Ryan Murphy’s All’s Fair: 5 Reasons Critics Are Slamming the New Legal Drama

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Ryan Murphy’s latest show, the legal drama All’s Fair, hasn’t been well-received by critics, who generally agree on its weaknesses. The series, available on Hulu, features Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, and Niecy Nash-Betts as the partners of a divorce law firm: Allura Grant, Dina Standish, and Liberty Ronson.

Sarah Paulson stars as Carrington Lane, a professional who clashes with her colleagues. The show promises to be an enjoyable and captivating escape from everyday life.

Despite Ryan Murphy’s success with shows like the dramatic “Doctor Odyssey” and the scary “American Horror Story” franchise, his new series “All’s Fair” received a shockingly low 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes when it launched. Critics weren’t impressed after seeing the first three episodes, which aired on November 4, 2025.

The Tone Isn’t Campy Enough To Make All’s Fair Fun

Ryan Murphy creates over-the-top, entertaining shows like Scream Queens, a funny horror series set in a college and hospital that playfully satirizes common horror movie themes. He’s also known for dramatic series like the short-lived medical show Doctor Odyssey and Nip/Tuck, which explores the lives of plastic surgeons.

According to The Guardian, the show All’s Fair struggles with an inconsistent tone, making it hard to fully enjoy. If it had embraced a more over-the-top style, like some of Ryan Murphy’s other work, it might have been successful. As it stands, it’s unclear whether the show is trying to be a comedy or a drama.

The Guardian:

If this were a deliberately over-the-top, playful drama with everyone fully committed and packed with enjoyable moments, it might have worked. However, it feels directionless – the actors seem unsure of the show’s purpose, and the storylines are weak.

A major letdown with All’s Fair is that the idea of strong, female divorce attorneys held so much promise. Given that Murphy has a long history in television, viewers and critics alike anticipated a well-defined and consistent style from the beginning.

Creating a deliberately over-the-top, ‘campy’ style is difficult to pull off, but it’s especially effective in horror because it allows for playful commentary on familiar clichés and lots of humor. However, a campy approach could also work wonderfully in a legal drama, offering a unique and entertaining twist.

A review in The Guardian compared the show to Ally McBeal from the 1990s, which successfully blended legal drama with humor, quirkiness, and over-the-top style while remaining enjoyable.

All’s Fair’s Storylines Are Lackluster

Creating another legal drama is tough when so many great ones already exist. To succeed, the storylines need to be truly captivating and original. Especially if it’s about divorce, the couples involved need to be interesting and have complex relationships.

As a film and TV buff, I’ve been checking out All’s Fair, and honestly, the critics seem to be right – the storylines just aren’t grabbing me. Variety pointed out that it falls into a predictable pattern pretty fast, which is disappointing, especially since Hulu only has the first three episodes available right now.

Variety magazine observed that the film centers around women seeking revenge on abusive husbands, which unfortunately reinforces harmful gender stereotypes. The review specifically highlighted two particularly troubling storylines: one woman, Lee-Ann (played by Jessica Simpson), attacks her ex-husband with acid, and another, Deandre Barber (Elizabeth Berkley), commits suicide.

Variety:

The storylines on “All’s Fair” are repetitive: they always involve a wealthy man, a woman who’s been mistreated, and her quest for payback.

Honestly, if the whole show is anything like what I’ve seen so far, I don’t think many people will stick around for the story. Watching women constantly try to ruin their ex-husbands’ lives just isn’t compelling, and I suspect that premise will get tiresome really quickly. It feels a bit one-note already.

Considering how dramatic and over-the-top the plots are on shows like 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star, and the new addition, 9-1-1: Nashville, it’s surprising the writing isn’t better. While moments like the “bee-nado” on 9-1-1 or some of the more ridiculous emergencies can be a bit much, they at least keep you hooked.

Kim Kardashian’s Acting Leaves A Lot To Be Desired

Many critics have pointed out that Kim Kardashian’s performance in All’s Fair isn’t strong, with The Hollywood Reporter describing it as “stiff.” While she’s well-known for her reality TV appearances on Keeping Up With the Kardashians and The Kardashians, she also had a role in season 12 of American Horror Story, playing a publicist named Siobhan Corbyn.

While Kim Kardashian’s acting in American Horror Story wasn’t outstanding, the season was intentionally over-the-top, so she blended in well. However, critics generally disliked her performance in All’s Fair, finding her expressions flat and her contribution to the show unremarkable.

The Hollywood Reporter:

Kim Kardashian’s acting is wooden and lacks genuine emotion, and that perfectly matches the quality of the writing itself. Her appearance, while generating attention, doesn’t add much substance, which feels appropriate for a show that seems more interested in creating short, shareable clips than being actually enjoyed.

Glenn Close and Sarah Paulson are consistently great to watch, but Kim Kardashian’s performance unfortunately stands out for being weak. As the lead in a legal drama created by Murphy, and with the show heavily promoted around her involvement, her acting really needs to be more convincing.

All’s Fair’s Writing Is Poor

Good writing is crucial for a successful TV show, often able to compensate for weaker performances or create memorable moments. However, according to USA Today, the writing in All’s Fair doesn’t quite measure up.

The review was harsh, describing the show’s script as unnatural, forced, and clumsy – definitely not good signs. In fact, the reviewer called it the worst TV show of the year. The Guardian specifically criticized the dialogue, pointing to a line like, “My flight was turbulent and so is my mood,” as an example of how bad it was.

USA Today:

“Fair” is a truly awful show. The script is surprisingly bad – even worse than early drafts from AI programs – and the acting is amateurish, like a local holiday play. It’s baffling that no one involved questioned the project’s direction, considering how disastrous it is.

As a big TV fan, I’ve been reading the reviews for All’s Fair, and honestly, it’s not looking good. Everyone seems to agree the writing just isn’t there – no clever lines, no real laughs. After seeing what the first three episodes offer, it’s hard to get excited about the rest of the season. What’s really surprising is that Ryan Murphy, with all his experience in television, would deliver something with dialogue this weak.

The All’s Fair Characters Aren’t Likable Or Easy To Invest In

According to a review in Vulture, the characters in All’s Fair are all very competent, but that makes them less engaging to watch. The first three episodes don’t give viewers a strong reason to become invested in their journeys or root for their success.

For a TV show to be successful, it needs compelling characters. When those characters, like the lawyers in this show, experience both professional wins and setbacks, it feels more realistic. According to Vulture, the most interesting character is Carrington, intentionally written as a villain you’re meant to dislike.

Reviewers generally agree that instead of presenting complex and interesting women, the show All’s Fair relies on the tired “girlboss” trope. The characters come across as shallow rather than intelligent, and most people wouldn’t want to watch them for very long.

Vulture:

Honestly, why should we care about these characters? The show hasn’t given us any real reason to connect with them – we only see their polished exteriors. It’s hard to feel invested in people when all we know is that they’re incredibly successful, rich, and beautiful. Our lawyer heroes always win, and it just doesn’t feel relatable.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a letdown. The premise – female lawyers championing other women – had so much promise. I was really hoping to see them tackle the complexities of marriage, the emotional fallout of divorce, and the impact on mental health. That’s the kind of storytelling that would have truly made All’s Fair stand out from the crowded field of legal dramas, and it’s a shame it wasn’t fully explored.

With overwhelmingly negative reviews and a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s doubtful Murphy’s new show, All’s Fair, will make it past its first season. This is especially true considering the success of his other shows, like 9-1-1, which is currently in its ninth season.

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2025-11-05 21:13