Fake (Paramount+) is the new Aussie drama starring Asher Keddie and David Wenham. It is very watchable but a little too eager to reveal itself. The first four episodes are annoyingly slow but hang in there because it kicks into high gear around the halfway mark.
The premise of Fake is right there in its title and the show’s opening scenes also spell it out. As journalist Birdie Bell (Keddie) arrives at a bar for her first date with grazier Joe Burt (Wenham), he reveals in a voiceover to the audience that she should “turn around and run”.
Knowing all this about him so early in the story makes it very difficult to like his character. Despite many red flags, Kedder’s character stumbles into a rocky relationship. There is little chemistry between them and not even a suggestion that it’s mind-blowing sex that keeps them together.
Fake would be more believable if Wenham had been given more time to be charming. His bastardy is too obvious and it’s frustrating that Kedder can’t see it. After seven seasons of Offspring, audiences are hard-wired to see her playing slightly ditzy career women whose love live is a mess. Her recent Gold Logie nomination for Strife (Binge) proves that audiences still love her, but her character in Fake is ditzy to the point of being brain-dead.
Fake is about the real-life experience of journalist Stephanie Wood and the man who conned her. The TV adaptation wants to explore “what leads people to deny their instincts”. Birdie Bell’s denial is blamed on having a mean mother (Heather Mitchell), a soon-to-be-married gay couple (Spencer McLaren and Nicholas Brown) and a terrible therapist who advises her to ignore her instincts.
This makes for a frustrating viewing experience and if you are prone to screaming at your TV set, Fake will leave you hoarse from yelling. Maybe that’s the point though because as maddening as it is, I couldn’t stop watching. Fake would be better if Keddie’s character didn’t come across as such a flake, but her fans won’t care either way.
This week on the TV Gold podcast:
Fake, The Bear, Faye, A Family Affair
New TV series and movies reviewed this week include:
Fake – (Paramount+, 8 episodes) Asher Keddie and David Wenham star in this drama about liars, cheats, fantasists and phonies.
Faye – (Binge/Foxtel documentary) Academy Award-winning actress and multi-decade movie star, Faye Dunaway, recounts the triumphs and challenges of her movie career. The star of Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, and Network, and the controversial Mommie Dearest, speaks honestly about Hollywood and reflects on criticism she has faced along the journey.
The Bear – (Disney+, 10 episodes) Season three of The Bear follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) and Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they do what it takes to elevate The Bear, their beef stand turned fine dining establishment, to the next level.
A Family Affair (Netflix, movie) Don’t miss what Andrew and James make of this zinger! When Zara (Joey King) quits her job as the personal assistant to Hollywood heartthrob Chris Cole (Zac Efron), she unwittingly sets the stage for a chance encounter between Chris and her famous writer mum, Brooke (Nicole Kidman). And guess what happens next!
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