The second series of Meghan Markle‘s cooking show has been hit by searing criticism from reviewers landing it an even worse Rotten Tomatoes rating than Season 1.

Why It Matters

Meghan and Prince Harry signed a new “first look” Netflix deal in August which continues their relationship with the streaming platform, but without guaranteeing the sky-high income they got during the first five years.

The contract gives Netflix first refusal on any projects they produce, but if the streamer is not interested, they may still be left trying to take their business elsewhere.

That creates greater pressure on their shows to perform commercially, with Season 3 of With Love yet to be given the green light.

What to Know

Netflix released Season 2 of With Love, Meghan on August 26, adding eight new episodes which were already in the can when Season 1 dropped in March.

Chrissy Teigen was among the guests, with her husband John Legend also making a brief cameo, alongside Queer Eye fashion expert Tan France.

World Central Kitchen chef José Andrés and Jamie Kern Lima, who recently did a podcast partnership with Meghan, were also guests.

And there were also revelations about Meghan’s personal life, including that Harry said, “I love you” first and the moment when she realized she loved him: “That was our third date.”

She also reflects on the emotional strain of being separated from her children, stating: “The longest I went without being around our kids was almost three weeks. I was… not well.”

While she did not say it , it is believed she was referring to the period around the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

Harry and Meghan had left their home in the U.S. and visited both Germany and Britain promoting the Invictus Games, but the trip was extended after the monarch’s tragic death.

With Love, Meghan‘s latest eight episodes were described by The Guardian as “so painfully contrived that it’s genuinely fascinating,” while U.K. broadsheet The Times said it was “a series in search of a meaning, fronted by a woman in need of some cash.”

Those were just two of the harsh reviews that contributed to Season 2 landing a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 20 percent, 13 points lower than Season 1 which has a rating on the site of 38 percent.

And its “Popcornmeter,” or audience score, also slumped from 33 percent for Season One to 27 percent for Season Two.

What People Are Saying

The Guardian‘s review read: “She’s still sprinkling flowers over everything, by the way. I don’t know if it’s a choice or a compulsion, but if you stand still long enough in (not) Meghan’s kitchen, the chances are you will be covered in violets and served alongside a mug of gray foam to a nano-celebrity who is beginning to realize he has not been paid enough.”

Meanwhile, The Times‘ Hilary Rose wrote: “With Love, Meghan is baffling. It occupies the sweet spot where irrelevant meets intolerable.

“It’s like an advert for somewhere we’ll never go and aren’t invited, an ego trip in a sun hat that boils down to this: Meghan is pretty and likes roast chicken and flower arranging.

“That’s an entry for Miss World, not a concept for 10 hours of TV.”

Vogue columnist Raven Smith was slightly more positive: “The internet still hates it, but with less of the vim that the cold-plunge shock of season one inspired, now that we’ve acclimated to Markle’s waters…

“With Love, Meghan offers easy watching, not hate-watching. It’s pumiced enough to have no snags, no irks. I don’t know why people are so riled.”

Meanwhile, Vanity Fair‘s headline read: “Meghan Markle Finally Figures Out ‘With Love, Meghan’ Is a Talk Show, Not a How-To Guide.”

What Happens Next

While With Love has not yet been given a third season, it will return for a holiday special in December.

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