'Emily in Paris': How the Netflix comedy gets serious with a 'complex' Me Too story

Spoiler alert! The following story contains details from Part 1 of Season 4 of Netflix's "Emily in Paris."

“Emily in Paris” has always been saucy, stylish, and about as subtle as a McBaguette.

But the frothy Netflix sitcom is trying on a serious new look, meaningfully tackling a Me Too storyline in the first half of Season 4 (now streaming). The new episodes devote ample screen time to Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu), a hard-nosed French marketing executive who's the boss of fanciful American expat Emily (Lily Collins).

In the season premiere, Sylvie receives a call from a journalist who is looking to break a story on rampant sexual misconduct by Louis de Leon (Pierre Deny), the head of luxury brand JVMA. At first, Sylvie is reluctant to come forward with her experience of harassment, especially since her husband, Laurent (Arnaud Binard), has plans to open a new nightclub with with Louis.

But she also wants to set an example for younger women, so they won’t be conditioned to just accept men’s bad behavior. So Sylvie decides to go public with her allegations, forcing Louis to mull his resignation from JVMA by the end of Part 1.

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For creator Darren Star, the challenge was how to give such an important subject matter the weight it deserves without throwing the cheerfully escapist comedy off its axis.

“We talked a lot about how we wanted to feel like we could tell this story and not trivialize it, and also not sacrifice the tone of the show,” Star says. “But the characters have gotten more grounded and complex as well. It’s not something I would’ve wanted to do in Season 2, but by Season 4, the audience is ready to go on any journey with these characters.”

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Sylvie shows her 'strength' in 'Emily in Paris' Season 4

Like Star’s monumental HBO series, “Sex and the City,” which ended its six-season run in 2004, “Emily in Paris” is known for its enviable, off-the-wall fashion. But this season, Leroy-Beaulieu pushed for Sylvie to wear a more muted palette.

“I said, ‘I want the fashion to be quieter, because I want it to be more about the character inside,’ ” the actress says. “It was really interesting what we built for three seasons, but I wanted people to look at what she was going through more than her clothes.”

That nuance carried over to the script. In a standout scene from the new season’s fourth episode, Laurent tenderly asks Sylvie why she never told him about Louis’ harassment. In a hushed but matter-of-fact manner, Sylvie concisely states that she is “not a victim. I’ve worked my whole life to get to where I am. I wanted to write my own story, instead of being part of his.”

“I love that line,” Leroy-Beaulieu says. “It says so much about Sylvie and people who are brave. Obstacles are not there to destroy you, but to make you grow. As soon as you get out of the victim position, you’re going to learn so much about your strength and all the gifts that come from overcoming hardship.”

The Netflix show's Me Too storyline isn't really a 'left turn'

The five remaining episodes of Season 4 will premiere Sept. 12. Star teases a “powerful new enemy” in JVMA, which will impact Sylvie’s business going forward. Emily’s best friend, Mindy (Ashley Park), will also feel the ripple effects: She is dating Louis’ son, Nicolas (Paul Forman), and is torn about how to support him through his dad’s PR crisis without seeming complicit.

“Mindy’s a very strong character, with strong ideas and a strong sense of self,” Star says. “At the same time, she has compassion for Nicolas and what he’s dealing with, especially when it comes to family.”

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In case you’re worried that the show has suddenly gone somber, there are still plenty of office high jinks, zesty love triangles and postcard-worthy jaunts around Paris. And lest you forget, tough subjects have been baked into the series since it debuted in 2020.

“I feel like people are saying this is a left turn for us,” says Andrew Fleming, an executive producer and director on the show. “But I remember in the first season, there’s a scene with Emily on a bridge and they’re shooting a commercial. The woman is naked and Emily brings up, ‘Is this sexist?’ And they talk about Me Too in Season 1.

“So I feel like it’s in the DNA of the show to have a storyline like this. At its core, it’s about women in the workplace.”