When Catfish Season 3 began earlier this summer, the show’s hosts Nev and Max constantly claimed that this would “be the darkest season of Catfish yet.” While there has certainly been a few tense episodes, there hasn’t been much of a difference from previous seasons. For the most part, viewers were watching online relationships unravel, and in most cases, the catfishes and catfishees did not find love in the end.
Though the term “dark” was a little bit of a stretch, this season was really unique in that there were a few new mechanisms in the investigation prior to exposing the catfish. Instead of just the image and phone number search (which was getting old and outdated at this point), Nev and Max found a way to get a hold of addresses, phone numbers, and other victims. This was not only essential in keeping the viewer guessing, but it also was proof that there are catfishes out there watching, and coming up with new ways to make sure Nev and Max don’t show up on their front door.
Speaking of Nev and Max, another really interesting twist this season was the behavior of the lovable dynamic duo. In previous seasons, Nev and Max were unbiased, and often gave a chance for both the catfish and the catfishee to tell their sides of the story. In the past, Max would sometimes get frustrated and lash out at the catfish, but for the most part they tried to take themselves out of the equation once the participants met face to face.
This season was a completely different story. Max and Nev were more vocal and were often on the catfishee’s side. Nev, who typically keeps his composure, confronted some of the catfishes this season a little too aggressively. The most surprising lash out was the Kidd Cole episode, most especially when Nev threw the fake rapper’s cell phone into the Potomac River without even thinking twice about it. It’s almost as if he said “Fuck it” when taping began, because he definitely wasn’t afraid to unleash whatever thoughts and feelings he had each week.
Though I did enjoy some of the newer implementations this season, I can’t help but feel a little gipped. I was expecting a lot less online romantic relationships and more con artists like Kidd Cole. Yes, it’s certainly important to show the world that despite the show’s existence, there are still people out there taking advantage of other people’s affections. But it’s also important to recognize the other types of catfishes – the ones who are really screwing others over both emotionally and financially. I personally hope that Season 3 is only the beginning of the con artist exposures, as I really appreciated the change of pace.
Despite the lack of diversity amongst the Catfish stories, I really enjoyed this season. I really loved how Nev and Max went outside of their comfort zones and now tend to stray more towards the sides of the catfishees. It really demonstrates that the Catfish crew are out to genuinely help people and encourage honesty all at the same time.
http://youtu.be/3eLE2OvTe00
Related Articles:
Catfish: Season 3 Premiere (Lauren Stern)
Review: Catfish, Season 2 Premiere (Laura Dengrove)
Catfish: Season 1 Review (Lauren Stern)
Review: Catfish – The Movie (Bill Bodkin)
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Lauren Stern is the managing editor of Pop-Break.com and is responsible for curating Pop-Break.com’s content. This includes managing the editorial staff, coordinating the content calendar, and assigning publishing dates and deadlines. She graduated Rutgers University with a degree in Journalism and Philosophy. She spends her free time searching for the best gluten-free food in the Tri-State area, playing with her dogs, and reading an insane amount of books. She tweets constantly about pop culture and social issues and hopes you follow her musings @laurenpstern.
