Ep 12. Nina & Jon

Nina & Jon is the twelfth episode of the seventh season of Catfish: The TV Show and follows the traditional plotline of the show. The episode is roughly forty-five minutes long and is hosted by Nev Schulman and Max Joseph. In this episode, the duo helps Nina to uncover the truth behind her online relationship with Jon.

Nina is a 21-year-old college student who met Jon online. They connected instantly and over the course of several months of messaging, grew to have strong feelings for each other. Nina is confident that Jon is her soulmate and even plans to move to California to be with him. However, despite having talked for months, they've never had a video chat, and Nina has been stood up multiple times when they try to arrange to meet in person.

Alarmed by these discrepancies in their relationship, Nina turns to the Catfish team for help. In the course of the show, Nev and Max follow Nina's trail of breadcrumbs to find out the truth about Jon. Starting with an online search, they find no one with Jon's exact name, location, or details. He is a complete mystery, with no social media presence. It's clear that something doesn't add up.

As they delve further, they find out that Jon has been lying to Nina about his name, occupation, and location. They also discover that the man behind the fake profile is an ex-convict who used social media to scam his victims. In what seems like a familiar story, Jon had been talking to multiple girls simultaneously and had been using their money to support his lavish lifestyle. It's possible that he wasn't doing this alone too, as they discovered the possibility of their being an accomplice.

Eventually, Jon's true identity is revealed, and the Catfish team reaches out to him, giving him the chance to have a real conversation with Nina. It's in this conversation that the real motive behind his long-term online relationship with her is revealed. It's heartbreaking to see Nina's reaction when she finds out the truth. The conversation is emotional and tense, with real-life situations demonstrated.

Overall, Nina & Jon is a poignant episode that showcases the most incredible moments where people's lives are completely altered by the persuasive nature of the online world. Catfish: The TV Show continues to be a fascinating and unsettling look into the darker side of social media and how the lines between truth and lies can blur so quickly. As always, the Catfish team doesn't disappoint and once again provides an impactful episode that highlights the dangers of catfishing and online deception.