Season 8 of Queer Eye was just released on Netflix, so I thought now would be the perfect time to share my three favorite episodes from the first seven seasons.
Queer Eye was released in February of 2018 and became what seemed like an overnight sensation! I was at a small Christian college in Kansas when it made its debut on Netflix. There was a group of my friends that would join together to watch it, laughing, crying, and feeling all the emotions during each episode. For those of you who haven’t watched Queer Eye, the cast is comprised of 5 people: Jonathan van Ness, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk, and Tan France. Each person has their own “specialty” in which they offer advice to whoever they are trying to make over. Each season, the crew chooses a different city.
This show was SO important to me as a college student who wasn’t out yet and couldn’t come out yet. I loved it for so many reasons. It showed me who in my life was an ally because they’d watch this show with me. It made me feel like LGBTQ+ people could live normal lives because the Fab 5 lived normal lives. They had ups and downs that they shared with people on the show. I loved that it wasn’t just queer people that they would choose for their makeovers, but also those who maybe weren’t affirming yet. It showed me, and millions of others, that queer people (in this case, the cast) would extend their love to those in hopes that someday it would be reciprocated.
Without further ado, here are my three favorite episodes.
S1E1 – You Can’t Fix Ugly
I love this episode because I couldn’t imagine a better series debut. In the beginning, Antoni says “My goal is to figure out how we’re similar, as opposed to how different we are.”
In this day and age, it seems like we’re always fighting about differences. Many times, the cast of Queer Eye is very different than the “hero” of that episode, but they still want to help. Tom Jackson, the focus of episode one, is convinced he has been unlucky in luck because he’s butt-ugly (his words, not mine). Tom and this episode are so special to me because he really opens up and transforms throughout the episode. He might not have welcomed advice from a queer person before, but throughout the episode, he really listens and takes their advice, but from his episode, you would never know that.
S2E2 – God Bless Gay
When I tell you I SOBBED during this episode – not an exaggeration at all. Miss Tammye is a teacher and is very involved in her community and church. I love a good teacher story as I’m also a teacher, but Miss Tammye goes above and beyond for everyone in her community. There are lots of emotions in this episode, but the one that stood out to me is when Miss Tammye talks about her gay son, Miles. It was a hard time for both her and her son, but through a “religious experience” Miss Tammye decided to love Miles for who he is and not the disagreement she initially had with his sexuality. Antoni discusses that not every parent makes that choice and that makes Miss Tammye even more special. It’s also a great episode because Bobby was apprehensive about completing the makeover of the community center because of the local church’s involvement. At the end of the episode, the Fab 5, Miss Tammye, and Miles have quite a discussion about acceptance from the church during their duration in Gay, Georgia. It’s such an emotional episode but for all the right reasons.
S6 E2 – Angel Gets Her Wings
The Hero of this episode is Angel, the first Trans Hero on the show. This is another super emotional episode for me for several reasons. She was nominated by her lifting coach, Vinny, and her girlfriend Katia. I loved Vinny’s involvement in this process because you might not be able to guess if he is affirming or not. Not only is he affirming, but he advocates for Angel and it is so beautiful. Angel shares that she has had no contact with her father since the beginning of her transition. During the episode, Angel meets up with her father with the help of Karamo. It is an instant tear-jerker. I cried rewatching it as I’m writing this. Seriously, it is so powerful. I’m so lucky to have always had my family, but I know not everyone is that lucky. Her father’s first words to her in years are “You look good.” How special is that?! Something Angel will remember forever. Ugh. Such a good episode.
There are so many other amazing stories throughout the first seven seasons that I’ve seen. The final season has just been released, and I can’t wait to watch them. I’ll laugh. I’ll cry. I’ll feel all the emotions and I’m so excited!
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