Meghan Markle's new Netflix season is out, and the reaction hasn't been kind. One expert called it "anticlimactic" and "manufactured."

"With Love, Meghan" returned this week. The series shows her cooking with celebrities and talking about her life in the U.K. and her marriage to Prince Harry. Reviews so far say it falls flat.

Expert Reaction

Royal commentator Samara Gill argued that Meghan's post-royal career feels underwhelming. Speaking on The Sun's "Royal Exclusive" show, she said Meghan "would be fine if there wasn't the sort of destruction that had come in the past five years towards the Royal Family, and towards a lot of other people along the way." Gill questioned whether the couple's high-profile break from the monarchy had been worth it, asking, "Is this what that entire fight for freedom was about? If it all amounts to this bland cooking show and her prancing through a Montecito orchard in linens?"

Gill called the project "sort of anticlimactic" and added that it "should have been more genuinely." She contrasted Meghan's current work with her old lifestyle blog, The Tig, which she said carried "so much more spirit" than her Netflix series.

Series Details

In the new season, Meghan brings up Harry a few times. In one scene, she holds up a blue baseball cap she says she made for his 40th birthday. The cap had the initials "PH40."

Harry himself isn't in the episodes. Viewers only see him in a couple of photographs.

The launch of the show came about two weeks after the pair announced a smaller deal with Netflix.

The timing of the release coincides with the couple's scaled-back agreement with Netflix. Earlier this month, they announced a new "multi-year, first-look deal for film and television projects," a departure from their reported $100 million contract signed in 2020.

In an effort to promote the series, Meghan also shared a rare family moment online. She posted a clip of her daughter Lilibet, 4, kissing a ribbon-wrapped portrait of Meghan with the family's late dog, Guy. Meghan captioned the Instagram story, "Morning surprise from my husband," while the 1960s track "My Guy" played in the background.

Audience Response

Reviews of the first season were already unfavorable, with viewers calling the show "out of touch" for filming in a rented home. The latest season has received similar pushback, with many saying it feels staged.

Gill summed up the criticism by suggesting Meghan's career has lost momentum. "Now it's just very manufactured," she said.

Tags
Meghan Markle, Royal family