Review: With Love, Meghan

To say that Megha Sussex’s new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan embodies everything I was expecting like a warm hug is an understatement. Whilst I didn’t quite binge watch the show in one sitting, I did get through it quickly and enjoyed the whole experience.

There are no groundbreaking revelations or sudden, life-shaking epiphanies — but that’s not what With Love is about. It’s a calm, easy, gentle show that happens to touch on several things that Meghan is passionate about and which reflect the current stage of life she is in. From sharing recipes with friends to learning from other guests, as well as delving into beekeeping and harvesting honey, to exploring the farm-to-table movement, the show centres on the theme of hosting. Everything from the food to children’s birthday party décor, lavender towels to the ‘guest experience’ when hosting guests at home, are offshoots of thoughtful, guest-centred hosting. That’s it. That’s the sum total of this show. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Like any show, With Love has found its audience. It won’t be for everyone, but nothing ever is.

I liked that the camera crew were involved in the show and part of the conversation. Seeing them try the food and offer their opinions is a significant departure from other shows like this, where the crew is usually never seen or heard. The little personal tidbits from Meghan throughout were a nice and personable touch — hearing her speak about her own childhood and growing up mostly on fast food, to learning that Archie likes to watch sun tea brew and that Harry is a big fan of fried chicken; none of these are grand reveals, but they each add to the overall sense of personal warmth and invitation that the show exudes.

What I really enjoyed, however, are the simple yet effective ideas the show gave me for how I can incorporate joy into my everyday life. I had never considered making my own fruit preserves, but it’s incredibly simple to do, so that has been added to my list. Meghan is a huge fan of flowers, as am I, and I even tend to buy bouquets for my house ‘just because.’ Yet I hadn’t really thought about how the style of vase affects the overall look and feel, or about mixing and matching between different bouquets to create something new. I have no interest (at this time) in becoming a beekeeper, but making beeswax candles looks simple enough — so that’s another addition to my list.

And the recipes. I mean, kimchi watermelon and pickled strawberries? Not something I would have thought of, but why not? The focaccia is a definite yes, though perhaps with different flavours. Meghan was clearly very serious about her love of crudité platters, especially for her kids, but again, it’s not difficult to chop vegetables and add a dip; the trick, which Meghan repeatedly highlighted, is in the small touches, the details that let others know you were thinking of them.

As she said in one episode, ‘We’re not in the pursuit of perfection. We’re in the pursuit of joy.’ So here’s to more joy.