Admittedly, it's Full of Gibberish, Extreme Hosting and Psychobabble. However, I Honestly Love Meghan's Holiday Special.
No concerned with the season, it's always hunting season for commentary on the Duchess of Sussex's Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. Reviewers, both professional and armchair, have rarely been so united as when enthusiastically shredding the series' initial installments apart. The common opinion held that a greater royal outrage had seldom occurred than the notorious pretzel-bagging incident.
Currently, in the spirit of a holiday maverick, she makes a comeback with a new offering with a "Christmas Special" (or a Christmas special). But this time, things have shifted. The usual elements viewers are accustomed to – vague self-help platitudes, overzealous entertaining – remain, but set of a holiday show, the purpose becomes clear. The elements have slid perfectly; it's a flawless festive blizzard.
Now, Meghan has become the oddball family member at most festive family gatherings – offering unasked-for guidance, and delivering 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 presence is familiar and strangely comforting. And she appears happy enough; she's not doing any harm.
She knows her all subtle gestures, word and gaze will be analyzed and judged, but still appears carefree and too blessed to be stressed.
Maybe this is the initial instance in history where that old chestnut – "Ignore them, they're just jealous" – may well be true. Since, you know what?, each element in Meghan's Holiday Celebration honestly feels delightful. Yes, it's all painfully excessive, silliness and extravagant – but is that not precisely what Christmas is all about? And the advice she gives might be laughable, but the example she sets seems authentically shop-bought.
Anything she turns her beautifully manicured, diamond-adorned hand to, she pulls off with style. Her culinary efforts looks scrumptious, the wreath she makes is gorgeous, her presents are practically too exquisite to tear into. Not a single thing is mediocre or visually unappealing – even the way she ties her apron is stylish and elegant. She doesn't throw a meal in the oven, it "takes a twirl", and she creases wrapping paper like an craft master. She also seems to be thoroughly enjoying herself throughout. How could any hate-watcher not be convinced, bursting with festive joy and left with a powerful yearning for crafted festive snaps or a vegetable display where greens is positioned in the form of a wreath?
Meghan used to pretend for a living, naturally, but nonetheless, after the level of examination she has faced ever since she became involved with Prince Harry, even a hypothetical offspring of Meryl Streep and Judi Dench would find it hard to appear this genuinely. Her unwillingness to alter or even soften her shtick, even though it being so relentlessly, widely parodied, is oddly heartening. In our uncertain world, here is one thing we can depend on: Meghan will remain herself, no matter what. We will always know where we are with her.
If you're remaining skeptical of her message, a thought that will surely come as a relief: you don't have to. We don't have national service these days, and were it to return, it would be unlikely to include watching With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, on the other hand, you decide to tune in and are consumed by envy about her flawless Christmas, you can take solace either. Whether you're a duchess or a office worker, hardly any child truly appreciates the time and energy their mother puts in in the holiday season. So you can find comfort by envisioning her children's 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 candy.
