"Masquerade" is the third episode of season 4 of Emily in Paris, and the 33rd episode overall.
Synopsis[]
"As Gabriel's living situation turns très compliqué, Emily plans a lavish masquerade ball for Maison Lavaux, where feelings are shared - and choices made."
— Official Netflix Synopsis
Plot[]
Emily goes for a run where she notices all the attractive men in Paris, though she trips while ogling.
Mindy gets ready to leave and answers the door when Gabriel knocks. He needs a shower because his apartment has two women monopolizing it. She lets him in since she's leaving.
Emily greets Camille outside the building, as the blonde is on her way back from a morning walk to the bakery. They reach Camille's apartment and Sofia opens up, excited for a specific pastry. Emily asks how things are going between the three of them. Sofia and Camille are sharing Gabriel's bed while he's on the couch. Emily awkwardly says goodbye as she rushes into her apartment.
She barges into the bathroom while venting about Gabriel's situation to whom she assumes it Mindy. She saw hot men everywhere on her run. She's been so focused on Gabriel and Alfie that she forgot to see what else was out there. Gabriel peers around the curtain to question her saying she's not with Alfie, which scares the American. He knows his living situation isn't ideal, but it's just until the women find their own place. She throws him a towel and leaves.
Emily presents the commercial for Heartbreak to Antoine and the Baccarat rep. Alife arrives late. Sylvie shifts the conversation to the launch party at Maison Baccarat. Emily adds there will be social media influencers there to up their engagements. The scent is a unisex fragrance since heartbreak is universal. Alfie is frustrated about the theme of the event being a masquerade when the launch is for a fragrance. Emily explains that sometimes people don't want others to know how their feeling, so people can hide their emotions with a mask. She gets a bit emotional talking about the heartbreak, which Luc notices.
Alfie greets Camille outside Agence Grateau. She apologizes for breaking him and Emily up. He's not blaming her because he knows she and Gabriel still have feelings for one another. That's why he bowed out of the relationship. She reminds him that Emily and Gabriel have been free to get together for a while now but haven't. They share a smile and she walks off.
Inside the agency, a meeting about Chamère's new cocktail in a can takes place. If they can market it correctly, young people will enjoy the drink too. Emily suggests getting a non-alcoholic version since there's a growth in that sector. Sylvie reminds Emily that non-alcoholic drinks are the antithesis of French culture. Camille doesn't think her parents will go for it. Emily accidentally outs Camille's pregnancy when she mentions non-alcoholic drinks are also for pregnant women. Sylvie congratulates her on the pregnancy, though Luc already knew because Emily told him. Emily quickly ends the meeting.
Sylvie gets a text from Noëlle Regnier requesting a comment on the Louis de Leon scandal, but Sylvie still refuses to be involved.
Mindy and Emily have dinner together where Emily orders a non-alcoholic drink for research. The girls being discussing the hot men in France that Emily is finally noticing. Emily doesn't want to date Gabriel because he's going to be a dad, and is over Alfie after the way he challenged her at work. Emily's wine arrives and she compares it to kombucha, noticing the pregnant women across the room drinking wine. Mindy reads Emily a text she got from her estranged father saying, "proud of you." She knows it's just because she's dating Nicolas, and her father wants her to marry into a rich family. Emily isn't convinced that's how he meant it until Mindy shows her the text, which includes an article about the couple. Mindy knows her dad could be worse, but still hates that he gets under her skin. The girls order real wine and tequila.
Laurent shows Sylvie his plans for the yacht, being nonchalant about money since it's not his to spend. She worries about him not being his own boss anymore. He insists Louis is his partner, not his boss. He questions if she wants him to open a business in France at all, but she laments her disliking and distrust for Louis instead. Laurent wants her to believe in him, to trust him. She finally admits thinking Louis's involvement in Laurent's club is to pay for her silence. She tells him about the Le Monde article. She doesn't think they have a story without her.
Gabriel walks past a houseboat where Luc is living. He's hanging lingerie from the boat. Gabriel thanks him again for the Michelin inspector, but Luc quickly tries to silence him, insisting his friend inspects Michelin tires. Gabriel gets the hint and walks away. Unfortunately, Marianne heard everything and accuses Luc of using her to get his friend a star. He tries to convince her that he didn't use her and that Gabriel deserves a star, but Marianne worries for her job security and what could happen if anyone found out she cheated the system. She promises that Luc's clients restaurant will never get a star and will be a black hole. She breaks things off with him as they can't be seen together. He watches her go sadly.
Luc cries to Emily and Julien over morning pastries. He thinks his whole life is a big mess because he's losing everyone, starting with Julien and now Marianne. Emily's sorry for getting him dragged into the Michelin star business with Gabriel. Julien snips for her to stop talking about his chef. She apologizes to Julien for how things happened, and does feel responsible for his leaving. He admits it entirely wasn't about her. He didn't feel valued and is grateful to her for shining a spotlight on her. He's been trying to call Sylvie to apologize, but she won't take his calls. Emily and Luc suggest that he got to the ball that evening since he'll be in a mask so Sylvie won't see him coming. Luc breaks down in sobs again as the coffee reminds him of Marianne.
Emily waits outside her apartment in a gown for the launch party when Gabriel ventures over. They talk about the meaning behind the masks, with her admitting that he has a lot of responsibilities. He doesn't want that to get between them, because his feelings haven't changed. She doesn't think they can ever work.
Emily arrives at the ball where everyone is dancing, drinking, and having a good time. She stands by Julien to encourage him to confront Sylvie. Emily walks up to Sabine who is wearing the same outfit as Emily. They admire the Glamera which Antoine is having fun doing with influencers. He excuses himself for a few minutes to escape the perfume being sprayed in his face. She walks off and encounters Alfie, who apologizes for not seeing her vision for the event earlier. They take to the dance floor where their flirtations continue. He's sorry for acting the way he did at the tennis match. He wasn't just hurt, he was heartbroken, and thought her and Gabs would be together by now. Sylvie interrupts to order Emily to find Antoine.
During her search, Emily encounters Gabriel who is dressed in a tux and mask. He pretends to be someone else, so she plays along, ultimately leaving to find Antoine.
Luc stands on the balcony when Marianne arrives. She's happy to be in a mask so she can be with him. She's upset with him for putting her in a bad position. She wants to know he's truly committed to her, and he insists that he is, even inviting her to move into the houseboat with her. Marianne intercepts Gabriel to praise his restaurant, recommending he get a top tier pastry chef.
Emily finds Mindy outside and they catch-up on the events of the evening. Emily has to choose now between Alfie and Gabriel, with Mindy telling her not to overthink it.
Sylvie gets a text from Noëlle Regnier, thanking her for talking in the article and sending her a preview of the article. She reads through the article which outs him for asking sexual favors from women.
Sylvie goes outside and finds Mindy, thanking her for what she said to Emily about the JVMA closet. This is news to Mindy, who didn't know Emily told her that. Sylvie is glad Emily did because men like Louis de Leon need to be held accountable for their actions. Nicolas texts Mindy asking her to meet at his place instead. Sylvie watches her leave.
Emily gets Antoine ready for another session, this time with water spraying instead of perfume. Sabine asks if Emily is here with anyone, and she says that she is, looking between the two men in her life. She crosses the dance floor to Gabriel, who is ready for it to just be them. As they dance, the people around them slip away until it's just them for a few moments.
Alfie finds Sabine and confesses his love for her, kissing her, until he realizes she's not Emily. He sees Emily leaving the ball with Gabriel.
Julien approaches Sylvie, complimenting her, then inviting her to dance. He apologizes to her and is grateful to her for everything she did. She interrupts him, insisting they are family and are good. The door will always be open for him. She decides to show him the article from Le Monde, warning it might not be the best time to join JVMA. As she walks away, she texts the article to Laurent while asking forgiveness. Antoine intercepts Sylvie as he just saw the story. He thinks she did the right thing, but she's not convinced just yet. She puts her mask on and exits the part with her head held high, people all around her reading the article.
Laurent reads the article that Sylvie sent.
Nicolas talks to Mindy about the story, believing it's all lies. She thinks it's true because she heard things from the women too. She's sorry, but doesn't think Louis is is the man Nicolas thinks he is. She understands his pain because of her own father. The story will do a lot of damage, and he needs Mindy by his side. She'll be there for him as long as he's on the side that's right.
Emily and Gabriel ride back to the apartment in a carriage. It feels like a fantasy to her. He asks her to forget reality for one night to live in the fantasy, so she ignores her phone to kiss him.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Lily Collins as Emily Cooper
- Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu as Sylvie Grateau
- Ashley Park as Mindy Chen
- Lucas Bravo as Gabriel
- Camille Razat as Camille
- Samuel Arnold as Julien
- Bruno Gouery as Luc
- William Abadie as Antoine Lambert
Guest Starring[]
Co-Starring[]
- Paul Forman as Nicolas de Leon
- Arnaud Binard as Laurent Grateau
- Laurence Gormezano as Marianne
- Renan Pacheco as Waiter
- Maxime Saint-Jean as Photographer
- Bérangère McNeese as Sabine (Uncredited)
Quotes[]
Trivia[]
Gallery[]
References[]