Catfish is a long-running show that exposes catfishers, and these are by far the best Catfish episodes if you’re wanting to get into the show. Catfishing is an activity where a person creates a fictional persona or fake identity on social media in order to target one or more individuals.
This can happen through a wide range of different relationships and is typically done to receive some type of gain from the catfisher, like financial gain, to be able to see the person, to fulfill a wish, or maybe to intentionally upset the victim.
Whatever the case may be, many people experience catfishing at some point in their life, and if they do, they reach out the show Catfish in hopes to get to the bottom of who they’re speaking to and why they are being dishonest.
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What Is Catfish?
Catfish is a reality-based documentary television series airing on MTV that focus on truths and lies on online dating. It premiered November 2012 and is based on the 2010 film Catfish. The first seven seasons, the show was hosted by Nev Schulman and Max Joseph. In 2018, Joseph said good-bye to the show and pursued a directing career. After that, several guest co-hosts were tried out, eventually leaving Kamie Crawford to become the official hosting duo in the 8th season alongside Schulman.
In each episode, Schulman and Joseph, or whatever host at the time, receives a request by someone who is emotionally wrapped up with someone they have never met in their life, and are worried that their identity and conversations are all based on a lie. Together, they all research to uncover the truth and eventually confront the individual to talk about who they really are, and why they were untruthful to begin with.
How Many Episodes of Catfish Are There?
As of October 19th, 2023, there are currently 221 episodes of Catfish. Most seasons vary between 10 to 40 episodes, with season 8 sitting at over 80 episodes right now and still going.
What Is the Best Season of Catfish?
Many think that season 8, the current season, is the best so far just due to the sure quantity of episodes they have released so far, however, for quality, the 2nd season is by far the best.
After the first 12 episodes, the 16-epsidoe season had found its groove, and was able to make some amazing content through each story. This season also features a story that worked out in the end.
What Are the Best Catfish Episodes Ever?
35. “Kristina & Faith” Season 7, Episode 30
Kristina met Faith in a chatroom and fell in love, betraying her fiancé. Now, Nev and guest co-host Tallulah Willis navigate a treacherous love triangle as they embark on an epic hunt to find the truth.
34. “Colleen & Tony” Season 6, Episode 11
Colleen and Tony met online and fell madly in love, though they’ve never met. But that didn’t stop Tony from proposing to Colleen over the phone, and she readily accepted. Now, Nev and Max help Colleen face the truth to reveal the mystery man she’s currently engaged to.
33. “Derek & Annabelle” Season 7, Episode 17
A mystery email leads Nev and Laura to help Derek track down his online love, Annabelle. After digging, they uncover a sexy snapchat scandal, betrayal, and a conclusion that hits closer to home than Derek could have ever dreamed.
32. “Courtney & Isaak” Season 4, Episode 2
After a girl cuts ties with an internet beau, he refuses to give up trying to get her back.
31. “Traves & Candy” Season 7, Episode 7
When Traves asks for help with his internet girlfriend, Candy, it looks like a classic case of catfishing. But after more pieces of the puzzle come together, the guys realize they may have caught a bigger catfish than expected.
30. “Caitlyn & Kenton” Season 6, Episode 20
Young mother Caitlyn calls Nev and Max to help separate the fact from fiction of her courtship with charming Facebook hunk, Kenton. Kenton insists she and her daughter move to Kentucky but is Kenton all that he claims to be?
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29. “April & Dean” Season 6, Episode 15
It’s been seven years since April met Dean in a chat room at the age of thirteen. During that time, Dean would often disappear for months at a time. Now, Nev and Max must help April find Dean before he disappears again.
28. “Cherie & Avion” Season 2, Episode 44
Cherie is 26 years old and works at a cell phone store outside Baltimore. Five months ago, she got a flirty text from a guy named Avion. He wouldn’t tell her who he was but kept her hooked by playing a mysterious game giving her enticing clues about his identity.
27. “Jeanette, Kira & Patrick” Season 5, Episode 2
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.
26. “Ari & Lanum” Season 6, Episode 9
Nev and Max receive emails from opposite sides of the same online romance, each concerned that the other may be a catfish. The guys are taken aback when one side decides to follow through with their marriage plans.
25. “Gemini & Myranda” Season 8, Episode 10
After seven years of drama, Gemini is desperate to find Myranda. Nev and Kamie reach out for help, as they stage their first-ever intervention for a repeat catfish.
24. “Andrea, Alex & Andrea” Season 5, Episode 17
Nev and Max are summoned to help catch a potential stalker who is impersonating the family of a popular online personality.
23. “Kelsie & Brandon” Season 6, Episode 14
Southern sweetheart Kelsie is madly in love with her online Romeo, Brandon. After years of endless excuses of why he cannot meet up, Kelsie recruits Nev and Max to go deep in the heart of Texas to find who Brandon really is.
22. “Robin & Wayne” Season 6, Episode 17
After three long years, Robin is desperate to finally meet her elusive, hunky, long-distance love in person. Nev and Max agree to help her hunt him down, but what they uncover turns out to be much more than Robin bargained for.
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21. “Chelsea & Charles” Season 7, Episode 15
Nev and Max agree to help Chelsea finally meet her online boyfriend, Charles, in person. While Chelsea has only spoken to him once on the phone, the guys show her that a picture speaks a thousand words.
20. “Solana & Elijah” Season 3, Episode 7
Solana wants to take her relationship with her boyfriend Danny to the next level, but she can’t stop thinking about her online love Elijah. His photos were used in so many profiles that Solana has to know is this the real Elijah?
19. “Daisy & Marcus” Season 4, Episode 4
After helping with troubles at home, a man refuses to speak to his love interest on the phone and is one of the best Catfish episodes you can watch.
18. “Jeff & Megan” Season 3, Episode 9
Jeff believes Megan is the perfect girl for him after talking for over a year. Jeff is ready to take big steps, possibly leaving his military career and home behind, just to find out once and for all if Megan is his true dream girl.
17. “Joey & Mikey” Season 7, Episode 19
Nev and guest co-host Jane Carrey help aspiring sugar baby Mike choose between his Los Angeles life of leisure and his deep affection for the mysterious Joey, a broke mechanic he fell in love with on Grindr.
16. “Kya & Alyx” Season 1, Episode 6
After Kya fell in love with Alyx online, she confessed that she had been using a fake name and pictures when communicating with him. Alyx forgave her immediately and accepted Kya without hesitation, yet, they still have never met.
15. “Miracle & Javonni” Season 4, Episode 1
The season started off great with a single mother, Miracle, who falls for Javonni, a dreamy-eyed Instagram user.
14. “Nick & Jasmine” Season 7, Episode 18
Nev and Max try to help Nick determine if the person he kissed during a mysterious blindfolded rendezvous is actually his online love, Jasmine, or someone entirely different altogether.
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13. “Lucille & Kid Cole” Season 3, Episode 4
Lucille led a simple life until she was asked to work for an up-and-coming producer named Kidd Cole. Companies were never paid for the services and one day Kidd couldn’t be found. This is one of the best Catfish episodes as we see Nev throwing someone’s phone in the water.
12. “Sheila & Rich Dollaz” Season 7, Episode 21
Nev and guest co-host Nick Young, aka Swaggy P, are hot on a case to help Sheila figure out if she’s being romanced by “Love and Hip Hop” star Rich Dollaz.
11. “Lauren & Derek” Season 2, Episode 4
Lauren met Derek on MySpace nearly 8 years ago, and since then she’s relied on him for everything and knows that Derek is the man of her dreams. The only problem is that they’ve never met in real life, nor video chatted.
10. “Lucas & Many” Season 5, Episode 13
Former Playboy model, Jayme, has learned that her online boyfriend is not only fake, but appears tobe catfishing other women as well! She enlists Nev and Max to help her find the catfish and put an end to his perverted deception.
9. “Keyonnah & Bow Wow” Season 2, Episode 14
Superfan Keyonnah is almost certain that she’s been having an online relationship with her childhood crush, the rapper Bow Wow. Now, Keyonnah wants to find out whether her dreams have become reality – or if this relationship is too good to be true.
8. “Tracie & Sammie” Season 3, Episode 5
Actress Tracie Thoms develops an emotional connection with a fan named Sammie.
7. “Artis & Jess” Season 2, Episode 9
Another iconic, one of the best Catfish episodes follows Artis who meets Jess, a blonde beauty. Artis and Jess were both in relationships but believed they’d found true love. When Artis is finally ready to meet Jess in person, he’s nervous to see if she truly who she says she is.
6. “Candic & Titus” Season 5, Episode 16
After months of intimate text exchanges with a man she’s met online named Titus, Candic has decided to finally stop and fess up to her husband. But before she does, she needs Nev and Max to help her find out who Titus is.
5. “Danny & Rosa” Season 6, Episode 13
Danny is intent on building a family with his beautiful online love, despite her violent past. But when he enlists Nev and Max to help him finally meet her in person, they soon discover she may have ties to a former Catfish.
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4. “Falesha & Jacqueline” Season 4, Episode 14
After her name and pictures get stolen, almost ruining her life, a young woman is haunted. When confronted, the most creepy and disturbing catfish comes to light.
3. “Antwane & Tony” Season 3, Episode 2
This iconic, best Catfish episode follows Carmen who is concerned about her cousin Antwane’s 3-year romance with a man named Tony. Antwane lives a virtual pre-digital age existence making Tony’s true identity difficult to reveal.
2. “Spencer & Katy” Season 5, Episode 15
Spencer reveals that he has been having a relationship with pop star Katy Perry, and the Catfish team sets out to find the truth. This is by far one of the best Catfish episodes so far.
1. “Dylan & Savenia” Season 7, Episode 10
Dylan has desperately fallen for a beautiful model with an elusive secrete, and with all the standard red flags, Nev and Max assume is the same open and shut case. However, the truth is something stranger than fiction.
What Is the Funniest Episode of Catfish?
Of course, several episodes are hilarious, and creepy, but one of the best include Danny and Rose, Artis and Jess and Lucille and Kidd Cole. Artis and Jess is just an interesting mesh of two characters with the most bizarre interaction.
What Is the Most Famous Episode of Catfish?
One of the most memorable episodes on Catfish was in season 4, episode 18 where we met Emily and Hundra.
What Is the Most Iconic Catfish Episode?
The most iconic episode of Catfish is definitely Artis and Jess with the iconic meme of “you got me there” going everywhere on the internet.
What Is the Most Controversial Episode of Catfish?
Some of the most controversial episodes are also some of the most memorable, like season 3, episode 3 with “Fata** Kelly Price” and when Nev takes Kid Coles phone and chucks it into the water with season 3 episode 4.
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What’s the Craziest Episode of Catfish?
The craziest, and probably creepiest episode, at least for me, is Falesha & Jacqueline on season 4, episode 14. The laughter and the pure dismissal of her actions is just confusing and horrible.
Have There Been Any Successful Catfish Episodes?
There have been many! And several episodes listed above actually show the investigation coming up with nothing but people telling true stories. While it shows interesting and confusing excuses and shy people, there are several cases that the victims actually meet the real people they’ve been chatting with.
Do Any Episodes of Catfish End Well?
Derek and Lauren ended up getting engaged after the show’s taping as neither lied about their name or pics, but unfortunately, they split in 2014. Derek is currently married to someone else, while Lauren is keeping away from social media. But there are several instances that Catfish end well.
Do They Still Make Catfish Episodes?
Yes! There are currently over 80 episodes in season 8 with more releasing in October 2023. You can watch all Catfish episodes on Hulu.
How Does Being on Catfish Work?
In order to be selected as a candidate for an episode, you’ll first need to fill out a casting application on the MTV website. The application allows producers to screen applicants and select the most titillating stories.
Ironically, it’s usually the catfish, not the victim, who apply to be on the show. Here, the producers usually gain the most information and will know more about what’s going on than Nev and Max.
There are also several therapists and social workers that are available after the show that way everyone has someone to lean on when anything traumatizing happens.
Do You Get Paid for Going on Catfish?
Unfortunately, there’s not much information on how much, if any amount, people on the show get paid. However, many speculate that they do.
Reddit users believe that some received around $10,000 based on their friends’ appearance, while others believe that they can’t make over $300. There isn’t even any information on how much the hosts get paid.
Are Any of the Episodes of Catfish Fake?
While the authenticity of the show has been questioned by many viewers, but a source from someone who worked on the show confirmed that unfortunately, the show is not fake. These are real stories.
The only thing that might be considered fake is that the producers know a lot ahead of time, and there are some scenes that are exaggerated for dramatic effect.
The producers vet each catfish ahead of time before doing the episode to make sure they’re not dealing with someone who doesn’t exist. Nev and Max, along with Nev and Kamie have to find all information organically about the catfish.
Conclusion
Catfish is a long-running show that has exposed several catfishers that have brutally messed up people’s lives. Whether things turn out well in the end or not, there are several reasons why the show exists, to help those in need who have paused their lives for individuals who are built on a lie.
While the premise is disturbing, it’s a great watch for those that enjoy drama and reality television shows. This show truly is a sign to make sure you’re safe and cautious on the internet, as there are several people who aren’t who they say they are.
