Ep 9. Jesse & Brian

Jesse & Brian: Catfish: The TV Show is a popular reality television series that first aired in 2012. The show was created by Nev Schulman and Max Joseph, who were inspired by the 2010 documentary film "Catfish" to explore the world of online dating and the various issues that can arise from it.

In season 2 episode 9, titled "Jesse & Brian," the show explores the story of Jesse, a young woman from Grand Rapids, Michigan who has been in an online relationship with a man named Brian for the past three years. Jesse and Brian met on a dating site and have been talking and video chatting regularly, but they have never physically met in person.

Jesse is deeply in love with Brian and wants to take their relationship to the next level, but Brian always has an excuse for why they can't meet up. He has claimed to have cancer, to be going through a divorce, and to have lost his job, all of which have prevented him from being able to visit Jesse in Michigan.

Nev and Max investigate Brian's online profile and quickly discover that he is not who he claims to be. His photos and information are all fake, and the real Brian is a middle-aged man from Ohio who claims to have no idea that his identity has been stolen.

Jesse is devastated by the news and struggles to come to terms with the fact that the man she loved and thought she knew doesn't even exist. She admits to feeling foolish and embarrassed for falling for Brian's lies and is unsure of how to move forward.

Meanwhile, Nev and Max continue to investigate the situation and discover that the person behind Brian's fake profile is actually a woman named Angela, who lives in Ohio and has been using multiple online personas to scam people for money and attention.

Angela has been using Brian's photos and story to lure in unsuspecting victims, and Jesse is just one of many people who have fallen for her lies. Nev and Max confront Angela and learn more about her troubled past and history of online deception.

The episode ends with Nev and Max helping Jesse come to terms with her experience and move on from her relationship with Brian. They also work to educate viewers about the dangers of online dating and the importance of being cautious when interacting with strangers on the internet.

Overall, "Jesse & Brian" is a powerful episode of Catfish: The TV Show that explores the emotional complexities of online relationships and the devastating consequences of online deception. The episode is both heart-wrenching and informative, and serves as a cautionary tale for anyone who is considering entering into a relationship with someone they met online.