Hallmark fans were treated to the first two episodes of Lacey Chabert‘s new series “Paris Is Always a Good Idea” on Thursday, July 30, prior to four more installments to come weekly on Thursdays. And while the story has just gotten started, fans have already shared plenty of reactions to the new series that range from adoration to surprise.
*”PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA” SPOILERS AHEAD!*
Viewers May Not Have Been Prepared for How the Story Began
When “Paris Is Always a Good Idea” premiered, viewers were introduced to Chabert’s character, Chelsea Martin, who is a nonprofit executive that’s focused on her career, not romance.
In the first episode, fans were able to watch as Chelsea heads to Europe with her rival Jason Knightly (Scott Michael Foster) while on a mission to lock down an important donation.
HallmarkHowever, as the Hallmark Channel notes, the purpose of Chelsea’s trip changes when “a heartfelt message from her late mother — and a loving push from her sister Annabelle [Rebecca Hanssen] — sends her on an unexpected journey to reconnect with the three great loves she once left behind.”
Indeed, while traveling to France, Ireland and Spain, Chelsea revisits her past and at the same time, “discovers that sometimes moving forward means first looking back,” as Hallmark explains.
HallmarkWhile Chelsea’s story centers around her career and love life, the first episode didn’t delve as deeply into the romantic aspect of the plot as viewers might have expected. It instead focused on a very different aspect of life, one that fans might not have been prepared to be facing while watching a new Hallmark series.
“I was more than ready to dive into all the amazing globetrotting, so it surprised me when the entire premiere episode of the book-to-screen adaptation revolved not around love, but rather Chelsea’s grief over her mother’s death,” noted CinemaBlend’s Heidi Venable, while calling the first episode “surprising.”
HallmarkIndeed, as the story begins to unfold, we learn that when Chelsea’s mom, Christine (Anna Wilson-Jones), passed away, she asked her family to go to Paris and visit a list of places that she wanted her husband, Glenn (Henry Czerny), and their daughters, Chelsea and Annebelle, to experience.
When it comes to the story featuring both love and loss, Czerny told CinemaBlend, “I don’t think you can have one without the other. I don’t think you can have a full life without exploring the stuff that you don’t want to feel. That makes the stuff that you love feeling so much more lovely.”
Fans Adored the First Two Episodes of the New Series
After the first two episodes of “Paris Is Always a Good Idea” hit Hallmark+, fans were quick to share their thoughts about the series online.
“I just finished watching the first episode of ‘Paris is Always a Good Idea and wow this definitely is not your typical Hallmark show/movie,” one person wrote on Reddit.
Adding that this kind of series could connect with a larger audience than one that Hallmark regularly reaches and noting that the level of production was beyond what might normally be seen on the channel, the viewer mentioned that they were “very pleasantly surprised.”
Others on the thread agreed, also mentioning the quality of the production and potential widespread appeal.
Over on Instagram, opinions of the show were very positive, with an eager viewer leaving a comment, telling Hallmark, “I just watched both episodes of Paris is a Good Idea! Loved it!”
“Cannot say enough superb things [about] these 2 episodes” came from another social media user who clearly adored the start of the series and is excited to see how things unfold. Indeed, they added, “Can’t wait for the other 4 episodes.”
Plenty of others also commented on the stars’ chemistry and the series’ touching storyline, with another person leaving a comment on an additional Instagram post about the new show, saying, “Watched it, loved it, cried during it!!!! 💜💜💜💜💜”
