8 ‘Queer Eye’ Season 5 Moments That Prove It’s More Than a Makeover
The Fab 5 is back for a fifth season to bring joy to more deserving heroes (the people they are making over) and their families. This time, they take on Philadelphia, their most eccentric city yet. From fishmongers to teenage activists to DJs, these episodes of Queer Eye saw it all.
While part of each episode involves making over the hero’s outfits, hairstyle, home decor, and eating habits, the Fab 5’s work serves far beyond that. Each hero has a reason why they need a makeover in their life, whether they work a stressful job and fail to take care of themselves, are too busy focusing on taking care of their family, or for a variety of reasons. Part of the makeover is dedicated to healing whatever it is that is holding them back from being the best people they can be.
Season 5 was full of laughter, tears, and smiles as relationships were rekindled, confidence was restored, and the heroes learned more about themselves than they’d known before. Fans followed along with Jonathan van Ness, Tan France, Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, and Antoni Porowski and watched people transform, both physically and spiritually, in front of their eyes.
Keep reading for eight moments that prove a Queer Eye makeover goes beyond the hair and makeup.
Queer Eye, Season 6, TBA, Netflix
The Remix
Ryan Dyer is a property manager by day and “DJ High Def” at night. His passions and goals are much different than what he thinks his parents want and expect from him. He didn’t feel comfortable sharing this with his parents, especially his father, who started the property management business he works at during the day. In order to make him feel better about doing so, Ryan was brought to Jenks Club, where he DJs at night and where he feels most comfortable being himself. There, he met with his father, who he learned was concerned about Ryan trying to measure up to his expectations. Immediately, Ryan felt better about sharing.
One Step at a Time
Kevin Abernathy’s daughter, Haley, called on the Fab 5 to make sure that her father could focus on himself once she got married in the upcoming weeks. After going through a divorce, he centered his life around making sure his daughter had a great one. Before the wedding, the team wanted to make sure Kevin was prepared. This included bringing in a dance instructor to help him practice his first dance with Haley. Not only did they want to work on the steps, Karamo raised the point that what really mattered was the connection between the two of them, and with more confidence, Kevin would be able to make the most of the special moment.
A Family Business
Fishmonger Marcos Tiacopilco is extremely dedicated to his business, with which he receives help from his family. However, one of his daughters nominated him for the show so that he could learn how to carve out some time for his family. Marcos’ oldest daughter, Jennifer, hadn’t spoken to her parents for over a year, mostly due to differences between herself and her father about how she wanted to live her own life. They reunited to discuss how they felt about their relationship. In a tearful conversation, Marcos realized the mistake he made and Jennifer learned that his actions came from a place of love. Their reconnection gave the family strength to work together on the grand opening of Marcos’s new restaurant, which he lovingly named after his wife.
Selfless Motherhood
Jennifer Sweeney was nominated by her three daughters because they believed she deserved some time to focus on herself. As a dedicated mother and wife to a husband with ALS, she spends her time helping her family. Jennifer thought there would be a college sendoff party for her daughter, Ashley, at the end of the week, when actually, the family enlisted the Fab 5’s help to plan a party celebrating Jennifer and all she does for the family. Once the party started, her daughters sat everyone down to announce the real reason for the party and shared loving words highlighting how much they appreciate Jennifer as a mother.
Freeing Others, but First Herself
Abby Leedy was so passionate about advocating with her climate justice group, Sunrise Movement, the 18-year-old would often forget to take care of herself. She lives in a communal living space with many other activists, and because she is constantly working to make change, she often neglects her own healthy lifestyle. In an effort to change this, Abby was given the opportunity to meet with Philadelphia City Council-member Helen Gym, who had spent much of her young adulthood advocating as passionately as Abby does. While Abby was commended for her incredible work, Helen reminded her that her “ability to free other people relies on [her herself] also being free.”
Finding the Missing Piece
Children’s literacy advocate Tyreek Wanamaker had a difficult childhood. He was estranged by his real parents, and, until the age of 11, was raised by unofficial guardian Ruth. Despite calling his years with Ruth some of the best of his life, he had gone years without seeing or speaking to her. The Fab 5 worked on reconnecting the two, and Karamo spent time meeting with each of them to gain a better understanding of what caused the distance in the first place. In the end, Tyreek got the answer to the heartbreaking question he had been asking himself for years: did Ruth still love him? The two were able to reconcile, and the missing puzzle piece in Tyreek’s heart was filled.
Curing the Guilt
As a pediatrician with a young daughter, Lilly Yi missed out on a large portion of early motherhood due to her residency. She felt like her daughter, Annabelle, had a better connection with her husband, Jon, as he stays home with her almost every day. Although she continues to work and try to be as involved as possible, Lilly still felt left out. After Jon nominated her so she could focus on herself and relieve some guilt that she felt for not being home with her daughter all the time, the Fab 5 brought Lilly to a pottery studio where Jon and Annabelle were attending a children’s event and encouraged her to join in on the bonding and fun. There, she learned her daughter didn’t know that her mother was never there, but when Lilly was there, Annabelle was beyond happy to be spending time with her.
Cooking Up Confidence
Gay pastor Noah Hepler, except when he was standing at the front of his church, was extremely shy and reserved and still didn’t seem to be fully comfortable with his sexuality. So, the Fab 5 set up a cooking class, led by Noah himself, with only members of the LGBTQ+ community. He then had the opportunity to engage directly with the attendees, teaching him the importance of outreach and making him feel safer when it comes to interacting with unfamiliar faces. To top it off, he made a group of new friends to invite to his church’s 125th anniversary celebration.
