Queer Eye Was Never Revolutionary. But It Moved Us All the Same

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The popular Netflix series Queer Eye will conclude with its tenth season, premiering January 21st, bringing an end to the show’s nearly eight-year run. The final season is arriving with minimal promotion.

This season of the show, filmed around Washington, D.C., is short with only five episodes, and follows the usual format: the Fab Five help someone deserving with a complete life makeover. Each episode focuses on getting to know the person, learning about their life and emotions, teaching them a new recipe, giving them a hair and style refresh, and redesigning their space. It’s heartwarming to see these deserving people receive positive changes, and this season includes personal reflections from each of the Fab Five at the end of each episode. While there’s plenty of gratitude and happy moments, the season leaves you with the sense that everyone involved might be ready for a change.

It’s understandable why some were skeptical about bringing back Queer Eye. While the show has become Netflix’s longest-running reality series – with nine seasons renewed, 12 Emmy awards, and consistently high ratings – the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy hadn’t lasted. The premise – that gay men naturally have better taste – felt outdated, and the show’s focus on the Fab Five’s sexuality, without showing any romance or intimacy, tapped into the idea of the “gay uncle.” This theory suggests that gay men help raise the next generation, indirectly ensuring the continuation of their genes through family. Despite these potentially problematic underpinnings, the reboot proved incredibly successful.

Presenting this overly effeminate character on screen brought to mind an outdated and harmful stereotype – what Vito Russo, in his 1995 documentary The Celluloid Closet, called Hollywood’s “first gay stock character.” This type of character existed in a space between male and female roles and primarily served to entertain straight characters and audiences, often as a punchline. While the original Queer Eye felt dated in 2003, reviving it in 2018 felt stale and uninspired.

The Fab Five consistently delivered, living up to their reputation for success. They broke through stereotypes, becoming memorable personalities on the show and genuine pop culture icons. Their journey wasn’t without bumps – Tan France faced criticism for constantly using avocado, and Jonathan Van Ness’s coming out as nonbinary coincided with a product launch – but public life is rarely simple. Despite questions about their qualifications – Antoni Porowski incorrectly claimed to be a licensed social worker, as reported by the Washington Post – they excelled at what mattered most: creating engaging television. They essentially functioned as real-life advice columnists, offering quick transformations and hoping for positive outcomes. While incredibly entertaining, their primary role was to support both the people they helped and the show’s reliably comforting structure.

The Fab Five never set out to start a revolution, but Queer Eye subtly challenged prejudice by showcasing positive and supportive LGBTQ+ individuals – both in how they treated others and each other, despite occasional behind-the-scenes disagreements. While simple, this positive representation was valuable for a country still struggling with bigotry. Because queer history is often overlooked by institutions – and even actively suppressed through recent anti-diversity initiatives designed to maintain existing power structures – seeing LGBTQ+ people represented positively in popular culture is incredibly important, especially now as their rights are increasingly challenged.

While Queer Eye offered a positive representation of LGBTQ+ people, it feels somewhat dated compared to newer shows like Heated Rivalry, which dives deep into the complex inner lives and relationships of its characters. The upcoming film Pillion also pushes boundaries, portraying a nuanced BDSM relationship and challenging viewers to confront its full scope. Though the Fab Five certainly embraced personality, their makeovers often focused on minimizing individuality, effectively making their subjects less outwardly queer by helping them blend in rather than stand out. In contrast, RuPaul’s Drag Race has always been more progressive, built on the idea of celebrating and amplifying self-expression, encouraging contestants to be as bold and unique as possible. Drag Race has consistently been a leading force in shaping culture through its unapologetic embrace of individuality.

The last five episodes of Queer Eye are consistently enjoyable, often funny and occasionally touching. The show easily could have gone on indefinitely, but its conclusion makes sense. It’s unclear how well the changes made by the Fab Five truly stuck for some participants, as many likely couldn’t afford to maintain the new lifestyles presented. Still, most seemed to have a good time and received lots of helpful items. At its heart, the show simply aimed to improve people’s lives, and in that regard, the Fab Five succeeded, leaving a positive impact on the world of pop culture.

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2026-01-21 22:08