The Seduction (Merteuil), the new shiny French-language period drama on HBO, came with a lot of hype: stunning costumes, a fun prequel connection to Dangerous Liaisons, and big names such as Anamaria Vartolomei and Diane Kruger in leading roles. However, it has not received the expected positive response.Critics appear to be split, and The Seduction debuted with a fairly mediocre 50 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. That figure has already become the subject of discussion among people -- not so bad, but not by any means a good beginning, which the fans looked forward to.What the Rotten Tomatoes score for The Seduction actually tells us View this post on Instagram Instagram PostA Tomatometer score of 50% (according to the initial few critic reviews) indicates that critics are divided in half; some of them liked The Seduction, and some of them did not. Rotten Tomatoes does not indicate the degree to which a person liked a show; instead, it simply categorizes a review as either good or bad. A 50% rating, then, is not about quality at all, but rather about consensus, and, currently, the critics are split evenly over it.This is important for a large platform like HBO. New programs tend to receive a lot of attention when they first premiere, and initial reviews can influence the online discussions, how many people will watch it during the first week, and, in some cases, even the renewal of the show. Nevertheless, it is worth keeping in mind that numerous popular shows received moderate or poor ratings at the beginning. Rotten Tomatoes is only a snapshot and not a definitive answer.Unless you are averse to mood-heavy shows, strong acting, or period settings, you could like The Seduction. However, it might be a little bit of a letdown if you like tight storytelling and clear payoffs at the end of each episode.What critics praised about The Seduction View this post on Instagram Instagram PostIt seems that in the positive reviews, there are three things that keep recurring: the production design, the performance, and how the show reimagines the original story. The critics are fond of the appearance of The Seduction: rich sets, detailed costumes, and smooth and almost painting-like cinematography. They also commend the main actors, particularly Anamaria Vartolomei and Diane Kruger, who were able to provide some real emotion and presence to the script.The combination of glamorous shots and good performances gives The Seduction ample chances to be fun to watch independently. However, good appearance and good performances do not necessarily result in overall good ratings. Storytelling, pacing, structure, and emotional impact are also taken into account by the reviewers. This way, when the plot begins to feel repetitive or some of the emotional scenes do not resonate as much as they need to, the strong elements can be balanced by the weak ones.The criticisms that pulled the Tomatometer downThe same few issues are mostly highlighted in the negative or lukewarm reviews. Some viewers believe The Seduction’s story is being dragged along. Other people believe that the show is not as weighty as the original book, particularly regarding the emotional and moral gravity as in Dangerous Liaisons. Some critics also complain that occasionally The Seduction seems too dependent on the sensual or steamy, and it uses it as a mood, not to tell a character or meaning.A number of critics also note that the series tends to lose its momentum at some point in the middle, whether mid-episode or mid-season, and that the initial concept is not properly followed through to the end by some cutthroat storytelling.Are these criticisms fair? To some extent, yes. The Seduction may not give you the tight and intense mind games that the novel gives you. However, when you are in the mood to watch slow, character-driven, atmosphere-filled shows that require time before they develop tension, you may interpret the same choices as deliberate and effective instead of weaknesses.For more such insights on The Seduction, keep following SoapCentral.