If someone had told me when I started watching Netflix’s Emily in Paris that I’d be professing my love for Sylvie, I would have laughed in their face. Certainly, I’d be writing about the relationship between Emily and Mindy, duh!

Before we dive in, some business to get out of the way: There are spoilers ahead. So go binge-watch Emily in Paris a time or two and then pop back.

No, I don’t believe the criticism the show has gotten is fair. Where I am a member in good standing and able to vote, I did vote for Emily in Paris. And I stand by it. Season 1 landing mid-quarantine the show was exactly the escape and adventure I desperately craved. It swept me away from my terrifying world into a fictional-yet-realistic fantasy with rules I understood (the same reason I watched a lot of vampire and sci-fi series during quarantine). It provided an escape, a release, a moment of joy and that’s 100% what I believe television should be. 

But, back to Sylvie. 

No me gusta. I felt my skin crawl every second she was on screen. Kudos to Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu and all the writers because they nailed her. As a woman, we’ve all had that boss that you want so desperately to please but you can’t ever seem to predict her response. That boss who knows how to send you from 100 to zero with the flick of an eyebrow or an almost compliment that sends you into a weekend-long overthinking spiral. 

Going into Season 2, a few sleeps past the S1 emotions that Sylvie stirred, I felt prepared. I knew what to expect from her. And I was right all the way to the final episode.

[Spoiler] When Sylvie walked away from Savoir I felt every defense mechanism inside me shut off. 

Shit! Epic boss move. 

And one, I wish more of us got a chance to see in real life.

Sylvie read the tea leaves and made a decision that was in her best interest. She masterminded a plan and executed it without asking everyone and their mother what she should do. Though I’m sure she talked to her most trusted, this wasn’t an everyone gets to weigh in situation. She knew what she was doing and wasn’t going to be lunchroom gossip fodder. Then, when the time was right, she executed. Simply. Succinctly. And without misunderstanding. 

What I would have done to have a female boss show me that. (I could have avoided so many traps of my own making.)

CHOOSE YOU

Doing what’s best for you is necessary. But it’s also not easy. There are so many voices, usually louder than your own, giving you reasons why they can’t do it without you. They can. They just don’t want to. They want you to do it. That’s what’s best for them. And you have to keep reminding yourself of that. It’s a vicious cycle until you realize that’s not real praise. The real praise is, “Thank you.” Thank you for a million small things you’ve done that probably don’t matter to you but mattered a lot to someone else. And, likely those thank yous, the real ones, don’t come right away. They only come when someone realizes they can do it without you because you paved the way.

DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL

The plan might be the easy part – technically. Emotionally – oh, hell no. There is nothing emotional about the plan. You have the cash or you don’t. You have the contacts or you don’t. You have the drive or you don’t. But then you start to panic. And you want to tell everyone. So you do. They pile on even more to think about. The spiral coaster cycles again.

But are they going to help you make it happen?

All those extra voices do is add doubt. Doubts you’ve probably already considered. The only voice you need to listen to is the one that scratches at the inside of your brain begging for attention telling you this won’t just be good. It’ll be great.

FEEL THE FEELS

Walking away sucks. No matter the situation, if it’s not right for you, you walk. It’s not any easier to walk away at your lowest point than it is at your highest point. It’s your life and only you can live it. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t great people, places, and opportunities you are leaving behind. It’s okay to miss people (You will. And you’ll be surprised who.) It’s cool to cherish mementos from your office. And, it’s normal to mourn the adventures someone else will be having instead of you. Tears might coat your face as you reach for the elevator button. Let them. Or you might walk out to a slow clap of peers hoping they’ll be next. Awesome. Either way, it’s emotional AF. Just because it’s emotional doesn’t change the fact that it is the right thing for you.

The other side: it’s fraught with ups and downs. No one really talks about that. They also don’t really tell you what it really feels like to find your way into a new situation that serves you. (It’s a crazy mindfuck.) Probably because it’s impossible to put in words. They’ve either done it, so they understand. Or they haven’t and don’t want to believe that it can really be like that. (Because if it’s really great on the other side, why are they still in the position they are.) It’s a ride. Your ride.

EMILY IN PARIS… THE FUTURE

It’s official, Emily lives to post another day. And thank goodness, Sylvie has so much more to teach us

This toast is for Sylvie. I’m sorry I didn’t see you sooner. I respect the hell out of you!