In general, it's not that weird. "Free" isn't exactly what those shows are - they're ad supported. Delivering those shows via devices that aren't showing the on-page advertisements would hurt Hulu's (likely razor thin) profit margins.
This specific case is definitely weird though, because it's just another full browser - ads and all.
Not only that, but hulu isn't really intended for first run viewing. It's more like how reruns are monetized.
If Hulu had the same footing as first run, including easy access on TVs, the studios, networks and their advertisers would have a cow.
