When Kim Kardashian's glamorous legal drama, All's Fair, premiered in November last year, critics were almost unanimous in their verdict: it was terrible.
USA Today called it "the worst TV show of the year", while The Guardian awarded it zero stars. The Hollywood Reporter dismissed it as "unforgivably dull", while The Telegraph branded it "a crime against television". Its Rotten Tomatoes critics' score initially stood at an extraordinary 0 per cent, before gradually climbing to its current highest rating of only 6 per cent.
And yet, a year later, All's Fair is back for a second season. Not despite its disastrous reception, it seems, but perhaps partly because of it.
Created by Ryan Murphy, All's Fair returned to Disney+ and Hulu on November 4, with three episodes released on the same day. That's why its comeback begs the question: in an era when social media attention can be as valuable as critical acclaim, does it matter if a television show is actually good?
What is All's Fair about?
The series follows a group of successful female divorce lawyers who leave a male-dominated firm to establish their own practice in Los Angeles.
Kardashian plays Allura Grant, a wealthy, impeccably dressed lawyer navigating high-profile divorces and personal rivalries. She is joined by an ensemble cast including Glenn Close, Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson, Niecy Nash-Betts and Teyana Taylor, whose characters bring their own ambitions, rivalries and complicated relationships to the firm.
The drama unfolds as much outside the courtroom as within it, with betrayals, power struggles and personal vendettas driving the story. There is also no shortage of extravagant mansions, designer wardrobes and lavish lifestyles, with the series leaning heavily into the excesses of Los Angeles high society.
Why was All's Fair renewed?
Whatever critics thought, audiences were curious – and the viewing figures suggest that curiosity translated into a substantial audience.
According to Disney, All's Fair attracted 3.2 million views globally during its first three days, making it Hulu's biggest original scripted series premiere in three years. It also debuted at No 1 on Hulu's daily most-watched chart and remained in the platform's top 15 every day until its renewal.
Streaming analytics company Luminate reported that the series generated 2.61 million hours of viewing in the US during its debut week, placing it 15th among streaming television shows. The following week, viewing climbed to 3.85 million hours, pushing it to 13th place.
By November 24, only 20 days after its debut, Disney had confirmed a second season. The company also reported more than 10 billion social media impressions associated with the series between October 8 and November 20, highlighting the enormous online conversation surrounding the show.
Kardashian herself has acknowledged the role negative publicity has played in attracting audiences.
"I just thought it was so funny that people came in and wanted to hate on it so much, that the hate turned into viewers wanting to see how bad it was," she told the Press Association.
“So they tuned in, and they made it like a number one show for weeks on end because they were tuning in to see how ridiculous we would be, and I think there’s something kind of funny about that and special, and like important to show that the critics don’t decide," she added.
Has season two improved?
The second season, which consists of eight episodes, continues the professional and personal conflicts at Grant, Ronson & Greene, with new revelations threatening the future of the firm. Episodes are being released weekly, with the finale scheduled for December 2.
Early reviews suggest the divide between critical opinion and audience appeal is unlikely to disappear.
The Telegraph gave the new season one star, again questioning the quality of the writing and performances. The Guardian was similarly unimpressed but acknowledged that the show "has slightly improved", despite giving it a one-star rating.
All's Fair's continued popularity shows that whether audiences are genuinely enjoying the show or hate-watching it, the creators and stars are having the last laugh.
All's Fair streams on Disney+ across the Middle East
