Summary
Episode 2 is still showing the lack of juice in the story — the character Emily shows resolve which is engaging but the whole set-up feels wafer-thin at this stage.
This recap of Netflix’s Emily in Paris season 1, episode 2, “Masculin Féminin” contains significant spoilers.
We recapped every episode — check out the archive.
The opening
Emily continues her morning runs and learning French. She continues to get the wrong apartment on the wrong floor. She tells Gabriel that the floor numbering is strange in France. Gabriel flirts as she heads up stairs. On the way to work, she stands on dog sh*t — it’s not a great start to the day.
Standing her ground
Emily enters the the office and she tries to make peace with Sylvie and present her ideas. She tells her that their current campaign is weak but Sylvie does not agree with her approach as they deal with exclusive brands — she claims Emily is very obvious. Emily raises that she has an outside perspective.
The series clearly wants the audience to admire Emily’s persistence — she refuses to be downtrodden from negatively influencing figures in her new environment.
Enthusiasm at the party
At night, Emily heads to a party arranged by Gilbert Group where brands will be showing up. She starts spitting her ideas and one of the men, Antoine, says she has interesting ideas. Sylvie tells Emily not to share work ideas at a party. Later, Antoine gives her some perfume to try — he tells her how perfume makes people more confident and sexier. Emily says the perfume is like “Wearing poetry”. Antoine tells Emily that she needs a French boyfriend to learn the language and that her American boyfriend will not be able to help. Antoine then tells her that the perfume smells like “Expensive sex”.
So far, all the French men are creepy in this Netflix series.
Too friendly
The next day at work, Emily is told that Antoine wants her to work on his account but Sylvie puts her on another project dealing with a vagina product. Sylvie tells Emily that she and Antoine were way too friendly with each other — Emily raises that Antoine is a married client. Another colleague tells Emily a secret — “Sylvie is Antoine’s mistress”.
Dinner with Mindy
Emily meets Mindy about the Sylvie and Antoine situation and she questions why Antoine is even married if he’s cheating — Mindy explains how the French are more realistic. At the restaurant, Emily tries to send her steak back but the chef says it is correct. Mindy tells her that she cannot change French culture. Gabriel is the chef and tells her to try it first — Emily loves it.
Paris is beautiful!
Emily rings Doug and he’s holding out on coming to Paris — he states he doesn’t know how to do long distance — he liked their life in Chicago and asks her to come home or it’s over. Emily defends Paris and they break up.
Le/la
Emily takes the break up well and starts her marketing project which is related to a vagina product. While doing Google translate she asks Sylvie why the vagina is masculine — “Why is it le vagin, and not la vagin?”. Sylvie suggests that it’s because a woman owns their vagina but the man possesses it.
The ending
The next day, Emily tells Mindy that she feels she has made a mistake. Mindy tells Emily to allow the French culture to wash over her. Meanwhile, a woman named Brigette Macron sees a social media post by Emily that says “The vagina is not a man” and she publically agrees with the post. Paul from the office tells Sylvie that he’s got a message from the CEO of Vaga-Jeune — “Brigitte Macron has just posted something on her Twitter account about their product” — it came from Emily’s Instagram account.
Emily finds out from Mindy that Brigitte Macron just retweeted her and she’s so happy. Paul calls her over at lunch and asks her to join the group. Sylvie seems bothered by it. Paul states it’s his last day and she’s made it memorable.
Emily in Paris season 1, episode 2 is still showing the lack of juice in the story — the character Emily shows resolve which is engaging but the whole set-up feels wafer-thin at this stage.
