It’s a classic Hollywood battle: the high-brow critics versus the mass-market audience. And in the case of ‘All’s Fair,’ the new Ryan Murphy legal drama starring Kim Kardashian, the audience has delivered a resounding verdict—and it’s a stunning victory for Hulu.
Despite being on the receiving end of some truly scathing reviews, the high-gloss legal procedural has officially become Hulu’s biggest scripted series debut in three years.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
The buzz around ‘All’s Fair’ has translated into bona fide streaming success. In its first three days, the show racked up a staggering 3.2 million global views, securing a new benchmark for Hulu Originals. This massive turnout isn’t just a win for the show’s star-studded ensemble—which includes heavy-hitters like Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Sarah Paulson, and Glenn Close—it’s a massive statement about the power of celebrity, conversation, and maybe, just maybe, good old-fashioned camp.
The Critical Firestorm vs. The Fan Defense
The success story is made even more compelling by the show’s polarizing reception. While viewers flocked to the premiere, the reviews from professional critics were brutally negative:
The Rotten Tomatoes Divide: The show infamously debuted with a 0% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes (it has since edged up slightly), with some critics labeling it an “unmitigated disaster” and “existentially terrible.”
The Audience Rebuke: However, the viewer response is a world apart. The show currently boasts a respectable 67% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, with fans defending the series for its campy, over-the-top, and highly entertaining melodrama—a style signature of co-creator Ryan Murphy.
The divide has turned the show itself into a meta-commentary on entertainment: Does a show have to be “good” (by critical standards) to be a massive hit? ‘All’s Fair’ is screaming “No.”
‘All’s Fair’ is a powerful case study for the modern streaming era. It proves that in a crowded content landscape, buzz and conversation often trump traditional critical acclaim. Hulu’s own data shows the promotional content around the show generated billions of social media impressions—a reach few other series could ever hope to achieve.
Whether viewers are watching out of genuine enjoyment, morbid curiosity, or a desire to participate in the biggest cultural conversation of the week, they are watching. For now, the audience has spoken with their clicks, and ‘All’s Fair’ is the indisputable, critic-defying champion of Hulu’s current slate.
