Yes, it's Full of Gibberish, Extreme Hosting and Psychobabble. Yet I Truly Adore Meghan's Festive Episode.
No concerned with the time of year, it's perpetually open season for scrutiny on the Meghan Markle's TV show, With Love, Meghan. Commentators, both professional and armchair, have seldom found such common ground as when eagerly tearing the series' first and second seasons apart. The prevailing view was that a bigger monarchy-related faux pas had seldom occurred than the now-infamous snack re-labeling incident.
Currently, as a festive rebel, she has returned for another round with a "Christmas Special" (also known as a Christmas special). But this time, things have shifted. The usual elements viewers are accustomed to – meaningless jargon salads, extreme hosting – persist, but within the context of a holiday show, the purpose becomes clear. The puzzle has come perfectly; it's a ideal seasonal storm.
Now, Meghan has become the quirky relative at Christmas celebrations everywhere – dispensing random tips, and contributing 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 a bit of a character, but her company is customary and oddly reassuring. And she appears content; she's inflicting any harm.
She is aware her all subtle gestures, utterance and look will be analyzed and scrutinized, but manages to seem unburdened and too blessed to be stressed.
It could be this is the initial instance in history where that well-worn saying – "Pay no mind, it's only envy" – might be true. The reason is, you know what?, everything in Meghan's Holiday Celebration truly is lovely. Admittedly, it's all cringily ultra-extra, nonsense and flamboyant – but is that not exactly what Christmas is all about? And the advice she gives might be ridiculous, but the example she sets genuinely looks shop-bought.
Anything she attempts, she pulls off with flair. Her recipes looks scrumptious, the holiday arrangement she makes is breathtaking, her presents are practically too exquisite to unwrap. Nothing is ordinary or ugly – even the way she fastens her apron is creative and fashionable. She doesn't toss a dish in the oven, it "goes for a spin", and she wraps wrapping paper like an origami guru. She also seems to be completely savoring herself the entire time. How could any hate-watcher not be charmed, overcome by festive joy and left with a powerful yearning for handmade crackers or a crudites platter where broccoli is arranged in the shape of a wreath?
Meghan had a career in acting for a living, of course, but even so, after the level of attention she has weathered since she became involved with Prince Harry, the love child of Meryl Streep and Judi Dench would find it hard to appear this authentically. Her refusal to alter or even tone down her persona, despite it being so persistently, widely parodied, is strangely reassuring. In our volatile world, here is one thing we can depend on: Meghan will be like this, whatever happens. We will always know our position with her.
If you're still not buying her message, a reminder that will surely come as a relief: you don't have to. We don't have mandatory conscription anymore, and if there were, it would be unlikely to include viewing With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, on the other hand, you choose to watch and are gripped with envy about her flawless Christmas, you can take solace either. If you are a duchess or a data administrator, few children fully understands the dedication and labor their mother does in December. So you can console yourself by imagining Archie and Lilibet's faces when they unfold a beautifully scripted letter that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a DIY festive calendar, instead of a candy.
