Web Series: Emma Approved

Pemberley Digital was not one to rest on their laurels. After the success of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Welcome to Sanditon, they introduced another modern take on a Jane Austen classic. And this time, it was Emma Approved!

I am AB and this entry will be SPOILER approved!

*Wink*


Emma Woodhouse (Joanna Sotomura) is a leader in the lifestyle excellence field. And she’s documenting her success for when she inevitably receives an award for her work. This time, she’s documenting her latest matchmaking success—her twentieth weddings out of twenty pairings. And it’s personal as the bride-to-be is her best friend, Annie Taylor (Alexis Boozer). She is marrying Ryan Weston (Gabriel Voss), which also means Emma is losing her assistant.

So her partner, Alex Knightley (Brent Bailey), makes her hire a new one. Namely, Harriet Smith (Dayeanne Hutton). Emma sees someone she can mold and guide and match. So she’s not too happy when Harriet shows an interest in their tech support person, Bobby “B-Mart” Martin (James Brent Isaccs). But she has to save Annie’s wedding first. Annie is getting jitters because she hasn’t heard from Ryan’s stepbrother, Frank. She feels he’s rejected her from the family and it’s a sign. Emma uses a little trickery and gets the wedding back on track. Annie and Ryan get married and live happily ever after, shot luge and all.

Confident, Emma works on Harriet. She guides (read: manipulates) Harriet into spurning Martin’s advances. Instead, Emma uses her connections to get her next client: Senator James Elton (Paul Stuart). He wants to expand his political career but is also ready for marriage. Emma imagines Harriet being the bride, but it becomes clear to everyone but those two that Elton imagines his wife to be Emma. She’s surprised when he makes his intentions known and rejects him. He fires her and storms out.

This failure shakes Emma to her core. She takes some time off but still has serious doubts when she returns. Concerned, Alex calls in the big guns—Emma’s sister Izzy Knightley (Mapuana Makia). She’s also married to Alex’s brother, John. And Emma thinks there’s something bothering her sister. Alex tries to warn Emma against it, but Izzy agrees to become Emma’s next client. Emma discovers that her sister is not as happy and tries to fix things. But things seem to get worse and Emma is surprised when Alex sides with her instead of his brother. Things work out when John finally listens to his wife, who wants to return to school. Happy endings all around!

Emma’s got her groove back and ready to tackle her next client: Maddy Bates (Nikea Gamby-Turner)! She’s an old friend of the Woodhouse and Knightley families…who Emma’s been avoiding for the most of the series at this point. But Alex makes her meet with Maddy and Emma decides to help her increase her clientele. How? Not by talking to Maddy, heavens no! By hosting a fundraiser that Maddy works! Emma and Harriet plan it and it’s a rounding success! Maddy gets new clients, even if they aren’t the caliber Emma had anticipated.

But Harriet gets a promotion. Score!

The party also increases Emma’s reputation and people want her to plan their parties. Including Senator Elton! Yes, he’s back and he’s engaged. To whom? Caroline Lee (Jessica Andres)! Yes, she’s back as well. Caroline knows of Emma’s reputation as a party planner and wants her to plan the party. Emma thinks the two have ulterior motives—namely to rub Emma’s nose in their happiness. And put Harriet in her place. As she works with Caroline, Emma is confronted with the ugly side of her personality magnified in her client. She can’t wait to finish this assignment and Alex thinks she’s paranoid. Until Senator Elton pretty much tells Harriet she’s not invited to his party. So Alex brings her as his date, deflating Elton.

After Caroline and Elton’s party is over, Emma is relieved. She also reconsiders her purpose and the direction of her company. With Alex’s blessing, they go on a brief hiatus to figure things out. (Coinciding with a brief hiatus for production to work on more scripts).

When Emma Approved returns, it is now focused on making the world a better place. To work with people who were dedicated to good causes and were good people. And to that end, Emma hires her least favorite person, Maddy’s niece Jane Fairfax (Tyra Colar). Jane has a long history of working with charities and nonprofits and is a good person to help the new improved Emma Approved. The only problem is that she’s not sure Emma Approved is improved and she’s not as outgoing as Emma, which causes clashes.

Also new to the office is Frank Churchill (Stephen A. Chang), Ryan’s unseen stepbrother. He has a lot of connections and helps Emma with her benefits. The two get along really well. So well, people (namely Alex and Annie) think they are interested in each other. Emma insists she doesn’t have romantic feelings for Frank. But it appears Harriet may have a new romantic interest. Who Emma thinks might be Frank. Meanwhile, Annie’s convinced Jane and Alex are dating. Emma works to disprove that very quickly.

Speaking of Annie, she has some news of her own—she’s pregnant! Emma’s thrilled and offers to throw Annie a baby shower. Though Annie protests, Emma insists. But Emma’s also planning the opening for the hottest celebrity owned restaurant ever—Boxx in the Hills. Alex expresses concerned about her planning two events, but Emma says she can handle it. Of course, she totally doesn’t. Harriet does most of the work for Annie’s baby shower while Emma focuses more on Boxx. Jane offers to put some of Maddy’s jams into the gift basket, seemingly the only person in-universe other than Maddy who doesn’t realize they taste awful. Then Emma has a crisis when Frank lets slip the name of the secret celebrity owner—Brad Pitt! She tries to find the mole in her organization, ignoring Annie’s baby shower plans.

On the day of Annie’s baby shower, Emma spends most of it holed up in her office. She’s found out that another celebrity owned restaurant is opening the same day as Boxx! She has to fix it! Even though Annie and Alex come in to express their displeasure at her behavior. But she works everything out…for Boxx. Annie…not so much. She even feels bad about it.

Things go from bad to worse at Boxx’s opening. Frank convinces Emma to pull Maddy’s jams from the gift bags. While the opening was a success, Jane and Maddy are upset about the slight. Especially as Emma insulted Maddy to the owners. Jane quits and then Alex, also upset at Emma, leaves for an indefinite vacation. A devastated Emma implores Harriet not to leave her.

Emma wallows and it’s up to Harriet to get her out of her funk. She gives Emma some harsh love and convinces Emma to become her own client. Emma agrees. She makes amends with Maddy, who agrees to help her learn the business side of her company. You know, the side Alex did. Then Annie stops by to forgive Emma for the baby shower debacle. And to tell her that Jane and Frank had been dating but they broke up. They had kept it secret from everyone but Maddy. Annie’s afraid that the news will break Emma’s heart but Emma assures her she never loved Frank. She is worried about Harriet but Harriet assures her she never loved Frank. Harriet’s secret crush? Alex!

This unnerves Emma. She can’t believe that she missed Harriet and Alex’s feelings…and then realizes she missed her own feelings. She’s in love with Alex Knightley, but won’t stand in the way if he has feelings for Harriet. When he returns, she fears that’s what he’s going to confess to her. Instead, he tells her he loves her. And they share a kiss.

Meanwhile, Martin is back in Harriet’s life. She realizes she still has feelings for him and when Emma confesses her new relationship with Alex, Harriet’s not too hurt. Emma and Alex help Harriet get a second chance with Martin. All’s well that ends well.

I know a few people had a little trouble getting into Emma Approved because Emma’s not supposed to be terribly likeable at the beginning. But it had some great writing and a great cast. I enjoyed every minute of watching it. Even though I had to cringe when I knew Box(x in the) Hill(s) was coming. I hope rumors of second season prove true.

Next week: Submissions Only