Why Ryan Murphy’s Recent Shows Are Struggling: Meanness Over Camp

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Ryan Murphy is a hugely successful television producer, director, and writer, but lately, several of his shows haven’t quite hit the mark. He’s known for creating a wide variety of programs, including horror like American Horror Story, true crime dramas such as American Crime Story, and procedural shows like 9-1-1, among others.

Ryan Murphy’s recent legal drama, All’s Fair, didn’t get off to a good start, receiving a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes when it premiered on Hulu this November. Critics pointed to Kim Kardashian’s stiff performance and the show’s uncomfortable style as reasons for its failure. This poor reception also highlights a concerning pattern with Murphy’s more recent projects.

Ryan Murphy’s Recent Shows Keep Failing Because They Prioritize Meanness Over Camp

Ryan Murphy consistently delivers over-the-top, delightfully campy television. His shows feature dramatic characters in wild scenarios, always with stunning costumes and visuals. While visually rich and entertaining, Murphy’s work isn’t just fluff – it also offers a sharp, often critical, edge.

Ryan Murphy has a knack for creating compelling, often cruel, female characters. This started with his early series, the often-overlooked teen drama Popular, where Tammy Lynn Michaels played Nicole Julian, a fiercely ambitious and cold cheerleader. He’s continued this trend throughout his work, offering variations on this archetype like Emma Roberts’ spoiled sorority president Chanel Oberlin in Scream Queens and Jane Lynch’s sarcastic cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester, in Glee.

I’ve been a fan of Ryan Murphy for a while, and I’ve always loved how he balanced darkness with over-the-top style. But lately, it feels like the negativity in his shows has gone too far. I think that’s a big reason why some of his more recent projects, like All’s Fair, Monster, and Feud, haven’t really connected with critics or audiences. It just doesn’t feel as balanced as his earlier work.

The series All’s Fair centers on divorce attorneys, meaning plenty of harsh words are exchanged. Sarah Paulson, as the character Carrington Lane, delivers these cutting remarks brilliantly, making her the highlight of the show. However, there’s a disconnect between her over-the-top performance and the show’s surprisingly dark and disturbing themes, which don’t quite fit the lighthearted tone it initially suggests.

As a film and TV buff, I’ve noticed this show loves to bring in famous actresses to play women going through messy divorces – Judith Light, Jennifer Jason Leigh, you name it. While a lot of those storylines are entertaining, one episode really stood out – and not in a good way. The case with Dee Barber, played by Elizabeth Berkley, took a shockingly dark turn when she tragically took her own life after getting some devastating news from her lawyers. It was a really unexpected and upsetting moment.

The latest episode, “Everybody Dance Now,” focuses on a main character’s experience with sexual assault. While some scenes are impactful, it feels jarring to get caught up in the show’s dramatic divorces when such serious issues like suicide and rape are introduced so bluntly.

Murphy’s series Monster on Netflix, which explores the lives of serial killers, has sparked considerable controversy. The latest season, Monster: The Ed Gein Story, received criticism for its graphic and potentially exploitative depiction of violence.

Ryan Murphy wasn’t the main showrunner for The Ed Gein Story; Ian Brennan took over that role. However, criticism of his work didn’t begin with season 3 of Monster. Murphy had previously faced complaints from people connected to the stories featured in Monster – including families of Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims and the Menendez family – who felt he exploited tragic events for sensational entertainment and took too many creative liberties.

Even though some viewers disliked it, All’s Fair has been incredibly popular on streaming services. Monster: The Ed Gein Story also did very well, but season two of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans didn’t generate much excitement. Despite featuring well-known actors like Tom Hollander (from The White Lotus) and Naomi Watts, who has been nominated for an Oscar, it didn’t attract a large audience.

Similar to previous seasons of Feud, season 2, focusing on Truman Capote and the New York socialites he chronicled, relied too heavily on negativity. While the first season, about Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, offered a sharp but entertaining look at how Hollywood treats older actresses, this season presented Capote and his friends as shallow and deceitful, lacking any real depth beneath their glamorous surfaces.

Murphy Is Wasting His Talented Female Collaborators

Beyond his flair for the dramatic, Ryan Murphy is famous for working with incredibly talented actresses. He consistently draws in established stars like Naomi Watts, Glenn Close, and Jessica Lange, and has a knack for boosting the careers of up-and-coming actresses, notably Emma Roberts and Sarah Paulson, who frequently appears in his shows like American Horror Story.

He consistently gives his actresses complex, and often imperfect, characters to work with. For example, Sarah Paulson rightfully earned an Emmy for her nuanced performance as Marcia Clark in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, a role that highlighted the significant sexism Clark experienced simply while doing her job.

Jessica Lange didn’t shy away from portraying Joan Crawford as a difficult person in Feud, but she also revealed the fragile side of the aging actress. Both Lange and her co-star, Susan Sarandon (who played Bette Davis), gave performances that were critically acclaimed and deserved even wider recognition.

Murphy’s latest shows feature incredibly talented actresses – just look at All’s Fair, with Watts, Close, and Paulson leading the cast. However, the characters and stories feel old-fashioned and uninspired. The show repeatedly focuses on lawyers simply talking about topics relevant to women, like dating apps and cosmetic surgery.

Honestly, the movie just felt… predictable. The dialogue was full of tired old phrases – I even cringed at a “kissing frogs” line – and because of that, the characters themselves weren’t very compelling. It’s a shame, because the actresses involved are really talented, but they deserved so much better roles than these generic ones. I was especially excited to see Glenn Close paired with Murphy, but their first collaboration ended up feeling like a total waste of her incredible skill.

Dina Standish, the character Glenn Close plays, guides the other lawyers and represents Allura Grant (Kim Kardashian) in her divorce. Close shares some powerful scenes with Ed O’Neill, who portrays her sick husband, Doug. However, these heartfelt moments are often balanced by less convincing lines about how her colleagues help her feel youthful.

The show seems to be giving Glenn Close’s character, Dina, a more substantial story arc, revealing a troubled past connected to an attack on her friend, but this storyline is difficult to watch due to its sensitive nature. While Sarah Paulson is fantastic in the show, her character, Carrington Lane, feels underutilized and mostly delivers sarcastic remarks, which is frustrating considering the actress’s proven talent.

Even though some of his recent projects haven’t quite hit the mark, Murphy is clearly a gifted director. The continued interest from so many talented actresses suggests a bright future, as long as he provides them with strong, compelling roles.

There’s Hope For Murphy Fans Yet

There’s good news for fans of Ryan Murphy’s work! The next season of American Horror Story will bring back the witches from Coven, which is often considered one of the show’s strongest seasons. We can expect to see fantastic performances from the original cast, including Emma Roberts, Jessica Lange, Gabourey Sidibe, Billie Lourd, and Kathy Bates.

These women and their characters offer a welcome change of pace, bringing the kind of complex but enjoyable female roles that have been missing from Ryan Murphy’s recent shows. Plus, Ariana Grande is joining the cast, reuniting her with Julia Roberts and Billie Lourd – all three previously starred together in the fun and over-the-top series Scream Queens.

In 2026, Ryan Murphy will launch a new series called Love Story as part of his American Story collection. This anthology will explore famous American love stories, with the first season focusing on John F. Kennedy Jr. (played by Paul Kelly) and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy (played by Sarah Pidgeon). Naomi Watts, a frequent collaborator with Murphy, will portray Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

The new series, American Love Story, is facing criticism from the Kennedy family, raising concerns it might be similar to Monster in its handling of the story. However, it also has the potential to be like the first season of Feud, offering a sensitive and compassionate portrayal of real people. I believe creator Ryan Murphy is capable of achieving that.

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2025-11-17 23:21