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Catfish Season 3 Episode 7 Recap

It took seven episodes, but we finally have our first Catfish love triangle of the season.

Solana’s story starts with Myspace, that’s how long this love game has been going on. At only 14 years old she met Elijah on the social network, where the two teens struck up a friendship, which eventually turned into an online relationship. Then Elijah disappeared. With his Myspace page deactivated and no other way to contact him, Solana was forced to give up on her mystery man. Until …

Two years later, someone claiming to be Elijah Facebook messaged Solana, explaining that his mom forced him off Myspace and he has been searching for a way to reconnect. The pair quickly picked up their old rapport, but now Solana has a boyfriend, Danny, who wants to get serious. Plagued by a horrible case of the “What if?”s – What if Elijah is her true love? What if he is a phony? What if she loses Danny? – Solana looked to Nev and Max for their Internet sleuthing expertise.

Like always, our boys delivered. Read on to see what they discovered; don’t worry, we did most of the detective work for you. Check out the “three red flags” that led to “the big reveal,” and “the silver lining” that followed. Let’s get fishing, shall we?

The Catfishee:

Solana is a Delaware girl who is looking for answers from the guy who helped her through her parents’ divorce via Myspace, only to disappear and then pop up again on Facebook years later.

The Catfish:

Elijah, a 20-year-old living in Minnesota who claims to care deeply about Solana but has limited ways of contacting her.

Three Red Flags

Solana is a lady in an unusual situation who needs answers ASAP. Her current flame, Danny, wants to take the next step, and is willing to give her the space to figure out Elijah’s identity, but his patience will only last so long. To banish six years of built-up doubts about Elijah – and make sure she isn’t missing a chance at true love with a pop punk prince – Solana needs to wade through all the warning signs and get down to who he really is, no matter how crushing the reality may be. And it isn’t looking good.

1. Elijah has a suspiciously low amount of tech. When Elijah and Solana first connected, they only communicated through Myspace, or the occasional phone call from Elijah. Solana was allegedly not allowed to call because of Elijah’s strict family rules. Now, Solana claims Elijah doesn’t have a phone (in 2014? Please!) or a webcam, so they can only communicate through a texting app and Facebook. The pair have NEVER video chatted in their six-year history.

2. But he has plenty of videos on YouTube … After some serious snooping, Nev and Max discover that a guy named Elijah, who matches Solana’s photos, has several recent videos online with thousands of views. So he isn’t able to video chat, but he has the ability to make rambling YouTube clips and post them online? Is it possible that Solana’s suitor stole this Elijah’s identity?

3. There are numerous phony Elijah accounts. A search for Elijah on Facebook turns up nearly a dozen fake accounts loaded with photos of the same guy. Whoever the real Elijah is, he is popular with the catfishes and the ladies. With so many people pretending to be the same dude, the odds that Solana has been talking to the “real” Elijah are weakening.

The Big Reveal

After being presented with all the disparaging information about Elijah, Solana decides to take action. She texts her mystery man and confesses about setting the Catfish team on his trail, stressing if he wants to meet her it’s now or never. Elijah agrees to have the group fly out to Minnesota to meet up, but worries, “What if I am not what you imagined?” Oh good, that sounds promising.

Nev, Max and Solana pile onto a plane and arrive at Elijah’s house, where a man answers the door, says he is Elijah’s brother, Joshua, and invites them inside. Once inside, Josh runs down to the basement to get the man of the hour. What feels like an eternity passes while the group waits for Josh to return with Elijah. Everyone is on edge. Who is going to come up those stairs? Joshua in a wig? An axe murder? An octogenarian?

Surprise! It’s Elijah, in all his pierced, dyed-hair glory. Everything he has told Solana is true. He has no phone or webcam at the moment. His YouTube videos were filmed on a professional video camera, which has since been sold. Solana stands in shock. After spending the past several years convincing herself Elijah probably isn’t real, here he is standing in front of her saying she looks gorgeous.

The Silver Lining

There isn’t really a silver lining here, because the clouds have parted and the sun is shining. Solana and Elijah spend the rest of their visit catching up and reveling in their deep connection. Solana tells Elijah all the details about her relationship with Danny, and in the end decides she isn’t willing to lose her understanding boyfriend to take a romantic chance on Elijah. Instead of being put off, Elijah accepts the news warmly, expressing his happiness for her. The Myspace amigos promise to stay close friends, even getting matching lion tattoos to reaffirm their vow. When the pair part, it’s with hugs, smiles and future plans to meet up soon.

Two months later, everyone has kept their word. With the mystery of Elijah out of the way, Solana was finally able to admit she was falling in love with Danny and allow herself to fully feel those emotions. The result? Danny and Solana are now married, eloping shortly after her return from Minnesota.

Elijah and Solana continue to keep in touch, and remain good friends. When the guys check in with Elijah, he has a new phone (with a webcam!), the same haircut and nothing but positive things to say about Danny and Solana’s relationship. It’s probably the closest thing to a storybook ending Catfish will ever see.

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Catfish Teaser Trailer

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Jenniffer Sheldon

Update: 2024-02-03