Emily in Paris season 5 is returning to Netflix on December 18, 2025, and if you ask me, I’m shocked that it’s coming back so soon. It’s been less than a year since we saw the second half of season 4, with the upcoming 10 episodes in season 5 turned around in lightning speed (well, at least according to the streaming service’s track record). As creator Darren Star told them: “This season is a Tale of Two Cities: Rome and Paris. Straddling both, Emily takes love and life to the next level,” which sort of doesn’t answer any questions we currently have.
When we left off, Emily (Lily Collins) was getting ready to leave the French capital behind for good, taking a job as the head of Agence Grateau Rome while simultaneously falling in love with the dashing Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini). Logically, season 5 should be Emily in Rome, but “a big secret threatens one of her closest relationships,” drawing her back. Emily is set to suffer heartbreak, work problems and career setbacks, so just another typical day in her life.
But for fans of cozy dramas on Netflix, there’s a problem here that you might not have noticed. It’s great that we’re getting Emily in Paris season 5 so quickly (not to mention the fact that it’s dropping all in one go), but this means Virgin River season 7 definitely won’t be released at the same time. Most likely, we’re looking at a 2026 release for the latter, and that’s a much longer wait than we’ve had to put up with for years.
Emily in Paris season 5 takes December release date away from Virgin River season 7
Benvenuto! Emily in Paris Season 5 arrives DECEMBER 18! Here’s your first look: pic.twitter.com/HA1aWiCzlSAugust 20, 2025
How do I know this? The answer is in Virgin River‘s track record. Netflix’s longest-running original series has been released in December for the last two years, essentially making the show synonymous with the winter season. With an early season 8 renewal now locked in, we also know season 7 has wrapped filming. Logistically, another December release would have been a shoo in, but Netflix would never release two of its best-performing dramas in the genre at the same time Why compete with yourself if you don’t have to?
I think Emily in Paris season 5 is most likely going first simply because it was ready earlier. Much like Virgin River season 8, Emily in Paris season 5 was renewed before season 4 had finished being released, with Italian promo shots for the announcement ready to go by the time we all found out. Given the cast and crew were already on location in Italy, I wouldn’t be surprised if a chunk of the new season was filmed back-to-back with season 4 episodes, to make best use of time and budget.
However it happened, it’s a huge win for Emily in Paris fans. I’m desperate to catch up with how she’s settling into her new life in Rome, and I really hope she’s staying with Marcello rather than ending up with Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) for the millionth time. I’ve got a horrible feeling that I’m not going to get what I want, but a girl can dream.
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