Fake Love (2023)

Do they know what fake dating is?

I don’t even know where to start with this one. Fake dating can be one of the best tropes out there when it’s done right. Which it wasn’t. If anything, I was left with more questions than answers through these two episodes.

We got to watch the events of the first episode twice. The fact that half of it was just flashbacks or replays of what has just gone down was the worst choice they could have made. It was the same footage with a slightly different effect plastered over it. The annoying part is that because so much time was spent on that, the story and emotions building was very weak, which made the events of the second episode feel completely unrealistic and unbelievable.

Peem and Phol were confusing. Leaving aside how they came to be a couple, were they even aware that they were a fake couple? Or did they just miss the memo? I also don’t know what to make of Peem’s feelings. He kept saying how he was going to tell Phol he likes him, but he also only wanted to date him for the few days until the party. And then threw jealousy fits and acted like a baby because Phol didn’t tell him everything.

North and Rew did a good enough job, but I think the story was weak and it didn’t really give them a chance. Their characters were not complex enough and things seemed very chopped into smaller parts. It wasn’t really well connected, which made the emotional bond between their characters seem non-existent.

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Fake it till you make it

Did they? Both their secrets are still intact at the end of the two episodes, but what was the point since nothing else really happened?

The plot is about two guys who enter into a pretend relationship to protect their respective secrets. And that's pretty much it. They know each other's secrets and they agree to keep those to themselves. A majority of the episodes was utilised to set up their contract relationship, and the rest of it was used to show that the conflict was resolved. It does sound like a well rounded plot when it's put that way, but there was so much missing.

Admittedly, Phol and Pheem do have chemistry, and by the end of the series, they do have an actual relationship that's somewhat endearing. Too bad we couldn't see much of that connection and development though, it was some wasted potential and screen time that they used to display flashbacks instead.

I'm a little disappointed, not going to lie, because I do love a good pretend relationship plot, but the lack of development and the wishy washy dialogues paired with an equally inconsistent story didn't really make for a good series.

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