Emily In Paris Creator Darren Star Addressed Lucas Bravo's Criticism Of The Show

Gabriel is back for Emily in Paris Season 5, and hoping to win back Emily’s (Lily Collins) heart for real this time — but it’s unclear whether the actor who portrays him is happy about it. In a new interview published on June 23, series creator Darren Star addressed Lucas Bravo’s criticisms of the show, specifically concerning his character Gabriel’s journey in the past three seasons.

Speaking to Deadline, Star teased that Emily’s dating life will remain as complex as ever on the upcoming fifth season, in part due to Gabriel. “Her love life is always complicated,” Star said. “We have Marcello [Eugenio Franceschini], Lucas Bravo is going to be back this season, so we have some interesting, surprising developments in terms of her love life.”

When asked about Bravo’s complaints, Star explained that it was “just a misunderstanding” with the actor, and said that it wasn’t hard to get him to return to the show. “I think he was never intending not to come back,” he clarified.

Lucas’ Emily In Paris Concerns

In October, Bravo voiced complaints about Emily in Paris in a series of interviews. He told French newspaper Le Figaro that he was frustrated with Emily and Gabriel’s Season 4 relationship, calling it “archaic,” and worried that their on-and-off dynamic would get predictable. “I don't want to be part of a cog that tends not to consider the intelligence of the audience,” he said.

He pointed out how long the filming process had taken and questioned whether it was still worth it. “It takes five months to shoot this series,” he said. “Do I want to sacrifice them by telling [a story] that does not stimulate me? I don’t really like what it’s becoming and where this storyline is going.”

In a separate interview with IndieWire, Bravo said he had grown apart from his character, even remarking that Gabriel has been “slowly turned into guacamole.”

“The ‘sexy chef’ was very much part of me in Season 1 and we grew apart season after season because of the choices he makes and because of the direction they make him take,” he said. “I’ve never been so far away from him.”

In fact, he had grown so concerned about Gabriel’s arc that he considered not returning for Season 5, but if he did, he had some requests. “I really want to see if Gabriel gets back to his fun, cheeky, playful, alive self,” he said. “Three seasons playing melancholic, sad, depressed, and lost is not fun anymore.” Since Bravo will indeed be back, perhaps we’ll see Gabriel return to his roots this season.