Emily in Paris season 4 part 1 is the season we've been waiting for

Warning: Major spoilers ahead from Emily in Paris season 4 part 1.

When Emily in Paris premiered back in October 2020 as a light-hearted reprieve from a very difficult time (isn't that the understatement of the century?), the reception was a bit mixed on all fronts (again, an understatement). Critics weren't sure what to make of the Netflix original romantic comedy series and viewers wrote it off as problematic fluff.

But that didn't stop the show from becoming a veritable smash and an Emmy nominee for Original Comedy series. (I will never stop reminding the world that that happened. The nomination was ridiculed, but it was a win for rom-com television!) Obviously, Emily in Paris has found its people and the Darren Star-created show has never stopped staying true to itself.

Now entering its fourth season, which began its run on Aug. 15 with the first of two parts, the series has made slight improvements based on fair critiques while never wavering from its core mission of having fun. Emily in Paris season 4 part 1 continues to have the most fun and moves the central plot of its long-teased relationship forward in ways that have been long promised since season 1.

Emily and Gabriel are the right choice in season 4

Every Emily in Paris fan won't agree, but Emily and Gabriel finally becoming a couple was the correct move for the series to make in season 4. Personally, it's the season I have been waiting for from the very beginning. I have loved each season of the series, and that was never impacted by who Emily was dating. But watching the show deliver on a promise that manages to still work all these seasons later feels like absolute magic.

After teasing Emily and Gabriel's relationship for three full seasons, you would expect the concept to sour, that those of us who were holding out for them to get together would tire and move on. That's not the case, at least for me. I enjoyed watching Emily's relationship with Alfie, which I believe was a great and vital pairing that has endgame potential if not for the established chemistry ferociously burning between Emily and Gabriel.

For some viewers, Emily choosing a relationship with Gabriel over Alfie will have the opposite effect. But not me. Not ever. Emily in Paris told us what was happening. And they did it, and it worked. Part 1 ends with Gabriel telling Emily he loves her and Emily saying it back. They still have drama to come with Camille's revelation waiting in the wings, but you can't take back "I love you," and the show should not backtrack after making this much progress.

Emily in Paris season 4 part 1 sets the stage for a perfect endgame

In Emily in Paris season 4 part 2, which premieres on Sept. 12, Emily still has to embark on a Roman holiday. There are lots of new characters to come, including an Italian man who could have love interest potential in any other season. For the show to somehow fabricate a quick split for Emily and Gabriel would be a monumental disservice to, well, everyone involved. Complications are inevitable, but the last thing Emily needs, after finally finding love with Gabriel, is another interim love interest.

As much I loved season 4 part 1 for the Emily and Gabriel of it all, Emily in Paris' latest episodes underscored how much some of the supporting characters have solely served as plot devices for that particular pairing. Alfie doesn't deserve to be strung along anymore in Emily's world, and Camille's constant dramas are a distraction to Gabriel. If anything, both characters, no matter how much we adore their portrayers, are no longer necessary to the story being told.

Now, I don't want to give Netflix any ideas because I don't want Emily in Paris to end any time soon, but I also don't want the show to overstay its welcome and jump any sharks. Season 4 part 1 definitely appears to be laying the groundwork for the show's ultimate endgame. Of course, Emily doesn't need a relationship to be her endgame, but love has always been part of the show's premise. And for her, it's always been Gabriel. (Again, apologies to the Alfie shippers.) Mindy, too, has started to see her endgame take shape with her rising singing career and growing relationship with Nicolas.

Emily in Paris season 5 would bring the series to a natural conclusion without dragging out Emily's relationship struggles even further (see: Darren Star's previous series Younger and its messy, lackluster seventh and final season) and retreading old territory to the exhaustion of the viewers. We've been on this exciting and hilarious journey with Emily, Mindy, Sylvie, and the whole crew for four excellent seasons, and their marvelous ending is on the horizon, as bittersweet as it might be to admit.

Watch Emily in Paris only on Netflix.