All’s Fair Season 2 Arrives November 4, Heels First and Verdict Later

Hulu's legal drama returns with a firm in crisis, a stacked cast and a tagline that puts footwear in the same breath as secrets. Here's what to know before it lands.

Hulu has written the word “stilettos” into the official description of a law firm drama, and we appreciate a network that knows its audience. All’s Fair season 2 premieres on Hulu on November 4, and the lawyers of Grant, Ronson & Greene are walking back in.

The pitch is short. According to Hulu, new allegiances form, friendships are tested, and a shocking revelation threatens “the very existence of the firm.” That is a lot of pressure for one office. It is also exactly the kind of pressure that makes people stand up straighter, which is where the footwear comes in.

A cast you’d seat at the best table

Start with the lineup, because it reads like a seating chart drawn by someone with no fear. Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Teyana Taylor, Matthew Noszka and Cauã Reymond star. Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close are billed alongside them, tacked on with a “with” that works like a grand entrance: the room goes quiet, then they speak.

Eight names, one firm, and a premise built on friendships being tested. Put that many strong personalities in a single building and the conference room becomes the main stage. We assume a lot of people will be arguing in it.

The people who signed off on the shoes

Here is the detail worth a second look. All’s Fair is produced by 20th Television in association with Ryan Murphy Television, and the executive producer list runs to eighteen names. Ryan Murphy is on it. Kim Kardashian is on it. Kris Jenner is on it, so the Kardashian-Jenner family has two credits on one legal drama, which feels less like coincidence and more like a brand strategy.

Then there’s the cast overlap. Glenn Close, Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson, Niecy Nash-Betts and Teyana Taylor are all executive producers as well as performers. In fashion terms, that’s the model who also has a say in the casting, the lighting and the soundtrack. Five of the leading names aren’t only wearing the look. They’re helping decide what the look is.

The rest of the executive producer roster: Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Joe Baken, Nissa Diederich, Scott Robertson, Eric Kovtun, Anthony Hemingway, Louise Shore, Tanase Popa and Lyn Greene. It’s a long credit crawl, and a reminder that a glossy ensemble drama takes a small village of people with strong opinions.

What to expect from the firm

The shape of the season is clear enough from Hulu’s description. A firm that carries its founders’ names faces something that could end it. People who were allies may not stay that way. Others will pick new sides. Courtroom dramas have run on this engine for decades, and the fun is in who gets caught holding what.

Hulu’s own phrase for the season is “scandals, secrets, and stilettos.” The first two are plot. The third is a styling note, and it makes the show’s intentions plain: this is a series that wants to be looked at as much as followed. Whether you watch for the legal wrangling or for what everyone has on when they walk into it, the invitation is the same.

Mark the date

November 4, on Hulu. If you like to make an occasion of a premiere, treat it like one. Clear the evening, pour something decent, and keep your phone in another room. A firm in crisis tends to reward the viewer who’s paying attention, and every good legal drama punishes the one who looks away at the wrong moment.

Grant, Ronson & Greene is still open for business. Whether it stays that way is the season’s problem.

Via Hulu Press