The One That Got Away - Why We Root for Emily in Paris' Gabriel

On the snowy slopes of Megève, our heroine falls, defeated. Abandoned by her boyfriend and unable to ski, she lies in her chic, Audrey Hepburn-esque outfit, flush against the snow. Just as all hope is lost, a hand reaches out, and as the sun flickers, we catch a glimpse of a handsome stranger coming to the rescue. Just one problem—this isn’t our leading man. The hero of this story is Chef Gabriel, who followed his pregnant ex-girlfriend Camille down the mountain.

Since its introduction in 2020, Emily in Paris was first mocked, then beloved! But one thing has always remained steady: the audience’s approval of the hot chef. We first meet Gabriel in season 1 with his long-term girlfriend Camille in tow. Despite this, and the later introduction of Emily’s boyfriend Alfie, we watch the love and attraction between Emily and Gabriel grow in the midst of affairs, exes, and new loves. The finale of Emily in Paris season 3 finally gave our couple a chance. As Camille stands in her family’s church holding Gabriel’s hands, she is unable to take her vows because “it’s always been you and Emily,” and she tearfully leaves the church. And as the dust settles (and Emily’s boyfriend breaks up with her), we’re left with a shot of Emily and Gabriel overlooking a balcony, hoping they get together.

But after four seasons of “will they, won’t they,” aren’t we tired of this by now? The unattainable love interest is a long-beloved trope in rom-coms, often used to propel our heroine into a journey of self-love. Other media similarly glamorizes the unattainable love interest; Sex and the City glamorizes Carrie’s leading man, ‘Big,’ to such an extent that his name is only revealed in the Sex and the City finale (six seasons later!). Where Carrie had her chance to be with sweet, adoring Aidan, she chased after Big despite all the signs that he just wasn’t that into her.

Bridget Jones’s Diary had its Daniel, Bridget’s boss who dumps her after initially pursuing her, prompting her vow to “find a nice, sensible boyfriend and stop forming romantic attachments to any of the following: alcoholics, workaholics, sexaholics, commitment-phobics, peeping toms, megalomaniacs, emotional fuckwits, or perverts.” The Holiday had its Iris, who found herself heartbroken after her unrequited love, Jasper, got engaged, prompting her to go to LA and meet Jack Black’s sweet and admiring Miles. Legally Blonde produced one of the most important messages of the 21st century as we see Elle get dumped by her boyfriend, pursue law school, and realize her true potential. If all of these tropes see our heroines develop despite the heartbreak, then why does Emily in Paris refuse to let Emily move on?

No wonder it’s refreshing to see Emily end her relationship with Gabriel in Megève as she states, “You’re always gonna choose her [Camille]!” A sigh of relief runs through us—what if Carrie had made the same decision in season 1? And at what point does a hopeless romance become just hopeless? Gossip Girl similarly had its heroine in Blair Waldorf, a hopeless romantic who thought the show’s ‘bad boy’ Chuck Bass was her soulmate until she realized she deserved better (spoiler: they still end up together).

Time and time again, we see our heroines chasing their male leads, waiting for them to realize that they’re the one because “it’s just meant to be.” He’s Just Not That Into You was the first movie to try to dispel that myth. Following the lives of several couples, we see their different dynamics as Justin Long’s Alex explains that “If he's not calling you, it’s because he doesn’t want to call you. If he’s not asking you out, it’s because he doesn’t want to ask you out. If he’s treating you like he doesn’t give a shit, it’s because he doesn’t give a shit. When a guy is interested in you, he will act like it. And if he doesn’t, he’s just not that into you.”

So, if Emily and Gabriel are meant to be, why does it take so long for them to get together? And why do they then break up so easily as Gabriel leaves her behind? The underlying understanding of rooting for your favourite couples is that, despite the ups and downs they might face, there’s comfort in knowing they will end up together. But what if they don’t? What if Carrie and Big never got married and Carrie spent years chasing after him? What if Chuck never realized Blair was the one for him? When we are so obsessed with waiting for the “ones that got away,” we miss the Marcellos of the world—the ones ready to be in our present. And as Marcello takes Emily’s hand, we hope for a new era in Emily’s life; we hope for Emily in Rome.