Catfish: The TV Show (2012–…): Season 5, Episode 14 - Larissa & Anthony - full transcript
Larissa meets Anthony. Larissa is naive and has been catfished before, but will she be catfished again by Anthony?
- We'’ll take care
of figuring out
who this guy Anthony is.
- We'’ll even bring you to him, wherever he is.
- Kodiak? - Kodiak?
- Oh, my God. It'’s an island off the coast of Alaska.
We'’re going to Alaska.
- I got catfished twice back to back.
- We should be able to cover
the whole island over the next six hours.
We'’re gonna find this guy... - Do you know this guy?
- Have you seen this person? - You'’re gonna tell him
how you feel... - No.
- No? - No.
- And you'’re not gonna be the victim.
You ever seen this guy? - Oh, [bleep].
- So today is an important day in "Catfish" history
because I don'’t have gel in my hair.
- That'’s right. It'’s very low temperature here.
I'’m not feeling the burn at all.
There'’s no--there'’s no flame. The flame'’s on low.
On the other side of the coin,
I'’ve got my hair very styled today.
- Nev'’s got the 1930s haircut.
You got to do, like, the swing thing and let it flop out.
[laughter]
All right, I'’m gonna be reading the email today
because Nev'’s got strep throat.
So he needs to save his singing voice a little bit.
- My apologies in advance. - Here we go.
"Dear Nev and Max, my name is Larissa.
"I'’m 20 years old and I live in Yakima, Washington.
"I'’m writing to you because I have fallen madly in love
"with this guy named Anthony
"who lives in San Diego, California.
"Anthony is such a wonderful guy,
"and I love him...
"but my catfish senses are on high alert
because I was just catfished a year ago."
- Whoa.
- ♪ I get the feeling
- "A guy named Jose that I loved
"was actually Kimberly, a female friend of mine.
- ♪ You'’re no good for me ♪
- "When Kim came clean,
Anthony was there as my friend to make me feel loved.
- ♪ That we cover up
- "He was very supportive and was always a good listener."
Men who are good listeners, they do get the ladies.
"Anthony and I would text and talk
"every day, about everything.
"I began to fall harder and harder for him,
"but the longer we were together,
"the more red flags began to pop up.
I would always ask Anthony to video chat..."
- ♪ We'’re still in darkness ♪
- "But he always found an excuse."
- Why is this guy being so difficult, Max?
- "A couple months ago Anthony moved to Washington..."
- Whoa, what? - "Knowing he was so close
and didn'’t make an effort to see me hurt the most."
- Come on, Anthony. - "All I want is
"for what we have to be real.
I can'’t be hurt again, not by Anthony."
- ♪ It'’s no good for you and no good for me ♪
♪
- Whew.
I think we'’re dealing with potentially
a double catfish.
- Traumatic. Well, let'’s get her on the horn.
[line trilling]
- Hi. both: Hey.
- Larissa, we just read your email.
We have a lot of questions.
The first question is how does a girl so beautiful
end up dating weirdos on the internet?
- I don'’t just date random people on the internet,
but Yakima'’s pretty small,
and I use the internet for friends.
Anthony just messaged me out of nowhere.
- But what about Jose? - He did the same.
- Start telling us your story with Jose,
go through Anthony, to where we are right now.
- Okay, well with Jose, we started talking,
then he introduced me to his cousin Kimberly.
We went to school together. He was like, you know,
"She'’s new, she don'’t have any friends."
So I started talking to her.
We were best friends, we'’d do everything together.
- And then Jose turns out to be Kimberly?
- Yeah. - And was she in love with you?
- Yeah, but I didn'’t know.
She never told me anything.
- Was she, like, pretending to be Jose on the phone?
- Well, I mean, I would call him and talk,
but Jose would never talk.
He would text it.
- You were calling a number
where you would just hear breathing?
- It wouldn'’t even be breathing.
It would be on mute so I wouldn'’t hear anything.
- Come on, Larissa. - Yeah, that'’s wrong.
I know it'’s wrong. - Oh, my God.
- The whole school knew.
They were like "You'’re being catfished, like, he'’s fake."
And I'’m like "No, you guys don'’t know.
You don'’t know him. Why would you say that?"
- All right, so that went on for how long?
- Three years. -What?
- Wait, you were talking to Jose for three years?
- Yeah, three years.
- How do you get burned by a three-year catfish
and then jump into another online relationship?
- Since I was talking to Anthony during when I was dating Jose
he would tell me, "If you feel like
you'’re being catfished, do something about it."
That'’s kind of what, like, made me fall for him.
And I trust Anthony because we always talk on the phone.
He calls me more than he texts me.
- At least you know it'’s a guy.
- Yes, at least I know it'’s a guy.
- We'’ve made some progress.
- But then he also gives me a lot of reasons
why I need your guys'’s help because I would ask him,
"Let'’s hang out" when he moved to Washington,
and he'’s stood me up three times.
- Where did he move in-- '’cause Washington'’s a big state.
- He went to Seattle, then he moved to Yakima--
- He moved to Yakima?
- He moved to Yakima!
Yes, like, right here. - Your little town?
- I mean, that'’s impossible that you wouldn'’t have seen him.
- The biggest red flag for us is how willing you are
to believe anything anyone tells you.
- Have you ever sent him money or anything?
- I did. I sent him close to $500.
♪
- I don'’t get it. Why?
Why are you doing this to yourself?
- [laughs]
Because I love him.
He'’s kind, super easy to get along with.
We would talk about personal things.
I don'’t want to give up yet.
I just want-- I just want him to be real.
- You need some help. - I know I do.
- These online guys are coming to Yakima,
and we'’re actually coming to Yakima.
- Thank you. I know I need the help.
- We'’re coming to you.
Bye, Larissa. - Bye.
[both sigh]
- She'’s one of the most naive people
we'’ve ever talked to.
So this girl needs our help.
- All right. - Let'’s go to Yakima.
♪
- ♪ Ooh, ah, ooh
- Yeah, we'’ve got to stop on--like this.
- ♪ I set up camp in the center of town ♪
♪ Ready for freedom when it all comes down ♪
- We'’ve now made it to Seattle.
- ♪ I never wanna die
♪ And I never grow older, yeah ♪
♪ Ooh, ah, ooh
- Made it Yakima. It'’s beautiful here.
- There'’s not a lot going on.
Probably not a lot of boyfriend options.
- Is that her, waving on her porch?
♪
- Hi.
- What up, Larissa? - Thank you.
- How are you? - I'’m good.
- This is beautiful. - This is amazing.
- It'’s beautiful, right? - Who'’s this cat?
Psst-psst-psst! - His name'’s Timmy.
♪
- Hey. - Do you like living here?
- Yeah, like, I love it here.
It'’s just-- it just gets lonely.
- Can we just, like, walk around a minute?
- Yeah. - It'’s just so beautiful.
You grew up on a farm. - Basically, yep.
- Hey, guys!
Max, look, he has your haircut.
[laughter]
And this guy has mine, look.
- Oh, my gosh, similar. [laughter]
- This guy likes me.
- He loves you. - Thank you.
- All right, why don'’t we get down to business?
- Yakima is kind of amazing and beautiful.
- But I live in the middle of nowhere.
- Do you feel isolated at all?
- I do.
I live with my mom'’s boyfriend,
and he'’s super strict, like, he controls the Wi-Fi.
- How does he control the Wi-Fi? Turns it on and off?
- Yeah, like, '’cause he doesn'’t want me
to talk to my friends on social media.
He just doesn'’t want me to have a life, I feel like.
- Or maybe he wants you to have a life
because if you hadn'’t been spending so much time
talking to people on the internet...
- Yeah. - What about your real dad?
- I don'’t know. I don'’t talk to him.
I wasted my kid years crying to my mom, like,
"Mom, why doesn'’t our dad love us?"
But I got over that.
- Now you'’re saying, "When is my boyfriend gonna come home?
Why doesn'’t my boyfriend want us?"
- Yeah, where'’s my boyfriend? Why isn'’t he here?
- I mean, maybe there'’s something related there.
You know, we talked a little bit on the Skype call
about how all this stuff started,
but now that we'’re here why don'’t you tell us
how did you jump from Jose to Anthony?
- The minute Kim told me, like "Hey, I'’m Jose,"
my whole world just crumbled down.
I cried for, like, three months straight.
I didn'’t want to go out. I didn'’t want to talk to nobody,
but Anthony was being supportive.
He was like "Don'’t cry, you'’re gonna get through this.
You'’re strong. I know you'’re strong."
That'’s when him and I started to get close.
He'’s funny, he'’s kind, he understands me.
I feel like he can be a good boyfriend.
He'’s just, you know, being stupid, but...
- You got to kind of give up on the idea
that Anthony is telling you the truth.
- Yeah. [sniffles]
I love Anthony.
I want him to be real, you know?
But I don'’t want to look like a fool again.
♪
- All right, well, we'’ve been talking
about this guy for a while.
I'’m dying to know what he looks like.
So can we maybe go on your computer and check him out?
- Yeah.
- Why don'’t we log in here.
All right, so he'’s--he'’s obviously a handsome guy.
You'’ve got a lot of messages with him.
- I'’m a little concerned about you sending him this money.
Where are you getting $500?
- That was my money to spend on my books.
Yeah.
- He'’s asked you a bunch of times for money?
- No, just when he was in Alaska.
- What was going on in Alaska? - Basically he was like,
"I'’m going to Alaska" and I was like "For what?"
And he'’s like "Well, '’cause I'’m a fisherman,
and I stay on the boats up there."
When he was in Alaska he actually cheated on me.
I was like "Anthony, did you hook up with anybody?"
and he goes "Fine, like yeah, I slept with another girl."
♪
- You let people cross boundaries,
and then you don'’t say anything
because you keep on expecting these people
to become the person you wish they were
or that you idealize them to be,
and then they'’re not.
- That'’s why I want Anthony to be real.
- Yeah, but Anthony is a guy that hurts you.
You know that already.
- And if he'’s real, then he'’s a real jerk
who takes your money and lies to you.
Until you figure out what it is
that makes you fall in love with these guys
who don'’t treat you right,
nothing we do or say is actually gonna help you.
Sure, we can prove that this guy isn'’t who he says he is, easy.
We'’ll do that, but like,
that'’s not gonna fix your problem.
[somber music]
♪
- You are a trusting person.
You choose to see the best in people.
You choose to believe in love and romance.
Those are good qualities to have,
but they can also get you hurt.
♪
- [sighs] Yeah.
- And we don'’t want you to keep getting hurt.
We'’ve got a couple things we need to try and help you with.
The first... - Is what you asked us to do.
- Figuring out who this guy Anthony is.
We'’ll take care of that.
You need to start analyzing your feelings
so that you can learn to put yourself first.
All right, we'’re gonna go do some research.
- Thank you. - Yep, we'’ll see you later.
- Bye.
♪
- This girl'’s got a lot of thinking to do.
- She goes all in with these guys.
And she really wants to believe them so badly.
- Something'’s rotten in Yakima.
- Larissa'’s been burned.
She'’s been catfished pretty much as bad as you can be catfished.
She meets a guy on Facebook named Jose,
they'’ve become boyfriend/girlfriend,
only for her to then discover
Jose is actually her best friend, Kim.
So while she'’s getting catfished by Kim,
Anthony, some other cute guy
who randomly sends her a message, latched on.
- He'’s helped her get over Jose
and he told her she has to move on,
and so who would ever think that this guy
would also be a catfish?
- Right. - She sent us an email.
- Let'’s see what she sent us. - All right.
- Here'’s her email.
- "His full name is Anthony Ramirez.
"When I first met Anthony he was living in San Diego,
"but was flying to Anchorage, Alaska to be a fisherman.
"After Alaska he moved to Yakima and then back to San Diego
"and got a job at a [bleep] dealership in Escondido.
"I have two numbers for him.
"Here is a link to his Facebook profile.
Attached are a couple of photos I have for him."
- Okay. - First stop, image search.
- Here'’s the first one.
No, nothing. Okay.
Image number two.
- Nope. - All right, image number three.
- I have a good feeling about this one.
- No, so no hits on any of the pictures.
Let'’s run the phone numbers.
- Coming up, coming up, coming up.
What do we got? No name, or address.
- Landline, we got nothing there.
Let'’s try the other phone number now,
'’cause that'’s his old number.
- All right, here we go, here we go.
Nothing. What else can we check?
- Well, look, she says he had a job at a [bleep] dealership.
- Right. - All right.
Well, if he worked there, someone should'’ve heard of him.
Let'’s give them a call. - Let'’s call them.
[line trilling]
- Hey, Hector, my name is Nev.
I don'’t know if you'’ve ever seen a show
called "Catfish" or not on MTV.
- Okay, great, you'’ve seen the show; awesome.
We'’re trying to help this really sweet young lady
find out the truth about this guy
she'’s been talking to for a year.
Part of this guy'’s story was that he said
he worked at a dealership in Escondido.
His name is Anthony Ramirez.
Does that sound familiar?
- He said he was fishing in Alaska for a few months.
You have anybody that worked there?
- Okay, and how long did he work for you?
- Did he have any other friends
or did anyone else know him at the dealership?
- Okay, so--
- Oh, yeah, that would be great.
- Hector, thank you.
- All right, see you.
- So it'’s not Anthony Ramirez at all so--
- How did he pick up the money? He must have a fake I.D.
- Isn'’t that weird...
that his name is Jose?
- I mean-- - Could it be the same?
It can'’t be the same Jose... - Right.
- '’Cause the first Jose was Kim. - Right, was a girl.
- But the second guy'’s name is Jose?
- It'’s just weird. - We got another lead, though.
We got-- - Yes.
- He said to call Mark.
- We got to call the friend. - Call Mark.
[line trilling]
- Yeah, hi, is this Mark?
- Um, this is gonna sound a little crazy.
My name is Nev, and I am one of the hosts
of the show "Catfish" on MTV.
- Okay, cool. We'’re trying to find out
a little bit more about your friend Jose.
- Yeah, are you guys still friends?
- Do you know where he went?
both: Kodiak?
- Where is that? - Whoa.
- When was that?
- Do you have his number?
- Can we just compare numbers?
- It'’s a 951 number.
- And then [bleep].
- Great, okay, so that'’s Jose'’s number.
- Does he go up to Alaska a lot?
- Huh, okay. Cool.
We really appreciate your help.
- So now he'’s in Kodiak? - Kodiak.
- Where the hell is that? - The Kodiak Catfish.
Oh, my God.
It'’s an island off the coast of Alaska.
So we might be going to Alaska. Let'’s look up Jose [bleep].
Wait, Escondido. - Oh, my God.
- It says it! - There he is.
- There he is. - This is him?
- Kodiak! - Oh, my God.
- Look at the banner! - There he is.
- Lives in Kodiak.
- And is from Los Angeles.
We'’re going to Alaska. - Oh, my God.
I really hope we'’re going to Alaska.
- We'’re about to deliver some pretty bad news.
- Larissa'’s not gonna look at this as all is lost.
She'’s gonna hold out hope that it works out with this guy.
- The best thing we can do is to show her what we found out
and convince her that that'’s not happening.
Here we are.
♪
[knocking]
Good morning.
- Hey. - Good morning.
- So how was it after we left? - I still cried.
- Okay. - I was still upset.
And then kind of talked myself out--
like, don'’t think about all the bad.
Just don'’t worry about it.
- We'’ve done some research.
- You want to know the truth.
I think we'’ve got some answers.
So if you'’re ready, I think we should jump in.
- Okay, I'’m ready. - All right.
So we started search both the phone numbers
that you had and there were no real matches.
We didn'’t get any names. That'’s when we remembered,
so you said he worked at a car dealership...
- Escondido. - In Escondido.
- So we called them.
- This guy Hector came on the phone,
and I asked him-- I was like, "Hey,
do you have an employee named Anthony?"
And he said he doesn'’t have anyone that works there--
- And never has. - So I said "Have you had
anybody that'’s worked for you who'’s recently gone to Alaska?"
And right away he was like "Oh, yeah.
His name was Jose [bleep]."
- Have you ever heard that name before?
- Then Mark, who also works at the dealership,
he said "Yeah, I was friends with Jose,"
and that the last thing Jose said
to him was that he was going back to Alaska
to a town called Kodiak,
which is like an island off of Alaska.
- And that he was going to work at a cannery.
- When we compared
the number you have for Anthony
to the number Mark has for Jose...
- Mm-hmm. - They were the same.
♪
- So what does that mean?
- It means that your Anthony
and Mark'’s Jose are the same person.
- And we found him.
His banner is Kodiak, Alaska, and this is him.
This is the guy you'’re talking to.
- I hope it'’s not. - Well, it definitely is.
- That'’s the guy that you'’ve been
talking to for the last year, 100%.
He'’s the one you say "I love you" to.
He'’s the one you'’ve been sending pictures to.
There is no Anthony.
- And he'’s in Alaska, this guy?
- Yeah.
- Yeah, all signs point to Kodiak, literally.
This is not the first time you'’ve gone through this.
- Mm-mm.
It'’s messed up to make me think
that I'’m not being catfished again
when I-- when you were catfishing me.
[sniffles]
- ♪ You'’re too tired ♪
♪ You can'’t carry all this hurt now ♪
- I don'’t know.
- ♪ You'’re more to me ♪
♪ Than all these broken things ♪
[line trilling]
- This subscriber is not available.
- Hi, this is Nev from "Catfish,"
and I'’m here with Larissa.
The right thing to do here would be to get back in touch with us
so that we can all meet up. Thank you.
We pretty much know where he is. We can find him.
So I say we just go.
I mean, he didn'’t give you a choice.
I don'’t think we necessarily need
to give him a choice, either.
- You okay with this plan?
- There are flights to Alaska.
But to get to Kodiak we kind of got to go, like, today.
So if you'’re serious and ready to, like,
take life by the balls
and start standing up for yourself, now is the moment.
- I'’m ready.
- I couldn'’t hear you. - I'’m ready.
- I still can'’t hear you. - I'’m ready.
- Okay, we'’ll head to the airport
and we'’ll fly to Alaska and we'’ll find this guy.
- We'’re going to Alaska.
- ♪ Put you back together
- Hey, there she is.
- Today is horrible.
I thought Anthony was gonna be real.
I got catfished twice back to back, like a fool.
It'’s upsetting, but I'’ll be okay.
- You ever been on a plane before?
- Mm-mm, I never left Washington.
- All right, say goodbye to Yakima.
- ♪ It'’s hard when you'’re living and you don'’t feel much ♪
♪ And you'’re down and you'’re hoping ♪
♪ That things are gonna change ♪
- Are you guys ready to do this?
I mean, this is like some serious adventure [bleep].
- ♪ Oh, we don'’t know the roads that we'’re heading down ♪
- Here we go: Anchorage, Alaska.
- ♪ We all know if we'’re lost then we'’ll find a way ♪
- Ready for your first flight?
Spread your wings.
You ever seen a cockpit?
- You want to sit up here? - Don'’t press any buttons.
- ♪ Will we make it home?
♪ We don'’t know there'’s hope ♪
♪ Then we'’ll be okay ♪
♪
- We made it to Anchorage. See you in the morning.
- ♪ It'’s hard when you'’re living and you don'’t feel much ♪
- Next stop, Kodiak.
- ♪ You don'’t feel loved, it'’s hard ♪
♪ When you'’re living and you don'’t feel much ♪
- Nothing from Anthony? - Nothing.
- If he doesn'’t get back to us,
I think we just put out a search party.
- ♪ Oh, we don'’t know the roads that we'’re heading down ♪
- This is about as far as you can go.
♪
- Wow, look at this place. It'’s amazing.
♪
- Hopefully he'’s there and we didn'’t just
come all the way up here for nothing.
It'’s hard to believe that this is, like, still America.
- I know.
[upbeat music]
♪
- ♪ Oh, there'’s something in my mind that'’s killing me ♪
♪ There'’s something that this life'’s not giving me ♪
- ♪ Would you say
- ♪ Oh, we don'’t know if we leave ♪
- Why don'’t we put our bags in our rooms
and all meet and come up with a plan.
- ♪ Then we'’ll be okay ♪
- We need to find him and bust him.
[soft music]
♪
- Hi. - How are you feeling?
- Nervous. - Yeah?
- I still have not heard back from "Jose."
- I hope he'’s here,
and I hope he at least gives me a sorry,
you know, like "I'’m sorry I did that."
- But don'’t hope for things. - I'’m not--
- Demand the things. We have a picture of him.
Kodiak is a very small community.
I mean, we'’re bound to meet somebody who knows him.
Let'’s just hit the streets and start asking around.
- All right, let'’s do it.
We should be able to cover the whole island
over the next six hours.
- You'’re gonna find this guy.
You'’re gonna tell him how you feel.
And you'’re not gonna be the victim.
- Do you guys work up here? - I fish here.
- You ever seen this guy? - He works at a cannery.
- Nope. - All right, well, thanks, guys.
- ♪ All I ever
- Have you ever seen this guy?
- ♪ Wanted was an answer
- You want something, you'’ve got to actually
put in the work and go and get it.
Hello. - Hi.
- You ever seen this guy? He might work at the cannery.
- No, we don'’t get a lot of locals here.
- The local coffee shop.
- This is active stuff.
This is how you stop being a victim.
- There'’s the coffee shop. All right, you'’re up.
You start asking for him.
- Can we ask these guys here?
Hey, guys. - Hi.
- You'’re starstruck?
All right, take a deep breath.
- Do you guys know anyone named Jose?
- Yeah. - You do?
- Might, yeah. - You do?
- Have you seen this guy?
- He doesn'’t look familiar, no.
- All right, thank you, though.
- Yeah, no problem. - All right, thanks, guys.
We'’ve got a question to ask you.
- Have you seen this person? - This guy is supposed to work
at one of the canneries. - No.
Maybe the B&B? A lot of the dudes go there.
- What'’s that? - The bar just down the way.
That'’s where everyone hangs out.
- Well then that'’s a good spot.
- Thank you. - Okay, let'’s go to the B&B.
Come on, Larissa, you got to lead the way.
♪
Oh, boy.
Sorry to barge in like this.
- That'’s okay, we'’re used to it. Welcome to the bar.
- You want a beer? - We'’re good.
We'’re actually--we'’re on a little bit of a mission.
We'’re looking for a person,
His name is Jose. - Jose?
- This person. - That'’s what he looks like.
He'’s supposed to work at a cannery.
- I'’ve not seen this guy. - You don'’t know?
- Who'’s the female looking for him?
- This lady. - Hi, I'’m Rico.
Nice to meet you. - Hi, I'’m Larissa.
- So are you pretty excited about meeting this person?
- I'’m nervous. - Are you nervous?
- I'’m very nervous.
- How long have you guys been chatting?
- A year. - A year?
Well, you'’re beautiful and I hope you find [bleep]
what you'’re looking for, you know?
- Thank you. - Good luck, girl.
- Are you single? - Yes, I am.
- Well, we know where we'’re going if it doesn'’t work out.
Do you know this guy? Have you ever served him before?
- You'’ve seen this guy before?
- Really? - Really?
- Where'’s that? - It'’s just down the street.
- All right, well that'’s something.
- Thank you for your help. - Thank you.
- So the bartender knew.
Look, wait. It'’s right there.
- Sounds like they'’re open.
♪
Let me see if anyone'’s in here.
Hold on one second.
♪
Hello?
- Hi. - Hi.
- Yeah, just had a quick question.
I'’m Nev. - Jessica.
- Good to meet you. - Good to meet you.
What can I do for you? - I'’m making a show.
We'’re looking for a young man with the name of Jose.
- There are quite a few Joses.
- I have a photo.
This guy? Does he look familiar?
- He does. He'’s upstairs.
- He'’s here.
- I will grab him.
- Wow, this is it. You ready?
- Randomest [bleep] place in the world.
[tense music]
♪
You ready? - I'’m nervous.
- This is it.
- Yo, yo, he'’s coming, he'’s coming.
Hey, hey what'’s up, man?
- Jose, right? - Yeah.
- Good to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
- You know who I am and why I'’m here?
- Yeah.
- Larissa reached out to us.
And we figured out that you'’re Anthony
and we wanted to meet you
but you didn'’t get back to us, but we figured out you were here
and we asked around and here you are.
- Yeah. - So I have Larissa outside.
Can you come--can you--
- Sure. - Here he comes. Here he comes.
[dramatic music]
♪
- Okay.
This is Larissa.
♪
Here, why don'’t I just leave this...
- If you guys can follow me. - So...yeah.
Wherever--wherever is cool for you.
♪
- Know what you'’re gonna ask?
[tense music]
♪
- All right.
- Do you want to maybe explain everything?
- I can'’t really just start somewhere
'’cause I wasn'’t thinking about-- I wasn'’t--
I just did it '’cause-- I don'’t know.
There'’s not an easy way to explain.
- Explain it however you can, because I want to know.
We came to Alaska.
- We came all the way here. - [scoffs]
- All we know right now is that you'’ve been lying to Larissa,
that she sent you money,
that you promised to meet her a couple times.
- Yeah. - So...
right now we'’re trying to figure out
if you'’re this big, bad [bleep].
- I'’m not that. I'’m not that. - Jerk.
- Piece of [bleep]. - That'’s not who I am.
I'’m not a big piece of [bleep].
- Who is Anthony and why'’d you create the page?
- I created the page just to get back at Anthony
who was a former friend of mine in Seattle.
- So Anthony'’s pictures that you were using are of?
- Those are actual pictures.
Anthony [bleep] me over by getting into a relationship
with the girl that I was with at that time.
I found out, and I decided to make a fake profile
to [bleep] him over with this girlfriend.
I kind of told her all this [bleep]
and made her think that Anthony was a piece of [bleep].
- I'’ve had friends [bleep] me over all the time
and I don'’t go and make a profile.
- Sure, but I used it just to [bleep] him over.
- Why don'’t you be the man and go up and, you know,
in front of him and be like "Hey, you stole my girl.
Let'’s like, you know, something."
- I know I [bleep] up. And I regret it.
- I feel like you'’re not really sorry.
I just want to know why. Why me, though?
- Like, really, like, I don'’t even know why I chose you, like,
I was talking to you like anybody else.
At first it was just a game.
- Yeah, to you. - To me it was just a game.
But then after a while it just became something else.
- Did you have real feelings for her?
- Like, I like her as a friend.
- As a friend? - As a friend.
- You were the first one to tell me you loved me.
What do you mean?
My heart was broken when I was talking to you about Jose.
You just broke it more.
You don'’t know how that feels.
That'’s not right.
- What'’s up with the money? Why'’d you ask for it?
- At that point I was basically using her, basically,
to be able to get home.
- Oh, but you'’re not being a piece of [bleep]?
Oh, okay.
- I was basically homeless for six months in Alaska.
Then I got into an accident
and the hospital paid my plane ticket
to San Diego, and that'’s how I got home.
That money that she sent, I never touched.
- Well, you couldn'’t have really even picked up the money anyway.
You don'’t have an I.D. that says Anthony Ramirez.
How were you gonna get it to begin with?
- Instead of showing your I.D. you can do test questions.
- Did you ever do that with him? - Yeah, I made questions.
- Then she'’d tell me the answer.
- Okay, well.
- Why did you leave San Diego and come back here?
- I came to Kodiak to stay away.
I wanted a fresh start somewhere
where I know that nobody knows me.
- To hide. - To hide.
- You fled the Lower 48 to come to Alaska and start anew?
That only generally happens when, like,
you'’ve murdered somebody.
- I got into some issues.
- So there are other things that we don'’t know about?
- Yeah, I had issues with the law.
And now I'’m basically on the no-fly list.
Basically, like, I can'’t go back to California.
- So you'’re kind of a fugitive.
- Yeah, that'’s the honest truth.
- You can'’t really run.
You'’ve arrived at the place you'’ve run to.
We'’re the karma that'’s coming to bite you in the ass.
- You didn'’t think any of this would catch up to you?
- I knew it was gonna catch up to me.
I knew it was.
- Here'’s the million-dollar question:
Larissa started talking to you
when she was already in a relationship with a catfish,
and you helped her get over that.
- Yeah. - How could you then
go on to catfish her the exact same way?
- I wasn'’t trying to keep the game going,
but I didn'’t know how to tell her.
- I came to you for help, and this is what you do?
There was so many chances. You could'’ve just stopped it.
- I could'’ve.
♪
- All right, look, it'’s getting a little cold,
and this is a good place to maybe end for the day.
- Yeah, that'’d be good. - All right.
♪
- How did that feel? - Feels good to let it out.
- Yeah? - I got some answers.
Is just still doesn'’t-- it just doesn'’t make sense.
- Well, it'’s not about understanding why.
At some point you just have to accept that,
like, people do nasty, mean stuff.
That'’s why you need to protect yourself
and not count on other people to make...
- Make it happen. - Things happen for you.
- ♪ A crescendo
♪ In the sun
- This was a big step.
You confronted someone who'’s wronged you,
stood up for yourself.
Now you can move on. - Yeah.
- Check it out.
There'’s a bald eagle right there, you see that?
- Yeah. - That'’s pretty awesome.
[ambient music]
♪
- ♪ Circling my mind
♪ Black butterflies
[tense music]
[knocking]
- Hey. - Hey.
Good morning. - Hey.
- All right.
- Yesterday was pretty intense.
How do you feel?
- I'’m still mad.
Like, what he did was wrong,
and I don'’t feel like he knows that.
But when I saw him,
I was thinking to myself it'’s gonna get better now.
I can breathe,
and I'’m not gonna have to worry about am I being lied to?
Am I being fooled? It feels good to let that go.
- It just seems like the right thing to do,
to look each other in the eye, say what you need to say.
He'’s done a really good job of sort of avoiding reality
for a long time.
He came up here to get away from everything.
- Yeah, he'’s a runner.
- I'’m gonna make the best of this last talk.
- Well, then let'’s text him. "Where can we meet you?"
Hopefully he'’ll get back to us this time.
- Mm-hmm. - Oh, we got something.
- We got his address. - Great.
- And he says "I'’m here.
Come over whenever."
Let'’s go say good-bye to catfish forever.
♪
Are you nervous to see him again?
- I'’ll be okay.
[birds squawking]
- Wow, where the hell are we?
I mean this is as far off the grid
as you can get while still being on the grid.
Guy has definitely run pretty far from civilization.
- Should we, uh, obey?
- "Turn around. [bleep] off." Wow.
- All right, let'’s do it.
♪
What'’s up, man? Good to see you.
- Good to see you.
You guys like to take a seat?
♪
- We wanted to give you an opportunity
to kind of let us in a little bit more,
explain yourself a little bit better.
Most importantly, help Larissa understand
how this happened, why this happened,
and where we'’re all going from here.
- Yeah.
- Can you just tell us who you are?
Because all we really know is that your name'’s Jose.
- I was adopted when I was three.
My biological father was a drunk, a druggie,
and when I was two he was just pissed off and kicked me.
And then my organs were, like, coming out.
And they had to send me to the hospital
and I was there for a few months
and then I got put in a foster home.
- Whoa. - I'’ve always felt like
that is what traumatized me, in a way.
I wish I was like my adopted family.
I wish I was centered and knowing what I wanted to do.
I have a brother in the Marines,
and I have a sister, she'’s in the Navy.
I wish I would have gone to the military.
I wanted to do that,
but instead I started messing around with weed
and I started messing around with the party scene
and stuff like that.
I just keep [bleep] up.
- Do you have anyone in your life that, like,
really loves you
and cares about you, like, unconditionally?
- I tend not to have people like that in my life.
I go solo, Like, me, I'’m solo,
like, I try to just do me, like, not have anybody in my life.
That'’s why I'’m leaving tomorrow morning.
I got a job on a boat.
- Really? Whoa. - Yeah, what happened yesterday
was just, like, a...
It was a bubble that burst,
and I accepted the job and I'’m gone tomorrow.
I want to get away, that way I don'’t hurt anybody,
or they hurt me.
- So you'’re just running again? - Yeah.
- I understand, you know, like you'’re going through,
you know, a rough time and everything.
But it'’s still not right.
I came to you thinking
that you were gonna basically save me, you know?
- Yeah. - And it turns out
you just hurt me more. - Yeah.
♪
I wanted to tell the truth,
but I was avoiding getting hurt, or hurting you.
- But, like, what I don'’t get is telling me
that you cheated on me, like, that all hurt.
- That was a complete lie.
I told you that I cheated so you wouldn'’t be that hurt
'’cause you could just move on and be like
"Oh, [bleep] that guy, like, he cheated on me."
- But that'’s selfish.
If you look at it, you didn'’t want
to come to grips with the fact that you were hurting her.
- Yeah. - When I started getting
feelings for you, like, they'’re real.
- That'’s when I should'’ve stopped, yeah.
- They'’re real.
Your feelings weren'’t real.
- Basically everything that I said yesterday was [bleep].
Like, I shouldn'’t have said what I said yesterday.
I should'’ve been truthful.
- What'’s the whole truth? - I never had that in my life,
like, I never had somebody who actually cared about me,
and once I had it I didn'’t want to lose it.
I started feeling good about myself.
That'’s the hardest part about it.
One day, hopefully,
I find somebody who cares about me, you know?
- This is kind of the last opportunity
to really tell Larissa how you feel about her.
So if there'’s anything you want to say?
Why don'’t we step out.
♪
- You don'’t feel it '’cause the [bleep] that I put you through,
but I love you.
♪
- Your voice, it just gets to me.
- Well.
- Did you really have feelings, like, as strong as I did?
- Yeah, I still do. I got them.
I regret hurting you, but I don'’t regret
getting to know you because that'’s probably,
like, one of the best things that has happened.
- You could'’ve been yourself.
You could'’ve, you know, things would'’ve been so different.
But now it'’s kind of-- it'’s kind of over.
♪
- I understand. - I don'’t, you know,
wish you any bad or anything.
Like, I hope you find somebody that'’s gonna care for you
as much as I did,
but I just don'’t want you to make this mistake again.
I don'’t want you to hurt somebody else.
- I don'’t want to hurt myself again.
- Okay.
- ♪ Hold on
♪ Before the moment'’s gone ♪
- How'’d that go? - It feels good.
- Hopefully this will be a new beginning
for both of you guys.
- And at least you won'’t be catfishing on that boat.
You'’ll be cod fishing right? - Cod fishing, yeah.
[laughter]
- Bye. - Bye.
- ♪ From feeling this way
I feel great. - Really? That'’s awesome.
- ♪ She'’s moving on ♪
♪ She'’s moving on, oh ♪
- There is one last thing to do.
- You know what that is?
We got to get your money back.
- ♪ She'’s moving on ♪
♪ She'’s moving on, oh ♪
♪
- Yeah.
Whoo! - [laughing]
[line trilling]
- Hey. - Larissa.
- Hey. -Hey.
- How are you? - I'’m super good.
- Super good? - Why are you so super good?
- Yeah, what'’s so good?
- '’Cause I'’m working and making money.
- Okay. - Yeah, get that paper.
- Get that cheddar. - [laughs]
- Are you talking to Jose at all?
- He called me and he told me that he'’s in prison.
- What? - What?
- He'’s in prison? - He'’s in prison.
He actually called me and wrote me.
He was just apologizing
and he asked if there was still a chance.
- So he really is still in love with you.
- Yes, it'’s a little awkward. -Hmm.
- Has anything changed for you since filming?
- My confidence.
Now that all of that'’s completely behind me
I just feel a lot better about myself.
- You deserve the best.
Try to meet some nice guys IRL.
- I will. -Bye.
♪
- She'’s in England, she'’s real. - Let'’s go meet her.
[horn honks]
- "Catfish" has made it to the UK.
- Hello?
She'’s here? - What?
- Whoa.
[knocking]
- She'’s here. - [bleep].
who this guy Anthony is.
- We'’ll even bring you to him, wherever he is.
- Kodiak? - Kodiak?
- Oh, my God. It'’s an island off the coast of Alaska.
We'’re going to Alaska.
- I got catfished twice back to back.
- We should be able to cover
the whole island over the next six hours.
We'’re gonna find this guy... - Do you know this guy?
- Have you seen this person? - You'’re gonna tell him
how you feel... - No.
- No? - No.
- And you'’re not gonna be the victim.
You ever seen this guy? - Oh, [bleep].
- So today is an important day in "Catfish" history
because I don'’t have gel in my hair.
- That'’s right. It'’s very low temperature here.
I'’m not feeling the burn at all.
There'’s no--there'’s no flame. The flame'’s on low.
On the other side of the coin,
I'’ve got my hair very styled today.
- Nev'’s got the 1930s haircut.
You got to do, like, the swing thing and let it flop out.
[laughter]
All right, I'’m gonna be reading the email today
because Nev'’s got strep throat.
So he needs to save his singing voice a little bit.
- My apologies in advance. - Here we go.
"Dear Nev and Max, my name is Larissa.
"I'’m 20 years old and I live in Yakima, Washington.
"I'’m writing to you because I have fallen madly in love
"with this guy named Anthony
"who lives in San Diego, California.
"Anthony is such a wonderful guy,
"and I love him...
"but my catfish senses are on high alert
because I was just catfished a year ago."
- Whoa.
- ♪ I get the feeling
- "A guy named Jose that I loved
"was actually Kimberly, a female friend of mine.
- ♪ You'’re no good for me ♪
- "When Kim came clean,
Anthony was there as my friend to make me feel loved.
- ♪ That we cover up
- "He was very supportive and was always a good listener."
Men who are good listeners, they do get the ladies.
"Anthony and I would text and talk
"every day, about everything.
"I began to fall harder and harder for him,
"but the longer we were together,
"the more red flags began to pop up.
I would always ask Anthony to video chat..."
- ♪ We'’re still in darkness ♪
- "But he always found an excuse."
- Why is this guy being so difficult, Max?
- "A couple months ago Anthony moved to Washington..."
- Whoa, what? - "Knowing he was so close
and didn'’t make an effort to see me hurt the most."
- Come on, Anthony. - "All I want is
"for what we have to be real.
I can'’t be hurt again, not by Anthony."
- ♪ It'’s no good for you and no good for me ♪
♪
- Whew.
I think we'’re dealing with potentially
a double catfish.
- Traumatic. Well, let'’s get her on the horn.
[line trilling]
- Hi. both: Hey.
- Larissa, we just read your email.
We have a lot of questions.
The first question is how does a girl so beautiful
end up dating weirdos on the internet?
- I don'’t just date random people on the internet,
but Yakima'’s pretty small,
and I use the internet for friends.
Anthony just messaged me out of nowhere.
- But what about Jose? - He did the same.
- Start telling us your story with Jose,
go through Anthony, to where we are right now.
- Okay, well with Jose, we started talking,
then he introduced me to his cousin Kimberly.
We went to school together. He was like, you know,
"She'’s new, she don'’t have any friends."
So I started talking to her.
We were best friends, we'’d do everything together.
- And then Jose turns out to be Kimberly?
- Yeah. - And was she in love with you?
- Yeah, but I didn'’t know.
She never told me anything.
- Was she, like, pretending to be Jose on the phone?
- Well, I mean, I would call him and talk,
but Jose would never talk.
He would text it.
- You were calling a number
where you would just hear breathing?
- It wouldn'’t even be breathing.
It would be on mute so I wouldn'’t hear anything.
- Come on, Larissa. - Yeah, that'’s wrong.
I know it'’s wrong. - Oh, my God.
- The whole school knew.
They were like "You'’re being catfished, like, he'’s fake."
And I'’m like "No, you guys don'’t know.
You don'’t know him. Why would you say that?"
- All right, so that went on for how long?
- Three years. -What?
- Wait, you were talking to Jose for three years?
- Yeah, three years.
- How do you get burned by a three-year catfish
and then jump into another online relationship?
- Since I was talking to Anthony during when I was dating Jose
he would tell me, "If you feel like
you'’re being catfished, do something about it."
That'’s kind of what, like, made me fall for him.
And I trust Anthony because we always talk on the phone.
He calls me more than he texts me.
- At least you know it'’s a guy.
- Yes, at least I know it'’s a guy.
- We'’ve made some progress.
- But then he also gives me a lot of reasons
why I need your guys'’s help because I would ask him,
"Let'’s hang out" when he moved to Washington,
and he'’s stood me up three times.
- Where did he move in-- '’cause Washington'’s a big state.
- He went to Seattle, then he moved to Yakima--
- He moved to Yakima?
- He moved to Yakima!
Yes, like, right here. - Your little town?
- I mean, that'’s impossible that you wouldn'’t have seen him.
- The biggest red flag for us is how willing you are
to believe anything anyone tells you.
- Have you ever sent him money or anything?
- I did. I sent him close to $500.
♪
- I don'’t get it. Why?
Why are you doing this to yourself?
- [laughs]
Because I love him.
He'’s kind, super easy to get along with.
We would talk about personal things.
I don'’t want to give up yet.
I just want-- I just want him to be real.
- You need some help. - I know I do.
- These online guys are coming to Yakima,
and we'’re actually coming to Yakima.
- Thank you. I know I need the help.
- We'’re coming to you.
Bye, Larissa. - Bye.
[both sigh]
- She'’s one of the most naive people
we'’ve ever talked to.
So this girl needs our help.
- All right. - Let'’s go to Yakima.
♪
- ♪ Ooh, ah, ooh
- Yeah, we'’ve got to stop on--like this.
- ♪ I set up camp in the center of town ♪
♪ Ready for freedom when it all comes down ♪
- We'’ve now made it to Seattle.
- ♪ I never wanna die
♪ And I never grow older, yeah ♪
♪ Ooh, ah, ooh
- Made it Yakima. It'’s beautiful here.
- There'’s not a lot going on.
Probably not a lot of boyfriend options.
- Is that her, waving on her porch?
♪
- Hi.
- What up, Larissa? - Thank you.
- How are you? - I'’m good.
- This is beautiful. - This is amazing.
- It'’s beautiful, right? - Who'’s this cat?
Psst-psst-psst! - His name'’s Timmy.
♪
- Hey. - Do you like living here?
- Yeah, like, I love it here.
It'’s just-- it just gets lonely.
- Can we just, like, walk around a minute?
- Yeah. - It'’s just so beautiful.
You grew up on a farm. - Basically, yep.
- Hey, guys!
Max, look, he has your haircut.
[laughter]
And this guy has mine, look.
- Oh, my gosh, similar. [laughter]
- This guy likes me.
- He loves you. - Thank you.
- All right, why don'’t we get down to business?
- Yakima is kind of amazing and beautiful.
- But I live in the middle of nowhere.
- Do you feel isolated at all?
- I do.
I live with my mom'’s boyfriend,
and he'’s super strict, like, he controls the Wi-Fi.
- How does he control the Wi-Fi? Turns it on and off?
- Yeah, like, '’cause he doesn'’t want me
to talk to my friends on social media.
He just doesn'’t want me to have a life, I feel like.
- Or maybe he wants you to have a life
because if you hadn'’t been spending so much time
talking to people on the internet...
- Yeah. - What about your real dad?
- I don'’t know. I don'’t talk to him.
I wasted my kid years crying to my mom, like,
"Mom, why doesn'’t our dad love us?"
But I got over that.
- Now you'’re saying, "When is my boyfriend gonna come home?
Why doesn'’t my boyfriend want us?"
- Yeah, where'’s my boyfriend? Why isn'’t he here?
- I mean, maybe there'’s something related there.
You know, we talked a little bit on the Skype call
about how all this stuff started,
but now that we'’re here why don'’t you tell us
how did you jump from Jose to Anthony?
- The minute Kim told me, like "Hey, I'’m Jose,"
my whole world just crumbled down.
I cried for, like, three months straight.
I didn'’t want to go out. I didn'’t want to talk to nobody,
but Anthony was being supportive.
He was like "Don'’t cry, you'’re gonna get through this.
You'’re strong. I know you'’re strong."
That'’s when him and I started to get close.
He'’s funny, he'’s kind, he understands me.
I feel like he can be a good boyfriend.
He'’s just, you know, being stupid, but...
- You got to kind of give up on the idea
that Anthony is telling you the truth.
- Yeah. [sniffles]
I love Anthony.
I want him to be real, you know?
But I don'’t want to look like a fool again.
♪
- All right, well, we'’ve been talking
about this guy for a while.
I'’m dying to know what he looks like.
So can we maybe go on your computer and check him out?
- Yeah.
- Why don'’t we log in here.
All right, so he'’s--he'’s obviously a handsome guy.
You'’ve got a lot of messages with him.
- I'’m a little concerned about you sending him this money.
Where are you getting $500?
- That was my money to spend on my books.
Yeah.
- He'’s asked you a bunch of times for money?
- No, just when he was in Alaska.
- What was going on in Alaska? - Basically he was like,
"I'’m going to Alaska" and I was like "For what?"
And he'’s like "Well, '’cause I'’m a fisherman,
and I stay on the boats up there."
When he was in Alaska he actually cheated on me.
I was like "Anthony, did you hook up with anybody?"
and he goes "Fine, like yeah, I slept with another girl."
♪
- You let people cross boundaries,
and then you don'’t say anything
because you keep on expecting these people
to become the person you wish they were
or that you idealize them to be,
and then they'’re not.
- That'’s why I want Anthony to be real.
- Yeah, but Anthony is a guy that hurts you.
You know that already.
- And if he'’s real, then he'’s a real jerk
who takes your money and lies to you.
Until you figure out what it is
that makes you fall in love with these guys
who don'’t treat you right,
nothing we do or say is actually gonna help you.
Sure, we can prove that this guy isn'’t who he says he is, easy.
We'’ll do that, but like,
that'’s not gonna fix your problem.
[somber music]
♪
- You are a trusting person.
You choose to see the best in people.
You choose to believe in love and romance.
Those are good qualities to have,
but they can also get you hurt.
♪
- [sighs] Yeah.
- And we don'’t want you to keep getting hurt.
We'’ve got a couple things we need to try and help you with.
The first... - Is what you asked us to do.
- Figuring out who this guy Anthony is.
We'’ll take care of that.
You need to start analyzing your feelings
so that you can learn to put yourself first.
All right, we'’re gonna go do some research.
- Thank you. - Yep, we'’ll see you later.
- Bye.
♪
- This girl'’s got a lot of thinking to do.
- She goes all in with these guys.
And she really wants to believe them so badly.
- Something'’s rotten in Yakima.
- Larissa'’s been burned.
She'’s been catfished pretty much as bad as you can be catfished.
She meets a guy on Facebook named Jose,
they'’ve become boyfriend/girlfriend,
only for her to then discover
Jose is actually her best friend, Kim.
So while she'’s getting catfished by Kim,
Anthony, some other cute guy
who randomly sends her a message, latched on.
- He'’s helped her get over Jose
and he told her she has to move on,
and so who would ever think that this guy
would also be a catfish?
- Right. - She sent us an email.
- Let'’s see what she sent us. - All right.
- Here'’s her email.
- "His full name is Anthony Ramirez.
"When I first met Anthony he was living in San Diego,
"but was flying to Anchorage, Alaska to be a fisherman.
"After Alaska he moved to Yakima and then back to San Diego
"and got a job at a [bleep] dealership in Escondido.
"I have two numbers for him.
"Here is a link to his Facebook profile.
Attached are a couple of photos I have for him."
- Okay. - First stop, image search.
- Here'’s the first one.
No, nothing. Okay.
Image number two.
- Nope. - All right, image number three.
- I have a good feeling about this one.
- No, so no hits on any of the pictures.
Let'’s run the phone numbers.
- Coming up, coming up, coming up.
What do we got? No name, or address.
- Landline, we got nothing there.
Let'’s try the other phone number now,
'’cause that'’s his old number.
- All right, here we go, here we go.
Nothing. What else can we check?
- Well, look, she says he had a job at a [bleep] dealership.
- Right. - All right.
Well, if he worked there, someone should'’ve heard of him.
Let'’s give them a call. - Let'’s call them.
[line trilling]
- Hey, Hector, my name is Nev.
I don'’t know if you'’ve ever seen a show
called "Catfish" or not on MTV.
- Okay, great, you'’ve seen the show; awesome.
We'’re trying to help this really sweet young lady
find out the truth about this guy
she'’s been talking to for a year.
Part of this guy'’s story was that he said
he worked at a dealership in Escondido.
His name is Anthony Ramirez.
Does that sound familiar?
- He said he was fishing in Alaska for a few months.
You have anybody that worked there?
- Okay, and how long did he work for you?
- Did he have any other friends
or did anyone else know him at the dealership?
- Okay, so--
- Oh, yeah, that would be great.
- Hector, thank you.
- All right, see you.
- So it'’s not Anthony Ramirez at all so--
- How did he pick up the money? He must have a fake I.D.
- Isn'’t that weird...
that his name is Jose?
- I mean-- - Could it be the same?
It can'’t be the same Jose... - Right.
- '’Cause the first Jose was Kim. - Right, was a girl.
- But the second guy'’s name is Jose?
- It'’s just weird. - We got another lead, though.
We got-- - Yes.
- He said to call Mark.
- We got to call the friend. - Call Mark.
[line trilling]
- Yeah, hi, is this Mark?
- Um, this is gonna sound a little crazy.
My name is Nev, and I am one of the hosts
of the show "Catfish" on MTV.
- Okay, cool. We'’re trying to find out
a little bit more about your friend Jose.
- Yeah, are you guys still friends?
- Do you know where he went?
both: Kodiak?
- Where is that? - Whoa.
- When was that?
- Do you have his number?
- Can we just compare numbers?
- It'’s a 951 number.
- And then [bleep].
- Great, okay, so that'’s Jose'’s number.
- Does he go up to Alaska a lot?
- Huh, okay. Cool.
We really appreciate your help.
- So now he'’s in Kodiak? - Kodiak.
- Where the hell is that? - The Kodiak Catfish.
Oh, my God.
It'’s an island off the coast of Alaska.
So we might be going to Alaska. Let'’s look up Jose [bleep].
Wait, Escondido. - Oh, my God.
- It says it! - There he is.
- There he is. - This is him?
- Kodiak! - Oh, my God.
- Look at the banner! - There he is.
- Lives in Kodiak.
- And is from Los Angeles.
We'’re going to Alaska. - Oh, my God.
I really hope we'’re going to Alaska.
- We'’re about to deliver some pretty bad news.
- Larissa'’s not gonna look at this as all is lost.
She'’s gonna hold out hope that it works out with this guy.
- The best thing we can do is to show her what we found out
and convince her that that'’s not happening.
Here we are.
♪
[knocking]
Good morning.
- Hey. - Good morning.
- So how was it after we left? - I still cried.
- Okay. - I was still upset.
And then kind of talked myself out--
like, don'’t think about all the bad.
Just don'’t worry about it.
- We'’ve done some research.
- You want to know the truth.
I think we'’ve got some answers.
So if you'’re ready, I think we should jump in.
- Okay, I'’m ready. - All right.
So we started search both the phone numbers
that you had and there were no real matches.
We didn'’t get any names. That'’s when we remembered,
so you said he worked at a car dealership...
- Escondido. - In Escondido.
- So we called them.
- This guy Hector came on the phone,
and I asked him-- I was like, "Hey,
do you have an employee named Anthony?"
And he said he doesn'’t have anyone that works there--
- And never has. - So I said "Have you had
anybody that'’s worked for you who'’s recently gone to Alaska?"
And right away he was like "Oh, yeah.
His name was Jose [bleep]."
- Have you ever heard that name before?
- Then Mark, who also works at the dealership,
he said "Yeah, I was friends with Jose,"
and that the last thing Jose said
to him was that he was going back to Alaska
to a town called Kodiak,
which is like an island off of Alaska.
- And that he was going to work at a cannery.
- When we compared
the number you have for Anthony
to the number Mark has for Jose...
- Mm-hmm. - They were the same.
♪
- So what does that mean?
- It means that your Anthony
and Mark'’s Jose are the same person.
- And we found him.
His banner is Kodiak, Alaska, and this is him.
This is the guy you'’re talking to.
- I hope it'’s not. - Well, it definitely is.
- That'’s the guy that you'’ve been
talking to for the last year, 100%.
He'’s the one you say "I love you" to.
He'’s the one you'’ve been sending pictures to.
There is no Anthony.
- And he'’s in Alaska, this guy?
- Yeah.
- Yeah, all signs point to Kodiak, literally.
This is not the first time you'’ve gone through this.
- Mm-mm.
It'’s messed up to make me think
that I'’m not being catfished again
when I-- when you were catfishing me.
[sniffles]
- ♪ You'’re too tired ♪
♪ You can'’t carry all this hurt now ♪
- I don'’t know.
- ♪ You'’re more to me ♪
♪ Than all these broken things ♪
[line trilling]
- This subscriber is not available.
- Hi, this is Nev from "Catfish,"
and I'’m here with Larissa.
The right thing to do here would be to get back in touch with us
so that we can all meet up. Thank you.
We pretty much know where he is. We can find him.
So I say we just go.
I mean, he didn'’t give you a choice.
I don'’t think we necessarily need
to give him a choice, either.
- You okay with this plan?
- There are flights to Alaska.
But to get to Kodiak we kind of got to go, like, today.
So if you'’re serious and ready to, like,
take life by the balls
and start standing up for yourself, now is the moment.
- I'’m ready.
- I couldn'’t hear you. - I'’m ready.
- I still can'’t hear you. - I'’m ready.
- Okay, we'’ll head to the airport
and we'’ll fly to Alaska and we'’ll find this guy.
- We'’re going to Alaska.
- ♪ Put you back together
- Hey, there she is.
- Today is horrible.
I thought Anthony was gonna be real.
I got catfished twice back to back, like a fool.
It'’s upsetting, but I'’ll be okay.
- You ever been on a plane before?
- Mm-mm, I never left Washington.
- All right, say goodbye to Yakima.
- ♪ It'’s hard when you'’re living and you don'’t feel much ♪
♪ And you'’re down and you'’re hoping ♪
♪ That things are gonna change ♪
- Are you guys ready to do this?
I mean, this is like some serious adventure [bleep].
- ♪ Oh, we don'’t know the roads that we'’re heading down ♪
- Here we go: Anchorage, Alaska.
- ♪ We all know if we'’re lost then we'’ll find a way ♪
- Ready for your first flight?
Spread your wings.
You ever seen a cockpit?
- You want to sit up here? - Don'’t press any buttons.
- ♪ Will we make it home?
♪ We don'’t know there'’s hope ♪
♪ Then we'’ll be okay ♪
♪
- We made it to Anchorage. See you in the morning.
- ♪ It'’s hard when you'’re living and you don'’t feel much ♪
- Next stop, Kodiak.
- ♪ You don'’t feel loved, it'’s hard ♪
♪ When you'’re living and you don'’t feel much ♪
- Nothing from Anthony? - Nothing.
- If he doesn'’t get back to us,
I think we just put out a search party.
- ♪ Oh, we don'’t know the roads that we'’re heading down ♪
- This is about as far as you can go.
♪
- Wow, look at this place. It'’s amazing.
♪
- Hopefully he'’s there and we didn'’t just
come all the way up here for nothing.
It'’s hard to believe that this is, like, still America.
- I know.
[upbeat music]
♪
- ♪ Oh, there'’s something in my mind that'’s killing me ♪
♪ There'’s something that this life'’s not giving me ♪
- ♪ Would you say
- ♪ Oh, we don'’t know if we leave ♪
- Why don'’t we put our bags in our rooms
and all meet and come up with a plan.
- ♪ Then we'’ll be okay ♪
- We need to find him and bust him.
[soft music]
♪
- Hi. - How are you feeling?
- Nervous. - Yeah?
- I still have not heard back from "Jose."
- I hope he'’s here,
and I hope he at least gives me a sorry,
you know, like "I'’m sorry I did that."
- But don'’t hope for things. - I'’m not--
- Demand the things. We have a picture of him.
Kodiak is a very small community.
I mean, we'’re bound to meet somebody who knows him.
Let'’s just hit the streets and start asking around.
- All right, let'’s do it.
We should be able to cover the whole island
over the next six hours.
- You'’re gonna find this guy.
You'’re gonna tell him how you feel.
And you'’re not gonna be the victim.
- Do you guys work up here? - I fish here.
- You ever seen this guy? - He works at a cannery.
- Nope. - All right, well, thanks, guys.
- ♪ All I ever
- Have you ever seen this guy?
- ♪ Wanted was an answer
- You want something, you'’ve got to actually
put in the work and go and get it.
Hello. - Hi.
- You ever seen this guy? He might work at the cannery.
- No, we don'’t get a lot of locals here.
- The local coffee shop.
- This is active stuff.
This is how you stop being a victim.
- There'’s the coffee shop. All right, you'’re up.
You start asking for him.
- Can we ask these guys here?
Hey, guys. - Hi.
- You'’re starstruck?
All right, take a deep breath.
- Do you guys know anyone named Jose?
- Yeah. - You do?
- Might, yeah. - You do?
- Have you seen this guy?
- He doesn'’t look familiar, no.
- All right, thank you, though.
- Yeah, no problem. - All right, thanks, guys.
We'’ve got a question to ask you.
- Have you seen this person? - This guy is supposed to work
at one of the canneries. - No.
Maybe the B&B? A lot of the dudes go there.
- What'’s that? - The bar just down the way.
That'’s where everyone hangs out.
- Well then that'’s a good spot.
- Thank you. - Okay, let'’s go to the B&B.
Come on, Larissa, you got to lead the way.
♪
Oh, boy.
Sorry to barge in like this.
- That'’s okay, we'’re used to it. Welcome to the bar.
- You want a beer? - We'’re good.
We'’re actually--we'’re on a little bit of a mission.
We'’re looking for a person,
His name is Jose. - Jose?
- This person. - That'’s what he looks like.
He'’s supposed to work at a cannery.
- I'’ve not seen this guy. - You don'’t know?
- Who'’s the female looking for him?
- This lady. - Hi, I'’m Rico.
Nice to meet you. - Hi, I'’m Larissa.
- So are you pretty excited about meeting this person?
- I'’m nervous. - Are you nervous?
- I'’m very nervous.
- How long have you guys been chatting?
- A year. - A year?
Well, you'’re beautiful and I hope you find [bleep]
what you'’re looking for, you know?
- Thank you. - Good luck, girl.
- Are you single? - Yes, I am.
- Well, we know where we'’re going if it doesn'’t work out.
Do you know this guy? Have you ever served him before?
- You'’ve seen this guy before?
- Really? - Really?
- Where'’s that? - It'’s just down the street.
- All right, well that'’s something.
- Thank you for your help. - Thank you.
- So the bartender knew.
Look, wait. It'’s right there.
- Sounds like they'’re open.
♪
Let me see if anyone'’s in here.
Hold on one second.
♪
Hello?
- Hi. - Hi.
- Yeah, just had a quick question.
I'’m Nev. - Jessica.
- Good to meet you. - Good to meet you.
What can I do for you? - I'’m making a show.
We'’re looking for a young man with the name of Jose.
- There are quite a few Joses.
- I have a photo.
This guy? Does he look familiar?
- He does. He'’s upstairs.
- He'’s here.
- I will grab him.
- Wow, this is it. You ready?
- Randomest [bleep] place in the world.
[tense music]
♪
You ready? - I'’m nervous.
- This is it.
- Yo, yo, he'’s coming, he'’s coming.
Hey, hey what'’s up, man?
- Jose, right? - Yeah.
- Good to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
- You know who I am and why I'’m here?
- Yeah.
- Larissa reached out to us.
And we figured out that you'’re Anthony
and we wanted to meet you
but you didn'’t get back to us, but we figured out you were here
and we asked around and here you are.
- Yeah. - So I have Larissa outside.
Can you come--can you--
- Sure. - Here he comes. Here he comes.
[dramatic music]
♪
- Okay.
This is Larissa.
♪
Here, why don'’t I just leave this...
- If you guys can follow me. - So...yeah.
Wherever--wherever is cool for you.
♪
- Know what you'’re gonna ask?
[tense music]
♪
- All right.
- Do you want to maybe explain everything?
- I can'’t really just start somewhere
'’cause I wasn'’t thinking about-- I wasn'’t--
I just did it '’cause-- I don'’t know.
There'’s not an easy way to explain.
- Explain it however you can, because I want to know.
We came to Alaska.
- We came all the way here. - [scoffs]
- All we know right now is that you'’ve been lying to Larissa,
that she sent you money,
that you promised to meet her a couple times.
- Yeah. - So...
right now we'’re trying to figure out
if you'’re this big, bad [bleep].
- I'’m not that. I'’m not that. - Jerk.
- Piece of [bleep]. - That'’s not who I am.
I'’m not a big piece of [bleep].
- Who is Anthony and why'’d you create the page?
- I created the page just to get back at Anthony
who was a former friend of mine in Seattle.
- So Anthony'’s pictures that you were using are of?
- Those are actual pictures.
Anthony [bleep] me over by getting into a relationship
with the girl that I was with at that time.
I found out, and I decided to make a fake profile
to [bleep] him over with this girlfriend.
I kind of told her all this [bleep]
and made her think that Anthony was a piece of [bleep].
- I'’ve had friends [bleep] me over all the time
and I don'’t go and make a profile.
- Sure, but I used it just to [bleep] him over.
- Why don'’t you be the man and go up and, you know,
in front of him and be like "Hey, you stole my girl.
Let'’s like, you know, something."
- I know I [bleep] up. And I regret it.
- I feel like you'’re not really sorry.
I just want to know why. Why me, though?
- Like, really, like, I don'’t even know why I chose you, like,
I was talking to you like anybody else.
At first it was just a game.
- Yeah, to you. - To me it was just a game.
But then after a while it just became something else.
- Did you have real feelings for her?
- Like, I like her as a friend.
- As a friend? - As a friend.
- You were the first one to tell me you loved me.
What do you mean?
My heart was broken when I was talking to you about Jose.
You just broke it more.
You don'’t know how that feels.
That'’s not right.
- What'’s up with the money? Why'’d you ask for it?
- At that point I was basically using her, basically,
to be able to get home.
- Oh, but you'’re not being a piece of [bleep]?
Oh, okay.
- I was basically homeless for six months in Alaska.
Then I got into an accident
and the hospital paid my plane ticket
to San Diego, and that'’s how I got home.
That money that she sent, I never touched.
- Well, you couldn'’t have really even picked up the money anyway.
You don'’t have an I.D. that says Anthony Ramirez.
How were you gonna get it to begin with?
- Instead of showing your I.D. you can do test questions.
- Did you ever do that with him? - Yeah, I made questions.
- Then she'’d tell me the answer.
- Okay, well.
- Why did you leave San Diego and come back here?
- I came to Kodiak to stay away.
I wanted a fresh start somewhere
where I know that nobody knows me.
- To hide. - To hide.
- You fled the Lower 48 to come to Alaska and start anew?
That only generally happens when, like,
you'’ve murdered somebody.
- I got into some issues.
- So there are other things that we don'’t know about?
- Yeah, I had issues with the law.
And now I'’m basically on the no-fly list.
Basically, like, I can'’t go back to California.
- So you'’re kind of a fugitive.
- Yeah, that'’s the honest truth.
- You can'’t really run.
You'’ve arrived at the place you'’ve run to.
We'’re the karma that'’s coming to bite you in the ass.
- You didn'’t think any of this would catch up to you?
- I knew it was gonna catch up to me.
I knew it was.
- Here'’s the million-dollar question:
Larissa started talking to you
when she was already in a relationship with a catfish,
and you helped her get over that.
- Yeah. - How could you then
go on to catfish her the exact same way?
- I wasn'’t trying to keep the game going,
but I didn'’t know how to tell her.
- I came to you for help, and this is what you do?
There was so many chances. You could'’ve just stopped it.
- I could'’ve.
♪
- All right, look, it'’s getting a little cold,
and this is a good place to maybe end for the day.
- Yeah, that'’d be good. - All right.
♪
- How did that feel? - Feels good to let it out.
- Yeah? - I got some answers.
Is just still doesn'’t-- it just doesn'’t make sense.
- Well, it'’s not about understanding why.
At some point you just have to accept that,
like, people do nasty, mean stuff.
That'’s why you need to protect yourself
and not count on other people to make...
- Make it happen. - Things happen for you.
- ♪ A crescendo
♪ In the sun
- This was a big step.
You confronted someone who'’s wronged you,
stood up for yourself.
Now you can move on. - Yeah.
- Check it out.
There'’s a bald eagle right there, you see that?
- Yeah. - That'’s pretty awesome.
[ambient music]
♪
- ♪ Circling my mind
♪ Black butterflies
[tense music]
[knocking]
- Hey. - Hey.
Good morning. - Hey.
- All right.
- Yesterday was pretty intense.
How do you feel?
- I'’m still mad.
Like, what he did was wrong,
and I don'’t feel like he knows that.
But when I saw him,
I was thinking to myself it'’s gonna get better now.
I can breathe,
and I'’m not gonna have to worry about am I being lied to?
Am I being fooled? It feels good to let that go.
- It just seems like the right thing to do,
to look each other in the eye, say what you need to say.
He'’s done a really good job of sort of avoiding reality
for a long time.
He came up here to get away from everything.
- Yeah, he'’s a runner.
- I'’m gonna make the best of this last talk.
- Well, then let'’s text him. "Where can we meet you?"
Hopefully he'’ll get back to us this time.
- Mm-hmm. - Oh, we got something.
- We got his address. - Great.
- And he says "I'’m here.
Come over whenever."
Let'’s go say good-bye to catfish forever.
♪
Are you nervous to see him again?
- I'’ll be okay.
[birds squawking]
- Wow, where the hell are we?
I mean this is as far off the grid
as you can get while still being on the grid.
Guy has definitely run pretty far from civilization.
- Should we, uh, obey?
- "Turn around. [bleep] off." Wow.
- All right, let'’s do it.
♪
What'’s up, man? Good to see you.
- Good to see you.
You guys like to take a seat?
♪
- We wanted to give you an opportunity
to kind of let us in a little bit more,
explain yourself a little bit better.
Most importantly, help Larissa understand
how this happened, why this happened,
and where we'’re all going from here.
- Yeah.
- Can you just tell us who you are?
Because all we really know is that your name'’s Jose.
- I was adopted when I was three.
My biological father was a drunk, a druggie,
and when I was two he was just pissed off and kicked me.
And then my organs were, like, coming out.
And they had to send me to the hospital
and I was there for a few months
and then I got put in a foster home.
- Whoa. - I'’ve always felt like
that is what traumatized me, in a way.
I wish I was like my adopted family.
I wish I was centered and knowing what I wanted to do.
I have a brother in the Marines,
and I have a sister, she'’s in the Navy.
I wish I would have gone to the military.
I wanted to do that,
but instead I started messing around with weed
and I started messing around with the party scene
and stuff like that.
I just keep [bleep] up.
- Do you have anyone in your life that, like,
really loves you
and cares about you, like, unconditionally?
- I tend not to have people like that in my life.
I go solo, Like, me, I'’m solo,
like, I try to just do me, like, not have anybody in my life.
That'’s why I'’m leaving tomorrow morning.
I got a job on a boat.
- Really? Whoa. - Yeah, what happened yesterday
was just, like, a...
It was a bubble that burst,
and I accepted the job and I'’m gone tomorrow.
I want to get away, that way I don'’t hurt anybody,
or they hurt me.
- So you'’re just running again? - Yeah.
- I understand, you know, like you'’re going through,
you know, a rough time and everything.
But it'’s still not right.
I came to you thinking
that you were gonna basically save me, you know?
- Yeah. - And it turns out
you just hurt me more. - Yeah.
♪
I wanted to tell the truth,
but I was avoiding getting hurt, or hurting you.
- But, like, what I don'’t get is telling me
that you cheated on me, like, that all hurt.
- That was a complete lie.
I told you that I cheated so you wouldn'’t be that hurt
'’cause you could just move on and be like
"Oh, [bleep] that guy, like, he cheated on me."
- But that'’s selfish.
If you look at it, you didn'’t want
to come to grips with the fact that you were hurting her.
- Yeah. - When I started getting
feelings for you, like, they'’re real.
- That'’s when I should'’ve stopped, yeah.
- They'’re real.
Your feelings weren'’t real.
- Basically everything that I said yesterday was [bleep].
Like, I shouldn'’t have said what I said yesterday.
I should'’ve been truthful.
- What'’s the whole truth? - I never had that in my life,
like, I never had somebody who actually cared about me,
and once I had it I didn'’t want to lose it.
I started feeling good about myself.
That'’s the hardest part about it.
One day, hopefully,
I find somebody who cares about me, you know?
- This is kind of the last opportunity
to really tell Larissa how you feel about her.
So if there'’s anything you want to say?
Why don'’t we step out.
♪
- You don'’t feel it '’cause the [bleep] that I put you through,
but I love you.
♪
- Your voice, it just gets to me.
- Well.
- Did you really have feelings, like, as strong as I did?
- Yeah, I still do. I got them.
I regret hurting you, but I don'’t regret
getting to know you because that'’s probably,
like, one of the best things that has happened.
- You could'’ve been yourself.
You could'’ve, you know, things would'’ve been so different.
But now it'’s kind of-- it'’s kind of over.
♪
- I understand. - I don'’t, you know,
wish you any bad or anything.
Like, I hope you find somebody that'’s gonna care for you
as much as I did,
but I just don'’t want you to make this mistake again.
I don'’t want you to hurt somebody else.
- I don'’t want to hurt myself again.
- Okay.
- ♪ Hold on
♪ Before the moment'’s gone ♪
- How'’d that go? - It feels good.
- Hopefully this will be a new beginning
for both of you guys.
- And at least you won'’t be catfishing on that boat.
You'’ll be cod fishing right? - Cod fishing, yeah.
[laughter]
- Bye. - Bye.
- ♪ From feeling this way
I feel great. - Really? That'’s awesome.
- ♪ She'’s moving on ♪
♪ She'’s moving on, oh ♪
- There is one last thing to do.
- You know what that is?
We got to get your money back.
- ♪ She'’s moving on ♪
♪ She'’s moving on, oh ♪
♪
- Yeah.
Whoo! - [laughing]
[line trilling]
- Hey. - Larissa.
- Hey. -Hey.
- How are you? - I'’m super good.
- Super good? - Why are you so super good?
- Yeah, what'’s so good?
- '’Cause I'’m working and making money.
- Okay. - Yeah, get that paper.
- Get that cheddar. - [laughs]
- Are you talking to Jose at all?
- He called me and he told me that he'’s in prison.
- What? - What?
- He'’s in prison? - He'’s in prison.
He actually called me and wrote me.
He was just apologizing
and he asked if there was still a chance.
- So he really is still in love with you.
- Yes, it'’s a little awkward. -Hmm.
- Has anything changed for you since filming?
- My confidence.
Now that all of that'’s completely behind me
I just feel a lot better about myself.
- You deserve the best.
Try to meet some nice guys IRL.
- I will. -Bye.
♪
- She'’s in England, she'’s real. - Let'’s go meet her.
[horn honks]
- "Catfish" has made it to the UK.
- Hello?
She'’s here? - What?
- Whoa.
[knocking]
- She'’s here. - [bleep].