Ep 35. Matthew & Chance

Matthew and Chance have been talking online for several years, and they have fallen in love despite never having met in person. Matthew believes that Chance is the man of his dreams, and he is ready to take their relationship to the next level. But first, he wants to make sure that Chance is who he says he is. That's where Nev and Kamie come in. The host of Catfish: The TV Show are determined to get to the truth about Chance's identity so that Matthew can finally have the peace of mind he deserves.

As the episode begins, Nev and Kamie meet with Matthew to hear his story. Matthew is clearly nervous but excited to finally meet Chance, who he describes as the perfect man for him. He shows Nev and Kamie the messages he has exchanged with Chance and explains that they have been talking for three years. He has even sent money to help Chance out when he was struggling, which has made him feel like they are truly in a committed relationship. Nev and Kamie reassure Matthew that they will help him get the answers he needs.

The first step in any Catfish investigation is to try to reach the person on the other end of the line. Nev and Kamie begin by sending Chance a message, but they don't get a response. They then try to track down his social media profiles and search for any information that might help them identify him. They discover that the photos that Chance has sent to Matthew are all lifted from other sources and that there is no online trace of him outside of their conversations. This raises a lot of red flags for Nev and Kamie, who start to suspect that Chance might not be who he says he is.

Next, Nev and Kamie do some deep dive into Matthew's background trying to understand his past relationships and the reasons why he remains reluctant to give up on Chance despite never meeting him. The details of Matthew’s past relationships are fairly complicated, and he clearly is still struggling with the aftermath of his breakup. Nonetheless, they provide some perspective into why he might have stayed so committed to someone he has never met.

Finally, they decide to do some outreach again to Chance. This time, they manage to get a response, and the mystery of his identity is slowly unravelled. However, as they deep dive into Chance's story, they are shocked to learn that not everything is as it seems. There are some significant revelations that completely change the course of the investigation, and Nev and Kamie realize that they will need to tread carefully to help Matthew navigate the information they've uncovered. The twists in Chance's story are going to change the course of the love story that Matthew has imagined.

The episode concludes with a dramatic face-to-face confrontation between all parties involved. As with every Catfish episode, the show confronts uncomfortable personal issues head-on. The revelations will force Matthew to face up to the possibility that he may have been bamboozled by someone who doesn't exist, or who is much different than he ever imagined. It will also show some of the complexities of online dating, including how the promise of love creates a sense of vulnerability. In this episode, Nev and Kamie try to bring to light what everyone went through and help them move on from the dark secrets that held them back.