Hallmark
Paris Is Always a Good Idea Episode 1 and 2 Review – The Ones That Got Away
Hallmark+’s new limited series, Paris Is Always a Good Idea, finds Mean Girls actress and rom-com queen Lacey Chabert whisking fans away on a European adventure.
But will it be enough to convince you to book your ticket? That’s debatable.
Chabert trades small towns for big cities with rich history and plenty of love interests as she steps into the role of Chelsea Martin, an executive working for a non-profit who is obsessed with work. While it’s admirable, especially since it’s for a good cause, she has no life outside of it, a fact that the first two episodes (of six, airing Thursdays) repeatedly remind viewers of.
The limited series, based on Jenn McKinlay’s bestselling novel, romanticizes Paris—and Europe—in a more realistic way than Emily in Paris, providing a refreshing change of pace. Unfortunately, it’s Chelsea herself who stands in the way of both the story and her own happiness.
When her company sends her to Paris to close a $50 million deal, she’s forced to confront the source of her pain in a place she’s avoided for a decade. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear why Paris is such a sore spot. Her parents’ epic love story began in Paris, and upon her mother’s passing, her mother’s final wish was to send her family on a sightseeing hunt through the city, which Chelsea was never able to see through, abandoning her sister, Annabelle, and their father, in the process.
When her family learns of her work trip to Paris, they decide to join her, as Chelsea eventually realizes that they never completed the hunt without her. She’s finally in a place where she can honor her mother’s wishes, but nothing goes according to plan, as too much time passed, and it turns out to be a disaster. Though she does take inspiration from her mother’s suggestion to revisit past lovers to see if any of them are her perfect love story.
It might just be me, but Chelsea never fully clicked as a character. Something felt missing, and perhaps it’s because we don’t see enough of her relationship with her mother or who she was before becoming a workaholic. As a result, much of her journey feels a little too clichéd.
We get glimpses of her experiences through flashbacks to her gap year, which is when she pressed pause on her love life and never hit play again, but it still barely scratches the surface.
And the theme of “too much time has passed” weighs heavily here.
Now, I haven’t read the book, but I feel as though the limited series didn’t work in the project’s favor, as I can imagine a lot more time was spent on all of her different European experiences in the novel than what the screen allowed.
From the brief synopsis, it’s obvious that several changes were made in the adaptation, particularly the timeline. The book’s seven-year gap feels more convincing than extending it to ten, because a 20-year-old and a 30-year-old are fundamentally different people with different outlooks and goals. In Hilary Duff’s wise words, it’s like trying to fit a square into a circle.
You can absolutely reconnect with a former love—and even fall in love again—if both people are in the same place in life. But it’s naïve to expect to simply pick up where you left off a decade ago. Experiences, situations, and other relationships change people. And yet, those are things that Chelsea hasn’t had in the span of 10 years, as she’s closed herself off.
As a result, Chelsea doesn’t really know who she is as a person in the present, having lost sight of herself after her mother’s death. She shut herself out from the world, including dating, and never actually faced or confronted it, making her European getaway a bit muddled; not only is she dealing with her grief, but she’s trying to find herself again and define who she is right now, and she’s looking for love. It’s a tall order.
Losing someone should remind you of how precious life is and how little time you actually have to live it, but since Chelsea never faced the pain, she seemingly never tapped into that lesson. We see it with her reaction to her father’s decision to fall in love with someone else.
Ten years later, and she can’t accept that he moved on. And though she was described as a hopeless romantic before she closed that part of herself following her mom’s death, it’s almost like she can’t reconcile two truths: his wife was his soulmate, and now she’s gone, and life isn’t meant to be lived alone. Her mother would want him to move on. And he’s clearly ready to be happy with someone else, while honoring what he had with his late wife.
Her growth begins to take shape when her meeting in Paris is delayed for a few days, and she’s convinced to take her first vacation in years with her sister, jetting off to Ireland in an attempt to reconnect with her first love.
This is where she gets her first real lesson in change—and a much-needed wake-up call. She’s been living in her head for far too long, and while the trip begins as a quest for love, it ultimately will lead to something deeper: a stronger relationship with herself, a reconnection with her sister, and a clearer understanding of the life she wants beyond work.
Turns out, a lot can happen in 10 years for the people who aren’t hiding away from the world, like a family with three kids.
Colin, a sheep farmer, may still be working at the same farm when they first see each other after all this time, but his life is totally different from when she last saw him. He’s thrilled to see her and invites her to dinner, which she takes as a promising sign, but what he fails to let her know is that he’d be coming with his whole brood.
Life happened for Colin, while it whizzed past Chelsea.
Chelsea’s trip to Ireland does give her an answer to her “what if,” however, with the closure that comes with closing the chapter on Colin, as she realizes he was never the one, nor was he the one that got away.
The redeeming moment for Chelsea here is that after she gets over her initial shock, acceptance fully sets in, and she realizes that Colin and Aoife are really cute together. She’s also realistic about what choosing Colin all those years ago would’ve meant—a life in a small Irish town with sheep and several kids—and she realizes she would’ve been miserable.
In retrospect, by leaving, Chelsea stayed true to herself and chose herself, even if it meant she always wondered if she made the right choice. Coming to Ireland proved to her that she did, and she felt a sense of relief.
You’d think Chelsea would learn from this and maybe stalk the other two remaining lovers from her gap year on social media instead to see what they are up to, but nope, she dives in headfirst, reaching out to both Sebastian and Marcos.
Sebastian responds first, asking to meet her in Paris, which is where the journey will take us next.
Clearly, Chelsea was living every girl’s summer travel fantasy at one point, but I think that’s the key here—these lovers were fantasy, as Chelsea will realize that they all made sense for a reason and a season.
And we haven’t even addressed the one man that isn’t on Chelsea’s radar but clearly is the reason we’re on this adventure in the first place.
Knightley, Chelsea’s rival colleague, who is assigned to the same project as her negotiations closer, threads in the familiar “there’s a fine line between love and hate” trope.
Chelsea begins her journey to reconnect to her past, and to find Colin, a sheep farmer in Ireland. Annabelle accompanies her, and Knightly grows curious. Photo: Scott Michael Foster Credit: ©2026 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Unai Mateo
From the start, the series frames the story as Chelsea recounting her life story to her soon-to-be husband. It’s supposed to be a mystery, but it seems fairly obvious where her journey is headed—and who will be waiting for her at the altar.
The sworn enemies have a “moment” at the club—because yes, conveniently and spontaneously, they both ended up at the same club in Paris—and Knightley suddenly becomes jealous when he learns that Chelsea went to Ireland to chase down an ex.
The series emphasized that before her mother’s death, Chelsea was a huge romantic, always wondering how her mother knew that her father was the one when they met in Paris. She’s been chasing that high—that moment—her whole life before completely abandoning it when her mother died.
However, it seems Chelsea is looking for this grand meeting when in reality, the love she’s looking for is right there, staring her in the face, and developing organically with the co-worker she hates.
Chelsea remains clueless about his interest; however, she finds herself chatting him up at 2 am when she can’t sleep, and her sister immediately clocks it.
The series has all the makings of the perfect summer series—picturesque scenery, romanticized destinations, hunky love interests, and more—but it falls a bit flat in execution, as we know that we’re watching the real love story unfold while revisiting old flames that won’t actually matter in the long run.
If only Chelsea could see what we see, but as they say, you can’t change someone who doesn’t want to be changed—it has to come from within. And for her, in order to move forward, she has to look back first.
Maybe it was also the fact that Chelsea and Colin had absolutely no spark, so none of it felt truly believable, whereas the budding fling between Annabelle and the bar owner is happening naturally, and the pull between them is magnetic. I’m rooting for them, as I find myself more invested in their moments than in Chelsea’s and Colin’s.
Either way, after the two-episode premiere, Chelsea’s journey to happiness and love (starting with loving herself and her life rather than just going through the motions, I hope) will continue with episode 3 on Aug 6.
And if I’m being completely honest, I’ll keep watching strictly because I’m thrilled to see Scott Michael Foster back on my TV screen!
What did you think of the first two episodes of Paris Is Always a Good Idea?
It will air exclusively on Hallmark+, with new episodes releasing every Thursday.
I didn’t have high expectations going into A Knight to Remember, and honestly, a big part of that came down to the promotional poster. It didn’t capture the charm you expect from a Hallmark movie, and it certainly didn’t do Julie Gonzalo and James Trevena any favors with those blank stares.
A statue of an English knight arrives in Chicago for an art exhibit. While cleaning the statue, museum conservator Emily impulsively kisses the statue, bringing him to life. Photo: James Trevena, Julie Gonzalo Credit: ©2026 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Allister Foster
Still, I gave it a shot. It’s set in my hometown, Chicago, so I felt like I had to support it; plus, I’m a sucker for a predictable, cheesy love story. Much to my surprise, I ended up genuinely enjoying it and liking it way more than I thought I would. It’s easy to be critical of these movies because, yes, they’re into all the Hallmark staples—with plenty of pumpkin spice latte references to emphasize that this is a fall film—but there’s also real heart and some solid comedic moments.
I wasn’t fully convinced by the premise of a medieval knight who’s turned to stone and accidentally comes back to life to find true love. But as I started my watch, my mind raced to remember where I saw a knight-turned-real-boy storyline before, eventually landing on one of the more enjoyable Christmas films of years prior— Vanessa Hudgens The Knight Before Christmas. Turns out, there is something captivating and heartwarming about time-traveling knights (with great manners and a big flirting game) finding their place in the modern world.
As for the plot, there was plenty to work with, starting in 1428, when marrying for love wasn’t the norm; Sir Griffin already knew he didn’t want the life laid out for him. Maybe he was more of a modern man than he ever even knew.
In fact, he’d rather be turned to stone than marry Princess Beatrice, which, frankly, says a lot. I do wish we got more of his past, or even a glimpse of Beatrice, but alas, the story fully focused on Griffin’s present-day adventures, navigating a world that was so deeply unfamiliar to his time.
As Griffin’s wish was granted centuries later, he woke up after Emily planted a kiss on his stone lips. And yes, I did spend a few minutes wondering why she committed to fully kissing a stone figure with such passion, but I guess we’re just rolling with it. Love (or loneliness) makes you do crazy things!
As the stone pieces keeping him trapped break away, Griffin is freed. And he’s been preserved in all his glory, apparently, without any bad breath! (I know, these are the things you just accept when diving into these rom-coms, but I couldn’t shake it.)
He navigates this big, new world with wide-eyed wonder.
The biggest thing to throw him off? Cars… or rather, rideshares.
From here on out, I will be referring to my shower as “indoor rain” because that’s much more logical. Thanks, Griffin.
Memory foam beds (“sleeping on clouds”) and bagels—all become part of his journey, as does a pumpkin spice latte, and it’s charming to see him enjoy one for the first time ever.
Meanwhile, Emily is dealing—very casually, I might add—with the whole “a statue went missing” fiasco at the museum.
“What, did it just get legs and walk away?” my mother would ask… And, well…
Personally, I would not be that calm, but she clearly doesn’t have the same debilitating anxiety that I do anytime my boss pings me asking if I have a minute to chat.
And she’s far more focused on helping Griffin complete his quest before he turns back to stone again, a fate he’d, understandably, like to avoid if at all possible.
Part of that mission involves Emily convincing herself and everyone around her that she’s not into him, despite being totally into him.
And there’s the aptly-timed Medieval Fayre hosted by her good friend Marcus, who was totally crushing on her work BFF, Ivy. Griffin picked up on it in mere seconds, but sadly, we never got to see anything pan out between them, which is a missed opportunity. There was no payoff to all those moments teasing the connection between Ivy and Marcus. Couldn’t we get a little kiss on the cheek during one of the fair moments?
There’s also Emily’s ex, Tom, who complicates everything.
He’s leading the investigation into the missing statue, clearly motivated by career ambition (which tells us all we need to know about what kind of husband he was), along with a smidge of little jealousy that Emily has a hunky new dude around.
A statue of an English knight arrives in Chicago for an art exhibit. While cleaning the statue, museum conservator Emily impulsively kisses the statue, bringing him to life. Photo: James Trevena, Julie Gonzalo Credit: ©2026 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Luka Cyprian
To be fair, his suspicion that Griffin could be a con artist isn’t entirely unreasonable given the armour with the residue matching the one found at the museum. But it’s the way he undermines Emily in the process, suggesting she’s so gullible, that makes it so extremely easy to root against him. When he tries to rekindle their relationship, playing the “I miss you” and “you were the best thing to happen to me” card, she shuts it down quickly—and rightfully so.
In the end, Tom gets what’s coming to him when his conflict of interest is exposed, as well as the fact that he broke into an apartment to obtain evidence.
He really thought he did something…
It’s a satisfying moment, just as it was to see Emily tell Tom the entire truth about Griffin, only for him to dismiss it as a joke. I wouldn’t have minded seeing Tom fully realize just how wrong he was about Griffin, and that he just lost the love of his life to a piece of stone!
The core of the story revolves around Griffin’s fate, as Emily has just three days to fall in love with him or he’ll turn to stone forever.
The catch is that her feelings have to be real, as Griffin refuses to tell Emily what’s at stake so that she doesn’t feel manipulated or forced into loving him.
No pressure or anything!
The deadline looms, but Emily continues to struggle to admit how she feels, her past with Tom clearly leaving its mark.
Even as Griffin’s fingers begin to turn gray, Emily can’t get the words out, which is frustrating.
Of course, this is Hallmark, so things work out. Emily realizes her life has been split into “before Griffin” and “after Griffin,” and she can’t imagine a life without him. The clarity helps her finally embrace her feelings, and it’s sealed with a kiss.
Griffin stays in the modern world to permanently enjoy the perks of indoor plumbing, and the two move forward together, bringing their story to life as part of the museum’s exhibit, which is such a hit that they’re embarking on a world tour.
It’s a happy ending, as expected—even if Emily had us in the first half.
As for the standout quote from the film, the award goes to Griffin, as he reflects on the world that no longer exists: “I do not ache for lost love, I ache for lost life.”
Slightly cheesy? Sure! But also surprisingly meaningful.
Did you enjoy A Knight to Remember as much as I did? What stood out most to you? Share your thoughts!
Hallmark
Julie Gonzalo Stars in Hallmark’s ‘A Knight to Remember’ — Everything We Know About the New Fall Fantasy Romance Movie
Hallmark is leaning into fantasy romance this fall with A Knight to Remember, a new original movie part of the “Fall Into Love” programming, starring fan-favorite Julie Gonzalo, and it’s already shaping up to be one viewers won’t want to miss.
Here’s everything to know about the upcoming film, from its cast to its story and when it premieres.
When Does A Knight to Remember Premiere?
A Knight to Remember is set to debut Oct. 3 as part of Hallmark’s seasonal lineup at 8/7c.
The movie arrives at the perfect time, slotted in during the network’s popular fall programming block, blending romance, cozy settings and light escapism ahead of the holiday season.
It will be available to stream on-demand on Hallmark+ the day after its television premiere.
Who Stars in A Knight to Remember?
The film stars Julie Gonzalo, a Hallmark regular known for her warm, relatable performances, along with James Trevena as the knight. Chris McNally, who also happens to be her real-life partner, also appears. The duo met in 2017 while filming the Hallmark movie The Sweetest Heart, beginning a romantic relationship shortly after.
Where Have We Seen Julie Gonzalo Before?
Gonzalo has been a familiar face to audiences for years, with roles in major films like A Cinderella Story (opposite Chad Michael Murray and Hilary Duff) and TV series including Dallas, Veronica Mars and Supergirl, in addition to her Hallmark work!
Does Julia Gonzalo Have Children?
Off-screen, she shares two children (daughters born in 2022 and 2026) with McNally, adding an extra layer of real-life chemistry to their on-screen pairing.
What Is A Knight to Remember About?
Per the description, A Knight to Remember centers on “a museum conservator named Emily,” who “cleans an imported English knight statue and impulsively kisses it, which magically brings the knight to life in modern-day Chicago.” The synopsis continues: “As Emily helps the chivalrous time-traveler navigate modern Chicago, pumpkin spice lattes, a Halloween Medieval Fayre, and an FBI investigation led by her ex-husband, she begins to rediscover the wonder and romance she thought she had left behind.”
Is A Knight to Remember Based on a Book?
Yes, the film is adapted from Bryn Donovan’s novel, Her Knight at the Museum, so if you enjoy the movie, you can dive into the book shortly after to keep the good times rolling.
A Knight to Remember Preview
Hallmark
Hallmark Unveils 2026 Countdown to Christmas Schedule—Including the Premiere Date for ‘Mistletoe Murders’ Season 3
So what that we haven’t even properly welcomed the fall season, and Christmas is 99 days away?
Hallmark is ready to kick off the holidays, revealing the highly anticipated 17th annual Countdown to Christmas schedule for 2026.
And it’s jam-packed with cozy and cuddly titles — 34 original premieres to be exact, which is 10 more than last year. What a holiday gift!
Yes, it includes Holiday Touchdown, bringing a touch of Hallmark magic to Chicago Bears fans, and a new season of Mistletoe Murders, arriving on Nov. 5, just in time to help us get our holiday sleuthing on.
Emily and Sam work to prove the wreathmaker’s innocence. Emily tries to remain unattached in the present while reflecting on the mistakes of her past and the obligations of her future. Photo: Peter Mooney, Sarah Drew Credit: ©2026 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Peter Stranks
The programming kicks off in exactly a month, on Oct. 16, and runs through Dec 20!
There will also be in-person experiences that bring the on-screen magic to a city near you as part of the three-city Jingle Stop Tour in Chicago, the location for Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story; Orlando, where Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True was filmed; and Asheville, NC, home of the famed Biltmore Estate and the set of A Grand Biltmore Christmas.
As for the new films, they star all of the familiar faces you’ve come to love at Hallmark, including Lori Loughlin’s comeback, Nikki DeLoach, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Andrew Walker, Italia Ricci, Jessy Schram and, of course, Lacey Chabert!
Be there for every mistletoe moment—for grand romance and fairytale endings!
Here’s the entire 2026 Hallmark Countdown to Christmas Schedule
- Friday, October 16 — ‘Tis the Season for Setups (Amanda Schull, Victor Webster, Barbara Niven)
- Saturday, October 17 — Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story (Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley, Marsha Mason, Barbara Alyn Woods, Khary Payton)
- Sunday, October 18 — Mr. & Mrs. Christmas (Brendan Penny, Pascale Hutton)
- Friday, October 23 — Winter Wonderlanes (Ashley Newbrough, Franco Lo Presti)
- Saturday, October 24 — Forgotten Holiday (Janel Parrish, Daniel Lissing)
- Sunday, October 25 — What If Christmas (Lori Loughlin, Tom Cavanagh)
- Friday, October 30 — Who’s Coming for Christmas? (Rhiannon Fish, Jake Foy, Mila Morgan)
- Saturday, October 31 — Adopting St. Nick (Amy Groening, Michael Rady)
- Sunday, November 1 — A Danish Christmas (Emilie Ullerup, Corey Sevier)
- Thursday, November 5 — Mistletoe Murders Season 3 (Sarah Drew, Peter Mooney, Sierra Marilyn Riley)
- Friday, November 6 — Merry Memories (Lindura, Brendan Morgan)
- Saturday, November 7 — Holiday Unplugged (Nikki DeLoach, Juan Pablo Di Pace)
- Sunday, November 8 — A Season of Promises (Brooke D’Orsay, Ali Liebert, James Denton)
- Friday, November 13 — My Christmas Cowboy (Amy Acker, Luke Macfarlane, Sara Canning)
- Saturday, November 14 — The Nights Before Christmas (Tyler Hynes, Laci J Mailey)
- Sunday, November 15 — Mistletoe and Mimosas (Tamera Mowry-Housley, Kristoffer Polaha, Jennifer Robertson)
- Friday, November 20 — Our Holiday Playbook (Taylor Cole, Charles Michael Davis)
- Saturday, November 21 — Christmas in Blue Dog Valley (Erin Cahill, Andrew Walker)
- Sunday, November 22 — Double Booked for the Holidays (Rachael Leigh Cook, Owain Yeoman, Stephen Hagan)
- Thursday, November 26 — Christmas Delivered (Autumn Reeser, Wes Brown, Linda Darlow)
- Friday, November 27, 6 p.m. — The Christmas Eve Feast (Daniella Monet, Kevin McGarry, executive produced by Giada De Laurentiis)
- Friday, November 27, 8 p.m. — Return to Santa (Paul Campbell, Rachel Boston)
- Saturday, November 28, 6 p.m. — The Most Wonderful Secret (Tammin Sursok, Peter Porte)
- Saturday, November 28, 8 p.m. — Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True (Lacey Chabert, Travis Van Winkle, Richard Kind, Christy Carlson Romano, Bryce Durfee, Asher Alexander, Taegen Burns)
- Sunday, November 29, 6 p.m. — Eight Nights for Love (Hunter King, Dan Jeannotte)
- Sunday, November 29, 8 p.m. — Miles to Christmas (Ashley Williams, Steve Lund, Alison Sweeney)
- Friday, December 4 — The Snowflake Effect (Heather Hemmens, Mark Ghanimé)
- Saturday, December 5 — A Grand Biltmore Christmas (Holland Roden, Niall Matter, Andie MacDowell, James Trevena, Jonathan Frakes, Rachel Boston, Wes Brown)
- Saturday, December 5, 10 p.m. — The Hallmark Christmas Experience: A Hometown Holiday, a special hosted by Jonathan Bennett and Melissa Peterman
- Sunday, December 6 — An Angel in My Stocking (Fiona Gubelmann, Marco Grazzini, Nancy Robertson)
- Friday, December 11 — Christmas in Canterbury (Jessy Schram, Will Kemp)
- Saturday, December 12 — Snow Globe Town (Kimberley Sustad, Scott Michael Foster)
- Sunday, December 13 — Noelle Nomads (Benjamin Ayres, Torrey DeVitto)
- Friday, December 18 — Hearts All Aglow (Mishael Morgan, B.J. Britt, Holly Robinson Peete)
- Saturday, December 19 — Barking All the Way (Ian Harding, Tori Anderson)
- Sunday, December 20 — Save the Date for Christmas (Jonathan Bennett, Italia Ricci)
What movie are you most excited for?
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