Yes, it's Full of Gibberish, Extreme Hosting and Self-Help Jargon. However, I Honestly Cherish Meghan's Festive Episode.
No concerned with the time of year, it's always open season for criticism on the Meghan Markle's televisual offering, With Love, Meghan. Reviewers, both professional and armchair, have hardly ever agreed so completely as when gleefully ripping the program's first and second seasons apart. The prevailing view held that a bigger monarchy-related faux pas had hardly ever taken place than the much-discussed pretzel re-packaging incident.
Presently, like a merry renegade master, she makes a comeback for another round with a "Holiday Celebration" (aka a holiday episode). However on this occasion, things have shifted. The standard components audiences anticipate – psychobabble word salads, overzealous entertaining – remain, but set of a holiday show, it all clicks into place. The puzzle has come into place; it's a flawless festive blizzard.
At this stage, Meghan has become the oddball family member at Christmas celebrations everywhere – providing 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 aura is known and oddly reassuring. And she appears happy enough; she's inflicting a bit of damage.
She knows her every micro expression, utterance and look will be dissected and scrutinized, but nonetheless looks carefree and serenely untroubled.
Perhaps this is the first occasion in history where that well-worn saying – "Don't listen, it's pure jealousy" – may well be true. Since, let's face it, everything in Meghan's Holiday Celebration truly is delightful. Granted, it's all painfully excessive, silliness and extravagant – but is that not exactly what Yuletide is all about? And the talk she's talking might be laughable, but the example she sets seems authentically beautifully curated.
Whatever she attempts, she pulls off with flair. Her culinary efforts looks tasty, the holiday arrangement she makes is stunning, her gifts are nearly too beautiful to open. Nothing is mediocre or ugly – even the way she ties her kitchen garment is creative and fashionable. She doesn't toss a dish in the oven, it "goes for a spin", and she creases wrapping paper like an paper-folding expert. She also seems to be genuinely relishing herself throughout. How could any skeptical viewer not be convinced, overcome by seasonal cheer and left with a intense desire for crafted festive snaps or a crudites platter where broccoli is organized in the shape of a wreath?
Meghan used to pretend for a living, naturally, but despite that, after the intensity of examination she has weathered ever since she became involved with Prince Harry, even a hypothetical offspring of two legendary actresses would find it hard to appear this authentically. Her refusal to alter or even moderate her persona, regardless of it being so relentlessly, globally mocked, is weirdly comforting. In our uncertain world, here is something we can rely on: Meghan will be like this, no matter what. We will always know where we are with her.
If you're still not buying what she's selling, a point that will surely come as a relief: you are not obligated to. The UK has abolished national service these days, and were it to return, it would be doubtful to include watching With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, on the other hand, you decide to tune in and are gripped with envy about her picture-perfect Christmas, there is hope either. Be you a duchess or a office worker, few children completely grasps the time and energy their mother does in the holiday season. So you can take heart by imagining Archie and Lilibet's faces when they reveal a beautifully scripted letter that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a homemade Advent calendar, instead of a sweet treat.
