Yes, it's Full of Absurdity, Extreme Hosting and Psychobabble. Yet I Truly Adore Meghan's Festive Episode.
No considering the season, it's perpetually fair game for scrutiny on the Duchess of Sussex's televisual offering, With Love, Meghan. Commentators, expert and amateur alike, have hardly ever agreed so completely as when enthusiastically shredding the program's first and second seasons to pieces. The common opinion held that a greater royal outrage had hardly ever taken place than the notorious pretzel re-packaging incident.
Presently, in the spirit of a holiday maverick, she makes a comeback with a new offering with a "Festive Special" (aka a yuletide episode). Yet now, things have shifted. The usual elements audiences anticipate – vague self-help platitudes, intense hospitality – are still present, but set of a yuletide episode, suddenly it all makes sense. The pieces have fallen into place; it's a flawless festive blizzard.
At this stage, Meghan resembles the oddball family member at Christmas celebrations everywhere – offering unasked-for guidance, and delivering the periodic peculiar declaration. ("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 quite a personality, but her presence is familiar and oddly reassuring. And she looks content; she's causing the slightest hurt.
She knows her every micro expression, syllable and glance will be analyzed and scrutinized, but nonetheless looks carefree and remarkably at ease.
Perhaps this is the only time in history where that clichéd phrase – "Ignore them, they're just jealous" – may well be true. Because, you know what?, all aspects in Meghan's Holiday Celebration honestly feels charming. Admittedly, it's all awkwardly over-the-top, silliness and extravagant – but is that not exactly what Christmas is about? And the words she speaks might be absurd, but the example she sets genuinely looks impeccably styled.
Anything she turns her beautifully manicured, diamond-adorned hand to, she pulls off with panache. Her culinary efforts looks scrumptious, the festive decoration she crafts is breathtaking, her presents are nearly too beautiful to tear into. Not a single thing is ordinary or visually unappealing – including the way she ties her apron is stylish and elegant. She doesn't toss a meal in the microwave, it "takes a twirl", and she creases wrapping paper like an paper-folding expert. She also seems to be genuinely relishing herself throughout. How could any skeptical viewer not be won over, filled with holiday spirit and left with a deep longing for handmade crackers or a vegetable display where greens is arranged in the form of a Christmas ring?
Meghan had a career in acting for a living, of course, but nonetheless, after the intensity of examination she has weathered since she met Prince Harry, even a hypothetical offspring of Meryl Streep and Judi Dench would have difficulty behaving this naturally. Her unwillingness to modify or even moderate her shtick, despite it being so constantly, internationally ridiculed, is strangely reassuring. In our uncertain world, here is one thing we can rely on: Meghan will remain herself, whatever happens. We will forever know what to expect with her.
If you're not yet convinced by what she's selling, a point that will undoubtedly come as a comfort: you are not obligated to. We don't have mandatory conscription these days, and should it be reinstated, it would be doubtful to include viewing With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, on the other hand, you decide to tune in and are consumed by jealousy about her picture-perfect Christmas, there is hope either. Be you a duchess or a office worker, no kid fully understands the effort and hard work their mum expends in December. So you can find comfort by picturing her children's faces when they open a calligraphy note that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a handcrafted holiday countdown, in place of a chocolate.
