Meghan's Netflix Series is an Exercise in Creating Joy

the series about "doing what you can do...and doing it with love."

If you can’t make your own joy from scratch, store-bought is fine. And if you need proof, look no further than Meghan Markle’s new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan.

I was not one of the commentators blessed with advance screeners of Meghan Markle’s series over the weekend, but pressing play on With Love, Meghan was the first thing on my to-do list on Tuesday, March 4th.

And as soon as the opening shots cross the screen, we’re off to the races: following Meghan to check on beehives, make bath salts, and welcome her first guest: makeup artist Daniel Martin. Since this is a series about hostessing, Meghan welcomes her first guest with handmade snack bags and a crudité.

Dr. Oz is seething with rage rn. (That’s a little joke for my fellow PA people. I’m creating my own joy, okay?)

The joy of hostessing, Meghan shares, is “surprising people with moments that let them know I was really thinking of their whole experience.” And the effort she puts into every project and recipe is a testament to that outlook. As Netflix shared in the series synopsis: “In With Love, Meghan, the art of hosting isn’t defined by laying out the picture-perfect table setting or spending hours painstakingly curating the fanciest entrée—it’s about making thoughtful gestures, and creating moments where maximizing joyful time with loved ones is the priority.”

Friend and makeup artist Daniel Martin tells Meghan: “You’ve always shown your love through food.” But we’re not just learning about Meghan herself. She picks Martin’s brain about how he first started doing makeup (while making what I would affectionately call a “TikTok pasta,” with dry noodles and vegetables getting boiled at the same time).

Although I’m sure Meghan will garner criticism for not being an “expert” in the hobbies she’s showcasing—beekeeping, for example—she’s not professing to be one. And that’s the point! There’s something powerful about watching Meghan pursue joy—even without expecting perfection. (This perfectionist procrastinator is taking NOTES.)

For example, Meghan’s delight in accompanying and learning from Beekeeper Branden is simply infectious. The charm in the series doesn’t come from being lectured or instructed. Instead, Meghan is exploring, playing, and discovering—bringing her friends along for an added layer of fun. By doing it in front of a camera, she invites us into her community—however small our role may be.

The flow of the show was so seamless that it took me a few minutes to notice that the first episode had ended, and we were on to the second. There’s no luxuriating in the spotlight for Meghan—she’s putting in WORK throughout every second she spends in front of the cameras.

And the effort doesn’t stop at her celebrity guests. While prepping a fritatta for Mindy Kaling, Meghan offers to make a crew member a cup of coffee as she preps her own. “Hostessing doesn’t stop at one person,” she tells him.

When Kaling is presented with a stunning yogurt parfait, she quips, “If I were not the recipient of this…I would be so mad about this.” Very similarly, if you’re a viewer who is already poised to dislike Meghan’s products and observations on life, then this series will only enrage you. She’s simply too joyful, too secure, too grounded.

For viewers already inclined to dismiss Meghan, this series likely won’t change their minds. But for those open to it, it’s a refreshing embrace of joy, security, and self-assurance.

In an “intimate conversation” with PEOPLE magazine ahead of the launch of the Netflix series, Meghan spoke briefly about the “twists and turns,” the scrutiny, and the learning curves associated with becoming an entrepreneur. (She doesn’t identify as an influencer or tradwife, we also learn. “Female founder” is another phrase she throws into the conversation.) But she addresses the backlash and derisive conversation that inevitably swirls around her projects with grace (I particularly enjoyed her explanation that no, she doesn’t make jam—perhaps the silliest weaponized term in the media onslaught about the Duchess. She makes preserves.)

Whether it’s making a balloon arch or troubleshooting beeswax candles, Meghan’s outlook remains consistent: “I can’t guarantee it will be perfect, but it will be joyful.” These are cathartic words, powerful in their simplicity. Especially in a world where consumerism and overconsumption run rampant, With Love, Meghan is a gentle reminder that joy isn’t about acquiring the perfect thing—it’s about the care and intention we put into creating and savoring it.

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