When Netflix announced in 2017 that it was rebooting Queer Eye with all new members of the Fab Five, no one expected its powerful debut to be the surprise success story of the year. And when fans binged the entire revival after it premiered this past February, they assumed they’d have to wait a full year to get their next Fab-Five fix. But the streaming service shocked us all by announcing that Season 2 was dropping on June 15 — just four months after Season 1 premiered.
So it’s clear by now that Queer Eye is full of surprises, and Season 2 is no exception. While most of the series feels exactly the same — which it should because both seasons were shot at the same time last summer — the Fab Five are switching things up this time around by expanding the types of people they make over.
So What’s Different?
In the early aughts, the original series only focused on transforming cisgender straight men — in fact, the full title back then was Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. The first season of the Netflix revival kept this guideline, except for one episode in which they branched out and made over another gay man who felt he could use a little help from Jonathan, Antoni, Bobby, Tan, and Karamo.
But in Season 2, the series is becoming even more inclusive by including a more diverse range of people, including the show’s first transgender man and cisgender woman.
Season 2 kicks off with that first female participant, a school teacher and cancer survivor named Tammye. And she may just be one of the most incredible people on the planet.
Mama Tammye Brings The Feels
From the moment Tammye appears onscreen, her light and energy transfix you, wrapping you in a blanket of security and love. The reason she needs help from the Fab Five in the first place is only because she spends so much time taking care of everyone around her that she forgets to leave enough time to take care of herself.
That motherly instinct comes out in full force throughout the episode, as she actually ends up in many ways helping the boys more than they even help her.
Instead, the Fab Five turn much of their focus over to Tammye’s son, Myles, who is hesitant to attend their church’s homecoming service because he feels the congregation can’t accept that he is gay. Tammye explains that she was unable to accept Myles’ sexuality at first, as well, but that she eventually realized you can’t “evangelize and antagonize” at the same time.
The episode takes a deep dive into religion, shining a light on how it’s possible for queer people to keep their faith while also being true to themselves. Bobby gets an emotional moment with Tammye in which he explains he was in church every day growing up, but that the congregation turned his back on him when he came out of the closet.
No matter what your relationship to religion is, it will be hard to not be moved by everyone’s story in the powerful premiere. You know how you needed to grab tissues at the end of every episode in Season 1? Well this time around, just keep them by you the whole time. You won’t regret it.
Okay, But Does Antoni Cook More Than Avocado This Season?
One of the biggest jokes coming off the success of Season 1 was whether or not Antoni could actually cook. The young chef spent most of the first season slicing avocado and turning it into guacamole, leading many to question if he was cast more for his looks than for his talent in the kitchen.
The counterargument to that is that he was trying to help teach straight guys to feel more comfortable with the idea of cooking, so why would he bust out his full culinary expertise on someone who may still be scared to turn on the stove?
Fans on both sides of the debate are eager to see whether or not Antoni is able to prove himself able to cook more than guac and gourmet hot dogs this time around. But in the premiere episode, he tricks us all by actually not cooking anything. If there’s one thing Mama Tammye does not need, it’s to be told how to use a kitchen. (Don’t even try to suggest she’s putting too much mayo in her pasta salad.)
You’ll have to stay tuned throughout the rest of Season 2 to see how much Antoni spreads his culinary wings, but it should be noted that he is just as important as every other member of the Fab Five.
While the guest participant changes every episode, it’s our five heroes who give the show the consistent heart and soul that it’s now known for. Anyone who follows them on social media knows how much these boys love each other and their chemistry is the cherry on top of the delicious heartwarming sundae that is Season 2.
Grab your tissues and guac and get ready to binge Queer Eye Season 2 when it hits the streaming platform on June 15.
