Yes, it's Full of Gibberish, Extreme Hosting and Psychobabble. Yet I Truly Love Meghan's Festive Episode.
No concerned with the season, it's always open season for scrutiny on the Meghan Markle's Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. Reviewers, from seasoned journalists to online pundits, have seldom found such common ground as when eagerly tearing the series' initial installments to shreds. The prevailing view held that a greater royal outrage had never been witnessed than the now-infamous pretzel-bagging incident.
Currently, as a festive rebel, she makes a comeback with a new offering with a "Christmas Special" (also known as a holiday episode). Yet now, things have shifted. The usual elements viewers are accustomed to – vague self-help platitudes, overzealous entertaining – persist, but within the context of a yuletide episode, suddenly it all makes sense. The puzzle has come into place; it's a ideal seasonal storm.
At this stage, Meghan has become the oddball family member at most festive family gatherings – dispensing unsolicited, unnecessary advice, and supplying 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 an interesting figure, but her company is customary and strangely comforting. And she seems happy enough; she's causing the slightest hurt.
She understands her each tiny facial movement, utterance and look will be dissected and scrutinized, but still appears unburdened and remarkably at ease.
Perhaps this is the first occasion in history where that clichéd phrase – "Pay no mind, it's only envy" – could actually be true. Since, let's face it, all aspects in Meghan's Holiday Celebration honestly feels delightful. Granted, it's all painfully excessive, foolishness and extravagant – but doesn't that represent precisely what Yuletide is for? And the words she speaks might be laughable, but the life she leads seems authentically beautifully curated.
Whatever she sets her mind to, she pulls off with panache. Her cooking looks delicious, the festive decoration she crafts is gorgeous, her presents are nearly too beautiful to open. Nothing is average or aesthetically displeasing – even the way she ties her kitchen garment is artful and chic. She doesn't toss a dish in the oven, it "takes a twirl", and she creases wrapping paper like an origami guru. She also seems to be completely savoring herself from start to finish. How could any skeptical viewer not be convinced, overcome by festive joy and left with a deep longing for personalized Christmas crackers or a vegetable display where greens is organized in the likeness of a wreath?
Meghan was once an actress for a living, naturally, but despite that, after the intensity of attention she has endured ever since she became involved with Prince Harry, the love child of two legendary actresses would have difficulty behaving this genuinely. Her decision to modify or even soften her shtick, regardless of it being so persistently, widely parodied, is weirdly comforting. In our uncertain world, here is something we can rely on: Meghan will remain herself, come what may. We will always know what to expect with her.
If you're remaining skeptical of her message, a point that will certainly come as a reassurance: you don't have to. The UK has abolished the draft in this country, and if there were, it would be unlikely to include streaming With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, however, you decide to tune in and are overcome with envy about her idyllic Christmas, you can take solace either. Be you a royal or a everyday person, few children fully understands the time and energy their mum puts in in the holiday season. So you can find comfort by imagining her children's faces when they unfold a calligraphy note that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a handcrafted holiday countdown, in place of a candy.