Ep 8. Joanna & Bo

Joanna & Bo is the eighth episode of the fifth season of Catfish: The TV Show. In this episode, Nev and Max are introduced to Joanna, a 23-year-old woman who hails from Tennessee. She is in love with a man named Bo who lives in California. The two have never met in person, but they have been talking to each other online for over a year. Joanna believes that their relationship is genuine and she is ready to take things to the next level.

However, there are some red flags that Joanna simply cannot ignore. For starters, Bo is always offline during the day, claiming that he works nights. Additionally, he has never called her on the phone before, despite the fact that they have been talking for so long. Joanna is starting to feel like there is something else going on and she needs Nev and Max's help to get to the bottom of it.

The duo travels to California to meet Bo and find out the truth about his relationship with Joanna. When they arrive, they are surprised to find that Bo is actually a woman named Hope. Hope explains that she has been pretending to be Bo because she was afraid that Joanna wouldn't accept her if she knew the truth about her gender identity. While she admits that what she did was wrong, she insists that she has real feelings for Joanna and wants to make things work between them.

Nev and Max are sympathetic to Hope's situation, but they encourage her to come clean with Joanna and tell her the truth about who she really is. They also urge Joanna to be honest with herself about whether or not she is truly comfortable with dating someone who is transgender. In the end, Joanna is shocked to learn the truth about Bo/Hope, but she decides that she still wants to give their relationship a chance.

Throughout the episode, the hosts delve deeper into the issues surrounding gender identity and transphobia. They also highlight the importance of honesty and communication in any relationship, online or otherwise. As always, their ultimate goal is to help their guests find resolution and move forward in a positive way.

Overall, Joanna & Bo is a thought-provoking and emotional episode of Catfish: The TV Show that sheds light on important issues facing the LGBTQ community. It offers a message of acceptance and understanding, while also reminding viewers of the potential pitfalls of online relationships.