👉 BIG OLD SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

The Buffy reboot/reimagining isn't happening for now. We are devastated. So naturally, we need to talk about Buffy and Spike in season 6.

Ariel and Morgan are finally diving into Buffy the Vampire Slayer where things are darker, messier, and include a whole lot more property damage 👀.

From literally breaking a house down during sex to invisible hookups to whatever the hell is happening on that balcony… they have thoughts.

They get into it all:

• The iconic Buffy/Spike “Smashed” scene: why it’s so hot and makes zero logistical sense
• How the show tries to portray Buffy’s rock bottom through sex (and where it succeeds vs. fails)
• The invisibility scene as a surprisingly perfect example of how simulated sex actually works on set
• Why the show keeps saying Buffy and Spike are kinky… while showing the most vanilla execution imaginable
• The difference between toxic intimacy vs. BDSM, and why those are not the same thing

Plus: pants continuity crimes, mystery penetration logistics, and a full breakdown of our personal histories with Spuffy.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers "Smashed” (House scene): ~00:39:39, “Gone” (Invisibility scene): ~00:28:08, and “Dead Things” (Balcony scene): ~00:20:25 We cut around the clips, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point.

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CREDITS — BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Creators: Joss Whedon

“Smashed” (Season 6, Episode 9)
Director: Turi Meyer
Writers: Drew Z. Greenberg; Rebecca Rand Kirshner; Steven S. DeKnight

“Gone” (Season 6, Episode 11)
Director: David Fury
Writers: David Fury; Rebecca Rand Kirshner; Steven S. DeKnight

“Dead Things” (Season 6, Episode 13)
Director: James A. Contner
Writers: Steven S. DeKnight; Rebecca Rand Kirshner; Drew Z. Greenberg

Actors (featured in discussed scenes): Sarah Michelle Gellar; James Marsters; Nicholas Brendon; Emma Caulfield; Alyson Hannigan
© 1997–2003 Mutant Enemy, Inc. / 20th Century Fox Television. All rights reserved.

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🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

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The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

Get ready for one of the most bizarre and brazen films of a generation.

In this episode, Ariel and Morgan travel back to 1968’s sci-fi cult classic Barbarella — a movie where Jane Fonda strips out of a spacesuit in zero gravity and later defeats a villain using… an orgasm machine.

Yes. Really.

The hosts break down how the film uses erotic spectacle, camp, and absurdity to create scenes that are both wildly objectifying and oddly revolutionary for their time.

They get into it all:

• How the famous zero-gravity striptease opening uses choreography, framing, and floating credits to tease and shock the audience
• Why the “Excessive Machine” scene was extremely bold for mainstream cinema in 1968
• Fascinating power dynamics where the villain weaponizes pleasure and the hero literally sets the situation on fire.
• Why early Hollywood often treated sex as visual spectacle first and human experience second

It’s campy. It’s chaotic. And somehow still iconic.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers the opening striptease (0:00:00) and the excessive machine scene (Time Code: ~1:15:00). We cut around the clips, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point.

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CREDITS — Barbarella
Director: Roger Vadim
Writers: Terry Southern; Roger Vadim; Claude Brulé; Vittorio Bonicelli
Source Material: Based on the comic Barbarella by Jean-Claude Forest
Producer: Dino De Laurentiis
Actors: Jane Fonda; Milo O’Shea
© 1968 Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica / Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

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💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

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Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

This one’s about awkward first times — featuring skinny jeans, bad geometry, and absolutely zero game.

Ariel and Morgan sit down with intimacy coordinator and author Brooke M. Haney to break down the chaotic, vulnerable, and surprisingly tender hookup scenes from Booksmart: a film that proves intimacy on screen doesn’t have to be polished to be powerful.

They get into it all:

• Why awkward intimacy can still be choreographed and is not an excuse to skip process
• The storytelling power of wardrobe choices, body language, and messy logistics (yes, including skinny jeans and sneakers)
• And why representation of imperfect queer intimacy matters when so many people learn about sex from movies

It’s thoughtful, nerdy, hilarious, including shop talk from kit items and choreography language to the very real production challenges of filming intimacy on beaches, in pools, and under rapidly disappearing sunlight.

Buy Brooke's book "A History of Intimacy Professionals in Entertainment" Here!

Buy Brooke's book "The Intimacy Coordinator's Guidebook" Here!

Listen to us on the podcast "Happier in Hollywood" Here!

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers the pool sequence (~1:04:00) and the bathroom hookup scene (Time Code: 1:14:42–1:18:00). We cut around the clips, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point.

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CREDITS — Booksmart (2019)

Director: Olivia Wilde
Writers: Emily Halpern; Sarah Haskins; Susanna Fogel; Katie Silberman
Producers: Megan Ellison; Jessica Elbaum; Katie Silberman...
Actors: Kaitlyn Dever; Diana Silvers; Victoria Ruesga
Studio: Annapurna Pictures / Gloria Sanchez Productions
© 2019 Annapurna Pictures. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

This week we’re diving into Insecure — and honestly? The range.

Morgan introduces Ariel (who has never seen the show 👀) to two wildly different intimacy moments from Season 4: one chaotic, jealousy-fueled nightmare fantasy and one slow-burn reunion that might be one of the most emotionally satisfying TV hookups ever.

We break down:

• How a comedic sex scene can be intentionally not realistic — and why that works
• “Pop the tags” and the audacity of imagining such a thing
• The crackling eye contact, breath work, and micro-choices that make the reunion scene explode
• Tender Black love on screen and why we don’t see enough of it
• The blink-and-you-miss-it position change that tells you exactly who’s in control

This episode is funny, nerdy, and unexpectedly emotional; it's a perfect example of how a show can pull off slapstick fantasy and deeply romantic intimacy in the same breath.

Listen to the episode of the Indie Film Podcast where we were interviewed behind the scenes HERE.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers Episode 4: Lowkey Feelin' Myself (Time Code: 11:53), Episode 8: Lowkey Happy (Time Code: 25:17). We cut around the clips, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point.

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CREDITS — Insecure (Season 4)

Creators: Issa Rae; Larry Wilmore/ Showrunner: Prentice Penny

Episode 4x01 “Lowkey Feelin’ Myself”
Director: Kevin Bray
Writer: Issa Rae
Intimacy Coordinator: Mia Schachter
Actors (featured in discussed scenes): Issa Rae; Jay Ellis; Christina Elmore

Episode 4x08 “Lowkey Happy”
Director: Kevin Bray
Writer: Natasha Rothwell
Intimacy Coordinator: None
Actors (featured in discussed scenes): Issa Rae; Jay Ellis
© 2016–2021 HBO Entertainment / Issa Rae Productions / 3 Arts Entertainment. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

This one’s a BIG ONE.

Ariel and Morgan sit down with intimacy coordinator Chala Hunter, the creative force behind the intimacy work in Heated Rivalry, for a deep dive into how some of the most talked-about scenes on TV actually get made.

From the early days of learning the job during the #MeToo shift to stepping onto a set packed with hockey vibes, choreography, and high emotional stakes, Chala pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to build intimacy that feels grounded, safe, and electric.

They get into it all:

• How she found her way into intimacy coordination when the field was still being defined
• Why she prioritizes trust, play, and actor agency over rigid choreography
• How Heated Rivalry balanced tenderness, heat, and authenticity without losing its heart
• Why representation doesn’t have to feel “authentic to everyone” to still be meaningful
• And what happens when three intimacy coordinators get together and the nerding starts before the mics are even warm

It’s insightful, funny, incredibly revealing, and a rare behind-the-scenes look at the craft from someone doing the work at the highest level.

This one feels like a milestone episode.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers Episode 4: Rose (Time Code: 21:07 - 24:29), Episode 6: The Cottage (Time Codes: 20:15 - 22:37 & 32:34-33:27). We cut around the clips, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point.

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CREDITS — Heated Rivalry

Director: Jacob Tierney
Executive Producer: Brendan Brady
Source Material: Based on the novel Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
Intimacy Coordinator (Interview Guest): Chala Hunter
Actors (featured in discussed scenes): Hudson Williams; Connor Storrie
© Crave / Canadian Production Partners. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

Some shows open quietly. Season 2 of "She’s Gotta Have It" opens with a bang — literally.

In this episode, Ariel and Morgan break down the iconic simulated sex montage from Season 2, Episode 1 of She’s Gotta Have It, focusing on how lighting, space, and who’s in control radically reshape how intimacy is experienced and understood onscreen.

They get into it all:

• How Spike Lee uses daylight vs candlelight to reflect different emotional states
• Why this scene feels devotional rather than voyeuristic
• How Nola’s relationship with Opal marks a shift from exploration to embodiment
• How choreography, hair, and stillness do as much storytelling as movement
• And why this scene quietly sets a new bar for how queer Black intimacy is filmed on television

They also discuss the evolution from the 1986 film to the Netflix series, what it means to reclaim Nola Darling’s story through a more expansive lens, and why sexually liberated queer Black women are still so rarely given this level of care onscreen.

It’s reverent, gorgeous, deeply nerdy, and a reminder that intimacy doesn’t have to escalate to be electric.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers 1:22:10–1:29:34 of the TV show episode and 39:27-40:27 of the movie. We cut around the clip, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point.

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Credits — She’s Gotta Have It (Season 2, Episode 1: “#IMFEELINGMYFEELINGS”)

Director: Spike Lee
Writers: Cinqué Lee; Joie Lee; Spike Lee
Based on the film: She’s Gotta Have It (1986), written and directed by Spike Lee
Producers: Spike Lee; Win Rosenfeld; Charlie Corwin
Actors (featured): DeWanda Wise; Ilfenesh Hadera
© 2019 Netflix / 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. All rights reserved.

Credits — She’s Gotta Have It (1986)

Director: Spike Lee
Writer: Spike Lee
Producers: Spike Lee; Monty Ross
Actors (selected): Tracy Camilla Johns; Tommy Redmond Hicks; John Canada Terrell; Steve White; Spike Lee
© 1986 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

This episode is a love letter to immaculate choreography, devastating eye contact, and sapphic tension that could power a small city.

Ariel and Morgan dive into the two iconic intimacy scenes from Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden: with scenes so explicit, so intentional, and so beautifully constructed that they still feel transgressive nearly a decade later. Set during Japan’s occupation of Korea in the 1930s, the film takes familiar sapphic tropes and flips them inside out, using intimacy as liberation rather than spectacle.

They break down why these scenes work on every level:

• How the film weaponizes restraint, pacing, and POV to build erotic tension
• Why a simple hand-grip deserves its own IMDb credit
• How sapphic sex is framed as joy, discovery, and mutual power, not performance
• And why this might be one of the best examples of the female gaze in modern cinema

They also unpack the behind-the-scenes approach to filming the intimacy, the deliberate removal of the male gaze, and why The Handmaiden remains a gold standard for what intimate storytelling can look like when trust and intention lead the way.

It’s sexy, funny, deeply thoughtful, and a reminder that sometimes the most radical thing a movie can do is let women actually enjoy each other.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers 41:47 to 46:56 and 1:39:53 to 1:44:00. We cut around the clip, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point.

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Credits — The Handmaiden (2016)

Director: Park Chan-wook
Writers: Park Chan-wook; Chung Seo-kyung
Based on the novel: Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Producers: Park Chan-wook; Syd Lim
Actors (featured): Kim Min-hee as Lady Hideko, Kim Tae-ri as Sook-hee
© 2016 Moho Film / Yong Film. All rights reserved.

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Support the show

🔗 Connect & Support the Show

👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

We’re kicking off the new year by finally stepping into the Red Room and immediately asking some hard questions.

In this episode, Ariel and Morgan break down the infamous first Red Room scene from Fifty Shades of Grey, a film that promised mainstream BDSM and delivered… confusion, questionable choreography, and music doing most of the emotional heavy lifting.

New year, new structure. For 2026, they cut straight to the craft: power dynamics, consent, and why the scene ultimately falls flat.

They get into it all:

• Why the Red Room reads more like spectacle than negotiated intimacy
• How the film confuses dominance with control and intensity with compatibility
• How music, montage, and production design work overtime to create heat that isn’t really there
• What a more grounded, informed version of this scene could have looked like
• And why Christian Grey seems more turned on by interior design than intimacy

This episode isn’t about kink-shaming. It’s about unpacking why a movie that centered BDSM failed to show how consent, agency, and erotic tension actually function in practice. It’s part critique, part craft analysis, and part public service announcement for anyone who thinks mood lighting counts as communication.

Want to watch along? Our reaction covers 1:22:10–1:29:34. We cut around the clip, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point.

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Credits — Fifty Shades of Grey

Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson
Writer (Screenplay): Kelly Marcel
Writer (Novel): E. L. James
Producers: Michael De Luca; Dana Brunetti; E. L. James
Actors (featured): Dakota Johnson; Jamie Dornan
© 2015 Focus Features / Trigger Street Productions / Michael De Luca Productions. All rights reserved.

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👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube.
💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes HERE!
📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod
🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com
🎶Theme Song is Faking It by Mike Goetz

🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners find us.

Stay real, Fakers!

Legal Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.