Fake Profile bites off more than it can chew, and that results in a messy plot with undercooked characters. The first season was more of a family drama revolving around the Ferrer family and Camila, the erotic dancer who was employed to entice Miguel, the son-in-law of the patriarch, Pedro. Season one came to an end with Pedro’s death and his daughter Angela’s arrest. We could already guess that a second season was on its way, especially because of Angela’s desire to seek revenge on those who she thought had wronged her father. Unlike the first season, this time, thankfully, none of the characters made a surprise return after seemingly dying just to add to the twists and turns. While I did not expect the second season to be about a serial killer, then again, the drama alone would’ve been quite boring, and the fact that people were dropping dead at random added to the thrill.
Since this is a spoiler-free review, I cannot disclose much about the narrative except that if you’ve been following the show, you perhaps will be able to guess the identity of the serial killer in the first two episodes itself. Instead of keeping the identity a secret, considering how obvious it was, maybe if the show revealed who was behind the murders at the very beginning, like Peter Falk-starrer Columbo does, the cat-and-mouse chase between the perpetrator and the police would’ve been engaging. The psyche of the serial killer and their intention could’ve been explored further, instead of hurrying to the finish line in the tenth episode. Then again, introducing the serial killer was a smart choice since it added some thrill and spark to the show.
One of the major problems with Fake Profile season two is that it attempts to normalize stalking, and watching it was painful, to put it mildly. It appeared the show creators did not know what to do with Miguel’s character. We are told that he had been diagnosed with compulsive sexual behavior. He was in therapy to manage his addiction and had been clean for five hundred days. While that was all fine, things got a little nasty when he started stalking Camila. She repeatedly told him how she was not comfortable having him around, but he refused to give her any space. The first half of the second season would have you believe that Camila was traumatized seeing Miguel. But then again we are told that even though she knew he was bad for her, her body yearned for his touch. So, does that mean Miguel did the right thing by stalking her? Had he not followed her everywhere she went, maybe she would’ve never admitted that she was still attracted to him. It’s 2025 already, high time that filmmakers and show creators become more sensitive and not normalize problematic behaviors. From faking his identity in the first season to stalking Camila in season two and even lying and luring her to another country just to forcefully spend some time with her alone, Miguel is one hell of a shady character. The fact that, despite every mistake he makes in both seasons one and two, his character is always redeemed in the end, was frustrating. After watching him forcefully kiss Camila, we are also expected to acknowledge that his intentions were noble and that at the end of the day, he was a good man. Maybe this cringe storyline would’ve worked in the 90s but not now. A stalker as the hero is a big no!
It is apparent in Fake Profile season two that the sole focus of the show was on delivering twists and turns to confuse the audience and keep them guessing. In an attempt to do so, several characters are introduced who don’t significantly contribute to the storyline. These half-baked characters without any clear motive, along with underdeveloped subplots, are pretty much a waste of time. The two main plots this season were the murder mystery and Camila’s love story, and as was expected, they are intertwined in one way or another. The show attempts to frame pretty much every character as the serial killer, and by the time the actual identity of the killer is revealed, we are already in the tenth episode. The motive behind the murders is explained in a brief monologue. After watching ten episodes, the explanation is quite underwhelming, and you cannot help but wonder why you sat through the whole show.
The creators behind Fake Profile are aware that a significant portion of their audience only cares about the sensual aspect of the show, and in that department they surely deliver. We get to watch almost every character engage in elaborate lovemaking scenes, other than the detective. What a relief! One of the most relatable characters this season was Detective Indira, who was as traumatized to learn about the complicated lives of the elite residents of Riviera Esmeralda as I was. During the investigation, a lot of technicalities are discussed, especially about the method used to murder the victims, but honestly, as the show progresses, you simply stop caring about it.
The overall performance of the cast is about average—not so absolutely terrible that you would be repulsed to watch them on-screen, but at the same time not memorable enough to write a paragraph about the performances. Fake Profile is not meant to be watched with any seriousness. It is simply an entertainer, and while I don’t mind watching mindless cringe at times, normalizing stalking is where I draw the line. Somehow, sensual thriller shows have a tendency to gravitate towards exploring questionable and, at times, almost criminally offensive dynamics. While there is nothing wrong with experimenting with relationships that might be deemed immoral by society, it is absolutely necessary to deal with such subjects sensitively. Normalizing problematic behavior and celebrating one’s decision to ignore consent completely is definitely not the path one must take. There are better ways to keep one’s audience hooked; you don’t really have to rely on such cringe tropes for the sake of entertainment.
