Yes, it's Brimming with Nonsense, Over-the-Top Hospitality and Psychobabble. Yet I Truly Cherish Meghan's Festive Episode.
No considering the season, it's always open season for commentary on the Meghan Markle's TV show, With Love, Meghan. Commentators, expert and amateur alike, have rarely been so united as when eagerly tearing the program's first and second seasons apart. The general consensus was that a bigger monarchy-related faux pas had never been witnessed than the now-infamous snack re-labeling incident.
Presently, in the spirit of a holiday maverick, she makes a comeback for another round with a "Christmas Special" (aka a Christmas special). However on this occasion, things have shifted. The usual elements viewers are accustomed to – psychobabble word salads, intense hospitality – remain, but framed of a Christmas special, suddenly it all makes sense. The elements have slid into place; it's a perfect snow storm.
By this point, Meghan has become the oddball family member at most festive family gatherings – offering unasked-for guidance, 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 an interesting figure, but her presence is familiar and strangely comforting. And she seems content; she's inflicting any harm.
She is aware her all subtle gestures, utterance and gaze will be analyzed and criticised, but nonetheless looks unburdened and too blessed to be stressed.
It could be this is the first occasion in history where that old chestnut – "Ignore them, they're just jealous" – might be true. Because, let's face it, each element in Meghan's Holiday Celebration is delightful. Admittedly, it's all awkwardly over-the-top, silliness and extravagant – but isn't that precisely what Yuletide is about? And the talk she's talking might be ridiculous, but the life she leads genuinely looks beautifully curated.
Whatever she sets her mind to, she executes with panache. Her cooking looks delicious, the holiday arrangement she crafts is breathtaking, her presents are nearly too beautiful to tear into. Nothing is mediocre or visually unappealing – even the way she secures her kitchen garment is artful and chic. She doesn't toss a dish in the microwave, it "takes a twirl", and she wraps gift paper like an paper-folding expert. She also seems to be genuinely relishing herself from start to finish. How could any cynical observer not be charmed, filled with seasonal cheer and left with a powerful yearning for personalized Christmas crackers or a crudites platter where greens is organized in the form of a wreath?
Meghan was once an actress for a living, naturally, but even so, after the level of scrutiny she has faced ever since she met Prince Harry, the love child of Meryl Streep and Judi Dench would have difficulty behaving this naturally. Her unwillingness to alter or even tone down her routine, even though it being so persistently, internationally ridiculed, is oddly heartening. In our unpredictable world, here is something we can count on: Meghan will remain herself, whatever happens. We will forever know where we are with her.
If you're remaining skeptical of her message, a reminder that will surely come as a reassurance: you don't have to. There isn't mandatory conscription anymore, and should it be reinstated, it would be doubtful to include watching With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, on the other hand, you decide to tune in and are gripped with longing about her picture-perfect Christmas, you can take solace either. If you are a duchess or a office worker, few children truly appreciates the time and energy their mum puts in in December. So you can find comfort by imagining Archie and Lilibet's faces when they reveal a beautifully scripted letter that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a DIY festive calendar, in place of a sweet treat.
