Hulu just gave out a renewal for one of its more recent hit shows, even though the first season isn't even finished and a poor critical reception.
All’s Fair, the new legal dramedy from Ryan Murphy, has scored a season 2 renewal while its first season is still airing on the streamer. The show comes from a man responsible for numerous hit series like American Horror Story, American Crime Story and various mini-series, as well as a fantastic cast.
The series focuses on a pack of female attorneys (Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash and Glenn Close) who break away from a male-dominated firm to start their own, focusing on defending women. Frequent Murphy collaborator Sarah Paulson plays a rival attorney with guest stars that include Judith Light, Elizabeth Berkley, Brooke Shields and more.
The renewal is a bit surprising given the series is only halfway through its nine-episode season 1. But it’s far more surprising given the reaction to it has been less than stellar.
How did All’s Fair get a renewal?
As soon as it premiered on November 4, All’s Fair quickly achieved a major distinction: It was the easiest contender to find itself on lists of the worst TV shows of 2025.
The critical reaction to this series wasn’t just “mixed,” it was outright hostile. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show briefly held a 0% critical rating, which was eventually boosted to 4% while Metacritic had it with an 18 out of 100 score.
The reviews slammed the series for its writing, acting (particularly Kardashian), its ludicrous plotlines, wasting the cast and not even worth the “hate watch” mantra. It got to the point that Kardashian herself shared quotes of the reviews on social media with a tongue-in-cheek mention of “the most critically acclaimed show of the year.”
As it turned out, those terrible reviews may be the reason the show had a fantastic premiere with 3.2 million views. Per Hulu (via THR), it’s the best start of an original scripted series on the platform in three years. Also, audiences have been kinder to the show, with a 66% favorable score on Rotten Tomatoes and 17 out of 100 on Metacritic. It seems audiences do get a kick out of the show’s campy take on a legal drama and the cast.
Hulu, like most of the streamers, is infamous for canceling some good shows after only one season. They run from comedies such as Mid-Century Modern to mysteries like Death and Other Details to sci-fi fare like Y: The Last Man. It takes something special to gain a renewal for the streamer, especially since its merger with Disney+. It's definitely notable that All's Fair was quickly renewed for season 2 despite the negativity surrounding the show.
Some may be a bit annoyed that while so many actually great shows on Hulu get canceled early, All’s Fair got a renewal despite its terrible reputation. Yet it shows one should never discount Ryan Murphy as the producer made a show so awful yet also a major hit that will continue to hold court for a while!
All’s Fair streams new episodes Tuesdays on Hulu.