Indeed, it's Full of Gibberish, Over-the-Top Hospitality and Psychobabble. However, I Honestly Love Meghan's Festive Episode.
No considering the season, it's constantly open season for scrutiny on the Duchess of Sussex's Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. Reviewers, expert and amateur alike, have seldom found such common ground as when enthusiastically shredding the series' earlier episodes to pieces. The prevailing view seemed to be a greater royal outrage had never been witnessed than the notorious pretzel re-packaging incident.
Now, in the spirit of a holiday maverick, she has returned with a new offering with a "Festive Special" (also known as a holiday episode). Yet now, things have shifted. The familiar ingredients audiences anticipate – vague self-help platitudes, extreme hosting – are still present, but framed of a holiday show, the purpose becomes clear. The elements have slid together; it's a perfect snow storm.
At this stage, Meghan has become the quirky relative at Christmas celebrations everywhere – offering unsolicited, unnecessary advice, and supplying 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 company is customary and strangely comforting. And she appears content; she's causing the slightest hurt.
She knows her all subtle gestures, utterance and glance will be dissected and scrutinized, but manages to seem carefree and serenely untroubled.
It could be this is the only time in history where that clichéd phrase – "Pay no mind, it's only envy" – may well be true. The reason is, you know what?, everything in Meghan's Holiday Celebration truly is lovely. Yes, it's all cringily ultra-extra, nonsense and flamboyant – but isn't that exactly what Yuletide is about? And the talk she's talking might be ridiculous, but the life she leads seems authentically beautifully curated.
Anything she attempts, she pulls off with flair. Her culinary efforts looks delicious, the holiday arrangement she crafts is stunning, her presents are practically too exquisite to tear into. Not a single thing is average or ugly – even the way she fastens her kitchen garment is artful and chic. She doesn't bung a dish in the microwave, it "goes for a spin", and she creases gift paper like an origami guru. She also seems to be completely savoring herself throughout. How could any skeptical viewer not be convinced, bursting with seasonal cheer and left with a intense desire for personalized Christmas crackers or a vegetable display where broccoli is positioned in the likeness of a wreath?
Meghan had a career in acting for a living, of course, but despite that, after the intensity of scrutiny she has faced since she started dating Prince Harry, a theoretical combination of acting royalty would find it hard to appear this authentically. Her refusal to alter or even moderate her shtick, even though it being so constantly, internationally ridiculed, is weirdly comforting. In our volatile world, here is something we can rely on: Meghan will be like this, whatever happens. We will always know our position with her.
If you're not yet convinced by what she's selling, a thought that will surely come as a reassurance: you are not obligated to. We don't have the draft these days, and should it be reinstated, it would be doubtful to include watching With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, conversely, you decide to tune in and are consumed by jealousy about her picture-perfect Christmas, all is not lost either. Whether you're a duchess or a office worker, few children completely grasps the effort and hard work their parent expends in December. So you can take heart by picturing her children's faces when they open a calligraphy note that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a DIY festive calendar, in place of a candy.
