After nine months of constantly checking Netflix and stalking the Fab Five’s Instagram accounts, it has finally happened: Season 3 of “Queer Eye” is out.
Our beloved Fab Five haven’t changed, but the appearance and presence of some of them has. Antoni Porowski has always been a point of contention among fans: Can he cook, or is he just a gorgeous man for us all to ogle at? That debate continues in this season, especially since he doesn’t even cook during the first episode and simply takes Jody to a restaurant to eat there. But something’s changed. There’s a sort of haunted look in his eyes, his face has a thin layer of stubble and even, occasionally, a semblance of a mustache. In general, something just feels off. Could his history of addiction that he mentioned this season be behind this? At the same time, his skill at home cooking continues to ebb and flow throughout the season. Sometimes he feels up to making a porchetta and sometimes he can only slice and serve a raw zucchini. In a way, his culinary skills are on better display this season, but considering he made mac and cheese and guacamole during previous seasons, that’s not hard to do.
Jonathan Van Ness is looking surprisingly hot in his new handlebar mustache. Maybe it’s because it breaks up the monotonous thin beard he’s always sported, or maybe it’s because it reflects how eccentric he is. In any case, he looks fabulous.
Karamo Brown looks the same, but for once he doesn’t seem like the most useless of the Fab Five. While his role as culture expert will always seem a little questionable, it seems like he’s actually making an impact this season. When he introduces tomboy Jody to other women and allows her to hear their stories, she finally begins to realize that she can feel strong and empowered as a woman.
“Femininity isn’t what I’m thinking it should be when I’m looking in the mirror,” Jody said on the show. “It’s what I want it to be and how I feel confident. It’s right here.”
Karamo’s role on the show completely changed how Jody looked at herself and other women. For a woman edging on 50, that’s an amazing and difficult impact to make. He also helped a father and son bond in the second episode. What he does almost goes beyond the external, physical changes the “heroes” of the show undergo.
Bobby Berk hasn’t changed his appearance, but it seems like he’s finally branching away from painting every wall he comes across black. His work transforming the homes of the contestants continues to be amazing, albeit lighter in color.
Tan France is still very gorgeous and very silly when he goes through people’s closets. He still loves the French tuck, patterned shirts and buttoning every button possible. If anything, he’s changed the least.
The contestants are once again the nicest and most empathetic people the Fab Five could find, but this time, they’re all from around Kansas City, Missouri. While the reason behind the switch from Atlanta to Kansas City is unclear, the impact they had on this new city is incredible. As always, wherever they go, they manage to spark important conversations about identity and sexuality. But this time, they also manage to highlight the different types of people and businesses that are unique to this city. Local boutiques, salons and restaurants got screen time that wouldn’t have been showcased on television otherwise. Off-camera, locals flooded into the city’s public library to hear the Fab Five speak. Clearly, this show doesn’t just impact the contestants; it impacts whole cities and every viewer who takes an hour to watch an episode.
Season 3 is as good as expected and definitely worthy of a one-night binge. With the semester growing more stressful by the day, this show may help students remember, like Jonathan said, “You’re strong, you’re a Kelly Clarkson song, you got this.”
Rebecca Maher is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at rebecca.l.maher@uconn.edu.
