Catfish Season 4 Episode 13 Recap: Copy Catfish

It’s another Wednesday night and that means its Catfish time. By the looks of the title on the email that Nev and Max receive from this week’s Catfish guest, things are going to be crazy. Falesha is a 19-year-old girl who 5 years ago, had to deal with a catfish named Jacqueline. The Jacqueline account wasn’t a girl that Falesha was romantically interested in. In fact, Jacqueline’s account had nothing but photos of Falesha herself! Talk about crazy psycho obsessive stalker, much?! Falesha tells the guys that the Jacqueline account was constantly being very rude to others but didn’t stop there. She took things to a whole new level when she changed her name from Jacqueline to Falesha and started adding people from Falesha’s school. Did Falesha ever think to get the cops involved because I would! Maybe Falesha’s fellow students should’ve also taken action once the fake Falesha account started to tell the kids to kill themselves.

 

It was already hard enough for Falesha to be a girl in high school and getting to know herself but with this cyberbully, it was the rotten cherry on top. Falesha’s nightmare ended in fall 2011 when the fake Falesha account disappeared- or so she thought. This cyberbully went radio silent until a few weeks ago when Falesha received a message from the girl asking, “Remember me?” Not only is Falesha furious that this girl is back but she’s also terrified because she doesn’t know what she’s capable of doing next. Falesha feels like Nev and Max are the only two that can help her and I’m not discrediting them, but I think a cop would be able to help as well.

During a Skype call with Falesha, the guys learn that Falesha only knows that her cyberbully is a girl because she used to call her. She would cuss Falesha and her friends out and even accuse Falesha of being fake. Being the good mother that she is, Falesha’s mom tracked down the phone number and found it connected to someone in Maryland. Falesha took a photo of her holding a sign to warn others that Jacqueline was fake. I have to give this Jacqueline credit because she’s not so dumb after all. She started taking that photo of Falesha and editing it to make it look like Falesha was the fake. With knowing the serious circumstances of Falesha’s case, the guys head out to meet with the real Falesha.

When the guys arrive they let Falesha know that this special case is called a copy catfish- an evil doppelganger. Falesha had to learn from a fellow classmate that Jacqueline had changed her name to Falesha. The student told her that she sent them a very nasty and rude message but Falesha assured them it wasn’t her. Upon investigating Falesha noticed that Jacqueline not only changed her name but also started adding people from her school and started sending them the same nasty and vulgar messages like she was posting before. After Jacqueline’s destruction, a lot of people turned on Falesha. Her mother tells the guys that she was honestly worried for her daughter’s life some days because Falesha questioned how easy it would be if she weren’t there to experience the pain. Cyberbullying is a serious issue that shouldn’t be passed off as a joke and Jacqueline needs to realize that. She’s putting peoples’ lives in danger!

 

The guys start their investigation on the copy catfish case. Since Jacqueline has opened so many doors to numerous people around the globe, it will be tough to find someone who actually knows any information on her. They start by messaging Danielle on Facebook who claims to know a guy from her school who used to date Jacqueline. She calls the guys to let them know about her friend Koree who dated Jacqueline. Apparently everyone in their school knew Jacqueline was a fake account except for Koree. It seems that Jacqueline only used Koree to gain access to his friends and start stirring things up in his town. Eventually the Jacqueline account disappeared along with Koree. He dropped out of high school because he was being harassed by Jacqueline and Danielle doesn’t know where he is now. It’s crazy that a fake online profile can have that much power over someone.

Catfish-Season4-EP13-Nev-MaxNev gets another call from Jennifer, who lets them know her involvement with the psycho Jacqueline. Jennifer says that she accepted Jacqueline’s friend request because back then she would accept anyone. However, she quickly learned that she would regret that decision once Jacqueline started leaving nasty comments on her profile. Jennifer noticed that people would comment about Jacqueline being a fake profile and how the real profile belonged to Falesha. Jacqueline also seemed to notice these comments because she would quickly delete them once they were posted so she wouldn’t have her cover blown.

Jennifer knew things weren’t adding up so she wanted to do some digging. She made a fake profile for one of her guy friends in order to flirt with Jacqueline and eventually become her boyfriend. Jennifer is beyond one of the smartest girls out there because she was able to trick Jacqueline into giving her all the information for her Facebook login. Once Jennifer was inside Jacqueline’s profile she was able to figure out what her real name was- Tracey. She ended up changing the password so Jacqueline couldn’t get in and closed the account. Way to catfish the catfish! I guess it’s true that not all superheroes wear capes.

When the guys search Facebook with Jaqueline’s real name, they immediately find a matching Tracey account that lives in Maryland. Tracey slipped up because she left a post on her Facebook that mentioned her deleting her account and telling everyone to text her at the number she provided in the post. It’s just never smart to post your number on the internet- especially when it’s public and you’re trying to be a nasty catfish.

Catfish-Season4-EP13-Nev-CellThe next step is to call the number linked to Tracey and see where things go from there. Nev calls the number and a girl who seems to have the voice of a 10-year-old answers the phone. She confirms that she is Tracey and that she is also Jaqueline Linkwood. I immediately got chills when she started laughing after confessing who she was because she sounded exactly like the evil Talking Tina doll. Nev questions why she was so quick to expose herself if she just finished telling him that this was a secret she had been keeping for a long time. When Nev asks if she’d be interested in meeting up with them, she only seems to care about whether or not Falesha will jump her and the fact that the next day is her birthday. Listen here, Tracey, if Nev didn’t wish me a happy birthday last week he’s not going to wish you one! Nev is able to set up an appointment to meet with Tracey and is left stunned as to how cheerful she was about her evil alter ego. I’m telling you, she’s exactly like Talking Tina.

When Nev goes to the door he’s greeted by the girl in the Tracey Facebook profile photos. She’s supposed to be my age but she looks about the same age as she sounds. It’s obvious that Tracey’s maturity level is also that of a 10-year-old’s when she says EW at the sight of Falesha. She blames her for stealing all of Jacqueline’s friends and poor Falesha is standing in the background with Max wondering if she really just stepped into the Twilight Zone.

Nev convinces Tracey to let the crew inside so that they can all sit down and talk. They question whether Tracey is putting on an act because she can’t seem to stop laughing. She tells them that it’s just the way she is and that she works with kids at a daycare- that’s a very frightening thought! Things only get worse when she refers to the kids as her best friends and little puppies.

Catfish-Season4-EP13-TraceyTracey was trying to live a Hannah Montana lifestyle of being Tracey during the day and Jacqueline at night. Turns out she also wanted to get revenge on people bullying her by bullying other people back. Is this girl serious right now?! Nev tries to knock some sense into her by telling her how this profile has negatively affected Falesha’s life but Tracey thinks she deserves it because she doesn’t like Falesha. Max proceeds to ask Tracey the question that I’ve been wondering this entire time, do you take drugs? Of course Tracey laughs hysterically and lets him know she’s never taken any drugs but I wouldn’t put it past her.

I cannot take this girl anymore! I’m ready to turn this off and be done with her. When Max asks Tracey how she would feel if her bullying caused someone to kill themselves she admits that she wouldn’t cry or care at all. My eyes started to fill up with tears out of anger and sadness because I don’t know how someone could be a human being with a soul and say that while laughing. Tracey thinks that if someone killed themselves then it would be on them and not her because they made that decision. Since they know that they can’t get through to Tracey the crew leaves. Tracey has the audacity to blurt out if Falesha will sing happy birthday to her as they’re leaving. She thought all of this was a game and she was at Disneyland having a blast. Something is seriously wrong with this girl and she needs help ASAP.

Catfish-Season4-EP13-FaleshaThe crew heads back to Tracey’s house the next day since her mother is also there to speak with them. It’s obvious that Tracey is acting very different than yesterday because her mom is present. When Nev and Falesha explain the story in more detail to Tracey’s mom, she tells her daughter to apologize to Falesha. Tracey doesn’t feel the need to apologize but her mother knows her daughter is out of control. Tracey’s mother begins to tell Nev about Tracey’s father and how he suffered a stroke. Since then he hasn’t recovered and isn’t able to communicate with them. Tracey made the Jacqueline account around the time her father became ill and I think that was an escape for her so she didn’t have to express her true feelings. Before Tracey’s mother leaves Nev shares his concerns for her daughter. He lets her know that he thinks Tracey needs real help because she’s not headed down the right path.

Nev heads back inside and tries to have a therapy session with Tracey because we all know she desperately needs one. He begins by telling her to use her real voice which makes me laugh because it’s so true that she’s been using a fake voice this entire time. Tracey tries to argue that she is using her real voice but Nev is serious and tells her that she’s not. He then lets her know that if someone she said something to ever killed themselves, she could go to jail for it. Its common knowledge that this could happen but I guess Tracey didn’t know that. Since Tracey thinks nothing bad ever happens to her, Falesha tries to make things real for her. She tells Tracey that if she filed harassment charges on her she would lose her job of working with kids and never be able to do so again.

Tracey finally apologizes to Falesha and lets her know that she made the account in order to block people from her life. Tracey doesn’t want to let people into her life but she needs to in order to ask for help. The crew leaves feeling they finally made an impact on her.

Two months later, Falesha hasn’t heard from Tracey and is glad to see there are no fake profiles with her photos. Tracey says that she no longer uses fake profiles online since filming ended. It appears that she also developed a crush for Nev. Tracey says that she recently met a guy that she really likes and has already been on 4 dates. She’s not mean to people anymore and just blocks all the negative people.

What were your thoughts on this crazy episode of Catfish? Have you ever personally dealt with someone using your pictures on a fake profile? Celebrities deal with it all the time so I guess I’m glad I’m not famous. Would you have believed Falesha if you were one of her classmates? It’s hard to believe that everyone turned their backs on her when it was obvious that she was being harassed. How creepy did you think Tracey was? I still hear her laugh in my head and I think I’m going to suffer from nightmares tonight. Do you think Tracey really had no emotions towards the people she was harming? I think it was all just an act and a wall she was putting up to block herself from what she was going through with her dad. Do you think Tracey’s days of catfishing are truly over? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

New episodes of Catfish premiere Wednesday nights at 10/9CT on MTV.

Photos: MTV

11 Comments

  1. I think if anyone sees this episode and had any family member who committed suicede because of her, she should be prosecuted and get the treatment that she needs. Also, someone should contact the boy who dropped out of school and let him know that this was not real.

    • Has anybody been on facebook and looked this girl up..OMG it’s horrible from posting embarrassing videosof herself , pictures half nude , and posting crazy post like how she wants to trap a rich white guy into marrying her by getting pregnant..it gets worse . And she thinks she’s the shit she’s famous ..she wants to be like Miley Cyrus and Farrah Abraham .

    • I could not, for the life of me, believe she was over 18. I thought she was 14 or 15. I only caught part of, “Catfish” but this week this girl was on, “Dr Phil”. What a mess-a complete embarrassing mess. I watch reality tv but sometimes I wish it was never, “Invented” because there are all these kids running around who want to be famous without working or having an actual talent.

  2. Everyone needs to remember that “Catfish” is entertainment, not investigative journalism. MTV arranges these meetings for sensationalism and good ratings.

    Falesha benefited by appearing in this episode. She’s a beautiful, intelligent young lady with a good future ahead of her, and “Catfish” will promote her modeling career. Also, it seems that the cyberbullying from several years ago is real, and that it caused her pain; there’s no longer any question about her having gone online and posted “die of brain cancer” messages to classmates, so Falesha can close that chapter of her life.

    Tracey’s desperate to become the next internet sensation. She’s put numerous videos of herself on YouTube, acting the fool in all of them. She doesn’t want to work in a daycare center; she wants her own reality show on MTV. Sadly for Tracey, she isn’t the least bit interesting or intriguing. She’s also stated, online, that she wants to become a single mother; I truly hope that her comments are for attention only, and that she won’t have a baby.

    • Why would you possibly think, “Falesha” has a good career ahead of her? Even in the modeling industry, personality is very important and equally so, the ability to get along with other people. This is not all an act she’s putting on-catch her on Dr. Phil. She has serious issues-she stuck at age 14. Fwiw, I’ve lived in NYC surrounded by actors/models –she’s over 18 which is considered very late to start a serious modeling career.

  3. That little girl Tracey has serious mental issues , not even kidding or trying to be mean .There is something seriously wrong with her maybe bipolar ??

    • I could not, for the life of me, believe she was over 18. I thought she was 14 or 15. I only caught part of, “Catfish” but this week this girl was on, “Dr Phil”. What a mess-a complete embarrassing mess. I watch reality tv but sometimes I wish it was never, “Invented” because there are all these kids running around who want to be famous without working or having an actual talent.

  4. i knew a girl that acted identical to Tracy, and she was later diagnosed with a full fledge case of schizophrenia!

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