Tara Chirpy / 30 April 2025 / Categories: Movie and TV Shows, TV Show

The Weekend Binge Watching FAKE

Australian Paramount + drama breaks all the records

The acting is bloody superb with absolute stand out performances by Asher Keddie as Birdie and David Wenham as Joe, who together made me feel things I didn’t want to feel, no words; just brilliant exposed method acting.

So I wasn’t surprised when I read this boxset series on ITVX broke all records in Australia for Paramount plus when it came out.

Adapted from a bestselling book by Stephanie Wood of the same name you’ll be absolutely gripped.

I watched it with two friends in my circle, one, we all know one, the man magnet, the runaway bride, the girl men chase and she keeps at arms length like she’s got the inside track on men like Joe who she insists are all the same. The other friend and we all have nit a Birdie but someone we absolutely love, kind, thoughtful but likely to get walked all over and not the best track record with the opposite sex. She won’t mind me saying this, we do talk about it all the time and I have to say after watching fake we had one saying, told you so, the other saying incredulously is this real, are people really like this and me somewhere in the middle thinking would my instinct kick in or could I be duped in this way?

You’ve probably guessed Fake is all about an internet app date between, yes you guessed it a “disgustingly rich” his words; OK looking businessman, deal doer divorced with two kids 50 something and a late 40 something “spinster” I use the term to describe someone never married not defective in some way, a badge of honour bestowed by a mother Margo who idolised the father and brought her now grown up daughter up in an unrealistic romantic fantasy.

It’s clear in the story, the female lead has no clue or experience as to the levels of male behaviour my man magnet friend has experienced and her desire to be the one takes over her instinct and gut feelings when it comes to the relationship never going in the direction she requires or desires and yet she still continues to blindly try to manufacture the fairytale created in her imagination for the happily ever after happy ending.

I think for all women this a must watch whether you are in a bad relationship or not, whether you are looking to escape something bad or get into something good, whether you are the man magnet or the wallflower or the girl who never gets noticed or asked out or the girl somewhere in the middle who knows her worth, does have self confidence but also recognised the power of serotonin and a dopamine rush.

You see all of these feelings and common threads around passion, connection even

Love for us all come alive on screen. It’s compelling heart rending at times TV I’d imagine will be a very tough watch for many people, especially badly behaved men, which when it comes to women my friend assures me is all of them and desperate women a category I stepped out of once I reached 50.

I dated online myself once 20 years ago and after meeting three different people all of whom looked like their pictures and were pretty much who they said they were however there was no chemistry and as we all know chemistry cannot be manufactured, it’s either there or it isn’t and it’s never something to be experienced solo.

I think the best think about FAKE is the viewer sees clearly how desire and imagination can lead down all kinds of different ridiculous everyone can see it but you tracks when gut feeling and instinct are completely ignored.

For anyone looking for love online this series comes with a “This program contains themes that could you off online dating for life.”