Motherwolff & David: Catfish's Weirdest Episode Explained

"Catfish: The TV Show" Season 8, Episode 74 is quite possibly the strangest episode in the series' decade-plus history. In it, Nev Schulman and guest host Dylan Sprayberry help a woman with the online handle Motherwolff meet up with someone named David with whom she's chatted virtually for around 20 years. Over the course of their lengthy internet correspondence, David has avoided showing his face on video, hence her interest in working with the "Catfish" team to meet him.

Schulman and Sprayberry soon figure out that photos David shared with Motherwolff were stolen and end up finding an address they determine must be his home. When the crew arrives, the person who walks outside to meet them is wearing a wig, already indicating that there's more to David than Motherwolff knows. Then, David's voice shifts up in pitch as he reveals that David is a character played by someone named Denise. All of his feelings for Motherwolff are genuine, Denise claims, but only when in-character as David.

Denise eventually owns up to a multitude of personalities and is unwilling to share their true identity, whatever that may mean. Finally, in a follow-up two months after their in-person meeting, Motherwolff reveals that she's not only still in contact with David but that they're officially in a relationship. While David might not have been the person he presented, the opportunity to appear vulnerable in front of Motherwolff seems to have only strengthened their bond.

In a Reddit discussion thread about the "Motherwolff & David" episode of "Catfish: The TV Show," numerous commentators shared that they were shocked by its unexpected twists. "I have never ran to this Reddit so fast... this has to be the wildest episode in Catfish history," wrote user selizabeth150. User andydufresne309 also described it as the single strangest "Catfish" episode, and felt that Denise might benefit from therapy.

Meanwhile, user meet-me-at-mdnight wondered how co-host Kamie Crawford, whose "Catfish" departure was recently rumored, would have reacted in comparison to Nev Schulman's calm demeanor. Twitter user @AndreaMaysFilms likewise shared this sentiment in a Tweet that received 160 likes, suggesting plenty of viewers thought the same thing.

Reddit user the1rayman was also among those who felt the episode was a series standout. "I have seen every episode of this show multiple times. And never have I yelled at my TV (with a very messed up voice as I'm getting over COVID) WTF is happening so many times," they wrote. Since "Catfish" isn't staged — just edited to heighten dramatic effect — "Motherwolff & David" is testament to the adage that truth is oftentimes stranger than fiction.