Some of the Best ‘Catfish’ Episodes That Still Seem Crazy

The best "Catfish" episodes often show a side of human nature that confounds expectations. The show is seen as a guilty pleasure by many and a means to clear their conscience for the catfish who submit themselves for the show.

The term "Catfish," the practice of creating an online profile to deceive, was popularized by the documentary, a spin-off reality series on MTV of the same name presented by Nev Schulman, and a slew of co-hosts over its eight seasons.

Since 2012, the docu-series has chronicled the lives of the lovelorn, insecure, or, more often than not, fraudulent. The outrageous nature of the show has had viewers question its authenticity.

Executive producer Marshall Eisen has admitted that, generally, it is the catfish who applies to be on the show. For dramatic effect, the episodes are edited to suggest that the person being duped requested the team's help.

However, it is comforting to know that therapists are on hand for the people who appear on the show, as reality can be jarring. If you are new to the series or have loved it since its onset, these are some of the best episodes of "Catfish" to watch and rewatch.

'Spencer & Katy'

In season five, a Knoxville resident named Spencer was convinced he was in a romantic relationship with singer Katy Perry. He had supposed unreleased music and personal details to seemingly back his claim.

His "Katy Perry" was an 18-year-old British teenager doing it as a prank; his unreleased clips were publicly available. Spencer refused to accept his relationship was fake and kept messaging the Brit for months after the reveal.

'Kya & Alyx'

Kya fell in love with Alyx after meeting on the website Vampire Freaks. After admitting she was using fake profile photos, Alyx had a confession of his own. He is a transgender man named Dani.

Despite the deception by both parties, sparks flew, and the pair dated for a while. The relationship fizzled out shortly after their episode aired on December 17, 2012.

'Lauren & Derek'

Lauren and Derek began their eight-year correspondence over Myspace but never met in person or via video chat. They met for the first time on the show and got engaged at the reunion episode.

Nev was not surprised by the romantic gesture, nor was his co-creator, Max Joseph. Nev said, "Max and I bought Derek the engagement ring so that he could propose because he needed help paying for it." Sadly, the pair split a few months later.

'Antwane & Tony'

In this episode, Carmen contacted the team to intervene in her cousin Antwane's relationship, which he has conducted over the phone for three years. So-called evidence suggested that the man he had been chatting with was a convicted criminal.

In a bizarre twist, Carmen admitted to being the catfisher because her cousin once made fun of her weight in front of their family. Antwane cut off all contact with her and tried to meet people in the real world.

'Lucille & Kidd Cole'

Lucille was not looking for love when caught in Kidd Cole's web of lies. The young woman was led to believe that he could help her land a job in the music industry, with him claiming he works with artists such as Kanye West.

Instead of owning up to his scam, Kidd tried to fool "Catfish" that he was in the industry by renting a studio, but he outed himself when he did not know how to work with the equipment. In the end, Nev tossed the scammer's phone into a lake.