Indeed, it's Full of Gibberish, Extreme Hosting and Self-Help Jargon. But I Do Adore Meghan's Holiday Special.
No concerned with the time of year, it's always hunting season for criticism on the Duchess of Sussex's Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. Reviewers, expert and amateur alike, have seldom found such common ground as when eagerly tearing the program's first and second seasons apart. The prevailing view was that a more egregious regal scandal had seldom occurred than the much-discussed pretzel re-packaging incident.
Now, in the spirit of a holiday maverick, she is back with a new offering with a "Christmas Special" (or a yuletide episode). But this time, the dynamic has changed. The usual elements audiences anticipate – meaningless jargon salads, overzealous entertaining – are still present, but set of a yuletide episode, suddenly it all makes sense. The pieces have fallen together; it's a perfect snow storm.
By this point, Meghan resembles the quirky relative at Christmas celebrations everywhere – offering unasked-for guidance, and contributing the periodic peculiar declaration. ("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 unexpectedly soothing. And she seems happy enough; she's causing any harm.
She understands her each tiny facial movement, word and glance will be picked apart and scrutinized, but still appears relaxed and too blessed to be stressed.
Maybe this is the first occasion in history where that old chestnut – "Pay no mind, it's only envy" – might be true. Since, in all honesty, everything in Meghan's Holiday Celebration truly is delightful. Granted, it's all awkwardly over-the-top, foolishness and over the top – but doesn't that represent precisely what Yuletide is for? And the advice she gives might be ridiculous, but the life she leads genuinely looks beautifully curated.
Whatever she attempts, she accomplishes with style. Her culinary efforts looks tasty, the wreath she creates is breathtaking, her presents are nearly too beautiful to open. Nothing is mediocre or aesthetically displeasing – including the way she secures her kitchen garment is creative and fashionable. She doesn't toss a dish in the oven, it "has a moment", and she folds wrapping paper like an craft master. She also seems to be genuinely relishing herself throughout. How could any cynical observer not be convinced, filled with holiday spirit and left with a powerful yearning for personalized Christmas crackers or a crudites platter where broccoli is arranged in the shape of a festive circle?
Meghan was once an actress for a living, of course, but nonetheless, after the level of examination she has weathered from the moment she became involved with Prince Harry, the love child of Meryl Streep and Judi Dench would find it hard to appear this genuinely. Her unwillingness to modify or even moderate her shtick, despite it being so constantly, widely parodied, is strangely reassuring. In our volatile world, here is one thing we can rely on: Meghan will stay true to form, whatever happens. We will consistently know our position with her.
If you're remaining skeptical of her brand, a reminder that will surely come as a reassurance: you don't have to. We don't have mandatory conscription these days, and if there were, it would be doubtful to include streaming With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, however, you choose to watch and are gripped with longing about her picture-perfect Christmas, you can take solace either. Be you a royal or a office worker, hardly any child truly appreciates the dedication and labor their mother expends in December. So you can take heart by imagining the young royals' faces when they open a calligraphy note that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a homemade Advent calendar, in place of a chocolate.
