The second season of the legal drama “All’s Fair” has opened with a new wave of devastating reviews. The series starring Kim Kardashian, Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts and Niecy Nash-Betts was described by “The Daily Telegraph” as “uniquely terrible,” while the production was called possibly the worst television series of the 21st century.
The first three of the season’s eight episodes were released on November 4 on Disney+. The remaining episodes will be released every Wednesday. The series, created by Ryan Murphy, follows an all-female group of lawyers specializing in divorce cases.
In his one-star review, Ed Power of “The Daily Telegraph” described the production as “a soap opera so profoundly awful that it’s hard not to see it as a grand statement on the pointlessness of existence.” According to him, it is inexplicable why actresses of the caliber of Glenn Close and Naomi Watts agreed to take part.
“The Guardian” also maintained a critical tone, but noted a slight change compared with the first season. Lucy Mangan described the story as still absurd, but wrote that at some point the viewer may begin to enjoy it. In her words, the series is moving toward the territory of “so bad it’s good.”
Jonathan Wilson of Ready Steady Cut wrote that “All’s Fair” remains an impressively bad television series, but is no longer pretending to be a serious drama about lawyers in California. He described the new season as “completely deranged and entertainingly unpredictable.”
The first season was met with an exceptionally cool reception. On Rotten Tomatoes, it began with a 0% positive rating from critics, while the score later rose to 3%. Nevertheless, the series amassed 3.2 million views worldwide during its first three days and became Hulu’s most-watched debut for a drama series in the past three years. That result led to its renewal for a second season.
Kim Kardashian, who plays attorney Allura Grant, was among the main targets of criticism when the first season premiered. Glenn Close, however, defended her in an interview last November.
“What surprised me was the seriousness with which Kim approached the role,” Close said.
According to the actress, Kim Kardashian did not claim to be a great actress, but she was sensible enough to work with people she could learn from. Close also suggested that the negative reaction to the series may have been influenced by the public image of the Kardashian family.
Thus, the second season of “All’s Fair” has launched in an unusual situation: critics continue to dismiss it, while audience interest in the production remains strong enough to ensure its continuation.