Yes, it's Brimming with Gibberish, Extreme Hosting and Self-Help Jargon. But I Do Love Meghan's Holiday Special.
No considering the time of year, it's constantly hunting season for scrutiny on the Meghan Markle's TV show, With Love, Meghan. Commentators, expert and amateur alike, have seldom found such common ground as when eagerly tearing the series' first and second seasons to shreds. The common opinion held that a greater royal outrage had hardly ever taken place than the notorious pretzel re-packaging incident.
Currently, as a festive rebel, she has returned once again with a "Holiday Celebration" (or a Christmas special). But this time, it's different. The usual elements we've come to expect – meaningless jargon salads, overzealous entertaining – remain, but framed of a Christmas special, it all clicks into place. The puzzle has come together; it's a flawless festive blizzard.
Now, Meghan resembles the eccentric aunt at the typical holiday get-together – dispensing unsolicited, unnecessary advice, and supplying the odd random outburst. ("I love spinach!" … "A tradition has to have a beginning." … "A tree is part of my memory and love of the holiday season.") She's a bit of a character, but her company is customary and oddly reassuring. And she seems happy enough; she's not doing a bit of damage.
She understands her every micro expression, syllable and gaze will be picked apart and criticised, but nonetheless looks carefree and remarkably at ease.
Maybe this is the initial instance in history where that clichéd phrase – "Don't listen, it's pure jealousy" – could actually be true. The reason is, let's face it, all aspects in Meghan's Holiday Celebration honestly feels charming. Admittedly, it's all awkwardly over-the-top, silliness and flamboyant – but isn't that exactly what Christmas is for? And the advice she gives might be absurd, but the life she leads seems authentically beautifully curated.
Anything she attempts, she accomplishes with flair. Her culinary efforts looks tasty, the wreath she crafts is breathtaking, her presents are almost too pretty to unwrap. Nothing is ordinary or aesthetically displeasing – even the way she fastens her apron is creative and fashionable. She doesn't throw a meal in the microwave, it "takes a twirl", and she folds gift paper like an origami guru. She also seems to be completely savoring herself from start to finish. How could any cynical observer not be convinced, bursting with festive joy and left with a intense desire for crafted festive snaps or a crudites platter where greens is positioned in the shape of a wreath?
Meghan had a career in acting for a living, obviously, but even so, after the degree of scrutiny she has endured ever since she became involved with Prince Harry, the love child of two legendary actresses would struggle to act this naturally. Her unwillingness to modify or even tone down her routine, even though it being so relentlessly, widely parodied, is weirdly comforting. In our uncertain world, here is something we can count on: Meghan will stay true to form, no matter what. We will always know what to expect with her.
If you're still not buying her brand, a thought that will undoubtedly come as a relief: you are not obligated to. There isn't mandatory conscription anymore, and if there were, it would be unlikely to include viewing With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, however, you choose to watch and are overcome with longing about her picture-perfect Christmas, there is hope either. If you are a duchess or a office worker, few children truly appreciates the dedication and labor their mother does in December. So you can console yourself by picturing Archie and Lilibet's faces when they reveal a calligraphy note that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a handcrafted holiday countdown, rather than a candy.