The Fab 5 is back and facilitating more inspiring “make betters” than we’ve ever seen before.
Designer Bobby Berk, groomer Jonathan Van Ness, culture expert Karamo Brown, fashion guru Tan France and food master Antoni Porowski are back with the fifth season of Netflix’s Queer Eye, and they certainly did not disappoint. With some of the most emotional episodes the show has ever seen, season five is definitely not one to miss. Here are all the episodes of season five of Queer Eye ranked from cute and fun to using a whole box of tissues:
10. “DJs On Repeat” Ryan Dyer
This episode certainly brought a lot of attitude from the Fab 5. The Jersey Shore vibes were incredible, and they even got their own Jersey Shore intro as opposed to their normal intro. However, the guy, Ryan Dyer, a 37-year-old DJ, wasn’t very easy to connect with. He seemed kind of artificial with his transformation, and that made it hard to love the episode as much as the others. I will say, the house transformation was epic (thank you, Bobby), and his family was the cutest.
9. “The Anxious Activist” Abby Leady
It’s easy to relate to this girl. Abby Leady, a 19-year-old activist, is adorable but filled with tremendous amounts of anxiety. However, this Gen Z sweetheart was very open to change, which made it easy to root for her. Instead of changing her living space, the Fab 5 focused on the Sunshine house, which is where she lived for her fellowship. It was heartwarming to see how much she cared about the environment, but the deep connection between her and the Fab 5 was lacking. Therefore, it’s not one of the more memorable episodes.
8. “The North Philadelphia Story” Tyreek Wanamaker
This episode is where the season started to really dive into emotions. Tyreek Wanamaker, a 27-year-old community outreach man, was pretty open with Karamo, but it felt like he fully didn’t undergo the emotional transformation he needed. The story of living essentially half of his life homeless was really powerful, and his relationship with his adopted mom was super interesting, too (not to mention how snatched his apartment looked by the end of the episode).
7. “Father Knows Fish” Marco Tlacopilco
Marco Tlacopilco is a fishmonger who is ridiculously invested in his business and his family. He dreamed of owning a restaurant, and the Fab 5 truly made it happen along with helping his relationship with his oldest daughter and giving him a whole new wardrobe of hats to enjoy. This episode is more of a fun one for audiences to watch, rather than an emotional rollercoaster.
6. “Silver Lining Sweeney” Jennifer Sweeney
This very Full House-style intro featured Jennifer Sweeney, a loving mom and wife, and her family. The Fab 5 work to help her understand that she is not the only thing keeping her family afloat and give her a lesson that many people could use: don’t be afraid to ask for help. This episode is where you see the first equal transformation in the ranking of inside and outside. Not only does she end up looking incredible and having a house straight out of a magazine, but her relationship with her children and her husband blossom in this episode. It’s beautiful to see as an audience member.
5. “Body Rock or Bust” Nate McIntyre
Nate McIntyre is a personal trainer who has let his life go due to a lack of confidence and fear of gentrification. The Fab 5 come in and give Nate a brand new look, teach him how to cook meals that go along with his fitness lifestyle, completely renovate the gym and his living space above it and instill a sense of confidence in him. This helps him to not only reach out to his family and his girlfriend, but let go of the pressures he’s been harboring within himself for years.
4. “Father of the Bride” Kevin Abernathy
This episode follows one of the sweetest father-daughter stories. Kevin Abernathy is a 53-year-old mortgage closer who just wanted to make his daughter proud for her wedding. With the help of the Fab 5, not only does Kevin get a complete makeover (he even gets a retainer that fills in his missing teeth!), but he also gains the confidence he needs to step up and be the father of the bride on his daughter’s big day. This episode is adorable and definitely gets the audience choked up. The audience even gets to see the wedding unfold at the end of the episode, including the father/daughter dance Kevin had prepared so hard for.
3. “Preaching Out Loud” Noah Hepler
The first episode of the season is incredibly strong. It follows Noah Hepler, a 44-year-old Lutheran pastor, who is working on working in his identity as a gay man into creating a place of acceptance at his church. The episode features a lot of powerful conversations for not only Noah, but for members of the Fab 5. This episode is met with audience tears, so be prepared to be extremely emotional throughout. In addition, being the first episode of the season, there was a tribute to Bruley, the Fab 5’s deceased dog, and an introduction of their new dog, Walter, who became a huge part of the season.
2. “Groomer Has It” Rahanna Gray
For only being the second episode of the season, it was almost the best one. Rahanna Gray is a 26-year-old dog groomer who has hit some setbacks in her business plan that keep her from thriving. The Fab 5 come in and completely revitalize her business and its image as well as instill proper business practices with things as simple as her hairstyle and clothing choices. Antoni even shows Rahanna how to make dog treats to sell while she’s grooming.
This episode is the perfect example of what makes Queer Eye such an exceptional show. Not only is it a beautiful transformation, inside and out, but there are fun elements like the doggie fashion show as well as emotional moments like when Rahanna gets her new mobile grooming RV. There’s so much to love about this one episode, and if you’re just getting into Queer Eye by watching one or two episodes, this one is a must-see.
1. “Paging Dr. Yi” Lilly Yi
Finally is the best episode of the season, which follows Lilly Yi. Lilly is a 33-year-old pediatric student who is starting her first day of work by the end of the week and is in desperate need of a “make better.” From working on her confidence as a mother and wife to branding herself to be approachable for children at her job, the Fab 5 truly change Lilly in the best way. This episode is another example of what Queer Eye is all about: sure, the physical transformation of her style, hair and house is so incredible to see, but it’s her mental transformation that puts everything else to shame. This episode is so inspiring and is without a doubt one of the best that Queer Eye has seen in all five seasons.
