Meghan Markle’s New Netflix Show Fails Miserably

​Meghan Markle’s latest venture into the lifestyle genre, her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, has encountered significant challenges, receiving harsh criticism from both reviewers and audiences. The series, which debuted on March 4, showcases the Duchess of Sussex engaging in cooking, gardening, and entertaining activities alongside various guests.

However, Markle’s lifestyle series will return for a second season later this fall despite its underwhelming debut. Throughout the episodes, Markle shares moments with guests. While initial reviews have been mixed, Season 2 has already wrapped filming.

Netflix’s internal figures reveal that the show has found more viewership success in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia compared to the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. An insider at Netflix told DailyMail, “It’s not a runaway success.”

The insider with ties to Netflix’s commercial division told the outlet that the show’s reviews have “worried” executives. Meghan’s father, Thomas, also criticized the series, expressing his disappointment over her decision to drop the Markle surname in favor of Sussex.

Despite reports of a new season, the source clarified that this does not indicate a renewal of her Netflix contract. “I know they filmed the shows back-to-back, so in theory, there is no second season. It’s like with lots of Netflix shows—it is already in the bag at the same time as the first one,” the insider explained.

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“What this does is allow edits to be made to the show from feedback from press and Netflix viewers. It’s clever and cost-effective. So no, the overall contract hasn’t been renewed yet.”

The source added that executives are “worried” about the negative reviews, particularly because Netflix is a business partner in Meghan’s upcoming lifestyle brand, which is set to launch in their physical stores in the coming months.

“The industry bibles like The Hollywood Reporter and Variety are not keen on it,” they said. “Netflix bosses are all worried now because they have invested a lot in the product line. They don’t know when and how to roll it all out.”

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Critics have been notably unsparing in their assessments. Daniel D’Addario of Variety described the show as “a Montecito ego trip not worth taking,” suggesting it reflects a self-indulgent narrative. The Guardian’s Stuart Heritage labeled it “pointless,” criticizing its lack of substantive content.

Chitra Ramaswamy, also from The Guardian, awarded the series a mere one out of five stars, commenting on its “vacuous, over-styled joylessness.” Similarly, Katie Rosseinsky of The Independent echoed these sentiments, stating that the series might leave viewers feeling “queasy” due to its overly curated aesthetic.

The show’s performance metrics further underscore its struggles. In its initial five days, With Love, Meghan attracted approximately 526,000 households, a large difference from the 2.1 million households that tuned in for her 2022 series, Harry & Meghan, during the same timeframe.

While the new series briefly appeared in Netflix’s Top 10 list, it quickly lost traction, particularly in major markets like the US, UK, and Canada, exiting the Top 10 after just three days. While a second season is slated for release later this year, the current climate of critical and audience reception may influence Netflix’s decisions regarding the continuation of the series and its partnership with the Sussexes.