Admittedly, it's Packed with Absurdity, Over-the-Top Hospitality and Psychobabble. Yet I Truly Cherish Meghan's Holiday Special.
No considering the season, it's constantly fair game for commentary on the Duchess of Sussex's Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. Critics, expert and amateur alike, have rarely been so united as when gleefully ripping the lifestyle show's earlier episodes apart. The prevailing view seemed to be a bigger monarchy-related faux pas had never been witnessed than the now-infamous snack re-labeling incident.
Presently, as a festive rebel, she is back for another round with a "Holiday Celebration" (or a Christmas special). However on this occasion, the dynamic has changed. The usual elements audiences anticipate – meaningless jargon salads, intense hospitality – are still present, but within the context of a yuletide episode, suddenly it all makes sense. The puzzle has come together; it's a perfect snow storm.
Now, Meghan has become the quirky relative at Christmas celebrations everywhere – offering random tips, 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 aura is known and oddly reassuring. And she seems pleased; she's inflicting the slightest hurt.
She is aware her every micro expression, syllable and glance will be analyzed and criticised, but nonetheless looks relaxed and remarkably at ease.
Maybe this is the first occasion in history where that old chestnut – "Don't listen, it's pure jealousy" – could actually be true. Because, in all honesty, everything in Meghan's Holiday Celebration honestly feels charming. Granted, it's all painfully excessive, silliness and flamboyant – but doesn't that represent exactly what the holiday season is for? And the words she speaks might be absurd, but the walk she's walking seems authentically beautifully curated.
Anything she turns her beautifully manicured, diamond-adorned hand to, she pulls off with panache. Her cooking looks scrumptious, the holiday arrangement she crafts is gorgeous, her presents are nearly too beautiful to tear into. Nothing is mediocre or aesthetically displeasing – even the way she fastens her kitchen garment is stylish and elegant. She doesn't toss a dish in the oven, it "takes a twirl", and she wraps wrapping paper like an craft master. She also seems to be thoroughly enjoying herself the entire time. How could any cynical observer not be convinced, filled with seasonal cheer and left with a powerful yearning for crafted festive snaps or a vegetable display where broccoli is arranged in the shape of a wreath?
Meghan used to pretend for a living, of course, but even so, after the degree of attention she has endured since she became involved with Prince Harry, a theoretical combination of Meryl Streep and Judi Dench would find it hard to appear this genuinely. Her refusal to change or even moderate her persona, despite it being so relentlessly, internationally ridiculed, is strangely reassuring. In our volatile world, here is something we can rely on: Meghan will be like this, come what may. We will always know what to expect with her.
If you're still not buying what she's selling, a point that will undoubtedly come as a reassurance: you are not obligated to. The UK has abolished mandatory conscription anymore, and if there were, it would be unlikely to include streaming With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, on the other hand, you choose to watch and are overcome with longing about her flawless Christmas, all is not lost either. Whether you're a royal or a data administrator, few children truly appreciates the dedication and labor their mum expends in the holiday season. So you can console yourself by imagining Archie and Lilibet's faces when they unfold a beautifully scripted letter that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a DIY festive calendar, rather than a candy.
