Catfish: The TV Show

Catfish: The TV Show
Genre Reality
Based on Catfish (film)
Developed by
Starring Nev Schulman
Max Joseph
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 4
No. of episodes 47
Production
Executive producer(s)
Cinematography Max Joseph
Camera setup Multiple
Running time 40 to 42 minutes
Production company(s) Catfish Picture Company
Relativity Media
Broadcast
Original channel MTV
Picture format 480i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Audio format Stereo
Original run November 12, 2012 – present
External links
Website

Catfish: The TV Show is an American reality-based docu-series television series airing on MTV about the truths and lies of online dating. The series is based on the 2010 film Catfish and is co-hosted by Nev Schulman and Max Joseph. It premiered on November 12, 2012,[1] with the fourth season premiering on February 25, 2015.

Plot

"They used to tank cod from Alaska all the way to China. They'd keep them in vats in the ship. By the time the codfish reached China, the flesh was mush and tasteless. So this guy came up with the idea that if you put these cods in these big vats, put some catfish in with them and the catfish will keep the cod agile. And there are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh. And I thank God for the catfish because we would be ... boring and dull if we didn't have somebody nipping at our fin." —from Catfish

Why the term "catfish" is used to describe people who portray someone else online

On the Internet, a "catfish" is a person who creates fake personal profiles on social media sites using someone else's pictures and false biographical information to pretend to be someone other than themselves. These "catfish" usually intend to trick an unsuspecting person or persons into falling in love with them. The term "catfish" is derived from the title of the previously-mentioned 2010 documentary, in which filmmaker Schulman discovers that the woman with whom he'd been carrying on an online relationship had not been honest in describing herself.

MTV and the Catfish film's producers, Schulman and Joseph, help people who are emotionally entangled with someone they have never met in real life. Each episode is an investigation into whether or not the other participant in the virtual relationship is legitimate or if they are, in fact, a "catfish". Some couples have been communicating for a few months—others, for years.

Nev claims that he has received requests from people asking him for his help in determining whether or not their online-only lover is lying or truthful about their identity. In each episode the hosts help a different individual with a different story, travelling to wherever they live and using background checks and research to uncover the truth. Nev and Max contact the other person to arrange a first-ever meeting between the two virtual lovers, then documents how both people are impacted.[2][3] Schulman said at the Television Critics Association press tour in August 2012 that it's not all about pulling the rug out from under people, explaining:

Whether or not two people are totally lying to each other and it turns out to be a huge disaster, that's only the first part of the story. We then want to know why they are doing it, who they are, what they are feeling, what led them to this place, and why that resonates with thousands of other young people who have the same feelings, who don't have someone to talk to or don't know how to express themselves.
Nev Schulman, August 2012 Zap2It article [1]

Production

Although the show claims that the deceived victim is the one who initiates contact with the producers in an attempt to discover the true identity of their online romance, there have been claims that the scenarios presented are in fact reverse-engineered, whereby the perpetrator or "catfish" is the one who is contacted first via casting calls. Producers then proceed to gather information about the deception from the perpetrator and contact the victim afterwards to present the opposite.[4][5]

In February 2013, Hollywood.com published a detailed report on how episodes for the series are produced.[6] In almost every instance, the catfish (the person whose identity is "unknown") is the first one to make contact with MTV. For legal reasons, all persons involved on the series sign contracts agreeing to appear on camera prior to the episode even entering production. However, much of Nev and Max's research into them is apparently genuine, as Nev has not personally talked to them before filming begins. Often the catfish and catfishee had already stopped communicating, but agree to resume their relationship for the sake of being able to appear on the show.

On December 19, 2012, MTV announced that the series has been renewed for a second season.[7] On October 25, 2013, MTV announced the third season renewal.[8][9] On July 11, 2014, MTV renewed the series for a fourth season.[10]

Reception

The film Catfish was criticized and its authenticity questioned. Executive producer Tom Forman stresses that the TV version won't just tell "stories of deception. We've also stumbled into some love stories. We found people who are exactly who they say they are. We are putting those on television, too. We find people who are willing to get past an initial deception and really do make a connection at the end—in person and in real life. That's been really heartwarming. So I think, when we set out, we really don't know how it's going to end: good, bad, or in the middle somewhere.[1]

Episodes

Series overview

Season Episodes Season Premiere Season Finale
1 12 November 12, 2012 February 25, 2013
2 16 June 25, 2013 October 15, 2013
3 10 May 7, 2014 July 9, 2014
4 9 February 25, 2015 2015

Season 1 (2012–13)

No. in
series
No. in
season
Title Original air date U.S. viewers
(million)
11"Sunny & Jamison"November 12, 20122.68[11]
Nursing student Sunny met and fell in love with model "Jamison" or "RJ" while chatting on Facebook, but they had never met in the eight months they had talked. When Nev finally introduces Sunny to "Jamison", he turns out to be a girl named Chelsea, who originally created the profile for revenge on a former friend. Chelsea showed no remorse and says that she has no feelings at all for Sunny. Later they talk and Chelsea admits she is bisexual and has feelings for Sunny. They decide to be real friends in the end. Nev introduces Sunny to the real Jamison in the end.
22"Trina & Scorpio"November 19, 20122.74[12]
Exotic dancer Shawnise aka Trina, met fellow exotic dancer Lee aka "Scorpio" on MySpace and had been talking for over a year and never met. When Nev does some online investigating, he finds that the pictures of "Scorpio" belong to Larry Drummer, a model from Atlanta. When Nev introduces Shawnise to Lee, he tells her the truth about having 4 children instead of 2 and that he is really 32 years old instead of being 27 like he told her. Nev introduces Shawnise to the real Larry Drummer in the end. Lee said he's happy to be friends with Trina, but still hopes one day romance will blossom between them. Trina has quit dancing and is pursuing other career opportunities.
33"Kim & Matt"November 26, 20122.61[13]
Kim had been talking to Matt for over 10 years when she contacted Nev for help to meet him. She is in a relationship with a man named Scott, who knows about Matt. Kim opens up to Nev that the love of her life Steven committed suicide and that Matt helped her through the grief. She meets Matt at his home, where he reveals he has refused to meet her because he is ashamed of his weight. In the epilogue, Matt continues to diet and exercise everyday, and since filming ended, he has lost another 20 pounds. Kim went home and broke up with Scott, and she and Matt remain best friends. Kim is finally taking the time to deal with the loss of Steven, but she's not ready to think about starting a new romance yet.
44"Jasmine & Mike"December 3, 20122.23[14]
Jasmine had been texting "Mike" for two years, though they had never met or talked on the phone. Mike turns out to be a girl named Mhissy who Jasmine knew in real life. Mhissy said she created the fake profile to get revenge on Jasmine for not leaving Mhissy's boyfriend Josh aka Triggs alone after they hooked up. In the epilogue, Jasmine has put her interest on finding romance on hold since filming ended, and instead, she's been focusing on school and spending time with her son. Mhissy has made the decision to adopt her niece and become her legal guardian. Mhissy says that she had no plans to create a fake profile again. Jasmine and Mhissy have had no contact since they appeared in this episode.[15]
55"Jarrod & Abby"December 10, 20122.41[16]
Jarrod is a divorced father from Georgia who met and fell for a blonde girl on Facebook named "Abby". Jarrod told Nev that he had even proposed to Abby and she said yes. She also promised to move in with him but then she never did.[17] When Nev finally introduces them after a year and a half of talking, "Abby" turns out to be an obese girl named Melissa that created the fake profile due to her low self esteem. In the epilogue, Jarrod has put his romantic pursuits on hold and is focusing on music since filming ended. He and Melissa continued to talk to each other everyday. Melissa had deactivated her Abby profile and also lost 15 lbs. She is also happy that Jarrod has kept her in his life, and she's hopeful love could still blossom between them one day.
66"Kya & Alyx"December 17, 20122.07[18]
When Kya first met "Alyx" online, she used a fake name and fake pictures. She later told him the truth and Alyx forgave her. Nev helps Kya finally meet Alyx, who she says she has fallen in love with but has never actually met. When they meet, Alyx turns out to be a transgender man who is starting his transition. They decide to stay a couple after Kya learns the truth, saying "I have no problem with it. You're still a man to me". In the epilogue, Alyx is continuing hormone replacement therapy, and he is also saving up for gender reassignment surgery.[19]
77"Joe & Kari Ann"January 7, 20132.52[20]
Nev helps Joe meet the girl he's been talking to who says she is former Miss United States Teen 2003, Kari Ann.[21] Kari Ann agrees to meet Joe at his farm and when she shows up, it's in fact a girl named Rose, a girl Joe went to high school with. She said she did it because she's always had feelings for Joe. She apologized but admitted to having been a catfish for years, having multiple fake profiles and claims to have "mastered" being a catfish. In the end, Rose moved to California to live with her boyfriend whom she met through the fake Kari Ann profile. He was surprised when he found out the truth but accepted her anyway. Joe and Rose haven't talked since filming ended.
88"Tyler & Amanda"January 14, 20132.17[22]
Tyler has fallen for "Amanda" when he asks Nev for help. When Tyler tells his friends about her, they are all surprised it was with a girl from online. When Tyler goes to her house, "Amanda" is actually a teenage boy named Aaron. In the epilogue, Tyler now attends Western Michigan College in Kalamazoo. Aaron recently moved to New York City, and he said that he's staying offline for now and is actually starting to go out on dates. Aaron and Tyler have not been in contact since filming ended.[23]
99"Rod & Ebony"January 21, 20132.75[24]
Rod hasn't been honest with "Ebony" about what he looks like or his name, which he told her is "KJ" in the 4 years they have been talking. Ebony is transgender and said she couldn't meet up in the beginning of them talking because she had cancer. Rod wants to be honest and tell her the truth but is afraid that Ebony might be lying to him too. Ebony turns out to be a woman who has been a lesbian for 15 years and has a child. In the epilogue, Rod and Ebony are still friends, but they communicate with each other only a few times a week now. Rod says he's not ready to meet people online right now and needs time to think about what he wants. Ebony is staying offline as well and has instead been enjoying the Atlanta nightlife. She has found romance with a woman.[25]
1010"Rico & Ja'mari"January 28, 20132.27[26]
Rico lives in the United States but is torn on whether or not to continue his online relationship with a man named "Ja'mari" or move to England to be with his ailing mother. When Rico meets Ja'mari, he finds out that the pictures he saw were real but also discovers that Ja'mari's real name is James and that he is a bus driver instead of a model like he told Rico. When Nev and Rico do more research, they find that James has a criminal record but when asked about it, it was a case of mistaken identity that took James over 2 years to clear his name but in the end won the case. In the epilogue, the health of Rico's mother has improved since filming ended. Rico has decided to stay in the United States to continue his relationship with James. Rico and James haven't seen each other in the last month, but they plan on getting together soon.
1411"Mike & Felicia"February 18, 20132.37[27]
Mike and Felicia met online and soon hit it off. After agreeing to meet, Felicia stood Mike up, offering only thin excuses. When Nev and Max do some research they find that she supposedly lives in Jersey City, though she claims to have opened a store in Orlando. After contacting her friend they also find she has previously lied to people on the internet. When Mike meets Felicia he finds that the pictures were real, but she lied about the store in Orlando, but still lives there. Mike is hurt that she lied but agrees to meet up with her to talk about their future. Two months later, Mike is still living with his parents and has found a job installing irrigation systems. He hopes to move to his own place soon. Felicia continues to live in Orlando and go to school. She is grateful that Mike had given her a second chance. She says she's being 100% truthful with Mike and is doing her best to be honest with everyone else in her life as well. She also says she's planning to move back to New Jersey in six months, because when she went to visit Mike, they officially became a couple. But, update: they failed to meet in NJ and Felicia said on Twitter that she was stood up. The relationship seems to have ended.
1212"The Reunion Show"February 25, 20131.95[28]
Participants from Catfish: The TV Show reunite in MTV's Times Square studio to answer questions from fans. The show is hosted by Nev and Max, and SuChin Pak. Sunny and Chelsea have not remained in contact. Trina and Lee remain good friends, as do Kim and Matt, and Jarrod and Melissa (who appear via webcam unlike all other participants). Joe remains bitter about Rose's online relationship with him as Kari Ann and they do not talk. Jasmine and Mhissy break out into an argument over an insulting Facebook post to Mhissy left by Jasmine.

Season 2 (2013)

No. in
series
No. in
season
Title Original air date U.S. viewers
(million)
131"Cassie & Steve"June 25, 20132.50[29]
Following the brutal murder of her father, Cassie's life was on a downward spiral of alcohol, drug abuse, and promiscuity. Then one day she received a Facebook message from Steve. He became the positive influence Cassie needed, teaching her to love herself and change her lifestyle for the better. Their relationship intensified and Cassie even asked Steve to marry her—and Steve accepted. Cassie desperately wants to meet her fiancé, but Steve is always too busy to video chat—let alone get together with her. They find out that Steve is actually Cassie's best friend, Gladys, who wanted to help get Cassie's life back on track after all other efforts failed. In the epilogue, Cassie has put her dating life on hold, and she's currently devoting most her time working at the radio station and keeping up with her studies for school. Gladys deactivated Steve's profile and has not started one of her own, and she is still hopeful that she and Cassie will grow close again.
142"Anthony and Marq"July 2, 20131.76[30]
Anthony is a decorated Iraq War veteran who wears his Purple Heart on his sleeve. Over a year ago, he bonded online with a caring, emotionally available man named Marq. Today, they're head over heels in love—yet Anthony has already caught Marq in some troubling lies. In the epilogue, Anthony has put his romantic life on hold while he recovers from losing Marq. Anthony has not spoken to Framel since filming ended.
153"Ramon & Paola"July 9, 20132.16[31]
Ramon spends most of his time in a dead-end job in a town that he's struggling to escape. His one shining glimmer of happiness is Paola, a girl he met on Facebook and established an exclusive online relationship with. After many failed attempts to video chat with Paola, she finally relented and connected with Ramon briefly. However, Ramon saw a completely different-looking girl on his video screen before she hung up and he's been baffled ever since.
164"Lauren & Derek"July 16, 20132.36[32]
Lauren met Derek on MySpace nearly eight years ago. Since then she's relied on him for everything—Derek's funny and fresh, and he even supported Lauren after she had a baby with a now former boyfriend. Lauren knows that Derek is the man of her dreams and she can't wait to take the next step with him. The only problem is, they've never met in real life or even video chatted. Every time she's tried to see Derek he's always had an excuse. Lauren strongly believes that Derek could be her future husband and she feels that he can be a good father to her three-year-old son. In the end, this became the first case in which the "Catfish" turned out to be fully genuine and did not lie. An aftershow, filmed in front of an audience and featuring host SuChin Pak, was broadcast following the episode to celebrate this.
175"Dorion & Jeszica"July 23, 20132.28[33]
Dorion is torn between two women—his current girlfriend, Raffinee, and his online love of over two years, Jeszica. Dorion was introduced to Jeszica on Facebook while she was dating one of his friends. They quickly started texting and talking on the phone, and now he's completely fallen for her. Dorion has even shared his darkest secrets with Jeszica. He says that he trusts her completely, but every time he's tried to meet her, she ends up blowing him off. Dorion is willing to give up everything for Jeszica, including his relationship with Raffinee. Jeszica turned out to be a fake profile made by a girl named Alexis. Alexis believes she is in love with Dorion. After they meet, and she finds out about Raffinee, Dorion decides to prioritise his relationship with Raffinee, and to not maintain contact Alexis. Alexis accepts this and deleted the fake profile.
186"Jen & Skylar"July 30, 20132.14[34]
Having dealt with a number of bullies in her past, teenager Jen relies on online communities to establish relationships. Jen has many friends around the world, but Skylar is by far the most special one to her. After meeting on a gaming site, in a flash, Jen and Skylar went from innocent online bantering to constant flirtatious texting. Now, Jen is ready to take things to the next level, but she's never met Skylar in person and has only two pictures of him. Jen is scared to push the reticent Skylar too hard, but she's desperate to know if he could really be her first true love. When they go to meet Skylar, he turns out to be somebody named Bryan who had no feelings towards Jen and also did not feel his actions were cruel. He says was trying to "give her a gift". Later, he reveals that he was hurt in a previous relationship and turned to the Internet to cope with his pain. Nev and Max instruct him not to contact Jen again.
197"Mike & Kristen"August 6, 20131.57[35]
Three and a half years ago, Mike met his ultimate mystery girl, Kristen, on Facebook. They quickly forged a deep connection, exchanging "I love yous" and carrying on a turbulent on-again-off-again relationship. But despite the two living only 40 miles apart, Mike's frequent efforts to meet Kristen have been futile. Mike believes that she's afraid of rejection due to a permanent injury from a car accident, but he's convinced Kristen is real and that they could live "happily ever after" together if they could only meet. Kristen turns out to be not the girl in the photos, although the rest of her story is real, including that she lost an eye in a car accident. While he is angry at first, Mike accepts her apology, and they stay in contact but neither sees the other as anything other than an acquaintance.
--"Midseason Reunion"August 13, 20130.97[36]
208"Jesse & Brian"August 20, 20131.82[37]
When Jesse was introduced to Brian on Facebook, she thought she'd hit the jackpot. Brian is a former Marine, a true gentleman, and handsome to boot. They made plans to meet and Jesse drove hundreds of miles to see him, but Brian never showed up and stopped answering her calls. The next day, Jesse begged Brian to explain why he stood her up, but he refused to give a reason. Now, three years later, Brian has asked her to move halfway across the country to live with him. Jesse feels that Brian could be the perfect guy for her and she's ready for a fresh start.
219"Artis & Jess"August 27, 20132.01[38]
Artis' life changed five months ago when he met Jess, a sexy, blonde beauty, on Facebook. Although Artis and Jess each were in relationships at the time and still living with their significant others, they still believed they had found the true love they so desperately wanted. Even though Artis has seen only one photo of Jess, he's willing to risk everything to be with her and is ready to meet Jess in person. Jess turns out to be a strange man called Justin. In the epilogue, Justin and Artis have had no communication since filming ended. Artis explained everything that happened with Justin to the mother of his children. His willingness for being honest and to be open with her has greatly improved their relationship. Justin refused to comment to the producers.
2210"Ashley & Mike"September 3, 20131.74[39]
For over seven years, Ashley has sent dramatically altered photos of herself to her soul mate, Mike, to make her look thinner and more attractive to him. Mike, who appears to be an extraordinarily fit and handsome young man, lives several states away in New Jersey. Saddled by insecurities around her weight and a fear of going out in public, Ashley has become more reliant on her online connection to Mike with each passing year, but has always found an excuse not to meet up with him. Mike has always been there for Ashley, consoling her through the period after her father's sudden death and becoming an intensely positive force in her life. Now Ashley feels ready to come out of hiding to show her true self to Mike. Nev and Max discover that Mike may not be the person in the photos, and when they go to meet him, he turns out to be overweight. However, unlike Ashley's pictures, Mike's are of a completely different person. By the end of the episode, they are shown to remain in contact and on good terms. Mike died of a pulmonary embolism on October 12, 2013.[40]
2311"Aaliyah & Alicia"September 10, 20131.61[41]
Times have been tough for Aaliyah, a resident of Oakland, California. Recently, her family was evicted from their home and she's been couch-surfing at different friends' houses while she completes her education. Throughout this difficult period, Aaliyah has found comfort in her relationship with Alicia, a young woman she met online. Alicia is Aaliyah's first real girlfriend; they text with each other all day long and talk on the phone until late into the night, often falling asleep on the phone together. However, Alicia lives just 70 blocks from Aaliyah and is refusing to meet her in the flesh. Alicia claims that she's not yet ready to come out to her friends and family and therefore unwilling to take things further. When they meet, Alicia is cold and mocking. She says she has no romantic feelings for Alicia, and that she only pursued the online relationship because Aaliyah gave her money and gifts. She later admits she does think of Aaliyah as a friend, and that she realises she needs to re-evaluate how she relates to people. In the epilogue, we learn that Alicia has contacted Aaliyah, but Aaliyah has decided not to respond.
2412"Nick & Melissa"September 24, 20131.21[42]
Nick and Melissa met in a Tila Tequila fan chat room when they were both 12 years old, and they have been talking for six years. There's only one problem – Melissa now lives with her boyfriend Olin but tells Nick she would ideally be with him. Melissa turns out to be broadly telling the truth. She is living with her ex-boyfriend Olin and his mother. Her photos are all similarly posed to disguise her weight. Melissa fluctuates between wanting Olin, wanting Nick, wanting both of them, and wanting neither. She and Nick meet, and the get along fine, but she stays with Olin.
2513"Derek & Kristen"October 1, 20130.95[43]
Derek is a veteran and a single father who was cheated on by his ex-wife. He is in an online relationship with Kristen, who is quickly revealed to be lying about her appearance, as she uses photos of three different women on her profile, which Derek did not noticed. When they meet, she is revealed to be called Chasity, and is none of the women in the photos. She explains that she started the profile in order to establish contact with her children's father.
2614"Keyonnah & Bow Wow"October 8, 20131.88[44]
Keyonnah has been a fan of the rapper Bow Wow since she was growing up. She messages him one day and is shocked when he messages her back. They have been talking for four months, but Keyonnah is suspicious when he refuses to video chat. 'Bow Wow' had even sent Keyonnah $10,000 to soothe her financial troubles. Bow Wow is revealed to be a female called Dee, who says she uses the profile to meet girls and become romantically involved with them, even though some of them do not realise she is a woman. Keyonnah had been speaking on the phone with Dee's cousin Fred, who she also meets in the episode.
--"Catfish Season 2: Last Hooks"October 13, 20130.81[45]
2715"Mike & Caroline"October 15, 20131.81[46]
Mike, a struggling artist from Pensacola, Florida, fell in love online with a beautiful redhead named Caroline over a year and a half ago. But as their connection grew, so did Mike's suspicions, since they live in the same city and Caroline has continually evaded his attempts to meet. Strangely, Caroline often makes her presence known by sending Mike pictures of the exterior of his workplace and has even left a note on his car when it was parked in front of his house. Regardless, Mike continues to grow more invested in his relationship with Caroline, especially when he learned that she was diagnosed with colon cancer and needs his support. Mike can't tear himself away from this intensely bizarre love affair, but does wonder if he's being preyed upon by a stalking catfish. When they finally meet, Caroline turns out to be a woman named Heather, who lied about having cancer and had an online relationship with Mike prior to filming with a different fake account created to help her best friend see if her partner was cheating on her.
2816"Catfish: The Reunion Show 2"October 15, 20131.25[46]

Season 3 (2014)

No. in
series
No. in
season
Title Original air date U.S. viewers
(million)
291"Craig & Zoe"May 7, 20142.05[47]
Craig, a 24-year old man from Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, has been in a tumultuous relationship with a girl named Zoe from Shelby, North Carolina who is apparently a friend of his sister, Mariah. He states that Zoe has given him all the love he should have or never received and has also rendered him financial assistance. However, when asked by Craig to send him a new picture of herself, she turned irritable. She has complete access to Craig's social media accounts and, on several occasions, has misused them along with her own by uploading raunchy pictures of mutual friends of Craig and Mariah, owing to the dissolution of relationships and friendships. On tracing her number, it is shown to correspond with a Mary Ann Razmus from Shelby, North Carolina and the catfish is discovered to be her daughter, Cassandra, who once sent her picture to Craig under the impersonation of Zoe. When confronted, she is initially impassive, but later breaks down and admits to being bullied and creating Zoe's profile just to "put people on blast". Craig has since severed all contact with Cassandra who has been rebuilding her life.
302"Antwane & Tony"May 14, 20141.55[48]
Carmen contacted Nev and Max to aid her cousin Antwane from Cincinnati, Ohio who has been pursuing a relationship via chat line with a man named Tony for three years without knowledge of his surname, his location or his appearance. Apparently, Tony is a construction worker from Atlanta, Georgia, whose hectic schedule forbids him to meet with Antwane. Tony's number is then traced to a Diana Thomas in whose family is an Anthony Thomas who, with a criminal record, was serving time in prison. After hitting three possible local addresses listed under Diana Thomas' name, Carmen reveals in an anticlimax that she is Tony. She illumines the fact that she is a habitual catfish and takes pride in it, and that she has made reprisals with Antwane over a public jest he made about her three years ago. In the end, it is seen that Carmen has quit her practice of catfishing and has reached out to Antwane, but to no avail.
313"Antoinette & Albert"May 21, 20141.73[49]
Antoinette of Dallas, Texas, an avidly followed member of Instagram initiated contact with rapper, T-Lights of the band The Twentys from Boca Raton, Florida. T-Lights always cooks up excuses when asked to video chat. The phone number that he uses to contact Antoinette is discovered to be registered to a Carmen Essaye, mother to sons Joseph and Albert (T-Lights). Initially, the catfish is assumed to be Joesph, who is married and assists his brother in the handling of his Instagram account, as the manager of The Twentys dismissed the number as not having belonged to Albert. Nev and Max accompany Antoinette to a show of the band where they catch up backstage where the authenticity of the relationship between Albert and Antoinette is established. But due to the brewing concerns over jobs and attachment, they decided to not pursue a romantic relationship but kept their friendship intact. Antoinette has since been dating someone else.
324"Lucille & Kidd Cole"May 28, 20141.69[50]
Lucille became affiliated with apparent recording artist Kidd Cole (who claims to have ties with Kanye West and his record label) and his co-manager Miguel who implicate her in a series of events that involve fat payments to the parties concerned. On the pretext of a financial lockdown, the financing is shouldered by Lucille and Miguel went off the radar. It is discovered that Kidd Cole’s music on SoundCloud is not original material, and when met with Loretta, another victim of his scams, it is illumined that he is on the breadline and has had a criminal record for felony and fraud. Nev, Max and Lucille meet up with Kidd Cole who is evidently lying, and in the heat of the moment, Nev tosses Kidd’s cell phone into the water. The following day, they arrange to meet in a recording studio where Kidd’s friend claims to be a sound engineer, but the truth is unveiled when he confesses to the producer that he was just playing the part. Two months later, it is seen that Lucille is pursuing criminal justice in college while Kidd Cole refused the follow-up interview and has not turned a new leaf since.
335"Tracie & Sammie"June 4, 20141.56[51]
Tracie is an actress from Los Angeles, California who has encountered a super-crazy fan called Samantha on Twitter who creates fake profiles to garner more attention. She also initiated contact with a couple of other stars named Lotti and Marissa, using her bogus accounts under the name of Reese, a cancer patient. Sammie informs Tracie and the others of Reese’s apparent death which leaves them in dismay. It is later discovered that Reese’s funeral footage was that of Sammie’s cousin. When met with Marissa, she shows Nev and Max fan mail and a poetry by Sammie with romantic undertones. It is then discovered that Sammie is a bisexual woman with a child. When Tracie meets with Sammie, she admits without any issue. In the follow-up, Tracie says that she would like to read Sammie’s books in the event of them being published. Sammie has since quit stalking celebrities and is focusing on living her life with her son.
346"John & Kelsey"June 11, 20141.36[52]
John met Kelsey Beelzebub, whose voice he has heard only once and whom he has never video chatted with, in a psychology chat room. Kelsey claims to have body dysmorphic disorder and anxiety. It is eventually known that a girl and a guy, Ellie and Adam, from the same chat room are in a parallel relationship with Ellie never having seen Adam. John admits that he was, at some point, interested in Ellie. Kelsey agrees to meet John at a local café, but he sends them to a fake address and admits to being in a casino. Kelsey is revealed to be Adam who uncouthly reveals that he takes pride in catfishing and has done it to roughly 30-40 people. He created Kelsey’s account with the intent of keeping John out of Ellie’s way. The next day, Nev, Max and John meet with Adam who is more apologetic and confesses to Ellie via Skype. Two months later, Adam has reconstructed his life after moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in writing and has deactivated Kelsey’s profile. He has also renewed his relationship with Ellie. John has meanwhile taken the time to visit a female friend in Illinois and is on amicable terms with Adam.
357"Solana & Elijah"June 18, 20141.83[53]
Solana has been in a five-year relationship with Elijah, whom she met on MySpace, since she was 14. Elijah was her rock when she was coming to terms with her parents’ divorce, but he abruptly goes off the radar. Around a couple of years later, he reaches out to her via a Facebook message, when Solana is in a relationship with Danny, but says that his gadget does not facilitate phone calls or video chat, hence resulting in him resorting to a texting application. Elijah’s number is traced to a 33-year old Denise. On conducting a Facebook search, myriad Facebook profiles pop up with Elijah’s name, pictures or both. Eventually, it is learned that he has a YouTube channel on which he uploads self-filmed footage of himself. On arriving at Elijah’s residence, a man named Joshua answers the door and invites Nev, Max and Solana inside to meet Elijah who appears after a few moments. Solana is at a paradox and eventually settles for a friendship with Elijah after she marries Danny. Elijah continues to remain in contact and respects her decision.
368"Miranda & Cameryn"June 25, 20141.59[54]
Miranda met has been in a relationship with Cameryn for three years. Cameryn cooks up several excuses when meeting in person or video-calling is suggested. Miranda eventually learned that Cameryn’s supposed actual name was James when she came across pictures of him tagged as someone named Josh. His phone number traces to a woman named Hang, who interestingly has a son name James (who has no affiliation with the story whatsoever). When called, James is tentative but ultimately agrees to meet up with Miranda. Nev, Max and Miranda fly to Marietta, Georgia to be told by James that family pressure obstructed him from seeing Miranda and proposes a Skype call through which James/Cameryn is revealed to be Gabby, an 18-year old girl who is confounded about her sexuality. They set up a meeting the next day. Gabby bails, leaving Miranda stricken. Over time, Gabby felt remorse and wished to make it up to her and she revealed that she reconnected with her. Miranda stated that she has forgiven Gabby, but reveals that her talks with her have a flirtatious undertone.
379"Jeff & Megan"July 2, 20141.52[55]
Jeff is a Navy sailor who encountered Megan from Florida who claims to be a registered nurse. Their friendship was born out of an accidental friend request on Facebook. The pair have neither met nor video-chatted. Jeff disclosed that he once traveled to Texas to meet Megan, but was stood up. On running Megan’s phone number, it returns a hit- brandy from Texas. On inspection of Brandy’s Facebook profile, Nev and Max note that it coincides everywhere with Megan’s profile. Owing to his job, Jeff is unable to head to Texas which sends Max flying solo. After stalking Brandy at her apartment, he finally manages to convince her to accompany him. On meeting with Jeff, Megan reveals to him that she works at a dispatch company and created the Megan profile to escape her memories of an abusive past relationship. Although Jeff is disappointed initially, he is empathetic. A month later, Jeff is still in contact with Brandy but has reenlisted in the Navy. Brandy says that they speak daily and she is looking forward to the future and attending counseling.
--"Blake & Kiersten (aka Blake & Kendra)"July 8, 20141.32[56]
The stars of love were hardly ever aligned for Blake until he met Kiersten on Twitter who is apparently a model who works for a professional sports company and who claims to be David Hasselhoff’s goddaughter. Blake made numerous futile attempts to meet Kiersten in person. A revelation is made when Kiersten tells Blake that her given name is actually Kendra and she has a son. Kendra’s pictures are discovered to be those of a Sara Grace who tearfully tells Nev and Max that Kendra had been using her pictures to manipulate men while employing the picture of a Sarah Ordo on her Facebook profile. When Kendra is met with, she turns out to be an obese woman who is emotionally unstable and tetchy with Max. She persists in her lies, but gradually confesses in part. A month later, we see that Blake has been on a few dates, but is still single and has disconnected from Kendra. Meanwhile, Kendra is uninterested in pursuing a friendship with Blake, but is glad that she came clean.
3810"Bianca & Brogan"July 9, 20141.70[57]

Bianca, a lesbian, met Brogan via Facebook. The pair had never video-chatted, but when the subject was broached, Brogan vanished out of the blue and deleted her Facebook account. A year later, she reactivated and reconnected with Bianca. Brogan Acaster is then traced to a blog with shots of a pregnant woman with the same tattoos that Bianca had seen through pictures. Brogan is eventually revealed to be Tia who confessed to creating the profile with no motive, but eventually getting immersed in it. She discloses that she was a vitim of sexual assault at the age of 14. In the follow-up, Bianca wasn’t ready to let Tia into her life meaningfully, while Tia is repentant and hopes for a reconciliation.

Special Guest Star: Selita Ebanks

Season 4 (2015)

No. in
series
No. in
season
Title Original air date U.S. viewers
(million)
391"Miracle & Javonni"February 25, 20151.41[58]
At the beginning of the episode, Max reveals that he will not be joining Nev right away this season as he is working on a film with Zac Efron called "We Are Your Friends." Charlamagne Tha God fills in for Max. 26-year-old Miracle from Milwaukee, Wisconsin contacts Nev to help her connect with Javonni, whom she believes to be the love of her life. Javonni claimed to be a music producer. When Nev and Charlamagne take Miracle to meet Javonni, he is revealed to be Kara. Kara created the Javonni profile to help out a friend who thought her boyfriend was cheating on her. Kara continued to talk to Miracle because she was lonely and bored after complications with Lupus kept her homebound. Miracle and Kara agree to be friends. In the epilogue, Kara has not replied to Miracle's Facebook messages, but says she plans to.
402"Courtney & Isaak"March 4, 20150.96[59]
Nev enlists the help of Cassidy Wolf to help Courtney find out the true identity of Isaak who wrote into the show pretending to be Courtney. Courtney met Issak on a dating website. The two were supposed to meet, but Courtney called off the meeting and ended all contact after she realized Isaak had been using a fake picture. At the meetup, Isaak is revealed to be an asexual man who was uncomfortable sharing information on the internet which is why he used a fake picture. Courtney confronts Isaak about his dishonesty. The two come to an agreement that they will never have contact again in the future. In the epilogue, Isaak has had no contact with Courtney and has had some luck dating as himself. Courtney has chosen to focus on her family and stick to traditional dating.
413"Harold & Armani"March 11, 20151.03[60]
Nev is joined by Angel Haze to help Harold meet Armani.
424"Daisy & Marcus"March 18, 20151.35[61]
Tyler Oakley and Nev help Daisy meet Marcus, whom she met through Instagram.
435"Chitara & Priscilla"March 25, 20151.09[62]
Alex Shaffer joins Nev to help Chitara meet Priscilla.
446"Felipe & Jasmin"April 1, 20151.13[63]
--"Stephanie & David"April 8, 20151.03[64]
This is a previously unaired episode from Season 1.
457"Whitney & Bre"April 12, 2015
468"Jamey & Ari"April 22, 2015

See also

References

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External links