Emily in Paris (episode)

**"*Emily in Paris*"** is the series premiere of *Emily in Paris*, the first episode of Season 1, and the first episode overall.

## Synopsis

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> — Official Netflix Synopsis
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## Plot

Emily Cooper is an American marketing agent at Gilbert Group, who just acquired a French marketing firm located in Paris. Her boss Madeline Wheeler is slated to move to Paris to help ease the transition, but her unexpected pregnancy derails her plans, so Madeline sends Emily in her place. She doesn't hesitate to take the job and informs her boyfriend Doug of the plans she has made, including how they can make a long-distance relationship work.

She jets off to Paris where she moves into a very old building known as 1 Place de L'Estrapade, where she resides in the Chambre de bonne on the fifth floor. She is initially confused over the floor plans of the building, as in France the "first floor" is the "ground floor". Meaning that in America, Emily would be living on the sixth floor. Nonetheless, she is eager to start her new job as a social media strategist and marketing executive, which entails bringing Savoir an American point of view.

Her first day is rough as she meets her co-worker Julien, and attempts to use a translation app to converse with him but fails. She is greeted minutes later by her boss Sylvie Grateau, who isn't pleased that Emily doesn't speak French. This proves to be a large obstacle as Emily can't communicate with Patricia, the head of social media engagement. When she returns to L’Estrapde that evening, she tries to unlock the wrong apartment as she miscounted the floor levels once again. She introduces herself to her attractive neighbor Gabriel.

The culture clash between Emily and her co-workers is evident as they being to give her the cold shoulder by refusing to go to lunch with her and nicknaming *La Plouc*, which means *The Hick* in English. Emily goes out to lunch alone and is about to eat in a park when a young boy knocks her bread on the ground. She meets Mindy Chen, the children’s nanny, a few seconds later. Mindy’s friendliness is refreshing to Emily and Mindy puts her number in Emily’s phone.

That evening she is sitting at a cafe alone when Luc stops to sit with her. He doesn’t agree with calling her La Plouc and thinks that his co-workers are intimidated by her love of work. She explains that work makes her happy, which he finds horrifying. He tells her that while Americans live to work, the French work to live.

Emily video chats with Doug that night and they attempt to have phone sex but the call drops, so she attempts to use her vibrator when the electricity in her chambre goes out.

## Cast

* Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu as Sylvie Grateau
* Ashley Park as Mindy Chen
* Lucas Bravo as Gabriel
* Samuel Arnold as Julien
* Bruno Gouery as Luc

Guest Starring* Kate Walsh as Madeline Wheeler
* Roe Hartrampf as Doug
* Hanaé Cloarec-Bailly as Sybil Dupont
* Tytouan Cloarec-Bailly as Laurent Dupont
* Tatiana Gousseff as Bakery Woman
* Vladimir Houbart as Taxi Driver
* Raphaël Kahn as Handsome Man
* Édith Le Merdy as Gardienne
* Juliet Poissonnier as Female Fruit Vendor
* Arnaud Viard as Paul Brossard

## Trivia

* Emily's co-workers don her "La Plouc", which means "The Hick" in English.
* Emily learns that in France, the lobby marks the Ground floor, then the first floor, and so on. This misunderstanding leads her to meet her neighbor, Gabriel, who lives on the floor below her.
* Paul Brossard expresses his dislike for Chicago deep-dish pizza, to which Emily responds that he must have gone to Lou Malnati's.
	+ The owner of Lou Malnati's, Marc Malnati, did not appreciate this joke. In a press release, he said "We've been serving Chicago's favorite Deep Dish since 1971. When Netflix’ Emily in Paris writers chose to take a shot at Chicagoans and our pizza to try to get a laugh, it felt heartless and not humorous in the midst of Covid-19."

## Gallery

* Episodic
* Behind the Scenes

## References

1. ↑ Chicago pizza chain calls out Emily in Paris over joke slamming its deep-dish