The whole basis of Catfish is the hope that the person the protagonist falls in love with is who he claims to be. There were some cases in Catfish where both people typing on the keyboard were exactly who they said they were, and cases where they both lied. However this is not revealed to us until they finally meet. The show must first take us on a journey where Max and Nev investigate whether their story is valid. So we have to follow them as they venture across the country hoping that the person keeps their agreement to meet them. Only then is their true identity revealed and we, the audience, get to watch as the two decide if they really are