If one thing could be said about Queer Eye, it's that the show is very emotional. The cast each serve a super important purpose as they teach each hero about self-love, food, home decor, and presenting an image to the world that feels right. The makeovers aren't about looing totally different but embracing and enhancing one's true self.
The Fab Five are beloved for their great sense of humor but also for their ability to really transform people's lives. It's amazing to see where someone is at the beginning and end of an episode, and while every episode has a lot of heartwarming scenes, it's fair to say that there are a few makeovers that made fans sob more than others.
William From Season 2
Some of the Queer Eye is about being confident enough to find love (or maintain a serious relationship). William Mahnken's season two episode "A Decent Proposal" featured a very emotional makeover as he got the guts to propose to his partner.
This was an episode that featured a very sweet love story, and it made fans cry, that's for sure.
Lilly From Season 5
Lilly is a super impressive doctor, wife, and mother, but in her season five episode "Paging Dr. Yi," it soon became clear that she didn't have a lot of self-confidence.
Tan helped her dress more like the incredible doctor that she is and look more her age instead of like a child. With a second baby on the way, she ended the episode in a beautifully decorated apartment that finally felt like a home, ready to balance her new job with her family life. It was really sweet to see her confidence build.
AJ From Season 1
In the first season episode "To Gay or Not Too Gay," AJ struggled with coming out to his family. By the end of the episode, he told his stepmother that he was gay, and she was incredibly ive and loving toward him.
This was a particularly emotional episode as AJ's father ed away and he wasn't able to tell him the truth prior to that tragedy.
Rob From Season 3
Third season hero Rob appeared in the episode "Elrod & Sons" and was picking up the pieces after his wife died of cancer. That alone makes people cry, so it's no wonder that this ended up being one of the most emotional makeovers on the show.
Rob was looking for a fresh start as he and his children were moving. He wanted to embrace the happy memory of his wife while looking to the future. There wasn't a dry eye in the house as he became more comfortable with the next stage of his life.
Deanna From Season 4
In the season four episode "A Tale of Two Cultures," Kamaro Brown showed Deanna Munoz that she could definitely embrace both sides of her culture, as a Mexican-American woman.
Bobby Berk really knocked this makeover out of the park as he gave a downtown office space a makeover so Deanna had somewhere to run her business, which puts on a Latino Arts Festival. Deanna's Chicana background is very important to her, and Kamaro also showed her that her neighbors and love her more than she realized.
Kathi From Season 4
Kathi is from the fourth season of the show and her episode "Without Further Ado" is super emotional.
Kathi and Jonathan Van Ness have known each other for years as she's the beloved music teacher at his high school. Kathi is one of those people who puts others before herself and who really does zero self-care. Jonathan and the others helped her see that she can put some effort into her appearance and relax more but she's still the same fabulous teacher. It was also emotional to learn more about Jonathan's story, as he was bullied in high school and had a really tough time.
Deborah And Mary From Season 3
While Antoni Porowski is often helping people who never step foot in their kitchen, that wasn't the case with this season three makeover. In the episode, "Jones Bar-B-Q," sisters Deborah (called "Little") and Mary (called "Shorty") run a super successful barbeque restaurant, but they weren't taking care of themselves.
They had always wanted to sell their own sauce, but they were too nervous to actually make it happen. Enter The Fab Five, who helped them bottle it and showed them that they could reach for the stars anytime.
Jess From Season 3
Another emotional makeover on Queer Eye was the season three episode "Black Girl Magic" featuring Jess. She's an amazing, intelligent, and creative twentysomething who has had a really tough time. When she came out to her parents, who adopted her, they weren't ive at all and she hasn't had a relationship with them ever since.
The Fab Five not only made her house look much cooler but showed her that she's worthy of love and affection. Jess reunited with her sister and even her sister's child, too, and she felt so much more comfortable and confident. The tears were definitely flowing during this great episode.
Marcos From Season 5
In the fifth season episode "Father Knows Fish," Marcos went after his dream of running a restaurant. The Fab Five (Karamo in particular) helped him reconnect with his daughter, who moved out of the house over a year ago and who he was having trouble understanding.
It's incredibly sad when the bond between a parent and child is broken, so no one could stop from sobbing when Marcos and his daughter had tears in their own eyes as they talked out their problems.
Jennifer From Season 5
Queer Eye has a lot of funny moments but the show doesn't ignore the harsh realities of life.
In the season five episode "Silver Lining Sweeney," Jennifer was seriously struggling with the fact that her three grown daughters didn't need her as much anymore and that her husband John has ALS. Karamo helped Jennifer see that even though she's going to lose him someday, that day isn't today, and it's okay to live in the present moment and be happy. It was impossible not to cry during the entire episode.