Though the show has been blasted by French critics for relying on stereotypes, Emily in Paris also provides great social commentary on how broken our modern dating culture is.
Paris is one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in the world. The idea of falling in love in Paris is all over popular culture, most famously in the film Casablanca. After Emily and her boyfriend from Chicago break up due to distance, Emily decides to indulge in her own Parisian lover fantasy.
Unfortunately for Emily, most of her Parisian suitors are terrible mild spoilers ahead. The only one with redeeming qualities is her neighbor, Gabriel, whom she has a crush on for the majority of the show. Though he conveniently forgot to tell Emily about his girlfriend after hanging out multiple times, he genuinely cares about Emily, admires her kindness and passion for her job, and shows he wants to get to know her outside the bedroom.
He shows off his wealth to impress Emily, making it clear that he frequently uses this tactic to get women in bed with him. He seems nice and fun when they first meet at a cafe, but his snobbery and creepiness comes out right after they have sex for the first time.
Things get worse when Thomas hangs out with Emily and her Parisian friends. Gabriel points out that Thomas is a snob and not a good match for Emily, but she refuses to accept this because the sex is good. Reality shows like Too Hot To Handle and Love Island UK prove that hookup culture is prevalent around the Western world, and Emily in Paris shows scenarios that the majority of its audience can relate to.
