Admittedly, it's Packed with Gibberish, Over-the-Top Hospitality and Self-Help Jargon. Yet I Truly Cherish Meghan's Holiday Special.
No considering the time of year, it's perpetually fair game for scrutiny on the Duchess of Sussex's Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. Commentators, expert and amateur alike, have rarely been so united as when eagerly tearing the lifestyle show's earlier episodes to pieces. The prevailing view seemed to be a bigger monarchy-related faux pas had never been witnessed than the much-discussed pretzel-bagging incident.
Now, in the spirit of a holiday maverick, she has returned for another round with a "Festive Special" (aka a holiday episode). Yet now, the dynamic has changed. The usual elements audiences anticipate – psychobabble word salads, extreme hosting – are still present, but framed of a yuletide episode, the purpose becomes clear. The pieces have fallen together; it's a ideal seasonal storm.
Now, Meghan is like the eccentric aunt at the typical holiday get-together – 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 quite a personality, but her presence is familiar and strangely comforting. And she appears content; she's causing any harm.
She is aware her each tiny facial movement, utterance and glance will be picked apart and criticised, but nonetheless looks relaxed and too blessed to be stressed.
It could be this is the first occasion in history where that clichéd phrase – "Pay no mind, it's only envy" – could actually be true. Because, you know what?, everything in Meghan's Holiday Celebration truly is lovely. Admittedly, it's all awkwardly over-the-top, foolishness and flamboyant – but is that not just what the holiday season is all about? And the words she speaks might be ridiculous, but the example she sets appears to be beautifully curated.
Anything she attempts, she executes with style. Her culinary efforts looks tasty, the festive decoration she crafts is stunning, her gifts are almost too pretty to unwrap. Nothing is ordinary or ugly – including the way she fastens her kitchen garment is artful and chic. She doesn't toss a dish in the oven, it "has a moment", and she creases gift paper like an paper-folding expert. She also seems to be thoroughly enjoying herself the entire time. How could any skeptical viewer not be charmed, overcome by holiday spirit and left with a intense desire for handmade crackers or a crudites platter where broccoli is organized in the likeness of a Christmas ring?
Meghan was once an actress for a living, obviously, but even so, after the degree of examination she has faced ever since she met Prince Harry, even a hypothetical offspring of two legendary actresses would have difficulty behaving this genuinely. Her decision to modify or even moderate her routine, regardless of it being so relentlessly, internationally ridiculed, is weirdly comforting. In our volatile 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 her message, a reminder that will undoubtedly come as a comfort: you are not obligated to. There isn't mandatory conscription anymore, and should it be reinstated, it would be improbable to include watching With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, conversely, you decide to tune in and are consumed by jealousy about her flawless Christmas, all is not lost either. Be you a royal or a everyday person, hardly any child fully understands the effort and hard work their mother puts in in the holiday season. So you can take heart by envisioning Archie and Lilibet's faces when they unfold a calligraphy note that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a homemade Advent calendar, in place of a sweet treat.
