Emily in Paris is officially leaving Paris, but the show will still keep French culture in mind. Having premiered in 2020, the show features a marketing executive who is sent to France to contribute to her company’s global image. After the Emily in Paris season 4 finale, she was redirected to Rome, where she will be resuming the role in a new and distinct environment. She will also be joined by the majority of the show’s cast.

In an interview with TVLine, showrunner Darren Star opened up about Emily’s move to Rome and the consequences that it will have on the show. Star believes that it will open up new plotlines and offer unique cultural challenges for Emily to embrace, while still retaining the distinct French element that has made the show so appealing to so many. While Star admits that the show is leaving Paris, he also explained that it will continue to enthrall viewers:

I feel like it just expands the universe of the show. Just at the point that Emily has gotten comfortable in Paris, she’s sort of thrown into another country where she’s going to experience some cultural differences. And also, I think there’s cultural differences to explore — and we do — between French and Italians. It’s a whole new world, but it doesn’t mean that we’re leaving Paris .

What The Rome Move Means For Emily In Paris

The Show’s Title Is No Longer A Good Descriptor

The major draw of the franchise is the idea of a fish-out-of-water trope that features an American exploring Paris. The root of every dramatic element traces back to Emily’s attempt to reckon with French culture without knowing French or anything about Paris’ people. The show has consequently become somewhat controversial, as it relies heavily on stereotypes of the Parisian people. Still, it has continued to see success in its exploration of an American’s reaction to those same stereotypes. It will now extend that treatment to Italian culture.

Emily will eventually return to Paris.

The title is now out of date, but the move away from Paris should not fundamentally change anything. Many of Emily in Paris‘ French cast members will be moving with her. Emily’s setting will certainly shift, but she will still have to consider her colleagues in Paris. As Star described, she will also be forced to compare the French to the Italians, providing new places for cultural contrast. French influence will continue to resound, so the title will remain the same. It is also likely that Emily will eventually return to Paris, since she has not changed her Instagram name.

Our Take On Emily Leaving Paris

An Increasingly Stale Premise Can Now Earn New Life

After four seasons of exploring the same premise, it is refreshing for Emily in Paris to move on to a new setting. With so much of the cast having adapted to Emily’s eccentricities, Emily’s season 4 move to Rome allows a return to form as she encounters new faces to contrast with her larger-than-life personality. New cultural influences can also offer an ironically familiar sense of alienation for her. Paris is no longer a new setting, so shifting away means she can finally step up and visit new places and meet new people. It’s everything that the show needs.