Critical Disaster, Viewer Triumph for Kardashian's Legal Drama
In a stunning reversal of conventional television wisdom, the new Kim Kardashian-led legal drama All's Fair has pulled in a massive global audience of 3.2 million viewers in its first three days, despite being savaged by critics and branded one of the worst shows ever made. The series, which premiered on Tuesday on Hulu and Disney+, managed to secure a ratings victory that has left the entertainment industry re-evaluating the power of critical opinion in the streaming age.
From Rotten Tomatoes Ruin to Streaming Success
The show's journey to success was anything but smooth. Upon its release, All's Fair was met with a wave of overwhelmingly negative reviews, culminating in a devastatingly rare 0% score on the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. This score, which had inched up to a mere 5% by the weekend, seemed to signal a complete creative failure. The series comes from the acclaimed minds behind American Horror Story, Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken, making the critical panning all the more surprising.
Yet, in a dramatic turn of events, the viewership numbers told a completely different story. The 3.2 million viewer tally made All's Fair the most popular scripted series debut on Hulu Originals in the last three years, proving a definitive hit with subscribers. The show features a star-studded cast including Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, and Teyana Taylor, who portray a team of female divorce attorneys.
Kardashian Claps Back with Ironic Social Media Posts
Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Kim Kardashian directly addressed the negative critical reception with a characteristically savvy and ironic social media campaign. On Wednesday, she took to Instagram to share a collection of the show's most scathing reviews, captioning it: "Have you tuned in to the most critically acclaimed show of the year!?!?!?".
Among the screenshots she posted was one viewer who wrote, "Some of the worst acting I’ve ever seen in my life... I’m obsessed and I need 14 seasons." Another declared, "All’s Fair on Hulu dares to ask the question, ‘Does a show need to be good?’ and the answer is no, it doesn’t." Kardashian also shared a meme stating, "Critics realizing their reviews of All’s Fair ended up making people watch and love the show," highlighting the potential 'so bad it's good' appeal that may have driven its success.
She capped off her posts with a final, undeniable fact from Disney Hulu’s press office: a tweet announcing that All’s Fair is currently the most-watched title on Disney+ globally, ranking in the top 10 in 36 territories worldwide.
A Contrast of Professional Realities
The success of Kardashian's fictional lawyer stands in stark contrast to her real-world legal ambitions. In a candid admission, she revealed that she had failed her first attempt at the California Bar Exam. "I’m not a lawyer yet," she wrote on Instagram. "I just play a very well-dressed one on TV. Six years into this law journey, and I’m still all in until I pass the bar. No shortcuts, no giving up."
Meanwhile, professional critics remained largely unimpressed. Ellie Muir of The Independent argued that the show’s depiction of the "girlboss archetype" had "never been more embarrassing." This sharp division between popular appeal and critical acclaim underscores a shifting dynamic in how entertainment is consumed and valued, proving that sometimes, all publicity—even the bad kind—is good publicity.
