No considering the season, it's constantly hunting season for criticism on the Meghan Markle's televisual offering, With Love, Meghan. Reviewers, both professional and armchair, have seldom found such common ground as when enthusiastically shredding the series' earlier episodes to pieces. The common opinion was that a bigger monarchy-related faux pas had never been witnessed than the now-infamous snack re-labeling incident.
Now, like a merry renegade master, she makes a comeback with a new offering with a "Christmas Special" (also known as a yuletide episode). Yet now, the dynamic has changed. The standard components viewers are accustomed to – vague self-help platitudes, extreme hosting – remain, but within the context of a Christmas special, suddenly it all makes sense. The puzzle has come together; it's a perfect snow storm.
By this point, Meghan is like the oddball family member at Christmas celebrations everywhere – dispensing 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 a bit of a character, but her presence is familiar and oddly reassuring. And she seems pleased; she's causing any harm.
She knows her all subtle gestures, word and look will be dissected and scrutinized, but still appears unburdened and remarkably at ease.
Maybe this is the first occasion in history where that clichéd phrase – "Pay no mind, it's only envy" – might be true. Since, let's face it, everything in Meghan's Holiday Celebration truly is charming. Yes, it's all cringily ultra-extra, foolishness and extravagant – but isn't that precisely what Christmas is about? And the words she speaks might be ridiculous, but the walk she's walking seems authentically beautifully curated.
Anything she attempts, she pulls off with style. Her recipes looks delicious, the festive decoration she creates is stunning, her presents are practically too exquisite to unwrap. Nothing is ordinary or ugly – including the way she secures her kitchen garment is stylish and elegant. She doesn't bung a dish in the oven, it "has a moment", and she folds gift paper like an craft master. She also seems to be genuinely relishing herself the entire time. How could any hate-watcher not be charmed, bursting with holiday spirit and left with a deep longing for personalized Christmas crackers or a vegetable display where broccoli is positioned in the likeness of a wreath?
Meghan used to pretend for a living, of course, but even so, after the intensity of examination she has weathered ever since she became involved with Prince Harry, even a hypothetical offspring of acting royalty would have difficulty behaving this authentically. Her decision to alter or even tone down her persona, despite it being so persistently, widely parodied, is oddly heartening. In our uncertain world, here is one thing we can rely on: Meghan will remain herself, whatever happens. We will forever know our position with her.
If you're remaining skeptical of what she's selling, a reminder that will certainly come as a comfort: you aren't required to. There isn't national service in this country, and should it be reinstated, it would be improbable to include streaming With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, conversely, you willingly check it out and are gripped with jealousy about her picture-perfect Christmas, you can take solace either. If you are a duchess or a everyday person, few children fully understands the effort and hard work their parent expends in the holiday season. So you can console yourself by envisioning Archie and Lilibet's faces when they reveal a handwritten message that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a DIY festive calendar, instead of a sweet treat.
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