Catfish: The TV Show

Catfish: The TV Show
Genre	Reality
Based on	Catfish by Henry Joost Ariel Schulman
Developed by	Ariel Schulman Nev Schulman Max Joseph
Starring	Nev Schulman Max Joseph
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	69
Production
Executive producer(s)	Andrew Jarecki Ariel Schulman Brad Bishop David Metzler Henry Joost Jonathan Karshis Julie Link Steffens Mark Smerling Marshall Eisen Nev Schulman Guillermo Bonilla Nomi Ernst Leidner Tom Forman
Cinematography	John DeTarsio Max Joseph
Camera setup	Multiple
Running time	40 to 42 minutes
Production company(s)	Catfish Picture Company Relativity Media
Distributor	Viacom Media Networks
Release
Original network	MTV
Picture format	1080i (16:9 HDTV)
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	November 12, 2012 – present
External links
Website

Catfish: The TV Show is an American reality-based documentary 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] The fifth season premiered on February 24, 2016.

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.

Catfish parodied in the Philippines as Dogfish

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

The show presents the "hopeful" as the one who initiates contact with Schulman and Joseph in an attempt to discover the true identity of their online romance, or the "catfish". Some of the show's casting calls do solicit stories from hopefuls,^[4] and casting director Michael Esposito explained in August 2015 that the show can receive more than a hundred applications a day.^[5]

However, a 2013 Hollywood.com report^[6] explained that despite the broadcast show being structured as a search by the hopeful for true identity of the catfish, it is usually the catfish who make the first contact with MTV. Producers then proceed to gather information about the deception from the catfish and contact the hopeful afterwards. For legal reasons, all persons involved on the series sign contracts agreeing to appear on camera prior to the episode even entering production. In Season 3's Miranda and Camryn episode, the catfish did change their mind about meeting the hopeful, and only appeared via Skype.

The hosts are given no information about the catfish, and while the catfish has already agreed to appear on the show, they do not know when or how the hosts will be looking for them.

Nev Schulman explained more about the reverse-engineering in an August 2014 interview:

"A lot of the stories that we get come from the catfish side of things. People who feel so terrible [...] that they've been lying to a friend or a lover on the internet for a long time. They want to come clean, but they fear if they simply told the truth, the other person would [...] be very upset that they've been lied to and deceived, and likely discard them. And so they're hopeful that by coming on the show [...] maybe we can facilitate some kind of amicable exchange, that they can be heard, explain themselves in a more objective and non-judgmental way. So [the producers] orchestrate very delicately, and staying out of it as much as possible, a scenario by which [...] the hopeful reaches out to me [...]. And so [Max and I] just pick up from there. [The hopeful has] no idea of course that the other person's already expressed interest in meeting. And the [catfish] doesn't know that we're actually doing it. They just sorta think maybe it could happen. So they don't know when or why or how. So it's tricky, but everything is real. The feelings are real, the relationships are real. We haven't created any scenarios, we don't tell people what to say or do. It's very unpredictable".^[7]

A new UK edition is being cast through online ads that do specifically target the catfish, not the hopeful: "Tired of keeping secrets from your online love? Come clean" and "Are you a secret Catfish? It's time to come clean".^[8]

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]

Other versions

In January 2016, MTV began casting a proposed UK version of the show. The project was cancelled, but Schulman has said he would like to make a pan-European version.^[9]

A Brazilian version is in production.^[10]

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	19	February 25, 2015	August 30, 2015
	5	12	February 24, 2016	May 11, 2016
	5b	8	August 10, 2016	September 21, 2016

Season 1 (2012–13)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
1	1	"Sunny & Jamison"	November 12, 2012	2.68[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.
2	2	"Trina & Scorpio"	November 19, 2012	2.74[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.
3	3	"Kim & Matt"	November 26, 2012	2.61[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.
4	4	"Jasmine & Mike"	December 3, 2012	2.23[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]
5	5	"Jarrod & Abby"	December 10, 2012	2.41[16]
Jarrod is a divorced father from Georgia who 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.
6	6	"Kya & Alyx"	December 17, 2012	2.07[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]
7	7	"Joe & Kari Ann"	January 7, 2013	2.52[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.
8	8	"Tyler & Amanda"	January 14, 2013	2.17[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]
9	9	"Rod & Ebony"	January 21, 2013	2.75[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]
10	10	"Rico & Ja'mari"	January 28, 2013	2.27[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.
11	11	"Mike & Felicia"	February 18, 2013	2.37[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.
12	12	"The Reunion Show"	February 25, 2013	1.95[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)
13	1	"Cassie & Steve"	June 25, 2013	2.50[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.
14	2	"Anthony and Marq"	July 2, 2013	1.76[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.
15	3	"Ramon & Paola"	July 9, 2013	2.16[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.
16	4	"Lauren & Derek"	July 16, 2013	2.36[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.
17	5	"Dorion & Jeszica"	July 23, 2013	2.28[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.
18	6	"Jen & Skylar"	July 30, 2013	2.14[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, going so far as to say he 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.
19	7	"Mike & Kristen"	August 6, 2013	1.57[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.
Special 1	Special 1	"Midseason Reunion"	August 13, 2013	0.97[36]
20	8	"Jesse & Brian"	August 20, 2013	1.82[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.
21	9	"Artis & Jess"	August 27, 2013	2.01[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.
22	10	"Ashley & Mike"	September 3, 2013	1.74[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] Ashley died of a drug overdose during the weekend of April 30, 2016.[41]
23	11	"Aaliyah & Alicia"	September 10, 2013	1.61[42]
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.
24	12	"Nick & Melissa"	September 24, 2013	1.21[43]
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.
25	13	"Derek & Kristen"	October 1, 2013	0.95[44]
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.
26	14	"Keyonnah & Bow Wow"	October 8, 2013	1.88[45]
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.
Special 2	Special 2	"Catfish Season 2: Last Hooks"	October 13, 2013	0.81[46]
27	15	"Mike & Caroline"	October 15, 2013	1.81[47]
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.
28	16	"Catfish: The Reunion Show 2"	October 15, 2013	1.25[47]

Season 3 (2014)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
29	1	"Craig & Zoe"	May 7, 2014	2.05[48]
Craig, a 24-year-old man from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 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.
30	2	"Antwane & Tony"	May 14, 2014	1.55[49]
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.
31	3	"Antoinette & Albert"	May 21, 2014	1.73[50]
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.
32	4	"Lucille & Kidd Cole"	May 28, 2014	1.69[51]
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.
33	5	"Tracie & Sammie"	June 4, 2014	1.56[52]
Tracie Thoms 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.
34	6	"John & Kelsey"	June 11, 2014	1.36[53]
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.
35	7	"Solana & Elijah"	June 18, 2014	1.83[54]
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.
36	8	"Miranda & Cameryn"	June 25, 2014	1.59[55]
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.
37	9	"Jeff & Megan"	July 2, 2014	1.52[56]
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.
Special 3	Special 1	"Blake & Kiersten (aka Blake & Kendra)"	July 8, 2014	1.32[57]
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.
38	10	"Bianca & Brogan"	July 9, 2014	1.70[58]
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 victim 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)
39	1	"Miracle & Javonni"	February 25, 2015	1.41[59]
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. Special Guest Star: Charlamagne Tha God
40	2	"Courtney & Isaak"	March 4, 2015	0.96[60]
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. Special Guest Star: Cassidy Wolf
41	3	"Harold & Armani"	March 11, 2015	1.03[61]
Nev is joined by Angel Haze to help Harold meet Armani. Harold has seen only one picture of Armani over a span of four years and he reveals that Armani has mothered a child after being impregnated by a jailbird. A web search for Armani's e-mail username pops up a basketball recruitment page with a girl named Tamila on it. When met with, Tamila is uncovered as the catfish who, hand-in-glove with her friend, monitor the Armani page while corroborating the facts to unususpecting males. Tamila is light-hearted about the situation, but reveals the next day that she is insecure. She and Harold part on an unpromising note. Neither appeared in the follow-up interview, but it is seen that Tamila has failed to elicit a response from Harold who says he has forgiven her, but is not interested in reestablishing contact with her. The Armani Brown page was yet to be deleted. Special Guest Star: Angel Haze
42	4	"Daisy & Marcus"	March 18, 2015	1.35[62]
Tyler Oakley and Nev help Daisy meet Marcus, whom she met through Instagram. Marcus has been the recipient of numerous gifts from Daisy, including a camera of $1000. Marcus is a video producer, but declines offers to chat with Daisy. With much ado over not wanting his private life to be in the public eye, Marcus finally agrees to meet with Daisy. He is genuine, but is not completely open about his feelings towards her. Ultimately, Daisy revealed that Marcus will always be significant to her while he says that he is not ready to pursue a romantic relationship, but they continue to remain great friends. Special Guest Star: Tyler Oakley
43	5	"Chitara & Priscilla"	March 25, 2015	1.09[63]
Alex Shaffer joins Nev in this episode. Chitara is a 28-year-old mother of two who has fallen in love with 22-year-old Priscilla, a professional nurse, on MocoSpace. Chitara's plans to meet or video chat with Priscilla did not materialize. Six months into the relationship, Priscilla reveals that her mother died and shortly after, she states that she has moved on from Chitara and has fallen in love with a male. On investigating Priscilla's MocoSpace profile, suggestive comments are found to have been posted by a female named Kiloni who states that she is a lesbian. Kiloni has multiple counterfeit profiles across the internet. When contacted on the phone, Priscilla suggests that Chitara should move on with her life just as she did, but agrees to meet with her. Priscilla is revealed to be an 18-year-old girl named Ashanti who states that she has been using fake profiles since she was 13 as an escapism from her depressing reality. Two months later, it is seen that Chitara is focusing on raising her children and has terminated contact with Ashanti who refused the follow-up interview. The Priscilla profile has not been active since. Special Guest Star: Alex Shaffer
44	6	"Felipe & Jasmin"	April 1, 2015	1.13[64]
Felipe, a father of one, met Jasmin on Facebook where they have been in a relationship for eight months. Jasmin says that she is a 22-year-old model who does not possess a phone. When Felipe insists on meeting, she abruptly becomes unavailable indefinitely. The picture she uses is discovered to belong to a Paris Roxanne who was once a victim of serious blackmail. When reached out to, Jasmin challenges Nev's identity, but agrees to meet up. Jasmin is revealed to be Luis who is best friends with Felipe's one-time girlfriend, Alex. Luis reveals that the fake account was created as an escapism and a release from hatred and anger as he was molested by a school teacher at a young age. In the follow-up, Luis reveals that he is repentant and says that he wishes for a friendship with Felipe who has forgiven Luis and is in a relationship.
45	7	"Whitney & Bre"	April 12, 2015	1.00[65]
Whitney met Bre, an exotic dancer from California, on an internet dating site and they have been in a relationship for four and a half years. Bre constantly fabricates excuses to evade video-chatting and Facebook and cites financial issues. Whitney says that she has only a limited number of pictures of Bre who claims to not have WiFi but has a VoIP number. Bre's pictures are revealed to be those of a girl named Kash. Bre's Twitter account comes with a different picture but she is proved to be from LA. When Kash is contacted, she discloses that Bre is her friend who has misused her pictures on a prior occasion. On logging into Whitney's Facebook account Nev and Max learn that she has a close-knit relationship with a girl named Lucious which she had informed them was the word Bre had tattooed on her leg. In a Catfish first, Nev and Max uncover that Whitney's motive was to get a free plane ticket to meet Bre. Envisaging the episode to compromise the show, an MTV executive was consulted who advised them to use their discretion. Bre apologizes over the phone and Whitney is taken to LA. In the follow-up, both Whitney's and Bre's financial situations have ameliorated and they have become a couple with visitation plans.
Special 4	Special 1	"Stephanie & David"	April 8, 2015	1.03[66]
This is a previously unaired episode from Season 1. Stephanie has been talking to David on Facebook for 7 months. Both of them are Los Angeles residents, but Dave cooks up excuses when a meet-up is proposed. A Google Image search pops up numerous results for the pictures being employed by Dave and they are of a man named Cayron. Dave is fickle minded about meeting Stephanie, but finally gives in. He is revealed to be a man named Dawuan who lied about his looks and his job. Stephanie is highly offended and is blatant about her feelings. Dawuan discloses that he created the fake profile to stalk his ex and it also stemmed from a low self-esteem issue. Stephanie terminated contact with him after the incident and has been dating somebody else since.
46	8	"Jamey & Ari"	April 22, 2015	1.15[67]
Jamey met Ari on a dating site and they have had exchanges over a period of five months. Ari told Jamey that she would like to meet him on Catfish as a secret of hers needed disclosure, thus prompting her to contact the show. They have seen each other's faces via Skype and Ari possesses both a YouTube channel and a Google Plus account, none of which points at her being phoney. However, a Facebook post that mentions her "in-laws" and her "man" engendered the possibility that she is married. Jamey is conversant with the fact that there was a man named Caz whom she was involved with. Ari first meets Nev and Max alone and divulges that she is transgender. On meeting with Jamey, she repudiated Jamey's attempt to communicate and walks away. In the follow-up, Jamey admits that he maintains sporadic contact with Ari while exploring the Houston nightlife. Ari has had an arduous time acclimatizing herself to her loss, but allows herself to be incentivized by other transgender women who have found love.
47	9	"Blaire & Markie"	April 29, 2015	0.92[68]
Blaire, recently rendered homeless, met Markie on Instagram. A week prior to their arranged meeting, Markie alleges that she was kidnapped and calls Blaire a week later, claiming to be in a psychiatric hospital following which, she renounces her romantic feelings for Blaire, but still exercises control over her. Blaire called it quits as she still harbored feelings for a former lover. Nev and Max deduce her Facebook activity to be normal despite the supposed abduction, but find her Instagram details disturbing. Over the phone, Markie's acquaintances confirm her to be a compulsive liar with one stating that she actually ran away from home to get attention, following a suspension from school for carting a switchblade with her. In their first attempt to meet Markie in person, she is stated as having been gone indefinitely with friends, but she later meets the Blaire where she confesses that she was browbeaten and inveigled into the kidnapping by an undisclosed male companion and Nev reproves her for employing smooth operating tactics with Blaire. In the epilogue, Markie states that she has tweaked her honesty and maintains contact with Blaire who is moving to Florida and no longer has amorous sentiments for Markie.
48	10	"Steven & Samm"	May 6, 2015	0.93[69]
Steve's mother contacts the show in order to ensure that the girl Samm, who Steve is in love with, is genuine or not. When she is contacted, she states that she has something to disclose to Steve. On meeting him, it is shown that her pictures and her identity were not deceitful, but she has been involved in similar relationships with other men. An emotional ending ensued after which Steve let go of the relationship.
Special 5	Special 2	"Where Are They Now?"	May 13, 2015	0.82[70]
Max, without the help of Nev, checks in on guest stars from seasons 1 and 2.
49	11	"Tiana & James"	July 8, 2015	1.02[71]
Tiana, a 21-year-old woman from North Carolina, met her first love on Myspace three years prior to contacting Nev and Max. James is a 24-year-old who also lives in North Carolina, which raises a red flag as to why they live in the same state but have yet to meet over the duration of three years. Tiana has not revealed to James that she has a 3-year-old daughter, who she gave birth to just before they started talking. James and Tiana rely on text messaging and phone calls since James claims that he can't video chat. When Nev and Max look up "James Sloan" on Facebook, they find a white, middle-aged man, who Max describes as "your worst nightmare" when it comes to meeting people online. Tiana and the crew, along with Tiana's best friend, Aisha, go to meet James. They arrive at a mechanic shop about ten minutes from Tiana's house, and she says that this is the shop of her baby's father's cousin. The person, however, ends up being Trez, the father of Aisha's baby. Tiana believes that Aisha had set this up all along, so Tiana and Aisha are no longer friends and still had not made up months later. Tiana also had not talked to Trez after the incident.
50	12	"Falesha & Jacqueline"	July 15, 2015	0.73[72]
51	13	"Prophet & Trinity"	July 22, 2015	0.94[73]
52	14	"Thad & Sara"	July 29, 2015	1.06[74]
53	15	"Andria & David"	August 5, 2015	0.90[75]
54	16	"Ayissha & Sydney"	August 12, 2015	0.50[76]
55	17	"Hundra & Emily"	August 19, 2015	-
56	18	"Devan & Rylan"	August 26, 2015	-
57	19	"Brittany & Bryon"	September 2, 2015	-

Season 5 (2016)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
58	1	"Dejay, Malik & Josiah"	February 24, 2016	0.77[77]
A catfish first: Two men may be dating the same catfish. Nev and Max bring them together to find out who they have both been in a relationship with for several years.
59	2	"Jeanette & Derick"	March 2, 2016	0.76[78]
Mama doesn't always know best. Concerned daughter, Shuntay, enlists the help of Nev and Max after her mother, Jeanette, begins talking about marriage and uprooting her family to be with a man who refuses to meet in person.
60	3	"Leuh & Justin"	March 9, 2016	0.83[79]
Since Leuh saw surfer Justin it's been insta-love ever since,. But after 2 failed attempts to meet up, she's desperate to figure out if Justin really is the man of her dreams or is she one in a long line of online lovers.
Special 6	Special 1	"Special"	March 16, 2016	0.43[80]
61	4	"Brendan & Mckenna"	March 17, 2016	0.77[81]
Brandon loves McKenna, but failed attempts to connect has left him wondering if McKenna is for real. Nev teams with social media sensation Karrueche Tran to help Brandon uncover the shocking truth of his true love.
62	5	"Jaylin & Ja'la"	March 23, 2016	1.00[82]
Jaylin is prepared to sacrifice a lifelong friendship and promising videogame career to be with a woman he's never even spoken to on the phone. Nev and Max help him discover that sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.
63	6	"Michael & Chanelle"	March 30, 2016	0.82[83]
Michael felt he had no time for a relationship, but love appeared in a DM. Chanelle is the light he's needed in his life, but out of the blue she's disappeared, leaving only Nev and Max to help him find his missing love.
64	7	"Ray & Lexi"	April 6, 2016	0.93[84]
65	8	"Joanna & Bo"	April 13, 2016	0.98[85]
66	9	"Tyreme & Tomorrow"	April 20, 2016	0.90[86]
Special 7	Special 2	"Special"	April 20, 2016	0.72[86]
67	10	"Kayla & Courtney"	April 27, 2016	1.01[87]
68	11	"Paris & Tara"	May 4, 2016	0.76
69	12	"Vince & Alyssa"	May 11, 2016	0.66

Season 5B (2016)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date[88]	U.S. viewers (million)
70	13	"Lucas & Many"	August 10, 2016	0.90
71	14	"Larissa & Anthony"	August 10, 2016	0.81
Larissa was in an online relationship for three years with a man named " Jose", which later turned out to be her friend pretending to be a man since she herself was in love with Larissa. After the heartbreaking truth was revealed she found comfort in her online friend Anthony. They soon began dating but his strange behavior had Larissa wondering if she was once again being catfished. So she called Nev and Max to help her find out the truth about Anthony.The most worrisome part was that Larissa had sent him 500 dollars. Upon some initial research by Nev and Max they find out that most of the information Anthony gave Larissa was truthful ,he was from California , and he had worked at a car rental shop and later went to Alaska to work at a cannery. When they call the car rental shop to confirm his identity they find out his name is not Anthony but in a strange twist is actually Jose. The photos he was using actually belonged to someone he knew that stole his girlfriend at the time. When confronted in Alaska he admits that he used Larissa for money and to him it was a game but he then thought of her as a friend. He's in Alaska to restart his life after getting into legal trouble.When talking to Larissa he admits that he only said hurtful things to her to make her leave him so he didn't have to face the truth. He always runs away from his problems instead of facing them. In the catch up Larissa reveals Jose was in prison and had reached out to her to try and rekindle their relationship.
72	15	"Spencer & Katy"	August 17, 2016	0.74
Spencer has been having an online relationship for 6 years with who he claims is the actual singer Katy Perry. He says they met on a messenger app and have been speaking on and off ever since. He says that she sends him songs before they are even released but when Nev and Max look at the links they are from random Youtube videos that are no longer available. Spencer has also made a ring for Katy using his great-grandmother's emerald stone. When Nev and Max search the phone number and email address Spencer had for "Katy Perry", they find the number linked to a Canadian phone which Spencer claims was the number Katy used while in Canada. When they search for the email they find it linked to a girl named Harriet, on her profile she lists herself as being from Canada and is a huge Katy Perry fan. Harriet moved from Canada to the UK. Even with the evidence shown to him, he still believes that he is talking to Katy and Harriet is a fake profile that Katy herself made 6 years ago to hide their relationship. They reach out to a girl named Amy that was commenting on Harriets Facebook page, she says that she was actually Harriets ex-girlfriend and Harriet herself is a lesbian. That leads Spencer to further believe he couldn't have been talking to Harriet but instead the real Katy Perry. Harriet herself comes to the hotel that Nev and Spencer are staying to meet Spencer and the team. Even being face to face with Harriet and she confirms that it was her on the app and in the emails, she even gives details that were in the messages but Spencer still refuses to believe that it was not really Katy that he spent the last 6 years with. Nev and Max have to use tough love to try and get Spencer to accept that it's not actually Katy he's been in love with but Harriet. Even after the trip he still had doubts and emailed Harriet as if she was still Katy. But now he claims to have accepted that it was actually Harriet not Katy.
73	16	"Candic & Titus"	August 24, 2016	0.88
74	17	"Andrea, Alex & Andrea"	August 31, 2016	0.65
75	18	"Catherine & Graham"	September 7, 2016	0.77
76	19	"Luis & Sydney"	September 14, 2016	0.66
77	20	"Andrew & Zack"	September 21, 2016	0.62

See also

• Catfish effect

References

1. Porter, Rick (August 3, 2012). "'Catfish: The TV Show': MTV delves into online relationships". Zap2It. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
2. Willmore, Alison (August 7, 2012). "MTV Readies a Reality Series Based on 'Catfish' for November". IndieWire. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
3. "Catfish: The TV Show". MTV. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
4. "Catfish: The TV Show is now casting!". MTV Shows. Archived from the original on July 18, 2014.
5. AfterBuzz TV (August 26, 2015). "Catfish: The TV Show Season 4 Episode 21 Review w/ Michael Esposito". YouTube.com.
6. Lutes, Alicia (February 12, 2013). "Is 'Catfish' Catfishing America". Hollywood.com. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
7. TheLipTV2 (August 1, 2014). "CATFISH - TV Show, Scams + More With Nev Schulman". YouTube.com.
8. Catfish: The TV Show on Twitter
   
9. MTV could make a UK version of Catfish, according to presenter Nev Schulman http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/37553288
10. "Apply For MTV's Catfish UK 2016 - True North".
11. Bibel, Sara (November 13, 2012). "Monday Cable Ratings: 'Monday Night Football' Wins Night, 'WWE Raw', 'Teen Moms II', 'Pawn Stars', 'Catfish', 'Real Housewives' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
12. Kondolojy, Amanda (November 20, 2012). "Monday Cable Ratings: Monday Night Football Wins Night + 'SportsCenter', 'Catfish: The TV Show', 'Teen Mom 2', 'Monday Night RAW' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
13. Bibel, Sara (November 28, 2012). "Monday Cable Ratings:Monday NIght Football Wins Night, 'Catfish', 'Teen Mom 2', 'WWE Raw' 'Pawn Stars', 'Basketball Wives', & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
14. Kondolojy, Amanda. "Monday Cable Ratings: Monday Night Football Wins Big + 'Teen Mom II', 'Catfish', 'Pawn Stars', 'Monday Night RAW' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
15. "Catfish: The TV Show : Jasmine & Mike". MTV. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
16. Bibel, Sara. "Monday Cable Ratings: Monday Night Football Wins Night, 'Catfish', 'Teen Mom 2', 'WWE Raw', 'Pawn Stars' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
17. "Catfish: The TV Show : Jarrod & Abby". Retrieved November 24, 2012.
18. Kondolojy, Amanda. "Monday Cable Ratings: Monday Night Football Wins Night, + 'Monday Night RAW', 'Pawn Stars', 'Teen Mom II', 'Catfish' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
19. "S01E06 - Kya & Alyx". Zap2It. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
20. Kondolojy, Amanda (January 9, 2013). "Monday Cable Ratings: College Football Dominates Night + 'WWE Monday Night RAW', 'Catfish', 'Love & Hip Hop 3', 'Teen Mom II' & More". TVbythenumbers. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
21. "S01E07 - Joe and Kari Ann". Zap2It. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
22. Kondolojy, Amanda (January 15, 2013). "Monday Cable Ratings: 'Monday Night RAW' Wins Night + 'Catfish', 'Teen Mom II', 'Love & Hip Hop', 'Pawn Stars' & More". TVbythenumbers. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
23. "S01E09 - Tyler and Amanda". Zap2It. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
24. Bibel, Sara (January 23, 2013). "Monday Cable Ratings:'Catfish' Wins Night, 'Teen Mom 2', 'WWE Raw', 'Pawn Stars', 'Love and Hip Hop' & More". TVbythenumbers. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
25. "MTV to Air Can't Miss Season Finale Episode of Groundbreaking Docu-Series "Catfish: The TV Show" on Monday, February 18 at 11:00 P.M. ET/PT". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
26. Kondolojy, Amanda. "Monday Cable Ratings:'Monday Night Raw' Wins Night + 'Teen Mom II', 'Pawn Stars', 'Catfish', 'American Pickers' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
27. Bibel, Sara. "Monday Cable Ratings: 'WWE Raw' & 'Teen Mom 2' Win Night, 'Catfish', 'Pawn Stars', 'Dallas', 'Switched at Birth' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
28. Kondolojy, Amanda. "Monday Cable Ratings: 'WWE RAW' Wins Night + 'Teen Mom II', 'Pawn Stars', 'Catfish', 'American Pickers' + More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
29. Bibel, Sara (June 26, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Catfish' & 'Rizzoli & Isles' Win Night, 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Deadliest Catch', 'Perception' & More". TV by the Numbers.
30. Kondolojy, Amanda (July 3, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Being Mary Jane' Wins Night + 'The Game', 'Deadliest Catch', 'Rizzoli & Isles', 'Catfish', 'Pretty Little Liars' & More". TV by the Numbers.
31. Kondolojy, Amanda (July 9, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'The Game', 'Catfish' & 'Deadliest Catch' Win Night, 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Rizzoli & Isles' & More". TV by the Numbers.
32. Kondolojy, Amanda (July 17, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Catfish' Wins Night + 'The Game', 'Suits', 'Rizzoli & Isles', 'Covert Affairs,' 'Pretty Little Liars' & More". TV by the Numbers.
33. Bibel, Sara (July 24, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Deadliest Catch', 'Pretty Little Liars' & 'The Game' Win Night, 'Catfish', 'Suits', 'Rizzoli & Isles' & More". TV by the Numbers.
34. Kondolojy, Amanda (July 31, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Counting Cars' Wins Night + 'The Game', 'Deadliest Catch', 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Catfish', 'Rizzoli & Isles' & More". TV by the Numbers.
35. Bibel, Sara (August 7, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Shark Week' Wins Night, 'The Game', 'Rizzoli & Isles', 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Suits', 'Catfish' & More". TV by the Numbers.
36. "Tuesday's Cable Ratings: "Rizzoli & Isles," "Amish Mafia" Top Charts". The Futon Critic. August 14, 2013.
37. Kondolojy, Amanda (August 21, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Rizzoli & Isles', 'Catfish', 'The Game', & 'Amish Mafia' Tie for Top Spot + 'The Legend of Shelby the Swamp Man', 'Suits' & More". TV by the Numbers.
38. Kondolojy, Amanda (August 27, 2013). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'MTV Video Music Awards' Dominates + 'Breaking Bad', 'Real Housewives of NJ', 'Catfish', 'Dexter' & More". TV by the Numbers.
39. Bibel, Sara (September 5, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'The Game' Wins Night, 'Tosh.0', 'Suits', 'Rizzoli & Isles', 'Catfish', 'Face Off' & More". TV by the Numbers.
40. Blake, Emily (October 15, 2013). "Catfish's Michael Fortunato Dead At 26".
41. Pedersen, Erik (May 2, 2016). "Ashley Sawyer Dies: MTV 'Catfish' Subject Was 23".
42. Kondolojy, Amanda (September 11, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Sons of Anarchy' Rides to First Place + 'Tosh.0', 'Rizzoli & Isles', World Cup Qualifiers, 'Amish Mafia' & More". TV by the Numbers.
43. Kondolojy, Amanda (September 25, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Sons of Anarchy' Wins Night + 'Tosh.0', 'Amish Mafia', 'The Daily Show', 'Brickleberry', 'Ink Master' & More". TV by the Numbers.
44. Bibel, Sara (October 2, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Sons of Anarchy' Wins Night, Baseball, 'Tosh.0', 'Ink Master', 'The Bad Girls Club' & More". TV by the Numbers.
45. Kondolojy, Amanda (October 9, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Sons of Anarchy' Leads the Pack + MLB Baseball, 'Tosh.0', 'Catfish', 'Ink Master' & More". TV by the Numbers.
46. Yanan, Travis (October 15, 2013). "Sunday's Cable Ratings & Broadcast Finals: NFL, "Walking Dead" Overshadow the Competition". The Futon Critic.
47. Bibel, Sara (October 16, 2013). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Sons of Anarchy' Wins Night, Real Husbands of Hollywood', 'Catfish', 'Face Off', 'Tosh.0' & More". TV by the Numbers.
48. Kondolojy, Amanda (May 8, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: NBA Basketball Tops Night + 'Love & Hip Hop', 'Catfish', 'American Dad' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
49. Bibel, Sara (May 15, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs Win Night, NHL Playoffs, 'Catfish', 'The Americans', 'Melissa & Joey' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
50. Kondolojy, Amanda (May 22, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: NBA Coverage Leads Night + 'Catfish', 'True Life', 'American Pickers', 'Deal With it' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
51. Bibel, Sara (May 29, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs Win Night, 'Catfish', 'The World Wars', 'Melissa & Joey' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
52. Kondolojy, Amanda (June 5, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'CMT Music Awards' Win Night + 'Catfish', 'American Pickers', 'Dual Survival' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
53. Bibel, Sara (June 12, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Wins Night, Stanley Cup Finals, 'Catfish', 'Suits', 'Graceland' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
54. Kondolojy, Amanda (June 19, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Wins Night + World Cup Soccer, 'Catfish', 'Suits', 'Melissa & Joey' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
55. Bibel, Sara (June 26, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Wins Night, World Cup Soccer, 'Catfish', 'Suits', 'Young & Hungry' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
56. Kondolojy, Amanda (July 3, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Wins Night + 'Catfish', 'Big Smo', 'Pardon the Interruption' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
57. Bibel, Sara (July 9, 2014). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: World Cup Wins Night, 'Rizzoli & Isles', 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Finding Carter', 'Perception', 'Tyrant' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
58. Bibel, Sara (July 10, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: World Cup Soccer Wins Night, 'Duck Dynasty', 'Catfish', 'Suits', 'The Bridge', 'Graceland' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
59. Kondolojy, Amanda (February 26, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Catfish' Tops Night + 'Mob Wives', 'The Game', 'House Hunters' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
60. Bibel, Sara (March 5, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'The Game' & ' Dual Survival' Win Night, 'Catfish', 'Conan', Mob Wives' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
61. Kondolojy, Amanda (March 12, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Dual Survival' & NBA Basketball Top Night, + 'Catfish', 'Mob Wives' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
62. Bibel, Sara (March 19, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Catfish' Wins Night, NBA Basketball, 'Dual Survivor', 'Little Women LA','Mob Wives', 'The Americans' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
63. Kondolojy, Amanda (March 26, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Catfish' Tops Night + 'Workaholics', NBA Basketball, 'The Daily Show' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
64. Bibel, Sara (April 2, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Catfish' & 'Dual Survival' Win Night, 'Little Women LA', 'Workaholics' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
65. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Dual Survival' & NBA Basketball Win Night, 'Catfish', 'Little Women: LA', 'Million Dollar Listing', 'The Americans' & More". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
66. Kondolojy, Amanda (April 9, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Dual Survival' Tops Night + 'My 600 LB Life', 'Catfish', 'Little Women: LA' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
67. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: NBA Basketball Tops Night + 'Dual Survival', 'Catfish', 'Little Women: LA' & More". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
68. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs Win Night, 'Little Women', 'Catfish', 'Young & Hungry' & More". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
69. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs Top Night + 'Catfish', NHL Hockey & More". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
70. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs Win Night, NHL Playoffs, 'American Pickers', 'Catfish', 'Little Women LA' & More". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
71. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: Shark Week Tops Night + 'Duck Dynasty', 'Suits', 'The Game', & 'Mr Robot'". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
72. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Tops Night + 'Suits', Copa Oro, 'Wahlburgers' 'The Game', 'Stephen Universe' & More". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
73. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Sharknado 3' & 'Duck Dynasty' Win Night, 'Suits', 'The Game', 'Catfish' & More". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
74. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Tops Night + 'The Game', 'Catfish', 'American Pickers', 'Suits' & More". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
75. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Wins Night, 'The Game', 'Wahlburgers', 'Suits', 'Mr. Robot', 'Melissa & Joey' & More". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
76. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Tops Night + 'Suits', 'Wahlburgers', 'Camp Cutthroat', 'Catfish' & More". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
77. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.24.2016".
78. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.2.2016".
79. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.9.2016".
80. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.16.2016".
81. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.17.2016".
82. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.23.2016".
83. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.30.2016".
84. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.6.2016".
85. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.13.2016".
86. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.20.2016".
87. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.27.2016".
88. "Catfish: The TV Show". Zap2it. Retrieved 1 August 2016.

External links

• Official website
• Catfish: The TV Show at the Internet Movie Database