Matt Taylor: Faking It

This August, MTV’s Faking It returned for what is technically the second half of its second season but, for all intents and purposes, feels like season three. And, once again, the show wasted no time in doing what it does best: being so damn likable.

Faking It was initially built around the flimsy, highly unrealistic and borderline offensive idea that two best friends would pretend to be a lesbian couple in an effort to become popular in their high school. But, since its pilot, the show has evolved into an incredibly sweet romantic comedy about what happens when a teenage girl realizes that she may have romantic feelings for her (straight) best friend and former fake-girlfriend. Sure, it’s not striving for realism, but it does boast a talented cast and consistently funny one-liners. The golden age of teen comedies may have ended in the 90s, but Faking It has so much heart that it, somehow, manages to pull off its occasional over-the-top drama and successfully juggles its many love triangles.

Much of the credit has to be given to the cast, who bring all the heart and comedic timing necessary to make their characters compelling. It’s rare that teen ensembles work so well together, and display so much natural charisma, but almost everyone here brings their A-game to the material. Specifically, Michael J. Willet and Katie Stevens shine, offering a glimpse of what will (hopefully) be a long career in Hollywood. As the popular out kid Shane, Willet exhibits an insanely likable screen presence that elevates his character beyond cliché. Similarly, Stevens, as the straight girl who becomes the object of her best friend’s affection, takes her potentially melodramatic role seriously, thus forcing the audience to actually care about her subplot. And, like the rest of the cast, she is quite funny when given great dialogue. Over the past two seasons, Faking It has also surprised audiences with some exciting guest stars, namely Laverne Cox as an over-the-top drama teacher. Hopefully we’ll see more of those as the season continues.

But perhaps the best thing about Faking It is that it ventures into territory that very few shows, let alone a show specifically designed for teenagers, are exploring. While Faking It is, by no means, an intellectually stimulating or thought provoking series, it is one that gently explores sexual fluidity and promotes diversity. Many of the main characters are gay, bisexual, or simply refuse to put a label on themselves, but none of them fall into any of the clichés that many other series have perpetuated throughout the years. In Faking It, the gay kid isn’t the victim of bullies but is, instead, the most popular boy in the school, while other students can explore their sexualities without being judged by their onscreen classmates or the audience. It’s a breath of fresh air in the hetero-normative, stereotypical versions of high school we’ve seen on television for far too long.

For Faking It, being on MTV might be its greatest weakness, as no one will ever take it too seriously. MTV is an undeniably trashy network, with programming that is filled with guilty pleasures and horrid reality shows. Even I initially dismissed Faking It as a dumb series with a ridiculous premise. But, as I soon found out, it is actually an immensely enjoyable series that’s easy to love. Thanks, in large part, to its great cast, Faking It is a hidden gem that you should definitely put on your radar.

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