On Emma

Emma, long time no wink! - hermioneeowynp

I love how the first thing Emma thinks about is Alex. /dreamy sigh - symphony-of-the-goddesses

That doesn’t mean I’m done being my own client. = Fandom, stop freaking out; I really am doing some character growth this time. - midnightstylus

EMMAS LIKE “IVE BEEN TOTALLY CLUELESS” AND IM JUST LIKE HAHAHA I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE - darcy-writes

On Annie's Baby Bump

Is the actress playing Annie actually pregnant or does no one working on Emma Approved know how pregnancies work? - chelseaapproved

Ryan is a vampire. We’ve only seen him in one video and that was set at night. Sure, there were pictures of them on the beach at sunset but all pictures can be photoshopped. It’s the only thing that makes sense about Annie looking 6 months pregnant when she didn’t have a bump one month ago. It’s totally the reason why Emma had a baby shower so early too. The last video will have Annie come in with a toddler on her hip. - fabulousfrodobaggins

Plot twist: Annie is actually having triplets - ahundredteas

On Being Mad at Emma

Why is no one on this show allowed to be mad at Emma? I get that it’s a comedy and they want things to be light hearted or whatever, but come on. The things she has been doing are Not Okay. She got called out on it, but what does that mean if an episode later they brush it under the rug? - blackcoffeeandteardrops

This storyline marginalizes Alex and Jane’s (esp. Jane’s) legitimate anger at Emma’s behavior. It makes them seem petty. And I have no doubt that there are fans who are redoubling their attacks on Jane with “well if Maddie’s not mad…” That’s not ok.  - romcomenthusiast

On the Secret Lovers

EA has redeemed itself just slightly by breaking up Frank and Jane, because oh my God Frank is such a dick and I need him to end up alone, - markcampbells

Frank is, by far, NOT innocent in this situation, but neither is Jane. Theirs was a bad relationship, and I for one am glad that it’s done. - missus-e

Ehhh…..I kind of find the Frank/Jane reveal to be a bit underwhelming. I know that the original storyline works better in the book because of social circumstances of the day and it’s harder to update that to today’s world. But…eh. I get how Jane doesn’t want to be a label (“famous businessman Frank Churchill’s girlfriend”) instead of being herself. It must be hard for “regular” people who date celebrities to deal with the media attention.  - bookstoretenant

On Emma's Apology

Yay for character growth! It’s nice to see Emma FINALLY practicing what she preaches instead of just saying advice with a big smug smile and then going against what she just said. - bookstoretenant

Emma got a bit of the usual excuse over her “good intentions”, but overall, the reconciliation weighed heavily towards Maddy being the bigger person. And Emma truly apologized, and is making much-needed changes in her life and attitude. - rumsy4

It’s fortunate for Emma that she has someone as forgiving and as patient as Maddy Bates in her life. I would imagine that if it was any of the “five-star” celebrities that Emma had insulted at the Boxx party, none of them would ever be talking to her again, nevermind helping her out. Maddy’s graciousness at accepting Emma’s apology only serves to highlight her moral rectitude. - drivebydrabbles

Is it wrong that I’m crying? Emma didn’t really deserve to be forgiven yet Maddie showed such kindness I’m sincerely moved by it - ludgatess

I don’t think Emma’s apology to Maddy should’ve been filmed. I understand, out-of-world, why they did it (although I think clever writing could have pulled off an OS apology), but this is yet another instance where the framing of EA fails, miserably. [...] By putting it on film, Emma makes the apology about herself, not Maddy. And that is just about the worst way to show remorse. - neither-saint-nor-sinner

On Maddy Bates

Maddie Bates is an angel. No one can convince me otherwise. I love her okay. I wanna be Maddie Bates when I grow up. - fallenfromfiction

Maddy’s quiet awesome moment: closing Emma’s iPad cover. - hermioneeowynp

Didn’t Maddy just warm your heart in this episode? Even though she was still clearly hurting, she still managed to forgive Emma, help her out with the accounting, and make her smile. - elyntrea

Can we get a spin-off about her? - mypatronusisrorypond

On Knightley

all I wanted was alex to appear in the doorway at the last second - badwolfbooks

When Maddy was asking Emma about what software she had for accounting and Emma had no clue, I was waiting for Alex to turn the corner and say he could help with that. I miss Alex. - araindropshallfall

Other Episode Thoughts

Well, compared to the last one, this episode was a bit low….. - berta-fly

Overall, this episode was warm and fuzzy in a soft, demure kind of way. :)  I rather enjoyed it! - symphony-of-the-goddesses

On Harriet

the new Emma Approved episode is actually the first one in which i liked Harriet - littlewhitesnowowl

Yeah but can we talk about Harriet’s gorgeous dress this episode? -a-button-that-flies

I believe I speak for everyone when I say that we all need a Harriet in our lives.- v-lily

Harriet Smith have I ever told you you’re my hero? - dainesanddaffodils

Month One Harriet wouldn’t have had the confidence or wherewithal to challenge Emma’s actions (she worshiped Emma, after all) and to make gentle nudges to get Emma to go where she wanted Emma to go. She’s learned some of Emma’s ways to maneuver people into a better place and applied it right back to her.  Well done!- drivebydrabbles

I adore Harriet for being the cheerleader this time instead of Emma. Harriet has grown up a lot and shows how thoughtful she is; it’s sad that she spends most of the time not believing it when in other people’s company. It was a very nice touch for Harriet to give Emma the turnaround about moping and used Emma’s own advice to get her back in the saddle. And that is the cutest thing that Harriet advises Emma to work on herself before anything else. I’m glad EA!Harriet is not as much as a pushover as book!Harriet is. - bookstoretenant

When did Harriet start walking confidently in heels because she’s perfected it now haha - geeky-ballerina

oh my god harriet look how far you’ve come - violasarecool

On Emma

i want to wrap emma in a blanket and stab everyone who tries to touch her- quidhitch

Emma’s complete devastation in the wake of Alex leaving shows just how entwined their lives are and just how much she values his opinion and his presence.  I’m glad she got pushed back up onto her own two feet again, because being completely unable to function without someone isn’t healthy!  But there is being capable of doing something and WANTING to do something.  She may be able to run her business without Alex (and she will try and possibly succeed) but that doesn’t mean she wants to do it without him - selenityshiroi

Even though I think it’s a little weird for you to just hang out in your office even though you don’t intend on doing any work (does Alex spend too much time at your place and therefore it reminds you of him? Hmm?), I think it’s pretty obvious. You have it bad and you don’t even know it yet.- blackcoffeeandteardrops

Did anyone else find it interesting that Emma was mourning Alex’s departure not like a best friend, but that of a boyfriend? - drivebydrabbles

I understand it was a callback to the line that Harriet later quoted, but for fuck’s sake, making Emma into a giant sexist stereotype and playing a very serious moment of self-evaluation from the text for comedy is not funny.- markcampbells

So glad that this arc is about Emma’s growth. - elyntrea

On Knightley

Did anyone else die inside when they showed Knightley’s empty office? - ivhanna94

all i can imagine is Alex sitting at home in sweatpants, crying, and shoving ice cream in his mouth. It’s a funny sight, even though i know he’d be like climbing rocks to clear his mind or something. - what-a-lovely-girl

I can’t help but think that Alex is acting unprofessionally by being AWoL. So—Emma insulted someone. Is that a good enough reason to drop everything and quit/dissolve a partnership without giving proper notice? He doesn’t have the moral high-ground in this situation.- rumsy4

On the Bear

Oh my god that’s the bear that Frank gave Harriet in that stranded box thing. #Callback - symphony-of-the-goddesses.

"sorry mr. bear, your services aren’t needed. stand down" is easily my favorite line of dialogue of this entire series - ridiculousdelight

Emma has taken Mr Bear after all. - hermioneeowynp

Other Episode Thoughts

I love emma and Harriet’s friendship and how it’s grown and developed- clydetheshamelessdiva

The empty offices in the beginning of the episode seriously depressed me. - what-a-lovely-girl

oh i’m so glad they put the ‘can i get a hell yes?’ bit in- kilojulietkilo

On Boxx Hill

god, the boxxhill pictures are such a glorious combination of pain and angst and awkward and perf - avoidingthenargles

Emma humiliating Mrs Bates through the jams is a stroke of genius that gets better and better the more I think about it.Not only is Mrs Bates following Emma’s advice and trying to get ahead in the world by being more assertive, not only is this a very personal product for her that she puts her heart and soul into, but it is also a possible extra source of income for her. Emma mocked the very thing that may have gotten Mrs Bates out of poverty, a way that she herself had come up with and worked on, a means to climb back up the social ladder. - this-new-romantic-way

Where the eff was Harriet? - b-lynninja

On Emma

I think it’s really interesting that in the Boxx Hill video today we saw Emma want to turn off the camera for the first time. How many times have we watched her try to convince others to be a part of “documenting her greatness” even in the midst of their unease? Yet today as soon as she realized Jane was berating her for some truly warranted issues (whether she admitted them or not), she attempted to turn off the camera.  - theeloquentrambler

As much as I disagree with Emma’s actions, you can’t help but feel for her.  It’s a testament to Austin’s original writing that Emma is a character that you can disagree with and yet still be emotionally invested in her happiness.  And it’s a testament to the adaptation that they’ve not only preserved that but also made it even more emotionally wrenching to see her in such pain. - selenityshiroi

 First, Emma disappoints Annie at the baby shower. She dismisses it as the cost of doing business and probably promised herself she’d make it up to Annie somehow. Then Jane quits, and finally Alex calls bullshit. One by one things fall away and Emma’s inner psyche is exposed. She really doesn’t know what hit her. She’s totally unprepared by a situation that she can’t fix, but also that she caused. The domino set-up worked really well. Once one piece fell the whole situation was inevitable. And the piece that fell?  Emma’s misconceptions about the people around her.  It was lovely and heartbreaking at the same time to watch.   - kyrieanne

i know Emma was totally at fault and i obviously saw this comingbut that doesn’t mean i don’t want to give her a hug because i do - curious-earth

Emma’s behavior since Frank came to Highbury has gotten worse. Her mission to better the world has been tainted with her awful treatment and ridiculing of people behind their backs, with Frank egging her on. I don’t think Boxx is the one thing that forces her to change (as it was in the book), but I think the gradual loss of her friends and coworkers (except for Harriet) will force her to see how she’s let her ambition destroy her relationships and make the concept of being alone with just her work all the more real. - bookstoretenant

Now I have this image of Emma eating nothing but all those jams Maddie made for three weeks while she figures herself out. - missus-e

On Jane

jane called out emma’s bullshit and jane took charge and jane hit her cue! - emma--woodhouse

Jane was right to call her out. I don’t think what she said was 100% about Emma though. - lillianloverly

I think the bulk of that speech was not just about Emma and Maddie, but also Frank Churchill. Jane says that she needs to stop trying to force things that aren’t going to happen: I think she was talking about her relationship with Frank. Frank and Emma are practically the same person, and judging by how strained her relationship with Emma is, I cannot imagine how Frank and Jane would work. (And since Emma and Frank are so similar, I think Jane’s earlier criticism applies here too— I don’t think think that Frank cares about bettering the world; his concern is more about having all of the fun).- tea-n-cake-or-death

On Knightley

Emma tries to bring Alex to her way of seeing things by mentioning that what she did was for the sake of the company, but Alex is having none of it and calls bullshit on it. I feel like that moment in particular was such a turning point for Emma in her understanding of Alex. It’s a realization that however much Alex may care for business, there’s a human side to him that she often ignores in favor of having this image in her mind of an Alex that cares only for numbers and admin work and none or very little or her side of the job. Her trying to convince him that it was to protect the company and him not buying it, tells her that Alex is not just about numbers and figures, that he values his relationships with his friends and family and his coworkers a lot more than Emma probably realized. - stereoheart07

brent’s portrayal of ‘badly done’ was anything but - jordnkyle

Seeing him choke up a little bit when he told Emma he didn’t want to be part of the world she is in…that was nearly unbearable.  - kimberly-taylor

Everyone’s talking about the “badly done” and the “bullshit” but I dunno that “maybe never” hurt a lot. - araindropshallfall

Bullshit. God that line was powerful. It too a moment to register what had happened (bullshit was the only caption there, and I think that is the first swear in EA). Emma’s face immediately changes. Joanna killed this episode. My only problem with it is that it takes some of the power out of “Badly done.” That seemed more like an aftershock. - betweenpastandpresenttense

This episode made me hate Alex just a little bit. :( The tears were so heartbreaking. - heathersword

I’d like to be able to buy the emotional conclusion of Boxx. I’d like to see that Emma’s behavior here is an eye opening moment for Knightley. I’d like to see Frank bringing out the worst kind of thoughtlessness in Emma. But I can’t because I keep questioning what makes this the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. -neither-saint-nor-sinner

Alex most of all gets points here because when he says something important, Emma listens. She trusts him above all else and cared about him more than anyone so when he decides he needs to walk away and let her see what she’s done without any blinders, it’s a very big moment. -batsonthebrain

On the Ending

I kind of love how Harriet turns off the camera for Emma. She truly cares. - youngwildanddarcy

Posting a little early to save room for all the transmedia that's bound to appear tomorrow!!!

On Emma

Can we talk about Emma’s hair today though? - araindropshallfall

Oh, yes! Hip-hop. = I cannot pull this move off. - midnightstylus

Emma, what are you doing listening to Frank? He is so good at making you forget/brush important things under the rug in favor of being a jerk. - bookstoretenant

the frank-influencing-emma’s-behavior thing was executed to perfection, right down to alex coming in at the wrong moment. what sucks about this is that she wouldn’t blame frank, but herself for following through with the advice. - emma--woodhouse

On Knightley

After today, Knightley’s gonna need a lot of hugs. Like, a hug line. Per request of YouTube comments, spread the hashtag #hugsforknightley - terlertot

DID ANYBODY ELSE’S HEART SHATTER INTO A MILLION PIECES WHEN ALEX APPEARED IN THE DOORWAY WHEN FRANK WAS TASTING THE JAM - veryemmaapproved

On Frank Churchill

And just like that everyone hated Frank Churchill - griefisafreighttrain

On Jam

"Cactus, date, and cantaloupe." Seriously, does Maddy just throw darts to determine these ingredients? - drivebydrabbles

For the first time in a long while I’ve feel the need to post about an Emma Approved episode. No, it’s not to squee about a jealous Knightley appearing or to complain about how unhygienic it is to use your fingers as a tasting spoon for jam (though, seriously, Emma, at the time you stuck your fingers in it you were still planning on putting that jam in somebody’s gift bag). - jilbyforever

Many people have pointed out by now that homemade jams are not an appropriate gift to offer guests at a restaurant opening. [...] Jane should have enough business acumen to know that. And also, even if she likes the taste of the jams - which seems unlikely to me - she has to know that very few other people do. By giving those jams to a large group of random (high profile rich celebrities) strangers, she was opening her aunt - and herself - to ridicule. She seems more protective of her family, more self-conscious, heck, just plain smarter, than that. - temperatezone

[Spoilers Under the Cut]

On Emma

I love that Emma has her theme song as her phone ringtone. - multiplestars

On Knightley

why in Highbury is Alex drinking out of a baby’s milk bottle? - hermioneeowynp

Alex Knightley saying that the game is ‘kinda childish' as he drinks from a baby bottle. Asdfghjkl. - fallenfromfiction

Hands down, the best part of the most recent EA episode was Knightley and the baby bottle. - knittingandreruns

On Frank Churchill

Is that Frank gyrating in the preview?! - snobbymrdouchey

What in God’s name is Frank Churchill doing in that preview?! - drivebydrabbles

On Emma/Annie

Oh God Is there gonna be drama between Annie and Emma too?? IS EVERYONE JUST GONNA HATE EMMA?? - symphony-of-the-goddesses

I am having physical chest pains because BEST FRIEND FIGHTS HURT ME - lillianloverly

It begs the question is the “crisis” that Emma is facing with Lavvaa and Boxx really such a big deal? To Emma, it may be if she is focused on making HER opening party at Boxx a huge social event with as many celebrities she can get into attending. [...] But to others, it’s really silly. [...] The hurt in Annie’s eyes is just so heartbreaking!- bookstoretenant

Do what you need to do. = Our friendship is so over. - midnightstylus