If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard of Netflix’s recent reboot of the 2000’s series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (which extends the original idea of five gay guys with different specialties making over straight guys in NYC, to people of any gender and sexuality in more conservative states), it’s worth checking out. So many TV shows and movies leave me feeling sad that I don’t have their lives, or even that I wasted my time watching them, but this one will truly leave you feeling good at the end. It’s really a celebration of positivity. I’ve narrowed down the top five episodes here:
- Sky’s The Limit
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Queer Eye’s first transgender hero really will open your eyes to the inner workings of what it’s like to not be born into the gender you identify with. Each character is at their best here and Skyler’s transformation at the end is incredible. The only thing that wasn’t great was the opening scene showing Skyler’s top surgery. Even though it was amazing and emotional, it seemed a little invasive, especially since he didn’t even seem to know that the Fab Five saw it until they told him when they met for the first time.
- Dega Don’t
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Seeing the car get pulled over in the opening sequence, combined with Karamo’s fear as a black man, Cory’s profession as a policeman, and a Trump poster, was an interesting setup for an episode. I’m so happy Karamo and Cory were able to have a good talk about police brutality towards black people. Apparently, they still talk sometimes. Bonus points for Antoni continuing his avocado dish streak.
- To Gay or Not Too Gay
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Seeing the potential AJ has in life, and how he grew into it, is pretty amazing. Karamo was able to really shine because what AJ really needed the most involved the confidence to come out to his stepmother. So Karamo had the biggest role in a lot of ways. The scene at the end is pretty heartbreaking, and it’s not higher on my list only because I feel like having to come out to his stepmother in front of a camera for millions of people to eventually see (while not even accustomed to fame yet) couldn’t have been totally realistic.
- Jones Bar B-Q
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Usually, these makeovers help one person, but this one helped an entire business. These two sisters are so lovable and never take a break from their job, so it truly made me feel good seeing them be able to relax while their store thrives. Seeing their new store and how much better it is (Bobby did a great job as always), as well as them selling their barbecue sauce really made me feel something. Might have been first on the list if it hadn’t made be so hungry…seriously considering visiting Kansas City now to check it out.
- You Can’t Fix Ugly
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The episode that started it all. We began our familiarity with Jonathan’s never-ending energy, Tan’s French tuck and impressive hair, Karamo’s bomber jackets and bear hugs, Antoni’s love for guacamole and gorgeous face, and Bobby’s capability to rebuild an entire house in five days. Would there be a “Black Girl Magic” or an “Elrod & Sons” episode if we hadn’t fallen in love with this first episode? In many ways, every episode was just trying to find a new angle on this one. It’s just amazing to see this lonely man thrive in so many different ways and finally find some luck in love. Look it up, Tom and Abby are remarried. With the Fab Five, anything is possible.
Here are a few honorable mentions that didn’t make the top 5; check out these episodes: “Saving Sasquatch,” “The Renaissance of Remington,” “God Bless Gay,” “A Decent Proposal,” and “Black Girl Magic.”
I hope this gave you an idea of what episodes to watch if you’ve never seen the show (or rewatch if you have)!
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