Apple TV's Divisive Psychological Thriller Isn't Winning Audiences Over On Rotten Tomatoes

Apple TV’s divisive psychological thriller mystery show isn’t winning audiences over.

According to the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes for Imperfect Women, most viewers aren’t quite taken with the streaming service’s new mystery series. The Apple TV original follows the lives of three best friends, Mary (Elisabeth Moss), Eleanor (Kerry Washington), and Nancy (Kate Mara). However, after Nancy is murdered, secrets between the trio begin bubbling to the surface.

Now, Rotten Tomatoes’ audience score for Imperfect Women has revealed the show doesn’t have much backing from regular viewers. Following the two-episode premiere on Wednesday, March 18, the show has since earned an audience score of 35% on the website based on fewer than 50 reviews. Despite the review count, it does display general dissatisfaction with the series.

Why Imperfect Women Is So Polarizing

It’s not shocking that audiences aren’t fans of Apple TV’s newest show. Reviews for Imperfect Women by critics have been mixed since before the series premiered, but have continued on a downward trend since the series’ premiere. As of writing, the show holds a 41% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes based on 32 reviews.

While it’s earned some praise for an intriguing initial premise and the performances of its lead actors — especially Washington and Moss’ roles in the series — the show ultimately hasn’t impressed in any other regard. This includes criticism of the character and story writing, which doesn’t feel fleshed out in contrast to the talent that appears onscreen.

In addition, the mystery itself doesn’t have much teeth according to reviews, with many criticizing how it feels like a worn-down, uninspired story in the genre. This is despite how well Imperfect Women‘s cast performs, not just its core trio, but also other main cast members like Joel Kinnaman and Corey Stoll. There’s potential, but the show seemingly squanders it.

However, it hasn’t stopped the series from becoming a success on the platform. Imperfect Women debuted at Number 3 worldwide on Apple TV within a day of its premiere, including Number 2 in the United States. Despite audience disapproval of the series, there’s still a global audience for it, though one that generally doesn’t seem satisfied with how it premiered.

Can Imperfect Women Win Audiences Over?

Credit: Apple TV

Based on critic reviews, it seems like Imperfect Women is going to have some trouble getting audiences to side with it as the series continues. Reviews indicate the story and mystery are only going to get more ridiculous as it goes. While even some negative critiques had fun with this, it ultimately didn’t make for an objectively positive outcome.

However, critics and audiences don’t always see eye-to-eye. The show may be messy in its presentation for critics, but the ever-unfolding mystery becoming wilder as the series progresses could be what it needs to win audiences back over. Viewers don’t have all eight episodes of the show, meaning their opinions could change with time.

For now, though, Imperfect Women‘s debut audience Rotten Tomatoes score isn’t a great sign for the Apple TV original’s quality. While the series will continue to release new episodes every Wednesday on the platform, there’s only a slim chance audiences give it the benefit of the doubt as the story continues to evolve.