There’s a moment in episode 3 of Netflix’s new iteration of Queer Eye when the veneer of a glossy makeover show slips, and we see a microcosm of America contained in one fraught interaction.
First, some background: The series follows five gay men — Food & Wine connoisseur Antoni Porowski, Interior Design expert Bobby Berk, Culture consultant Karamo Brown, Grooming pro Jonathan Van Ness, and Fashion phenom Tan France — who spend a week helping transform the lives of people (not just straight guys this time around) who need a little help, whether that’s in their social interactions, wardrobe, diet, lifestyle or, most often, all of the above. After five days of advice, confidence-building and some truly excellent decorating, the “Fab Five” leave their “hero” to try and put their wisdom into action, hopefully learning a thing or two about self-love in the process.