Set to what my closed captions insist on referring to as “upbeat” background music, the video stitches together footage of Meghan and Harry attending their “Project Healthy Minds” event, intercut with flashes of designer perfection — Meghan in her blue-and-white Ralph Lauren top, an immaculate wardrobe of heels and handbags apparently air-freighted for a single weekend, and the sort of slow-motion close-ups once reserved for perfume commercials.

There are cameos, too: the back of Ed Sheeran’s head makes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance, Gloria Steinem pops up for a hug, and somewhere between the hotel suite and the restaurant table we catch glimpses of Meghan’s formidable social Rolodex.

Eagle-eyed viewers have pointed out that one scene seems to show her with her agent —the same powerhouse who also represents Serena Williams — dining in a Japanese restaurant.

And although we don’t see it in the reel, sources say Meghan also met American Vogue editor Chloé Malle at the chic Whitby Hotel during the trip, fueling whispers of a high-fashion tie-in.

Reaction online has been divided. Admirers see the reel as evidence of Meghan confident, relaxed, and visually assured, a kind of post-royal renaissance that blends activism, celebrity, and lifestyle aspiration.

Critics, however, wonder whether it signals her final slide into the “shit-fluencer” (I’m telling you now, I won’t be able to say that on YouTube, whose moderators are so easily scandalized one can only assume they have led very sheltered lives) abyss she’s long tried to avoid. Is this the moment the Duchess of Sussex becomes just another content creator, or has she, once again, out-influenced the influencers?

To unpack all this, I’ll be joined LIVE tonight by the brilliant Tim Teeman — theatre critic, culture writer, and longtime observer of performance in all its forms.

Usually, Tim is reviewing Broadway openings or dissecting prestige television for The Guardian, The Daily Beast, and The New York Times, but tonight he’ll be applying his critical eye to the defining art form of our age: the Instagram Reel.

Technology permitting, we’ll go live at 5 p.m. EST / 10 p.m. GMT.

Here’s the link where we’ll be streaming live: