If you’ve spent any time on the internet lately, you know that the Emily in Paris rating is basically the Wild West of television data. It makes no sense. Or maybe it makes perfect sense, depending on whether you watch for the "vibes" or the actual plot. Honestly, the show has become this fascinating social experiment where the more people claim to hate it, the more they watch it.
We’re five seasons deep now. Five! Lily Collins is still out here wearing outfits that would get a normal person bullied in a grocery store, yet the show remains a juggernaut. But something weird happened with the latest data. The critics and the fans have officially swapped places. It’s like a Freaky Friday situation but with Rotten Tomatoes scores.
The Great Divide: Critics Love it, Fans... Not So Much?
Usually, with a show like this, critics are the ones rolling their eyes while the audience eats it up like a warm croissant. But the Emily in Paris rating for Season 5 flipped the script. Critics actually bumped the show up to a 75% or even 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, depending on which day you check the live aggregate. That is a series high.
Meanwhile, the audience score? It tanked to a "rotten" 41%.
Why the sudden beef? Well, Season 5 took Emily to Rome. It turns out, moving a show called Emily in Paris to Italy is a risky move. While critics enjoyed the "campy masterpiece" energy—The Guardian even called it a total hoot—longtime fans felt betrayed. They wanted Paris. They wanted the specific brand of French chaos they signed up for in 2020. Instead, they got Emily truffle-hunting in heels that cost more than my rent.
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A Quick Look at the Scores Over Time
Let’s be real, this show has never been an Oscar contender. It’s "escapist bubblegum," as one Reddit user put it. But if you look at the trajectory, the Emily in Paris rating is a rollercoaster:
- Season 1: Critics gave it a 61%, and the audience was right there with them at 54%. A solid "okay" start.
- Season 2: This was the slump. Critics dropped it to 58%, and the audience fell to 48%. People were starting to get annoyed by the stereotypes.
- Season 3 & 4: The show found its footing again, hovering in the mid-60s for critics.
- Season 5: The 75%+ critic score vs. the 41% audience score.
It’s a massive gap. It suggests that while professional reviewers are leaning into the absurdity and the addition of icons like Minnie Driver, the core fanbase is feeling some "Emily fatigue."
Is the IMDb Rating More Realistic?
If Rotten Tomatoes feels too polarized, the Emily in Paris rating on IMDb usually tells a more stable story. It sits at a 7.0/10. That’s the definition of a "good enough to binge while folding laundry" show.
Individual episodes often rank higher, specifically the finales. People love a cliffhanger. They love to see who Emily chooses, even though we all know she mostly chooses herself (and a really expensive bag).
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Viewership vs. Quality: The Netflix Paradox
Here is the thing about the Emily in Paris rating that drives TV purists crazy: the ratings don't actually matter to Netflix as much as the hours do.
Despite the "rotten" audience score for the latest season, the show pulled in 13.5 million views in its first week. It was second only to Rowan Atkinson’s Man vs. Bee (or Man vs. Baby in some regions). People are clicking. They are watching all ten episodes in one sitting.
Netflix doesn't care if you're hate-watching. A view is a view. When the show hit #1 in 24 countries including France and Italy, the Season 6 renewal was basically a foregone conclusion. The "rating" is essentially "Popular."
Why the Rome Shift Hurt the Scores
A lot of the negative feedback for the current Emily in Paris rating comes down to the setting. In Paris, the city was a character. The light, the cafes, the specific "mean girl" energy of Sylvie—it worked.
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In Rome, the show felt a bit like a travel brochure. Fans complained that Marcello, the new love interest, felt a bit forced. And let’s talk about Gabriel. Lucas Bravo, who plays the hot chef, was famously vocal about not liking where his character was going before Season 5 filmed. Fans felt that. When the lead actor is over it, the audience usually follows suit.
What This Means for Your Next Binge
Should you care about the Emily in Paris rating?
If you want The Bear or Succession, don't even look at this show. You'll give it a 1-star rating within ten minutes. But if you want to see Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu be the coolest woman on earth while Emily makes questionable marketing decisions involving hamburger meat and dogs (yes, that happened), then the 7.0 IMDb score is exactly what you're looking for.
Actionable Insights for the "Emily" Fan:
- Check the "Popcornmeter": If you’re a fan, ignore the critics. Their 75% score is based on the "art" of camp. Your 41% score is based on the "feeling" of the show.
- Look at Episode Ratings: If you're short on time, skip the middle filler episodes of Season 5. The finale is where the real "Emily" magic—and the higher IMDb scores—usually lives.
- Expect More Travel: With Season 6 confirmed, the Emily in Paris rating will likely continue to fluctuate as she hits new cities. Rumor has it Greece is next.
The divide between what we say we like and what we actually watch has never been wider. Emily in Paris is the queen of that gap.
Next Steps for Your Viewing:
You can actually track the live viewership fluctuations on sites like FlixPatrol or the official Netflix Top 10 site to see if the audience "hate-watching" trend holds steady for the remainder of the month. If the hours viewed stay above 20 million, expect Season 6 to be even more over-the-top.