Aahana Swrup
Created by Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken, ‘All’s Fair’ is a show about divorce attorneys, whose clients tend to be as glamorous as their volatile personal lives. Lawyers Allura Grant, Liberty Ronson, and their lead investigator, Emerald Greene, are at the center of the story as the founding partners of their own all-female family law firm. After years of being overlooked and underappreciated in the male-dominated industry, the attorneys’ decision to bet on themselves allows them to become the best in the game, providing legal counsel for women, by women. However, after years of helping put out various fires for her clients, Allura Grant finds herself in an all-too-familiar situation when her own marriage to football star, Chase Munroe, begins to crumble. The Hulu series centers on the intense, yet captivating, lives of Allura and her fellow lawyers. Despite the drama-driven and lavish plotlines, the narrative strives to remain grounded in a sense of realism.
All’s Fair Presents a Fictional Story About a Female-Led Law Firm
‘All’s Fair’ is a fictional story and an entirely original creation by Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, Joe Baken, and their team of screenwriters. The show’s genesis came as a result of Murphy’s desire to collaborate with Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian, the latter of whom plays the lead role in the series as Allura Grant. Nonetheless, while the show and its protagonist bear some meta parallels to the cultural brand of Kardashian, the tale itself sports no direct inspiration.
The story of Allura and her friends, Liberty and Emerald, taking the risk of leaving their old firm to strike out on their own as a women-centric endeavor, remains a work of fiction. In real life, there are several instances of family and domestic law spheres prioritizing a more female-led movement. Even so, the scale at which the show pitches the same idea doesn’t hold any adequate off-screen counterparts. Instead, the narrative opts for a more idyllic and highly dramatized instance of fighting the patriarchy by instilling more female voices in positions of power.
“The main goal of the show is to inspire women and make them feel confident,” Kardashian told Numéro at a press conference. “(In the show,) We’re family law attorneys, and each week we meet a woman who is going through a tough time and a particularly painful moment in her life. As lawyers, but also as friends and as a group of supportive women, we’re there to help her and lift her out of that downward spiral. The key messages we want to convey in this series are about female strength, true friendship, and girl power.”
The Focus on Family Law Adds a Sense of Relatability to the Show
‘All’s Fair’ presents a highly glamorous look into the world of divorce law, as the attorneys themselves and their clients tend to move in the higher echelons of society. From high couture fashion, gargantuan prenups, and safety net jewels, the show remains steeped in luxury. While this can present a narrative wherein the characters’ lifestyle becomes a detriment to their universal relatability, the series finds beats of grounded realism elsewhere. As a legal drama, the series centers around cases of family law, both in the characters’ professional and personal lives. Each new episode introduces a new client, usually a woman being wronged in some way by her wealthy husband.
Despite the luxurious details of their problems, the nature of their conflicts remains grounded in reality. As per reports, the rate of divorce among women is 16.9 per 1000 married women. While each case may differ from one another, a certain camaraderie remains between people who undergo the experience. As a result, given the universal relatability of divorce, many viewers will be able to connect and empathize with the characters, reveling in their wins in settlement meetings. Similarly, while Allura, Emerald, and Liberty all lead glamorous lives, their everyday problems, nuanced relationships, and friendships allow them to become relatable characters.
Allura Grant Shares Many Similarities—and Differences—With Her Actress, Kim Kardashian
While Allura Grant’s character, much like other elements in the show, is a work of fiction, she seems to sport some level of inspiration in real life. As previously mentioned, creator Ryan Murphy’s desire to work with media personalities/businesswomen Kim Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner, led to the inception of ‘All’s Fair.’ Initially, when Murphy managed to secure a meeting with the duo over dinner, he pitched them an idea for a reality show. Although that idea itself didn’t prove to be a winner, Jenner advised the creator to write a role for her daughter. This resulted in the creation of Siobhan Corbyn from ”American Horror Story: Delicate.”
From there, Murphy, Jenner, and Kardashian decided to progress their partnership with ‘All’s Fair.’ Therefore, the premise of a divorce lawyer played by Kardashian, who, at the time of writing, is waiting to find out her law exam results. While the character is reportedly inspired by the latter’s journey in law, Allura presents a familiar yet distinct persona from the actress. For instance, Kardashian has publicly expressed her interest in criminal justice and reform work over family law. Over the past few years, she has advocated for prison reform as well as the reduction of sentences for first-time offenders. Yet, what the actress lacks in interest, she makes up for in experience. Even though Kardashian doesn’t share her character’s passion for being a divorce attorney, she has herself undergone three divorces, at least two of which were highly publicized. Therefore, even without a direct connection between her and Allura, the actress sports some similarities to the character, which allows for a more authentic performance.
Read More: All’s Fair: Is Grant, Ronson, and Greene a Real Law Firm?
You must be logged in to post a comment.