The actress opens up to PEOPLE about filming some emotionally charged scenes this season

Fans love diving into the fabulous world of Emily Cooper in Netflix’s Emily in Paris as the Chicago-native navigates life, work and love in Paris. But things started to go deeper in season 4, and Lily Collins for one, was happy about that.

Collins, who plays the titular character, spoke with PEOPLE at a season 4 press event and opened up about filming some very heavy crying scenes.

Lily Collins as Emily Cooper in ‘Emily in Paris’.Giulia Parmigiani/Netflix

“I was really actually so happy that Emily finally has moments to break, and to break down, because it was important to showcase more of a vulnerable side to her this season since there were so many things being thrown her way, so many things she thought were true and then weren’t true,” Collins tells PEOPLE.

In season 4, Emily navigates a breakup with chef Gabriel (played by Lucas Bravo) after she’s tired of being the third wheel in his relationship with Camille (Camille Razat), his ex who is pregnant with his baby.

Just when the realities of the breakup hit Emily, she comes face to face with another ex, Alfie (Lucien Laviscount). As she gets her hopes up of a reunion, he delivers the news that he’s with someone else. It prompts Emily to have one big breakdown.

“I think it’s really important to also just showcase Emily as someone who is very strong and capable and able, and at the same time, capable and able of feeling emotions and not knowing what’s going on, because you can’t have your stuff together all the time,” Collins says. “And I think that was really important.”

Something that’s been really important to viewers of the show is whether or not Emily and Gabriel will end up together in the end.

“I wasn’t surprised because there’s so many ups and downs within that relationship, and knowing that this new character [Marcello] was coming into play, I kind of knew there would be something afoot from [creator] Darren [Star],” Collins says of Emily’s split with Gabriel. “Because you’re always surprised by Darren.”

Lucas Bravo as Gabriel, Lily Collins as Emily in ‘Emily in Paris’.Stephanie Branchu/Netflix

After their breakup, Emily jets off to Rome to visit her new love interest Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini) but by the season finale, Gabriel is ready to go to Rome to get his girl.

Season 5 is not yet confirmed but Star says he has some ideas if it’s renewed. “There are so many ways it can go,” he tells PEOPLE on the red carpet of the Rome premiere. “There are some ideas. It’s really a fun story to keep telling.”

After four seasons of playing everyone’s favorite expat in Paris, Collins says embodying Emily has taught her a lot, including “how to think on my feet very quickly. How to be more solution-driven. How to always lead with kindness and love.”

She continues, “That’s something that I loved about her from the beginning when I read the character, and that I really associated with. But really it just hits home daily when you’re playing someone that leads with kindness and love to just go about your day every day remembering that.”