As Ever Part 6: Definitely NOT a trad wife

[Strudie]

Previous thread here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_royal_family/5286597-as-ever-part-v-two-stunt-lemons-with-love-meghan

Carry on! Reviews from the US are trickling in, so far, not so good - https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/with-love-meghan-markle-netflix-duchess-of-sussex-1236327469/

Re: Sussex, has anyone told her about Eastbourne, Crawley, Bognor or Gatwick airport?

@Sayitagainmyl aw bless

Variety made MM one of their women of the year a couple of years ago. That was post Oprah and pre-docusoap and the revisionist Spare press junket, where her husband had to cover up her racism gaff as best he could (not very well, it turns out|). So Variety laying into her for her solo project is going to be particularly hard, I would have thought - because, so briefly, they loved her.

Does she know where Hove ends and Brighton begins? Is she aware of the cock ring?

I suspect NF thought enough people would hate watch it. It’s unwatchable though. They should have made her put some actual content in it.

Ive never read People magazine but I know they made John Krasinksi their latest Sexiest Man Alive, I like him, but no. Apparently he bought it and I could well believe it..

I will grant Meghan, she's had spectacularly bad timing at every point since she got married. Literally nobody predicted a global pandemic. That was the worst. Everyone knew HMTLQ and Phillip were coming to the end, but 3 or 6 months is a long time in showbiz. Now the world is going through the biggest geopolitical upheaval since WW2 with the most crazy stuff happening. I mean, that's some pretty amazing bad timing/luck for her. Meanwhile, Charles is stepping up and the RF will benefit from a boost for being a steady and predictable hand in the next few turbulent years. I wonder how Harry feels about it all.

I maintain that I'd rather be free to do my own shitty thing/nothing in a 3 bed semi than live in a gilded cage of a mansion to someone else's agenda. What price freedom etc. But when you had two good options on the table with no way of predicting which would be best long term, it must sting to realise you picked the wrong one (Harry, I'm talking about. Meghan, I'm sure, ne regrette rien).

Watched 1.5 episodes. Daniel looked terrified at points! Little glimpses before he rearranged his face into enthusiasm. The pasta/candle/cake/candle/cake back and forth was so incredibly tedious. And I never want to see another shrivelled edible flower.

@SpreadingJammyTodgerLove that must be quite tough, would she have anticipated it? Presumably the price of the deal but at least she’s laughing to the bank.

Yeah, it's not funny enough to be in 'so bad it's good' territory.

I really think NF are just offloading the Sussex contract with a relatively cheap production like this.

NF know loads of people will watch it and discuss it which boosts their ratings and profile. They don’t care about her or how it’s received. It’s all about viewing figures.

@LovelyJubly12 so as long as widely watched a win?

I think you're right @IcedPurple The money has already been handed over and, unless this is a real smash hit, the contract will be fulfilled and their 'partnership' over.
If that's the case, I wonder where she will go from here. Stating so relentlessly that 'This is who I truly am' is a high risk strategy because, if WLM proves to be unpopular, it's a clear rejection of the person fronting it.

I would have thought it was about subscriptions?

Will it bring new subscribers and hang onto old ones?

Viewing figures and 'noise' are linked to that, but I don't think in a direct and linear way?

I mean just think, they had lots of fancy people working on this, high production values, crew of 80

And it’s all for bloody boring informercial. The people who worked on this must be so embarrassed.

I really didn’t expect the show to be this bad. Well mainly because it isn’t a show- it’s an advert. But it’s boring, bland, every episode designed to squeeze out praise for how amazing meghan is, super basic and repetitive recipes, she has zero skills.

This is a huge disaster, so cringeworthy. I honestly would feel sorry for her if she had an ounce of self awareness but she doesn’t.

Im not sure what her superfans are saying online. I’m guessing they’re quiet?

The Royal threads have been deserted by them.

$100m is such an awful lot of money. Did someone run wild at NFHQ? Would that person have made other such sky high deals? Are they still there? If they are, is there an internecine feud going on, in which the rainbow fruit clip (SERIOUSLY) was chosen by someone hoping to sabotage the career of $100m Decision Person? (And doesn't care about the fallout)

Sounds mad. But having sat through 1.5 episodes, you feel you've gone a bit bonkers.

Well, not really.

They do have advertising supported options in some markets, but mostly, NF make their money from subscriptions, and nobody is going to subscribe to watch another series about elevating fruit rainbows.

I'm also not sure 'loads of people' will watch. It will get initial interest but the reality is that people aren't going to spend hours of their time watching a dull show just because a Duchess is fronting it.

I honestly think the woman has no self doubt whatsoever, or takes any responsibility for her own failings. So I doubt she would anticipate it, but at the same time she won't change because if it. With Love, Meghan is no different in its portrayal of false friendship, amateurish, faddy interest dressed up as expertise, and tedious self regard as Archetypes was. If it's not about Meghan, it's not important. If it's not unfailingly positive about Meghan, it's not true. I guess if money and fame at any cost (including notoriety) is her main goal, then she is having the last laugh. But that's not a reason not to laugh along at her.

A NF source told Vanity Fair that the Sussex contract was not worth that amount.

And any deal will have had conditions attached. They didn't just wire tons of cash to the Sussex account the day the contracts were signed.

Another review in The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/04/with-love-meghan-review-netflix

Presumably they/she got at least a ‘no strings’ half? Enough to live high on the hog for a decade plus (?)

Flip….that filled up fast didn’t it?! I feel like if you’re not going to bring a sprinkle of humour, dried flowers or unimaginative reinterpretation to the thread then you really shouldn’t take up space posting….😉

Meanwhile, I was left wondering whether the California egg shortage reported by someone at around 8pm on the last thread had more to do with MM trying to work out exactly how many eggs she needed to break (and maybe with her practicing breaking them somewhere on repeat off camera until she looked like she could almost do it?) than the fires? But that was 2.5 hours ago. Sorry. Off to catch up.

Great title @Strudie 🙌

Why is that 'presumable'?

NF are the biggest streaming channel in the world. They're not giving money away for the fun of it.

That’s interesting. And it does make sense.

I attempted to watch more but it’s hard going. In the interests of balance, I like how she has a drink or two. I felt the same!

Re: Sussex, has anyone told her about Eastbourne, Crawley, Bognor or Gatwick airport?

Bugger Bognor.

Launching eight episodes of product placement without the products to go with it is beyond amateurish.

Why hasn't she been doing the rounds of the chat shows before the launch? Why no personal appearances to promote it, other than the last minute NY appearance?

All seems very poorly thought out. Can't see her making any real money from it.

True. Curious to know how much she’ll likely get. Difficult to know.