Queer Eye rapidly became one of the most talked-about Netflix series when it took Twitter by storm with the arrival of its first season in February of 2018, featuring a new Fab Five: Antoni Porowski (Food & Wine), Bobby Berk (Interior Design), Jonathan Van Ness (Grooming), Karamo Brown (Culture) and Tan France (Fashion). Although Netflix has a small selection of reality shows, there was nothing quite like Queer Eye. Three seasons later, and you know the format by now: the Fab Five visit someone in need of some serious TLC, hair is cut, homes are made-over, shirts are french tucked, and tears are shed. Now, sitting down to watch an episode – iced latte in hand – still counts as a low-maintenance form of self-care.
The new episodes bring in a fresh group of men and women for the Fab Five to make-over, and everything that made the first three seasons so lovely is still present. It’s a tasty blend of humor, political awareness, and cheese. The fourth season also expands on itself a little like previous seasons have; the Fab Five occasionally travel to places or speak to guests on the show that spark their own emotional journey — as one of the best things about Queer Eye is its willingness to go deep — no matter how light the show’s premise is. For example Season four hosts guests that talk about gun violence, bullying, and all sorts of issues plaguing modern society.
Season 4 retains the soft political charge the series has maintained over the course of its run on Netflix. There’s still a push towards open-mindedness and empowerment, but it’s never so heavy that it becomes a chore to watch. It’s no surprise that much of Queer Eye‘s audience is young and politically active, so the show can be taken as a breather amongst the tiring and frustrating modern-day arguments we constantly see plastered all over media outlets. The show’s goal isn’t to forget about these outside-world things, nor is it claiming that America’s divide has been solved by make-overs; it’s simply showing positivity, and in that regard, it goes a long way. The awkward kids, family members, co-workers, and friends often at the edges of the episodes all start smiling sooner or later and from there never seem to stop. The care-free attitudes of the Fab Five and the way they go about their day with authenticity are infectious; seeing it seep into the people they’re working with is one of the many joys of the show.
With Queer Eye’s roughly 45-minute episodes lengths, they still feel remarkably bite-sized, and in terms of structure, it’s the same every time. It’s a wonder how they fill the forty-five minutes without the pace being sluggish, but they pull it off. It’s no doubt repetitive, as the grooming tips we were all picking up from Jonathan during season one have certainly run out, but we’re still watching it because it’s nice and sometimes nice is enough.
Season four of Queer Eye is everything you’d expect, and that’s not a bad thing. The format works, the cast works and the series is still comparable to a tub of ice cream on a Sunday night. For those looking to watch the new season, season 4 will be available on July 19th on Netflix, and for those looking for a great series to binge, the first three seasons are currently available to watch.
Note, All eight episodes were provided for review.
