Meghan Markle’s Big Mistake: What’s Missing from Her New Show

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By the time viewers have watched five episodes of “With Love, Meghan“, they will have discovered three fascinating facts about the host, Meghan Markle:

1. She takes great joy in preparing breakfast for her family each morning.
2. Her preferred musical genres include ’70s soft rock, Yacht rock, and music typically played during French dinner parties.
3. She no longer prefers to be addressed as Meghan Markle.

In a heartfelt moment during episode two of the Netflix series, I, now known as the Duchess of Sussex, shared with Mindy Kaling that instead of ‘Meghan Markle,’ I prefer to be called ‘Sussex.’ It struck me as significant when I heard parents refer to their kids using a family name. Little did I know, embracing my new title and our family name would hold such deep meaning for me.

On Netflix’s tudum platform, With Love, Meghan is characterized as a moving ode to Southern California’s charm. Indeed, it embodies this quality, showcasing the scenic vistas of the mountains visible from Meghan and Prince Harry’s Montecito residence, approximately 80 miles north of Los Angeles. In episode one, we witness her enjoying a homemade buttercream cake with her long-time friend and makeup artist Daniel Martin. The series also highlights the verdant garden where she gathers goldenberries for a colorful charcuterie board, harvests honey for candle making, and picks fresh vegetables to prepare meals for her guests, including single-skillet spaghetti.

Among the various elements in the eight-episode series, the dish preparation might be the most identifiable. Some viewers might argue that the show is so meticulously filmed that even Meghan seems untouched by minor mishaps like egg batter spills on her Zara pants, Loro Piana top, or Jenni Kayne cardigan while cooking early for Kaling’s arrival and preparing a fresh frittata. This suggests that the show might focus more on maintaining pristine visuals than revealing Meghan’s personality, which is only hinted at through her green thumb in gardening and enthusiasm for home-cooked meals and hospitable gestures.

The show fails to deliver on its claim of offering a fresh take on lifestyle programming and genuine discussions among friends, both old and new. While chef Roy Choi’s discussion about the racial bias behind MSG stigma during their Korean fried chicken and champagne dinner in episode three is a step towards that idea, the rest of the series seems more like an out-of-place glimpse into the lavish lifestyles of others.

Meghan, signed to Netflix for a five-year deal worth an estimated $100 million in 2020, has faced criticism for being out of touch following the release of her show’s trailer on Jan. 2. After ten days, she postponed the original premiere date from Jan. 15 to Mar. 4 due to the Los Angeles wildfires. However, given the precarious state of the economy and the polarized socio-political climate where the demographic most attracted to her show’s traditional wife aesthetic may also harbor resentment towards Meghan because of her racial identity and her speaking out against the poor treatment she has received, it is challenging to see her lifestyle program as significant or appealing beyond herself and Harry. (Netflix representatives have refuted the $100 million figure reported for their deal with Meghan and Harry.)

Despite its efforts to provide “real-world tips,” it’s challenging to dismiss the insight Jane Marie, a producer who collaborated with them on audio projects at Archewell, shared with VF about the duke and duchess. She stated that they possess a certain innocence and optimism regarding the potential of storytelling and doing good deeds.

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The show With Love, Meghan tries to offer practical advice, but it’s tough to disregard Jane Marie’s observation about the duke and duchess from her work with them at Archewell. According to her, they have a unique blend of naivete and hopefulness when it comes to storytelling and doing good works.

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In spite of its attempts to provide practical guidance, With Love, Meghan doesn’t seem to undermine Jane Marie’s comments about the duke and duchess, who she worked with at Archewell. She described them as having a certain level of optimism and innocence in terms of storytelling and doing good works.

Upon the premiere of the show on March 4, criticism arose from both American and British media outlets, labeling the series as a “self-indulgent journey” not worth undertaking and an “exercise in self-absorption.” The critics suggested that Meghan’s former role as an actress on Suits and subsequent transformation into an American princess might have contributed to her reluctance to reveal more about herself to her audience. To a skeptical viewer, Meghan’s lack of openness and vulnerability makes it difficult for even a critic to empathize with or change their opinion of her. Although it’s unreasonable to expect Meghan to apologize for her wealth or the privileged lifestyle she and her co-stars enjoy, her attempts at being inspirational, such as mentioning the joy of crafting balloon arches by hand for her children’s parties instead of hiring someone else, fall short. This is because there’s no genuine dialogue about the challenges of parenthood with other parent guests on the show, which would make the series more relatable to viewers and provide a more authentic grounding than excessive use of edible flower decorations.

The examination and criticism directed towards Meghan Markle, dating back to 2016 when she started her relationship with Prince Harry, has been prolonged and unjustified. In contrast to her 2022 podcast “Archetypes,” which offered listeners a deeper insight into herself and her guests beyond their public personas, the show “With Love, Meghan” appears to portray her as nothing more than a one-dimensional ideal wife and mother. Without the element of relatability that viewers yearn for, the series fails to provide much more than expensive recipes that, based on current egg prices, are beyond the reach of many viewers’ budgets.

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2025-03-05 19:54