Best Queer Eye episodes: An instalment for every lockdown mood

Always hungry? Tried a new look? Suffered a DIY fail? There's an episode for that...
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Netflix’s Queer Eye has taken viewers on empowering, eye-opening and emotional journeys since it first aired in 2018.

The hit show sees the Fab Five makeover the lives of hapless humans up and down America, helping them overcome personal barriers and thrive.

Whether it’s thanks to Jonathan Van Ness telling someone they’re beautiful inside and out, or the power of Bobby Berk’s incredible home renovation skills, each episode often leaves us blubbering.

The five’s mission to Make America Gay Again is continuing with Series five, so it’s a perfect time to rewatch some of the best episodes.

Christopher Smith/Netflix

If lockdown fatigue is setting in then fear not, here’s a Queer Eye episode for every mood...

When you’re constantly hungry

Jones Bar-B-Q - Season 3, Episode 3

If you’re eating everything in sight, this episode revolves around tons of delicious slow-cooked ribs and a secret BBQ sauce that we would give an arm for.

Sisters Deborah and Mary Jones (AKA Little and Shorty) are among the few female pitmasters in the BBQ game, and spend long hours searing and cooking at their roadside BBQ stall to help put Deborah's daughter through college.

With some time for pampering and a very emotional visit to the dentist, the Fab Five largely help the duo grow their business and bottle up their secret sauce.

You can get your hands on that delicious BBQ taste too - since the episode debuted, the Jones sisters have been overrun with orders and their sauce has become an internet sensation.

When you want to shave your hair off

Saving Sasquatch - Season 1, Episode 2

Netflix

A lot of people have faced the urge to to shave all their hair off during lockdown and this episode shows that it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Tech nerd Neal isn’t too keen on making changes at first, but over the course of the episode he goes from awkward app developer to super fly guy.

It’s one of the biggest emotional transformations in the show's history, and it begins with a physical transformation, as Jonathan Van Ness worked his magic, getting rid of Neal's long hair and a straggly beard.

Cue the tears as Neal gives a speech about how the Queer Eye guys got him out of a truly dark place.

When you’re about to give up on love

You Can’t Fix Ugly - Season 1, Episode 1

The first ever episode of Queer Eye is a winner, as a 57-year-old divorced self-described redneck, margarita-loving Tom, stole our hearts.

Tom was still in love with his ex-wife Abby and needed to get his life together when the lads turned up. We all bawled when he self-deprecatingly said “you can’t fix ugly”, but grinned as he got his confidence back.

And now - Tom and Abby are back together! And they’re married again! And the internet love them! And you too can find your true love after lockdown! And there are rumours they've divorced again but let's forget about that bit!

When you're dreaming of the perfect home office

A Tale of Two Cultures - Season 4, Episode 6

Netflix

If you’re getting on a DIY hype, Bobby Berk and his unbelievable home decor skills are the ideal inspiration.

Deanna runs a Latinx arts festival in Kansas City, Missouri, and struggles with her own identity. She worries she’s not Mexican enough for her family, and not white enough for her suburban lifestyle.

To show her she belongs in her city, the Fab Five get her an office in the heart of the town. And Bobby does one of his best renovation makeovers (which is really saying something). There’s a massive table for board meetings, a fun and funky breakout area and a stunning mural painted by a Mexican-American artist to celebrate her heritage. It's a perfect place to work.

When you get on the cocktails

Crazy in Love - Queer Eye We’re in Japan, Episode 2

Netflix

If you want to perfect your quarantinis, look no further, as in this episode of the special Japan series, Antoni Porowski is here to save the day.

Teaching us all how to impress at a dinner party (or in this case, on zoom drinks) the food and drink expert showed episode protagonist Kan how to make a perfect St. Germain cocktail.

Two shots of St. Germain, two shots of grapefruit juice, Yuzu, lime juice, and edible flowers if you’re fancy. Top tip: chill the martini glass in the freezer before pouring. Plus, Antoni how’s us how to properly shake it (the cocktail, that is).

When you’ve forgotten how to make new friends

Sloth to Slay - Season 3, Episode 7

Netflix

We’ve been isolated for a long time now, and most of us haven’t met any new people in quite a while. Plus (socially awkward people unite!) it can be hard to make new friends at the best of times.

This episode might help you remember it’s not so hard though, as the Fab Five help shy 20-year-old computer gamer Thomas break down his emotional walls.

Karamo and Bobby take Thomas to a social gathering of people his age who are into the same things he’s into - computer games and anime - and Thomas finds his tribe AND ends up having a killer 21st birthday party. Kansas City Japan Club to the rescue.

When you’ve done so much online shopping that you have an entire new wardrobe

Sky’s the Limit - Season 2, Episode 5

Netflix

Okay, we can’t go shopping physically quite yet, but we definitely have been rinsing the online stores and trying out new looks (especially as no one from the office can see them).

Queer Eye is all about transformation, and one of the biggest often comes from Tan France’s stellar work teaching people how to dress for their bodies, accessorise and exude confidence.

This episode opens with a very big transformation - Skyler, a transgender man, is having his top surgery, to remove breasts in order for his body to fit in with his gender identity.

Struggling to find clothes that fit his body, Skyler has never had a suit that fitted him perfectly - until Tan arranges a company that specialises in making suits for trans people to make one for him.

Swapping backwards baseball caps and tank tops for a fitted, classy suit, the transformation is quite simply gorgeous - plus, Tan organises his wardrobe into ‘work’ and ‘play’ and kits him out with a massive range of new clothes. Can he do ours next?

When you clap for key workers

Japanese Holiday - Queer Eye We’re in Japan, Episode 1

There are some people in lockdown who have sacrified everything to look after us all - key workers. Doctors, nurses, hospital cleaners, porters, and many more, have been working day and night to provide care to the most vulnerable.

If you ever needed a reminder of the selflessness of the health community, look no further than 57-year-old Yoko-san.

As her friend Fumiko, who nominated Yoko puts it: "Yoko-san is an offbeat nurse.” Yoko is so offbeat though, that she has turned her entire house into a hospice for the sick and elderly, and doesn’t even have her own bed.

The selflessness of Yoko is outstanding, and easily seen in the homely environment she created for sick people to live out their last days, before opening a community centre next door. Luckily the Fab Five also show her the benefits of self-care.

When you miss your family

On Golden Kenny - Season 4, Episode 5

Netflix

Everyone is missing their family in lockdown. Whether you’re in different towns or countries, even if you’re close enough to stand two metres apart and chat, nothing compares to a hug from a loved one.

If you’re dreaming of that sweet moment when the whole family can pile into one house again, you can watch the emotional moment it happens to 64-year-old Kenny Yarnevich.

Kenny has lived in the same house pretty much his entire life. Having just experienced the loss of his parents and his dog, he’s living alone and hasn’t changed a single thing in the house since his parents passed away - and oh boy, it contains some next-level dust.

Luckily, the Queer Eye boys are there to remind Kenny that he’s not only a pillar of his Croatian and church community, but that he’s also got a massive family that rely on him and love him.

After a makeover inside and out, his sisters, brothers, nieces, and about 30 other family members all pile into the newly refurbished house for a party. Plus - Kenny gives them all keys that he had cut specially! Cue the tears.

When you’re missing going to music festivals

The Handyman Can - Season 2, Episode 4

Netflix

It’s tough out there for live music fans: this summer’s festival season has been demolished by the coronavirus crisis, leaving artists, organisers and fans wondering what comes next for the live music scene.

We’re wondering what Burning Man enthusiast Jason is feeling about it all - in this episode, the Atlanta handyman is a hardcore Burner (that’s what those who love Burning Man call themselves), and it reminds us just how much we’re missing our favourite summer experience.

In fact, he loves the festival so much that he’s decided that he’s going to move to Reno, Nevada, so that he can be closer to Burning Man. As the Fab Five pointed out, this doesn’t really make any sense, as he’s already going to Burning Man every year from Atlanta anyway.

Realistically, it looks like the lonely Jason isn’t running away to live near Burning Man, but is more running away full stop.

Luckily, the guidance from the Fab Five worked out, and though he throws a killer going-away party, Jason never leaves. Instead, he stays in Atlanta and shacks up with old friend and new girlfriend Beth - the Beth who nominated him for the show. It’s incredibly cute, and we’re sure these two will enjoy many a festival when they’re allowed to return.

When you just need a massive cry

To Gay or Not Too Gay - Season 1, Episode 4 & Black Girl Magic - Season 3, Episode 5

Look, lockdown is tough. Humans are an incredibly social species, and loneliness is taking hold. Whether you’re feeling alone, unproductive, stressed, or just concerned about the world, sometimes a good happy-sad cry can feel super cathartic and get it all out.

Two of the most emotional episodes of Queer Eye so far involve people coming to terms with their identities and embracing who they are. In the first season, the Fab Five encourage AJ, who regrets not coming out to his dad while he was alive - to tell his stepmother Haide that he's gay.

Season three then shows the Queer Eye guys with their first lesbian hero. Jess, a self-identified “lumberjack lesbian” has had a real rough ride - she’s been kicked out of her adoptive home for being gay and she’s dropped out of college because of debt.

It’s no wonder Jess has trust issues. However, she reaches out to her biological sister after Tan (with help from style icon Janelle Monaé) encourages her to express herself through fierce clothes and Jonathan helps her embrace her natural curls.

The most powerful part of the show though is when Karamo helps her connect with the black community, wiping away her tears and repeating the mantra: “You are a strong, black, lesbian woman.” Cue the tears (can Karamo come and wipe ours away too please?!)

Queer Eye Season 5 will hit Netflix on Friday, June 5.

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