Meghan Markle’s Netflix Show Offers Nothing Innovative

It seems Meghan Markle is desperate to reinvent herself in the eyes of the public once again, but for that to happen, she is going to have to do a whole lot better than her new Netflix reality show.

On Tuesday, “With Love, Meghan,” dropped on the streamer, but between her amateur knife skills and awkward attempts to be relatable, it seems like her jam just isn’t in front of a camera.

On Tuesday, Netflix dropped eight episodes of the show, which they tagged as “relaxing” and “feel-good.” The premiere opens with a visit from Daniel Martin and a bizarre look at how to harvest honey to make DIY beeswax candles.

The second episode features “The Office” alum Mindy Kaling making frittatas and parfaits before planning a kid-friendly tea party in the garden that seems more like she’s trying to satisfy the children of the “Bridgerton” family rather than anyone who lives in modern-day America.

The episodes continue in this manner, with Meghan trying her hand at everything from making “everyday” flower arrangements to a “gourmet” taco bar. The premiere is the longest episode, coming in at 41 minutes, while the episode featuring a girl’s game night clocks in at only 28 minutes and is obnoxiously titled, “The Juice Is Worth The Squeeze.”

Even though it seems that the world is getting more and more divisive these days, it seems that critics can agree that her new Netflix reality series is not worth the time it took to make it.

Guardianwriter Stuart Heritage called the show “so pointless it might be the Sussexes’ last TV show” and noted that there was “a lot of whining” from both Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry.

“The problem is that nobody wants to see Meghan making decorative ladybird crostini with Mindy Kaling,” Heritage wrote. “‘With Love, Meghan’ is the sort of gormless lifestyle filler that, had it been made by the BBC, would be used to bulk out episodes of ‘Saturday Kitchen.’”

Daily Mailcolumnist Amanda Platell called the series “so awful it is almost compelling,” while theIndependent’s Katie Rosseinsky said the show “feels like a millennial blog come to life.” She opined, “The show simultaneously strains for aspiration and relatability in a way that never gels.”

The Telegraph’s Anita Singh left one of the harshest reviews, criticizing Markle’s culinary ability. “She doesn’t appear to be very good at cooking, or particularly to enjoy it, other than arranging vegetables and fruit on platters,” Singh wrote, adding that the show is “an exercise in narcissism, filled with extravagant brunches, celebrity pals and business plugs.”

At least Meghan herself admits that she “hates baking” so we won’t have to endure a Buddy Valastro-based spin-off.

Although Markle seems to be trying her best, she doesn’t seem to appeal to anyone other than the Pinterest trad-wife aesthetic that is unattainable to most. She seems hilariously out of touch, encouraging viewers to get wax from their local beekeeper in order to make their own candles. She even spends time creating an entire balloon arch, which seems about as fun as watching paint dry while taking three times as long.

I will give her this: she does seem to enjoy being a wife and a mother, but that’s where the good will ends. For those who didn’t like her before, this show is not going to win them over. Even her most down-to-earth recipe, which she dubs “single skillet spaghetti,” seems way too elevated to be a hasty weeknight staple.

The fact that her meticulously pressed blouses never show even a hint of a stain only adds to the vexation of working moms everywhere. For someone who seems to love gardening and getting their hands in the dirt, it doesn’t show. Instead, viewers are presented with a carefully trimmed and manicured version of Meghan that represents something you’d sooner see on Instagram than in real life.

I would say that there is only one notable thing that actually happens in all eight episodes, and none of them will impact your life in any way, shape, or form. Unless you’ve been avoiding all headlines about the Royal Family, you might have seen Meghan declare that she’s a “Sussex now” in the episode featuring Mindy Kaling.

While preparing cucumber sandwiches for a children’s party (as one does), Meghan calls herself a “latchkey kid” and talks about how she enjoyed fast food and TV dinners growing up. When Mindy expressed surprise that she loved fast food, Meghan replied,  “It’s so funny you keep saying Meghan Markle; you know I’m Sussex now.”

In 2018, Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex upon Prince Harry and Meghan following their wedding. However, five years ago, after having visited Sussex only one single time, the couple decided to step away from royal duties and relocate to California.

Even though she and Prince Harry are no longer involved in royal duties, she said the name “means a lot to me” and called her new “Sussex” name an integral part of her and Prince Harry’s “love story.”

Let’s just hope that doesn’t end up as a Netflix series too.