he’s more upset that she never told him what happened. Sylvie explains that she never wanted to be seen as a victim, telling him, “I wanted to write my own story.”
For Emily and Luc, the situation is a disaster – they’ve got 500 RSVPs for the launch party, which right now isn’t happening. But Sylvie’s got a plan up her sleeve: her mom, Heloise, aka the Queen of the Night.
As Luc explains, she owned one of the most famous clubs in Paris in the ‘70s. And since it’s been empty for 20 years, she agrees to let Sylvie and Laurent use it for the event.
In Episode 4, we see the return of Gregory Dupree, who’s introducing a new line for Pierre Cadault to Nico and Julien. The models walk out wearing tailored outfits with, well, fabric phalluses.
Nico’s horrified, saying it’s bad timing due to what’s happening with his dad. But Gregory says that’s the point: “Men can’t keep their d*cks in their pants, why should we pretend otherwise?” However, Nico tells him to shut it down.
NetflixThat evening, Emily meets Gabriel for dinner, not realizing Sofia and Camille are there too. It’s becoming a real “menage a quatre”. They are taste testing desserts for Gabriel, who’s looking to hire a pastry chef in the hopes of bagging a Michelin star.
Back at the launch party, things are going swimmingly, with guests enjoying the vibe. To twist the knife into Louis further, Gregory turns up with his penis pants models in tow, where they’re papped and bound to make the headlines by morning.
Oh, and Mindy and the band perform on stage. Speaking of which, there’s a vibe between her and Benoit, so much so that even Luc notices it. But when Nico shows up, he tells Mindy he’s on her side and is done covering for his dad.
At the end of Emily in Paris Season 4 Episode 4, Emily and Gabriel confess to each other that they both want more space, and they both told the landlord (who’s not okay with lodgers) about Sofia and Camille staying at Gabriel’s.
But it works in their favor… kind of. You see, even though the landlord kicked them out of Gabriel’s place, thankfully she has another apartment free to rent. And it’s right next door to Gabriel.
With the baby on the way, they’re going to be one big happy family, which isn’t exactly an easy pill to swallow for Emily or Sofia.
Emily in Paris Season 4 Episode 5 recap: ‘Trompe l’oeil’
NetflixGabriel finally has a pastry chef, but it’s not going too well – he’s taking over his kitchen with his creations, many of which focus on “trompe l’oeil” (trick of the eye) realistic cakes. But he’s determined to get that Michelin star.
Mindy and Emily enjoy the desserts, at least, as they wait for Mindy’s friend Li (Elizabeth Tan) to turn up. She’s become a bit of an entrepreneur, and is looking to launch in France with the help of Agence Grateau.
Back at the flats, Gabriel and Emily help Camille and Sofia to move in next door. When Emily goes to work, Sofia grabs some boxes, returning to find Gabriel and Camille hugging – once again, she’s left feeling like she’s in a throuple.
We cut to the Agence Grateau offices, and guess who’s back? That’s right, Julien, and everyone’s delighted to see him. Sylvie asks Luc for a favor: she wants Marianne to use her connections to get her a spot at an in-demand restaurant for Laurent’s birthday.
Marianne is more than happy to oblige, as it means they can ask for a favor in return: giving Luc a raise.
While at the flea market looking for furniture, Sofia and Camille get into an argument about the spare room. Sofia wants to use it as an art studio while Camille wants it to be a nursery for the baby. Clearly, the issues between them run deeper than decor.
That evening, Sylvie and Laurent turn up for dinner, only to discover Luc and Marianne have invited themselves for a double date. Sylvie’s not best pleased, especially when she discovers there’s a hidden agenda and is ambushed with their request for a raise.
She says she’ll think about it, pointing out that her husband’s birthday dinner is hardly the appropriate place for such a conversation. When the bill arrives, Marianne says she’ll deal with it, hoping that it’ll get Luc in her good books.
Rather than getting her credit card out, she simply implies to the staff that one of their Michelin stars could “explode” if they don’t wipe the bill. However, another customer overhears the conversation and storms over before dropping a bombshell.
Turns out, he’s an actual Michelin star inspector. He reveals that Marianne was fired a year ago for insider dining, and she’s been abusing her (fake) position of power. Not only does Sylvie have to pick up the bill, but it means all of this effort from Gabriel was for nothing.
NetflixBack at Sofia and Camille’s place, things aren’t going too well. Sofia explains that she was never planning to move to Paris, especially across the hall from Camille’s ex. She’s going back to Athens, Greece, saying Camille could come with her – but she simply can’t do it. The pair tearfully share a final kiss before Sofia goes home, leaving Camille devastated.
As for Emily and Gabriel, things are looking rosy. After a perfect night out, they profess their love for each other and share a kiss on a bridge overlooking the Eiffel Tower. It’s 100% cheese (and everything we expect from the binge-worthy TV show).
At Galeries Lafayette, a prestigious Parisian department store, Sylvie’s used her contact to get Li’s product in for a demonstration. Although they initially were apprehensive – it’s a serum that gives the glass skin effect – it’s going down a treat with customers.
But as Li continues to tend to customers, Julien finds something interesting and shows it to the Agence Grateau team. The video shows Li was on an international version of Shark Tank where she presented the same product – only it was originally intended to be a lubricant for sexual pleasure.
As they wonder what to do with this new information, the Galeries Lafayette rep rocks over to show off her shiny new face. At a loss for words, Emily saves the day by jumping in and saying they should raise the price (keeping the lube part on the downlow).
Once that’s cleared up, Luc has another bombshell to drop, only this one’s for Emily – he explains that Marianne is no longer a Michelen inspector, meaning Gabriel won’t be getting that star anytime soon.
Emily in Paris Season 4 Part 1 ending explained
NetflixPart 1 of Emily in Paris Season 4 ends with tragedy. Camille is at the doctors, having noticed some blood spotting. The appointment cuts to Camille having a drink with her friend, where she tearfully reveals she’s not pregnant.
The doctor told her the at-home pregnancy test must have been a false negative due to the medication she’s on, while the delay in getting her period was likely down to stress. She’s deeply upset, explaining that she was sure she was pregnant as her body felt different.
She’s yet to tell Gabriel, but her friend tells her to take some time for herself to heal and break the news when she’s ready.
At the restaurant, Emily tells Gabriel about Marianne. Although he’s shocked at first, he takes the opportunity to fire the pastry chef who’s been causing him grief. He then gives free drinks to the patrons to celebrate, and has a fair few tipples himself, although Emily thinks he’s putting on a front.
When Camille turns up, she sees Emily and Gabriel embrace. Gabriel’s drunk, and announces that with a beautiful girlfriend and a baby on the way, he’s the luckiest man in the world. In his current mood, Camille doesn’t have the heart to break the news.
A staff member comes over to offer Camille a glass of champagne, but she turns it away, pretending she’s still pregnant. No doubt this will continue in Emily in Paris Season 4 Part 2, which arrives on September 12.
Emily in Paris Season 4 Episode 1 is streaming on Netflix now. For more content, be sure to check out the TV shows heading to streaming this month, as well as the movies to add to your watchlist.