In what may be one of television’s strangest contradictions of the year, Hulu has renewed Ryan Murphy’s legal drama All’s Fair for Season 2—even though it premiered to a shocking 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes and scathing critical reviews.
The series, which debuted on November 4, 2025, was quickly labelled “unwatchable” by critics, with The Guardian branding it “fascinatingly, incomprehensibly, existentially terrible.” Yet, audiences tuned in. Within its first three days, All’s Fair amassed over 3.2 million global views and ranked among Hulu’s top new dramas of the season.
Now, as All’s Fair nears its two-episode Season 1 finale on December 9, Hulu’s surprise renewal underscores an undeniable truth of modern streaming: controversy sells.
Overview: All’s Fair on Hulu
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Series Title | All’s Fair |
| Genre | Legal Drama / Dark Comedy |
| Platform | Hulu |
| Creator(s) | Ryan Murphy, Joe Baken, Jon Robin Baitz |
| Season 1 Premiere | November 4, 2025 |
| Season 1 Finale | December 9, 2025 |
| Season 2 Renewal | Confirmed (November 2025) |
| Cast | Sarah Paulson, Kim Kardashian, Niecy Nash-Betts, Naomi Watts, Teyana Taylor, Matthew Noszka, Glenn Close |
| Rotten Tomatoes (Critics) | 3% (initially 0%) |
| Rotten Tomatoes (Audience) | 66% |
| Total Views (Week 1) | 3.2 million global views |
| Total U.S. Viewing Hours (Nov. 4–6) | 2.61 million hours |
The Renewal: Ratings Over Reviews
According to Deadline, Hulu renewed All’s Fair for a second season before Season 1 even concluded—a bold move considering the show’s disastrous critical reception.
Despite being widely panned, the series quickly became a ratings hit, driven by its star-studded cast and viral notoriety. Streaming analytics from Luminate revealed that All’s Fair logged 2.61 million viewing hours in the U.S. during its opening week and maintained steady audience engagement in the weeks that followed.
“All’s Fair has been one of our most-watched new dramas this fall,” a Hulu spokesperson said in a statement. “The conversation surrounding the show has been immense—and that’s what great television does.”
While critics dismissed the show as “campy courtroom chaos,” social media has embraced it as a “so-bad-it’s-good” guilty pleasure, with fans celebrating its melodrama and over-the-top legal storylines.
Plot and Concept: Law Meets Love, Ryan Murphy Style
Hulu’s official synopsis for All’s Fair promises a world where the courtroom becomes an arena for both legal warfare and emotional betrayal:
“Fierce, brilliant, and emotionally complicated, these women navigate high-stakes breakups, scandalous secrets, and shifting allegiances—both in the courtroom and within their own ranks. In a world where money talks and love is a battleground, they don’t just play the game—they change it.”
The show follows a team of elite female lawyers balancing high-profile cases with personal drama, set against the backdrop of Los Angeles’s power elite.
It’s pure Ryan Murphy—lavish, excessive, and unapologetically camp.
“This show started because I said I wanted to meet Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian,” Murphy confessed during the show’s L.A. premiere. “I brought a reality pitch—and it evolved into All’s Fair.”
Critical Meltdown: 0% on Rotten Tomatoes
When All’s Fair premiered, it achieved the dubious distinction of becoming one of only a handful of major TV series to earn a 0% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics were unsparing:
- The Guardian gave it a zero-star review, calling it “terrible, fascinatingly, incomprehensibly, existentially terrible.”
- The Hollywood Reporter described it as “brain dead.”
- Variety said the show was “a stylish mess that mistakes chaos for commentary.”
Still, a few reviews saw a glimmer of self-awareness beneath the excess.
“It’s over the top and campy as hell,” wrote Decider’s Joel Keller, “but it also knows it’s both of these things—which is why the show and the cases are actually fun to watch.”
| Review Outlet | Score | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| The Guardian | 0/5 | “Existentially terrible.” |
| The Hollywood Reporter | 1/10 | “Brain dead.” |
| Variety | 2/10 | “Stylish but soulless.” |
| Decider | 6/10 | “Campy fun, if you’re in on the joke.” |
| Rotten Tomatoes (Critics) | 3% | Based on 30 reviews |
Audience Reaction: Hate-Watch Gold
Despite its abysmal critic scores, All’s Fair struck a chord with audiences looking for escapist, glossy entertainment. The show boasts a 66% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes—modest, but significant given the backlash.
Social media platforms have fueled much of its popularity. Hashtags like #AllsFairOnHulu and #LegalChaos trended during the show’s first week, with fans posting memes and calling it “the Real Housewives of courtroom TV.”
“It’s a trainwreck—and I can’t stop watching,” one fan tweeted. “It’s like How to Get Away with Murder meets American Horror Story on espresso.”
That kind of viral attention, Hulu executives say, was impossible to ignore.
Ryan Murphy’s 2025: The Year of Mixed Fortunes
All’s Fair isn’t Murphy’s only project from 2025, but it’s certainly his most polarizing.
This year alone, Murphy produced three major titles across networks:
- Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix – critically panned)
- 9-1-1: Nashville (ABC – moderate ratings)
- All’s Fair (Hulu – critically reviled, commercially successful)
While Monster was slammed for “exploiting tragedy” and 9-1-1: Nashville struggled to capture its parent show’s magic, All’s Fair found its footing through sheer spectacle and star power.
Murphy’s longtime collaborators Sarah Paulson, Niecy Nash-Betts, and Naomi Watts headline the ensemble, joined by Kim Kardashian, Teyana Taylor, and Glenn Close.
“Ryan Murphy remains television’s most unpredictable hitmaker,” said Camille Ortega, an entertainment analyst with TVLine. “His shows polarise critics but dominate the conversation. That’s exactly what streamers want.”
Why Hulu Renewed All’s Fair Despite the Backlash?
The renewal of All’s Fair may seem counterintuitive—but from a business standpoint, it’s textbook streaming strategy.
| Factor | Impact on Renewal |
|---|---|
| Massive Viewership | Over 3.2 million views globally in first three days |
| Viral Social Media Presence | Generated continuous online discussion |
| Strong Female Ensemble | Star-studded cast drives repeat viewing |
| “So Bad It’s Good” Appeal | Boosted curiosity-driven engagement |
| Audience Retention | 66% audience rating shows staying power |
In today’s streaming landscape, attention matters more than acclaim. Even negative buzz translates into curiosity—and Hulu’s data shows that All’s Fair has kept subscribers watching and talking.
“There’s no such thing as bad press when the numbers are this good,” one Hulu executive reportedly told Deadline.
Conclusion
Ryan Murphy’s All’s Fair may be the most divisive show of 2025—slammed by critics yet embraced by millions. Its renewal proves that in the age of streaming, conversation equals success, even when that conversation is outrage.
For Hulu, it’s a headline-grabbing gamble that’s already paid off. For Murphy, it’s another chaotic triumph in a career built on risk, reinvention, and relentless reinvention.
Love it or loathe it, All’s Fair has lived up to its name.
FAQs
Yes. Hulu confirmed a Season 2 renewal in November 2025.
Season 1 concludes with a two-episode finale on December 9, 2025.
Critically, it bombed—earning a 3% Rotten Tomatoes score and being described as “brain dead” by The Hollywood Reporter.
The show’s strong viewership and viral popularity outweighed its poor critical reception.
The ensemble cast includes Sarah Paulson, Niecy Nash-Betts, Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Teyana Taylor, and Glenn Close.
