The story focuses on Emily Cooper, quintessential American optimist moving to Paris for work as a marketing executive. The episodes chronicles the changes & adventures that Emily encounters in a new country, new home & working environment.
Emily is sent as a representative upon the acquisition by an American firm of a French marketing firm called Savoir. She met her new boss Sylvie and colleagues, who gave her the cold shoulder upon their first encounter. She moved into an old apartment with no lift, but with a sexy neighbour Grabriel downstairs. She meets new friends, Mindy & Camille, as she manoeuvres the mazes of Paris. Along the way, she wins over her colleagues and gain love interests as well.
Thoughts…
Prior to starting the show, I had some hesitations & pre-conceptions as I am not a fan of American shows depicting their views of other countries. Apparently with all the clichés, it is no wonder that the series came with a barrage of critics especially from the French!
Setting these aside (and the American’s attitude and vantage points), the series & main character Emily grew on me as her optimism does rub off people. She does have good ideas as she gives deep thoughts to the customers’ needs before giving relevant ideas. The character is also genuinely nice.
Love-interest wise, top of Emily’s list is Gabriel – the sexy neighbour and a chef to boot! What is better than a handsome bloke who can cook? Personally, I prefer Antoine’s features and the way he carries himself, although technically I am not sure whether he can be considered as Emily’s love interest. The cute one is obviously Timothee! I won’t spoil the surprise… I thought they were cute together. Why oh why are all the men in the series so handsome in their own way?!
In Emily’s first encounter with her colleagues, I thought she did a lousy job of trying to convince her new colleagues by giving a lecture on how they can learn from each other. Change management 101 – observe, learn, integrate then convince. No wonder they call her “le plouc”. I had to google what does it mean in English, and to google further what exactly does the English word means. 😊
Sylvie makes a good “villain” but I can’t help loving her. Direct to the point, manage change for the whole team to maintain stability, still making good decisions after eating the humble pie. If ever you are a boss/ supervisor, she should be your role model!
Emily’s new friend Mindy is quite a character, run-away heiress working as a nanny in Paris. Although I cringed at her speaking Mandarin. Camille’s character is friendly and pretty!
Paris as the fashion city – the ensembles of clothes are catching. I love a number of the dresses, although they are a little bit difficult to carry in our weather. Good example, the white boots which Emily accidentally step on merde. Sylvie’s dresses were very nice too especially for work ensembles.
If you are language enthusiasts, the show may prompt you to learn French. From my viewpoint, it was soooo difficult to pronounce them correctly. Regardless, such a beautiful language.
Cinematography-wise, all the spots were very nicely shot. Made a me a little sad considering that there is not much travel during 2020. But giving glimpses of all the beautiful places in Paris to explore once travel is available.
I see life in pink
Je vois la vie en rose
Conclusion 7/10
Watch it for the beautifully taken shots of Paris top spots, the gorgeous dresses & attractive hunks. It is an easy watch, just 10 short episodes of 25 minutes each.
Cheng's Musings 