Yes, it’s as awful as you’ve heard. Frankly, it might actually be worse. Although the cast is stacked with Emmy and Oscar winners, I didn’t go into All’s Fair expecting a sophisticated awards contender — I went in expecting a fun, campy time. Unfortunately, the series isn’t that, either. I’m the first to gleefully indulge in media that’s so bad it’s good, but All’s Fair is so bad that it’s just bad.
What Is ‘All’s Fair’ About?
All’s Fair starts 10 years in the past with a trio of women, consisting of divorce lawyers Allura Grant (Kim Kardashian) and Liberty Ronson (Naomi Watts), as well as their researcher, Emerald Greene (Niecy Nash-Betts). Tired of being underappreciated and disrespected by their male colleagues, they decide to open their own all-female firm with the encouragement of their mentor, Dina Standish (Glenn Close). In the process, they make an enemy out of fellow attorney Carrington Lane (Sarah Paulson), who is bitter that she wasn’t invited to come along due to her unfriendly nature.
In the present day, the law firm is thriving, though unfortunately, the ladies’ personal lives aren’t faring as well. Liberty is struggling to commit to her sweet boyfriend, Dr. Reggie (O-T Fagbenle), due to seeing men behaving poorly at her job every day, and Emerald is stressed from raising her teen triplet boys alone. Allura, however, has it worst of all, as she finds out her football player husband (Matthew Noszka) not only wants a divorce but has been cheating on her with her receptionist, Milan (Teyana Taylor). Life is hard and unpredictable, but at least the ladies have each other to lean on, as friendship is the greatest story of all.
An EGOT Is Not in Kim Kardashian’s Future After ‘All’s Fair’
I really tried to give Kim Kardashian the benefit of the doubt. Though Addison Rae got her start on TikTok, she has some solid music and an impressive stage presence. People like Drew Afualo and Emma Chamberlain have proven they can conduct delightful red carpet interviews with A-list talent. Ariana Madix of Vanderpump Rules fame has successfully transitioned to doing Love Island hosting gigs, procedural guest star roles, and even Broadway. It’s absolutely possible for influencers and reality stars to pivot and excel in other areas. Unfortunately, Kardashian is a prime example of why it’s often hard for them to be taken seriously.
The best actors are chameleons who are able to disappear into their roles, but you never for a second forget that you’re watching Kardashian. Her delivery is stilted, bland, and devoid of authenticity that would make the character feel human. She approaches her lines as if she’s still Kim Kardashian, the businesswoman, trying to sell us something, which makes it impossible to buy her as Allura Grant, the lawyer. It makes the whole thing come off like a big, glossy commercial, except there’s no product to be found.
Kardashian is by far the worst culprit, but she’s not the only one. Naomi Watts’ character is a completely forgettable nothingburger, serving no purpose, it seems, except to play second-fiddle to Kardashian. Niecy Nash-Betts and Teyana Taylor try their damnedest with the thin, borderline offensive material they get, but it frankly ends up feeling pretty gross and uncomfortable to watch them play out the sassy Black bestie and sexy homewrecker tropes.
The only people who even occasionally elevate the lackluster writing are Glenn Close and Sarah Paulson. Glenn Close brings us the closest thing to actual emotion through her storyline with her ill husband Doug (Ed O’Neill), though it’s predictable and nothing we haven’t seen a thousand times. Sarah Paulson fully commits to the villain role, and while there’s little depth there, she at least manages to elicit a few laughs, breathing some sparky life into an otherwise drab exercise.
‘All’s Fair’ Has No Idea What It Wants to Say, but Still Manages to Be Offensive
You can’t entirely (or even primarily) blame All’s Fair’s failure on the acting, as the writing is even more atrocious and tonally all over the place. Sometimes, it leans eye-rollingly hard into camp and absurdity, starving us of any grounded substance or moment of real emotion. It reads more as a compilation of reaction gifs or lines written for the sole purpose of hoping they will become a meme or viral screenshot. Other times, the writing takes itself far too seriously, patting itself on the back for progressive representation that, in reality, pushes harmless tropes and stereotypes, especially toward trans people and Black women.
The show is categorized as a legal drama, which indicates Ryan Murphy and co. aren’t in on the joke. Worse yet, it doesn’t seem like they’re making a joke at all. Call me too woke all you want, but there’s nothing remotely, honestly feminist or empowering about this show. If it were positioned as a satire or attempted to meaningfully engage in the complexity of the topic beyond surface level, that would be one thing, but it has no interest in that. Instead, All’s Fair is a tone-deaf, vapid celebration of “girl power” — but only if you’re a girl who can afford designer clothes and a private jet, of course! It would’ve rung shallow and false if it had premiered 10 years ago when the age of the girlboss was at its peak, but in 2025, it’s straight-up insulting to its audience.
Not only is All’s Fair’s conceit disappointing, but it’s also sloppily and lazily crafted. The dialogue is clunky and overly expository, and the moments that are obviously meant to be clever and witty come off repetitive and exhaustingly crass. Even the structure is confusing. The show takes on a case-of-the-week vibe, but said cases are overly simplistic and wrapped up so quickly that it’s hard to see the point except to shove in more big-name guest stars like Judith Light and Jessica Simpson. Scenes meant to offer a peek into the women’s personal lives feel thrown in at random and inconsequential to the overarching “plot” (though I use that term loosely), and the flashbacks are jarring and unnecessary.
All’s Fair is the most frustrating kind of show in that it has resources most creatives could only ever dream of acquiring and somehow manages to waste every single one (save for maybe its costuming budget, which is by far the best part about it — in the words of Aretha Franklin, “Beautiful gowns”). My verdict? TV jail for Ryan Murphy and parole for everyone who agreed to participate in this.
New episodes of All’s Fair premiere on Hulu every Tuesday.
3 10 All’s Fair
A boring, disjointed, and out-of-touch mess.
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Drama Comedy Release Date November 4, 2025 Network Hulu Cast See All Kim Kardashian Allura Grant Glenn Close Dina Standish
A bold team of women divorce attorneys leaves a male-centric firm to launch their own dominant practice. Tackling high-stakes divorces rife with secrets and shifting loyalties, they confront personal and professional turmoil. In a world fueled by wealth and emotional warfare, these women redefine the legal battlefield and challenge the norms of their cutthroat profession.
Creator(s) Jon Robin Baitz, Joe Baken, Ryan Murphy Expand Collapse Pros & Cons Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close occasionally manage to elevate the script. The fashion is stunning. Kim Kardashian makes for a poor, uncharismatic lead. Naomi Watts is forgettable, and Niecy Nash-Betts and Teyana Taylor are reduced to offensive stereotypes. The themes are hollow, and the writing is weak and all over the place.
