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Meghan Markle\u2019s<\/a> holiday special dropped on Netflix<\/a> today, and the timing could not have been more on-brand. Conveniently, or conspicuously, it arrived on the very morning the King welcomed the German President for a high-profile state visit<\/a>, complete with pomp, pageantry and global press coverage.<\/p>\n And so, once again, Meghan<\/a>, 44, timed her \u201cbig moment\u201d to collide directly with the Royal Family\u2019s<\/a>. At this point, it barely registers as a coincidence; it\u2019s practically her signature move. Since stepping away from her role as a working royal, she has repeatedly tried to overshadow the Firm, but each attempt has fallen somewhere between transparent and tragically unsuccessful.<\/p>\n While Princess Catherine<\/a> and Prince William<\/a> looked polished and purposeful at Heathrow – duty first, fashion impeccable – Meghan was busy melting chocolate and rearranging ornaments. So here we are. These are my unfiltered thoughts on her festive Netflix drop\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Let\u2019s start with the obvious question: Do we really need a step-by-step guide on how to hang Christmas lights \u201cfrom the inside\u201d or where to \u201cplace ornaments?”<\/p>\n The holiday special felt synthetic, staged, and, I\u2019m sorry to say, painfully bland. I fully respect Meghan\u2019s right to privacy, but the set she chose felt like a Pinterest-board mirage rather than an actual home. If you\u2019re going to film a festive special, why choose a backdrop that resembles California in mid-July? Sun streaming, knitwear on – the whole aesthetic made no sense.<\/p>\n The Advent calendar idea was admittedly sweet. Meghan\u2019s line about \u201cembracing the special touches that bring joy\u201d is something I can get behind; all traditions do begin somewhere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But for a show that\u2019s supposed to teach you something – cooking, crafting, hosting, my questions is why are there no ingredients, no steps, no instructions on the screen? What is the point of watching if the viewers can\u2019t follow along?<\/p>\n She somehow managed to make reindeer chow look like an engineering project. Completely baffling. Then came the obligatory royal anecdote. While explaining British Christmas crackers to her guest, she remarked, \u201cit actually feels really connective.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, Meghan couldn\u2019t resist referencing the Royal Family,<\/a> the very institution she insists she has absolutely, definitively distanced herself from.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n She might reject them publicly, yet she cannot go a single project without mentioning her title or sprinkling in a royal memory from her famously brief time at Sandringham.<\/a><\/p>\n By the twenty-minute mark, I was struggling. The guests were interesting people, but in this context? Watching them glue, paint and cut ribbons was hardly compelling television.<\/p>\n