Yes, it's Full of Absurdity, Extreme Hosting and Self-Help Jargon. However, I Honestly Adore Meghan's Festive Episode.
No considering the season, it's constantly hunting season for scrutiny on the Duchess of Sussex's televisual offering, With Love, Meghan. Critics, expert and amateur alike, have hardly ever agreed so completely as when enthusiastically shredding the lifestyle show's first and second seasons to shreds. The prevailing view seemed to be a greater royal outrage had hardly ever taken place than the much-discussed pretzel-bagging incident.
Presently, in the spirit of a holiday maverick, she makes a comeback once again with a "Christmas Special" (also known as a Christmas special). But this time, things have shifted. The familiar ingredients viewers are accustomed to – psychobabble word salads, extreme hosting – remain, but set of a Christmas special, it all clicks into place. The puzzle has come perfectly; it's a perfect snow storm.
At this stage, Meghan is like the quirky relative at Christmas celebrations everywhere – offering 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 an interesting figure, but her aura is known and strangely comforting. And she appears pleased; she's not doing any harm.
She is aware her all subtle gestures, word and gaze will be dissected and criticised, but still appears unburdened and remarkably at ease.
Maybe this is the first occasion in history where that well-worn saying – "Don't listen, it's pure jealousy" – might be true. The reason is, let's face it, each element in Meghan's Holiday Celebration honestly feels lovely. Admittedly, it's all painfully excessive, foolishness and extravagant – but doesn't that represent precisely what the holiday season is for? And the words she speaks might be ridiculous, but the example she sets seems authentically beautifully curated.
Anything she sets her mind to, she executes with panache. Her cooking looks delicious, the wreath she makes is stunning, her presents are nearly too beautiful to open. Not a single thing is average or aesthetically displeasing – even the way she fastens her apron is creative and fashionable. She doesn't bung a dish in the oven, it "takes a twirl", and she creases gift paper like an paper-folding expert. She also seems to be completely savoring herself the entire time. How could any cynical observer not be charmed, filled with holiday spirit and left with a powerful yearning for handmade crackers or a vegetable display where greens is positioned in the form of a festive circle?
Meghan had a career in acting for a living, obviously, but even so, after the degree of attention she has endured from the moment she started dating Prince Harry, a theoretical combination of Meryl Streep and Judi Dench would have difficulty behaving this naturally. Her decision to modify or even tone down her shtick, regardless of it being so constantly, internationally ridiculed, is strangely reassuring. In our volatile world, here is something we can count on: Meghan will be like this, no matter what. We will always know our position with her.
If you're not yet convinced by her message, a point that will surely come as a comfort: you aren't required to. There isn't national service anymore, and should it be reinstated, it would be unlikely to include streaming With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, conversely, you choose to watch and are overcome with jealousy about her idyllic Christmas, you can take solace either. Be you a royal or a data administrator, few children fully understands the time and energy their mother does in the holiday season. So you can take heart by envisioning Archie and Lilibet's faces when they open a calligraphy note that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a handcrafted holiday countdown, in place of a sweet treat.
