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A common struggle in the modern era is the prevalence of negative themes in media: violence, hatred, systemic inequality. This “bad news bias” can feel overwhelming, and leaves many viewers hungry for a source of levity in their media consumption. Luckily, “Queer Eye” is the perfect antidote to this ailment.

Based on the original Bravo series “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” from 2003, Netflix’s “Queer Eye” is a reboot that features five new cast members as the “Fab Five.” With Jonathan Van Ness on grooming, Bobby Berk on design, Tan France on fashion, Karamo Brown on culture and lifestyle, and Antoni Porowski on food and wine, the Fab Five spend a week making over each episode’s chosen individual — called the “hero.” The show travels to cities across the U.S., transforming the lives of heroes of all backgrounds while working towards its parallel mission of fighting for LGBTQ+ acceptance.

Marred by a storm of news about Bobby Berk’s departure from the show and his alleged tensions with Tan France, “Queer Eye” season eight premiered in full on Netflix on Jan. 24. Many fans harbored concerns about how these internal politics might have affected the show’s integrity. These fears, however, appear to have been largely unfounded. Despite a few structural changes, the new season is still a beacon of joy and warmth, retaining its characteristic group dynamics and heartwarming stories.

A defining feature of “Queer Eye” — both the original and the reboot — has been the chemistry shared by the Fab Five. From the reboot’s season one premiere in 2018, it has been clear that the five core cast members together are dynamite. Creator Dave Collins has described their instant connection with each other even before casting was decided in 2016, a dynamic that translates palpably on screen. Season eight continues in this trend, filled with the five’s regular hijinks from mercilessly ransacking heroes’ closets to their enthusiastic use of the ASL sign for “Yes Queen.” Without a doubt, the Fab Five continue to bring the energy and enthusiasm that viewers know and love.

In addition to its charming central cast, “Queer Eye” season eight features a variety of heroes with a range of interesting and diverse lives. Heroes hail from various racial-ethnic backgrounds, occupations, sexualities, and life experiences, representing their unique stories and struggles despite all being selected from New Orleans. Overall, the show does a good job of portraying each hero as a multidimensional person rather than a caricature, though sometimes it can get a bit too caught up in one element of a hero’s life, such as Alison’s penchant for labels in episode five. The vast majority of heroes come across as good-hearted people who just need a bit of guidance and support.

In this same vein, season eight demonstrates the show’s ongoing commitment to the representation of marginalized identities and voices. For instance, episode four spotlights the show’s first Deaf hero, a teacher and athletic director at the Louisiana School for the Deaf named Denton Mallas. The episode received praise for its focus on the importance of Deaf residential schools, Deaf culture, ASL, and Denton himself, rather than the show’s interpreters. The series also continuously brings to light conversations about self-care, mental health, and navigating familial, romantic, and interpersonal relations. Of course, it is also unapologetic in its representation of queerness, portraying five queer hosts who all carry different life experiences, as well as the inclusion of queer heroes like Alison.

Despite the generally favorable nature of this season, it did contain certain structural changes that detracted from the show. For instance, the amount of time dedicated to each member of the Fab Five felt particularly uneven this season. Van Ness and Porowski seemed to be afforded the most screen time, with Berk and Brown lagging far behind. While past seasons have seen Berk collaborating with heroes on furniture-finding outings or design planning, season eight rarely showed Berk at work and frequently only showcased his final product. The season also did not include Van Ness teaching heroes how to create a daily bathroom product routine or France’s demonstration of a hero’s multiple new outfits. These seemingly small changes left behind a nagging feeling of incompleteness to previously comprehensive portrayals of makeovers.

One could speculate that Berk’s lack of screen time may be due to the production team’s knowledge that he will not be returning for season nine. Berk spoke to Vanity Fair directly about the situation and explained that he and France had a “moment,” but “will be fine.” Importantly, he assured readers that he is leaving “Queer Eye” not because of an alleged feud, but because he has moved on to other projects.

As for season eight’s recognition of this fact? There is none. When the season wrapped filming in Sept. 2022, the cast and crew of “Queer Eye” thought their journey together was over. It was not until fall of 2023 that Netflix decided to renew the show, and it was at this juncture that Berk decided he had already moved on. As such, there is unfortunately no on-screen farewell to Berk or mention of his leaving. This is understandable given context, but a nod to Berk’s years-long dedication to the series would have been appreciated. As of right now, no design expert replacement has been confirmed, but fans can only hope that whoever it is can fill the huge shoes left behind by Bobby Berk.

At the end of the day, viewers can jokingly complain about Porowski’s seemingly small contribution to the transformation compared to Berk’s, or debate about the deservedness of various heroes, but the truth remains that “Queer Eye” is an important cultural force. The series not only centers but celebrates underrepresented identities and people, all while enjoying mainstream commercial and critical success with each new season. “Queer Eye” reinforces positive messages about self-love and care, engages local communities, and maintains levity while still being unscripted and realistic — all with more than enough queer joy to go around.

—Staff writer Julia Hynek can be reached at julia.hynek@thecrimson.com.