Of all the mind-numbing content on offer during the coronavirus pandemic, the Netflix original series Emily in Paris was one of the most out-of-touch options available. For many viewers, that was a good thing; real life is exhausting enough, and within the show’s world, no problem is insurmountable. Most things come easily to Emily (Lily Collins), the sunny-tempered protagonist, who is often confused and sometimes cornered, but always finds a solution without suffering even a chip in her manicure.

There’s something to be said for escapism, and this show’s got it in spades. There’s a plot, sure, but there is mostly a mood: moneyed, polished, easy, breezy, beautiful, etc. Most of Emily’s character development occurs in the process of amassing more Instagram followers. Watching Emily explore Paris, expectant of assistance and remarkably unconcerned with the language barrier, is like consuming empty calories: you can watch episode after episode and still feel like you’ve watched nothing at all.

That’s not a problem, necessarily, but it did raise concerns when the show received two Golden Globe nominations. I May Destroy You, a show by Black British actress Michaela Coel, was not nominated, despite its thoughtful exploration of sexual assault and Coel’s talents as its writer, director, and leading actress. This led some to question the legitimacy of the nominations that Emily in Paris received. It seemed that the privilege Emily experienced in Paris as a young white woman with endless resources for dining out and buying designer clothing had been reflected in the real world.

Despite all controversy, Netflix renewed the popular show for a second season. Emily’s creator, Darren Star, acknowledges that she got off easy in the show’s first season and told Variety that Emily will become more acclimated to French culture in the episodes to come, stating that “she got a bit of a free pass in the beginning and I don’t think it will be quite as easy for her in [the] second season. I think she will be more assimilated, in terms of living in Paris and stepping up to the challenges of learning the language.” Maybe, as we adjust to a post-lockdown reality, Emily will get a reality check of her own.