The first three episodes of Hulu’s new legal dramedy “All’s Fair” landed on the streamer this week—and all is certainly not fair.
After the series starring Niecy Nash-Betts and Teyana Taylor alongside Kim Kardashian, Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, and Naomi Watts debuted on Hulu, the reviews have been, how should we put it, abysmal.
The Guardian handed it a rare zero-star review. On Rotten Tomatoes, it’s hovering around a lowly five percent. Yet somehow, defying the laws of taste, “All’s Fair” shot straight to Hulu’s top spot and is still holding firm in the top five.
One of the show’s directors, Anthony Hemingway, has come to its defense. He told The Hollywood Reporter that the project might simply “be out of your league,” insisting the show is being misunderstood.
“You’re not going to please everybody,” Anthony, 48, who directed four episodes of the series, said. “You may have certain criticisms, while there are a million others who love it. I think the show holds a mirror up to each person who watches it. It’s just about: Can you connect to it or relate to it, and see yourself?”
He continued, “It may be out of your league, it may not be anything you can connect to, and I think that goes for anything that gets presented on screen.”
So, is “All’s Fair” really that bad—or are Hulu subscribers just showing up for Kim K? (It’s worth noting “The Kardashians” currently sits comfortably at number one.) Maybe it’s both. Or maybe viewers just love a little mess, especially when it’s dripping in couture and shade.
The show itself follows a successful divorce attorney and her fashionable-as-hell all-women firm as they help wealthy, shallow women divorce their oftentimes even wealthier—and somehow even shallower—husbands. It’s glossy, ridiculous, and whimsical, but honestly, no more so than “Emily in Paris” or an episode of “The Real Housewives.”
There are courtroom scenes that seem allergic to actual legal procedure, and banter across legal office conference tables sounds like it was ripped straight from Twitter circa 2017 (seriously, if one more character says “spill the tea,” I swear). As many critics have pointed out, the “law” in the world of “All’s Fair” is more of a vibe.
These women primarily uncover secrets, threaten to expose them publicly, and call it a legal strategy. Nash’s character is sassy and soulful, at times stereotypically so, but undeniably fun to watch. Taylor, on the other hand, is sneaky, endearing, and a little dangerous—in a good way. (If you really can’t stand Kim K, Taylor’s plot might be the revenge you need.)
“All’s Fair” probably deserves more than one star, but you’re not missing must-see TV if you skip it. Still, you might regret not witnessing the sheer absurdity of Nash’s character, comparing anal beads to a traffic cone—a moment as unhinged as it sounds.
