Yes, it's Brimming with Gibberish, Extreme Hosting and Self-Help Jargon. Yet I Truly Adore Meghan's Christmas Special.
No concerned with the season, it's constantly fair game for commentary on the Meghan Markle's televisual offering, With Love, Meghan. Commentators, both professional and armchair, have seldom found such common ground as when enthusiastically shredding the lifestyle show's first and second seasons to pieces. The common opinion was that a greater royal outrage had seldom occurred than the much-discussed pretzel-bagging incident.
Presently, in the spirit of a holiday maverick, she has returned once again with a "Holiday Celebration" (aka a holiday episode). Yet now, the dynamic has changed. The standard components audiences anticipate – vague self-help platitudes, extreme hosting – remain, but framed of a Christmas special, it all clicks into place. The puzzle has come into place; it's a perfect snow storm.
Now, Meghan resembles the oddball family member at the typical holiday get-together – offering unsolicited, unnecessary advice, and contributing the odd random outburst. ("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 company is customary and oddly reassuring. And she appears content; she's inflicting the slightest hurt.
She is aware her every micro expression, syllable and look will be dissected and scrutinized, but still appears relaxed and remarkably at ease.
Perhaps this is the first occasion in history where that well-worn saying – "Don't listen, it's pure jealousy" – may well be true. The reason is, you know what?, all aspects in Meghan's Holiday Celebration honestly feels charming. Admittedly, it's all painfully excessive, nonsense and extravagant – but doesn't that represent exactly what Christmas is all about? And the talk she's talking might be ridiculous, but the walk she's walking appears to be impeccably styled.
Anything she turns her beautifully manicured, diamond-adorned hand to, she executes with flair. Her culinary efforts looks scrumptious, the wreath she crafts is breathtaking, her presents are practically too exquisite to unwrap. Nothing is ordinary or aesthetically displeasing – including the way she fastens her kitchen garment is artful and chic. She doesn't throw a dish in the microwave, it "has a moment", and she creases wrapping paper like an origami guru. She also seems to be thoroughly enjoying herself from start to finish. How could any hate-watcher not be charmed, overcome by festive joy and left with a powerful yearning for personalized Christmas crackers or a vegetable display where greens is positioned in the shape of a festive circle?
Meghan used to pretend for a living, of course, but even so, after the degree of scrutiny she has weathered ever since she became involved with Prince Harry, even a hypothetical offspring of Meryl Streep and Judi Dench would have difficulty behaving this genuinely. Her decision to modify or even tone down her persona, despite it being so constantly, internationally ridiculed, is weirdly comforting. In our volatile world, here is one thing we can depend on: Meghan will be like this, come what may. We will forever know where we are with her.
If you're remaining skeptical of what she's selling, a thought that will certainly come as a reassurance: you are not obligated to. There isn't the draft anymore, and if there were, it would be unlikely to include viewing With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, on the other hand, you decide to tune in and are consumed by jealousy about her idyllic Christmas, there is hope either. Be you a duchess or a office worker, no kid truly appreciates the time and energy their mum expends in the holiday season. So you can console yourself by envisioning the young royals' faces when they unfold a beautifully scripted letter that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a homemade Advent calendar, instead of a chocolate.
