Queer Eye and the Fabulous Five… Need I say more?

Season one of the rebooted Queer Eye aired on Netflix on Feb. 7, 2018 and was set in Atlanta. Queer Eye features five gay men, also known as the “Fab Five” – Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness and Bobby Berk – who help straight men redefine their lives according to the way they dress, eat, live, groom themselves and their daily activities.

Season one was such a hit that it was renewed for a second season, which aired June 15, 2018, and as of recently a third season was announced, which has yet to be filmed but will be released in 2019, according to Netflix.

Season two even features a makeover of a woman in the first episode, a change-up for the cast since the first season which only featured makeovers for men only.

Not only does Queer Eye offer humor and humility throughout, but it’s a show that starts an important conversation: a conversation on the importance of self-care and nurturing. This is a conversation that can often be intense and cover a range of issues that the U.S. is dealing with – LGBTQ rights, racism and mental health.

The men often encounter situations that they feel uncomfortable with. For example, in season two, episode one, Berk refused to enter the church of a client because he felt as if the LGBTQ community are denied by church communities for being gay.

In a surprise in season one, episode three when a cop pulled Brown over, an African American, as a joke to introduce the Fab Five to their new client. Brown immediately felt uncomfortable because of the consistent news coverage of police brutality. But, an open and honest conversation between Brown and the police officer became one of understanding the fears of one another.

The advice given throughout both seasons can be used in so many situations because, like the Fab Five has shown us, we are all more alike than we are different.

“This is your journey. This is your life. Design it how you want it,” Brown said to a client.

In an emotional dialogue to the camera, Berk offered words of advice regarding worrying about the past.

“I’ve been down this road before,” Berk said. “Worrying about my past. Worrying about the people in my past. And one day I just had to realize, who cares if your past doesn’t come along with you? You only need your present and your future.”

Queer Eye is a show we need because it shows us the viewpoint of five gay men alongside straight men and, rather than focusing on their differences, focusing on their similarities. It presents the challenges each man deals with in their daily lives, and that in the end we all really aren’t that different. It’s a show that pulls people together through feelings, emotions and understanding rather than building walls and forcing separation from one another.

Queer Eye is a show that allows personal growth and empathy both within and outward.