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The subject matter is the same as all the others this weekend, but is treated quite differently. I have a difficulty with the endplay. 16 of the cells are obvious, and contain an appropriate message. In order to comply with the last three words of the revealed instruction the other 12 cells seem to contain gibberish, which seems unlikely. Am I missing something?

Cockle, I think much the same as you - but there seems to be no alternative! Those other 12 would need to be treated the same as the first 16 to properly 'last three words'. There's no mention in the preamble of what would be left, ie no mention of 'real words'.

Totally agree with Malone. If it is not those 12 the intended depiction would not work.

Well I don't know about you three, but I can't get a single clue this week. Can one of you give me a start? 1a for instance, might get me going. Anagram of smug resorts maybe? I can't find one. Any help gratefully received!

yes ... anagram as you say ... try the Chambers word wizard

Crimbo, as Scarlett says it is an anagram but it is two words (5,6) and not an 11 letter word as indicated in the clue. 38 across is also an anagram.

I thought a number of the clues were unsatisfactory.

18a - a sofa is not an ottoman.
24a - does p stand for plan? I cannot find any authority for that. Even so, "papa" would have been better than plan.
35a - "quasi" does nothing in the clue.
2d - "Telegraphic" as a definition seems awfully weak.
4d - that is not a coverall, which is something that should cover the legs.
19d is a mess. If the words "of the ones" were omitted it would then be tidier. But even so, "of wind" suggests an adjective, or else "case" is used twice for "bad case" and "case of wind".
27d - the last letter of the answer could equally well be an I.
28d - "intentionally" just confuses the clue and should not be there. It can just as well be accidental.

Perhaps there are things going on in the above that I have not properly understood and the clues are in fact just fine. And I understand there has to be a certain amount of misdirection to make things more challenging, but I still think the clues could have been tighter for a better puzzle.

Totally agree with you Orson... some very poor clues in this EV... several of the ones you mention i just pencilled in at first as I wasn't satisfied with them until crossers confirmed my answers.

In fairness to the setter, you're forgetting "where solvers must look in order to find an instruction." Some of the wording you're objecting to is needed to get the instruction to work.

AP is given in Chambers as short for "American plan".

Orson

I agree with you too