In a candid conversation with USA TODAY, series lead Lily Collins opened up about Gabriel’s departure from Emily in Paris Season 5 and the emotional farewell that unfolds between the show’s central on-again, off-again pairing.
The fifth season, now streaming on Netflix, follows Emily as she navigates personal and professional crossroads. Mid-season, fan-favorite chef Gabriel, played by Lucas Bravo, reveals that he is leaving his Michelin-star kitchen in Paris to work as a private chef aboard a yacht.
Collins explained that Emily handles the unexpected exit with maturity and clarity. “She is genuinely OK saying goodbye to Marcello and Gabriel and just being with herself,” Collins said. “I found it very emotional.”
Two Breakups and a Train-Station Goodbye
Throughout Season 5, Emily is romantically involved with Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini), an Italian entrepreneur. Their relationship ends in the finale due to distance and conflicting responsibilities: Marcello must run his family business in Italy, while Emily chooses to stay in Paris and continue her career.
The final goodbye between Emily and Gabriel plays out on a train platform, a symbolic crossroads for both characters. Gabriel admits that he once followed Emily to Rome but left quietly after seeing her happy.
“That’s all I ever wanted for you,” he says.
“It’s all I ever wanted for you too,” Emily responds.
Before boarding, Gabriel tells her: “You’re a good friend,” a line Collins says she still wrestles with. “I question whether Gabriel said it as an easy way out or if he really means it.”
Lucas Bravo’s Real-Life Discontent Reflected On-Screen
Gabriel’s restlessness echoes Bravo’s public frustration with his character trajectory. In multiple interviews throughout 2024, Bravo said he felt his arc had stagnated and that Gabriel had drifted from the “fun, cheeky, playful” persona he embodied in earlier seasons.
“Three seasons playing melancholic, sad, depressed, and lost is not fun,” Bravo said at the time.
Although Season 5 offers Gabriel closure, Collins would not speculate on whether the postcard Emily receives at the end — inviting her to join him in Greece — signals a future reunion.
Season 6 Still Uncertain
When asked if Emily and Gabriel could still be endgame, Collins emphasized that she focuses less on long-term predictions and more on whether the series itself will return.
“I just like thinking in terms of do we get to go to another season,” she said, noting that Netflix has not yet renewed the show for Season 6.
Despite the uncertainty, Collins appreciated the autonomy Emily gains this season. “You really see that she’s OK with those choices,” she said.
Series creator Darren Star “keeps writing things that we’re so shocked about,” Collins added, hinting that viewers shouldn’t rule out future twists.
For now, Season 5 leaves fans with unresolved emotions, romantic ambiguity and the suggestion that Emily and Gabriel’s story may not be fully over.
