The reviews for Kim Kardashian’s first TV drama, All’s Fair, are shockingly terrible

All’s Fair in art and criticism, and that’s good because “All’s Fair” is absolutely terrible. The Ryan Murphy-created legal drama starring reality TV star Kim Kardashian as divorce lawyer Allura Grant has been torn to pieces by critics and audiences alike, currently sitting at a cumulative score of 19 (out of 100) on Metacritic. Although the concept of a group of all-female lawyers leaving their male-dominated firms to start their own feminist firm seems ripe for critical bombardment, unfortunately the series is actually just terrible. It’s a bit of a shame too, because aside from the infamous Kardashian, the cast is pretty fantastic. There are some of Murphy’s best regulars, like Niecy Nash-Betts and Sarah Paulson, as well as major players who seem to not care a little, like Naomi Watts, Glenn Close and even the patriarch of “Modern Family” and “Married… with Children,” Ed O’Neill.

While it’s certainly better than trying to squeeze every last drop of salacious material out of real-life tragedies like Murphy’s “Monster” series, which has frustrated viewers season after season, “Everything’s Fair” is not good television. Look, I love the ridiculousness between “Love Boat” and “Nip/Tuck” from Murphy’s recently abandoned “Doctor Odyssey,” so I don’t mind my television being trashy or terribly written as long as it’s fun. Unfortunately, “All’s Fair” commits the greatest sin of all: it’s more than bad, it’s boring.

There are some absolutely baffling acting and casting decisions in “Everything’s Fine,” including centering a series around Kim Kardashian, but the worst decisions seem to be the ones easily aimed at Murphy. In her review, Kayleigh Donaldson of The Wrap writes, “Everyone in ‘All’s Fair’ is a stock caricature of a man’s idea of ​​a women’s drama,” noting that Murphy’s typical high-octane camp has acquired a bitter edge. Liz Shannon Miller for Consequence of Sound called the writing “bad first drafts of a cheap soap opera” without any of that genre’s fun elements, which unfortunately resembles much of Murphy’s more recent output outside of the wonderfully fluffy “Doctor Odyssey.” Murphy’s shows tend to be at their best when he produces and helps with ideas but leaves the writing to others, and unfortunately his co-writing credit on “All’s Fair” means there are some completely inhumane dialogue choices.

Is ‘All’s Fair’ the worst thing Ryan Murphy ever created? Probably not, but it’s not the best. Maybe he and Kardashian should both take on slightly lesser roles, because everything worked much better in “American Horror Story.” Come on, Mr. Murphy, give us some good old horny camp again, please! We miss “Nip/Tuck”!