All’s Fair just cannot be stopped as viewers rubberneck to see what all the fuss is surrounding Ryan Murphy’s drama series. But, there’s another project from the creator that is probably more well-worth your time. (Seriously, go watch Scream Queens again!) Kim Kardashian stars in the Hulu series that has captivated social media because of delightfully unhinged fashion choices and truly headscratching dialogue. All signs point to All’s Fair getting another season, and we’re all a part of that.
Here at The Mary Sue, we probably could have done our part too. But, the lucid dream nature of All’s Fair pulled us in. There are script choices that make you wonder just what was going on with this show. And, then the amazing wealth of talent there who couldn’t quite manage to elevate the material. It’s just a wild time all the way around. Every time I discuss the show now, I think about our piece on Season 1 from Rachel Leishman. Her reading was spot-on.
“The dialogue is cheesy and the characters all feel weirdly one note and all playing the same tune. Truly the show started and I asked myself ‘Did I miss something?’ No,” Leishman previously wondered. “The show just randomly starts in the middle of their decision to leave their old firm and you have the barest of ideas as to why. Instead of doing…anything else to show us that?”
In honesty, you’ll find yourself wondering questions like that a lot over the course of All’s Fair. There’s a distinct feeling of “what exactly are we doing here?” that permeates the entire exercise. But, and still, that Season 2 is barreling down the railroad tracks at breakneck speed.
Go watch Scream Queens again instead
One of the points from our previous All’s Fair coverage that I agree with most concerns the show’s tone. At various junctures during the Hulu series, I was wondering what bucket we would place this show in. There are moments of unintentional (?) camp and deadly seriousness. It’s a show about lawyers and divorce after all. But, there’s never quite the footing of either comedy or drama to completely stabilize the series.
Scream Queens seemed more sure of itself from the word go. The beloved show also had a stable of now very famous stars among its roster. Also, let’s face it, Murphy is probably a better creator when firmly in the land of horror. Glee and Nip/Tuck would be the most notable exceptions to that increasingly glaring rule. Still, if you want to see this particular creator operating with definitive command, go find those earlier shows.
There’s another piece from one of our writers that laments how an entire generation has grown up with these shows from this particular creator. And, because of that familiarity, along with the penchant for one person getting carte blanche to tell any story he feels like, we’re going to go through some clumsy bits to get through to more interesting material.
So yeah, dial up Scream Queens for a better time. Heck, go watch Season 1 of American Horror Story and feel something again. But, we’ve successfully watched All’s Fair right into a Season 2 renewal. Our work here, however dubious, is done.
(Photo Credit: 20th Television, Hulu)
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