Yes, it's Packed with Gibberish, Extreme Hosting and Psychobabble. But I Do Love Meghan's Festive Episode.
No matter the time of year, it's perpetually fair game for commentary on the Meghan Markle's televisual offering, With Love, Meghan. Critics, both professional and armchair, have seldom found such common ground as when enthusiastically shredding the series' earlier episodes apart. The common opinion held that a greater royal outrage had hardly ever taken place than the now-infamous pretzel re-packaging incident.
Currently, in the spirit of a holiday maverick, she is back for another round with a "Festive Special" (aka a holiday episode). Yet now, it's different. The standard components we've come to expect – meaningless jargon salads, extreme hosting – are still present, but set of a holiday show, suddenly it all makes sense. The puzzle has come perfectly; it's a ideal seasonal storm.
By this point, Meghan resembles the eccentric aunt at Christmas celebrations everywhere – offering unasked-for guidance, and supplying the occasional strange exclamation. ("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 an interesting figure, but her presence is familiar and oddly reassuring. And she seems happy enough; she's inflicting a bit of damage.
She knows her every micro expression, syllable and look will be analyzed and scrutinized, but nonetheless looks unburdened and remarkably at ease.
Perhaps this is the initial instance in history where that old chestnut – "Don't listen, it's pure jealousy" – could actually be true. The reason is, let's face it, each element in Meghan's Holiday Celebration is lovely. Yes, it's all painfully excessive, nonsense and over the top – but doesn't that represent precisely what the holiday season is all about? And the words she speaks might be ridiculous, but the life she leads genuinely looks beautifully curated.
Anything she attempts, she pulls off with style. Her recipes looks scrumptious, the holiday arrangement she crafts is stunning, her presents are almost too pretty to unwrap. Nothing is mediocre or aesthetically displeasing – even the way she fastens her kitchen garment is creative and fashionable. She doesn't throw a dish in the microwave, it "takes a twirl", and she folds wrapping paper like an origami guru. She also seems to be thoroughly enjoying herself the entire time. How could any hate-watcher not be convinced, bursting with festive joy and left with a powerful yearning for crafted festive snaps or a crudites platter where greens is organized in the likeness of a Christmas ring?
Meghan used to pretend for a living, of course, but nonetheless, after the level of scrutiny she has weathered from the moment she became involved with Prince Harry, a theoretical combination of two legendary actresses would struggle to act this naturally. Her refusal to modify or even moderate her shtick, regardless of it being so relentlessly, globally mocked, is weirdly comforting. In our unpredictable world, here is something we can depend on: Meghan will remain herself, no matter what. We will forever know our position with her.
If you're remaining skeptical of what she's selling, a thought that will undoubtedly come as a relief: you don't have to. There isn't mandatory conscription these days, and were it to return, it would be doubtful to include streaming With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, conversely, you decide to tune in and are consumed by jealousy about her picture-perfect Christmas, you can take solace either. If you are a duchess or a data administrator, few children truly appreciates the effort and hard work their parent puts in in December. So you can console yourself by envisioning the young royals' faces when they reveal a beautifully scripted letter that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a handcrafted holiday countdown, instead of a chocolate.
