Glenn Close Admits First Few Episodes Of Hulu’s All’s Fair Weren’t Great

“All’s Fair” is being touted as Hulu’s biggest global scripted premiere in three years, but critics haven’t exactly been kind to the Ryan Murphy legal drama, with words like “dull” and “clumsy” being thrown fast and furious by major publications. Series star Glenn Close is now sharing her thoughts about the show’s negative reviews, and here’s the gag — she appears to understand where the reviewers were coming from.

“I personally think that the first three episodes were the weakest,” Close tells Variety. The show had a three-episode premiere on Nov. 4, which Close acknowledges was “a tough way to start.”

New episodes now stream weekly through the Dec. 23 finale, and Close encourages skeptic viewers to stay tuned. “I’ve seen all nine episodes, and I think it actually adds up to something,” she says.

“All’s Fair” is far from Close’s first foray into television — the woman is a three-time Emmy winner, with 11 additional nominations — but it is her first time working on a Murphy production, which came with a bit of a learning curve for the celebrated actress.

“I was intimidated,” she says of joining “All’s Fair,” which counts Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts and Sarah Paulson among its stars. “I’d never been in a Ryan movie or show. I didn’t understand the tone for a while. I found it hard.” 

To be fair, this isn’t Close’s first on-record reaction to negative reviews of “All’s Fair.” On Nov. 6, just two days after the show premiered on Hulu, Close posted a hand-drawn cartoon on Instagram which features the show’s stars gathered around a boiling pot of “Critic-Bunny Stew.” No caption necessary.

It was a cheeky nod to an iconic scene in the 1987 thriller “Fatal Attraction” in which Close’s character, fully consumed by her obsession with a former lover (Michael Douglas), boils his family’s beloved pet rabbit.

See Close’s artwork (before they hang it in the Louvre!) in the Instagram post below:

Close’s Instagram post was well-received, both by her 1.1 million followers and by her “All’s Fair” co-stars. Teyana Taylor lavished it with heart-eye and kissing-face emojis, Naomi Watts threw in a few crying-laughing emojis of her own, and the show’s official account dubbed it “a masterpiece.”

Even more surprising than Close’s reactions to negative critiques are the kind words she has for co-star Kim Kardashian, whose “wooden” performance has been a consistent theme in reviews of the show.

“What surprised me was Kim’s seriousness of intent,” Close tells Variety. “She always knew her lines. She never was late. She always was prepared. She had no pretensions that she was a great actress, but she was smart enough to have people around her who she could learn from. If she was a big ego or what I call a ‘life-is-too-short person,’ I would have been unhappy, but she’s not.”

And Close isn’t shocked that critics seem to be taking a special kind of delight in tearing down Kardashian, who also executive-produces “All’s Fair” along with mom Kris Jenner. “The Kardashians would say this themselves, but not everybody likes them,” Close adds. “They have an image.”

While she hasn’t released an official statement expanding upon her thoughts, Kim Kardashian also posted a reaction of sorts to the flood of negative reviews for “All’s Fair.” 

Choosing to have some fun with the whole situation, Kardashian shared a carousel of photos to Instagram on Nov. 6, with screenshots of negative reviews mixed in with screenshots of fans basically saying they don’t care — they’re already obsessed. “Have you tuned in to the most critically acclaimed show of the year?!” she captioned her post, just in case you couldn’t tell that she was in on the joke.

For good measure, Kardashian also included photos of the “All’s Fair” cast living their best lives during the show’s press tour. Unserious, unbothered and unfazed? Well played, counselor.

See Kardashian’s full Instagram post below:

Anthony Hemingway, an executive producer on “All’s Fair” who also directed four episodes, generally shrugged off the reviews while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on Nov. 5.

“You’re not going to please everybody,” Hemingway said. “You may have certain criticisms, while there are a million others who love it. I think the show holds a mirror up to each person who watches it. It’s just about: Can you connect to it or relate to it, and see yourself? It may be out of your league, it may not be anything you can connect to, and I think that goes for anything that gets presented on screen.”

Hemingway also directed several episodes of HBO’s “The Wire,” an experience which taught him that some TV shows just need time to find the people who appreciate them.

“No one liked [‘The Wire’] when it was out,” he said. “They hated it. They didn’t watch it. Two people watched it every week. But it got to a point where it found a moment. I’m not comparing the show to ‘The Wire’ — let’s get that straight — but it’s an example of how people can react to something in one moment and it becomes something totally different in another time. The show takes a minute to get into gear, but I do feel like it is absolutely striking something that is refreshing and creatively fulfilling.”