Indeed, it's Full of Nonsense, Extreme Hosting and Psychobabble. However, I Honestly Cherish Meghan's Festive Episode.
No matter the time of year, it's always hunting season for criticism on the Meghan Markle's TV show, With Love, Meghan. Reviewers, from seasoned journalists to online pundits, have rarely been so united as when gleefully ripping the lifestyle show's first and second seasons to pieces. The prevailing view held that a greater royal outrage had never been witnessed than the now-infamous pretzel-bagging incident.
Currently, as a festive rebel, she is back once again with a "Festive Special" (also known as a holiday episode). Yet now, it's different. The standard components viewers are accustomed to – meaningless jargon salads, extreme hosting – persist, but within the context of a Christmas special, the purpose becomes clear. The puzzle has come into place; it's a ideal seasonal storm.
At this stage, Meghan resembles the quirky relative at most festive family gatherings – offering unsolicited, unnecessary advice, and delivering 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 aura is known and oddly reassuring. And she appears happy enough; she's causing any harm.
She is aware her every micro expression, word and gaze will be dissected and criticised, but nonetheless looks unburdened and too blessed to be stressed.
Maybe this is the first occasion in history where that clichéd phrase – "Don't listen, it's pure jealousy" – may well be true. Because, in all honesty, everything in Meghan's Holiday Celebration truly is delightful. Yes, it's all painfully excessive, nonsense and over the top – but doesn't that represent precisely what Yuletide is for? And the words she speaks might be absurd, but the walk she's walking appears to be shop-bought.
Anything she sets her mind to, she accomplishes with panache. Her cooking looks scrumptious, the wreath she crafts is gorgeous, her gifts are almost too pretty to open. Nothing is ordinary or visually unappealing – even the way she secures her kitchen garment is creative and fashionable. She doesn't throw a meal in the microwave, it "goes for a spin", and she wraps wrapping paper like an craft master. She also seems to be thoroughly enjoying herself from start to finish. How could any skeptical viewer not be convinced, overcome by seasonal cheer and left with a intense desire for personalized Christmas crackers or a crudites platter where broccoli is organized in the form of a wreath?
Meghan had a career in acting for a living, obviously, but nonetheless, after the level of attention she has faced ever since she met Prince Harry, even a hypothetical offspring of Meryl Streep and Judi Dench would struggle to act this naturally. Her refusal to modify or even soften her shtick, even though it being so constantly, internationally ridiculed, is strangely reassuring. In our unpredictable world, here is one thing we can count on: Meghan will be like this, no matter what. We will always know what to expect with her.
If you're still not buying what she's selling, a point that will undoubtedly come as a reassurance: you are not obligated to. There isn't national service anymore, and if there were, it would be improbable to include streaming With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, however, you decide to tune in and are consumed by envy about her idyllic Christmas, all is not lost either. Whether you're a duchess or a office worker, hardly any child completely grasps the time and energy their mother expends in December. So you can console yourself by picturing Archie and Lilibet's faces when they unfold a beautifully scripted letter that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a handcrafted holiday countdown, instead of a chocolate.
