Queer Eye Season 2 Finale Review: Confidence Wins It All
Justin Carreiro
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Confidence was the big driver for the Fab Five's missions during Queer Eye Season 2 Episode 7 and Queer Eye Season 2 Episode 8.
As (mostly) extroverts in the cast, the group is used to speaking their mind and pulling people out of their shells. They've been doing it for two seasons now to varying success. For the last two episodes of Queer Eye Season 2, the group had two Heroes in desperate need of speaking up and standing out.
Sean, the introverted singer/songwriter/musician, was in dire need of the Fab Five's help. He was reaching a critical moment in his life where the decisions he made now would affect his future. In this case, that missing part he needed was confidence.
Before the Fab Five's arrival, he was a sheltered kid who kept to himself or stuck to people of an older generation. When Karamo asked him about his musical influences, that moment was a telling sign of Sean's situation.
Who has never heard of Rihanna or Beyonce? Come on, it's Beyonce! (We must bow down accordingly to her majesty.)
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College/being an adult is an important time in everyone's life. Leaving school and venturing out into the real world is the next phase in life that turns people into a well-round, fully realized individual.
Sean never got the personal skills from being in a standard classroom setting, so he had a lot to catch-up on. Enter the Fab Five.
Antoni: Tell me about some of your musical icons.
Sean: I like to listen to Rod Stewart, Bruce Hornsby.
Karamo: Is there any younger artist you like?
Sean: Umm...
[Cut to confessional]
Karamo: Oh , come on! You don’t know Rihanna? You don’t know Beyonce? You odn’t know Lady Gaga? What 18 year old doesn’t know pop culture?!
[Cut to car]
Sean: Are you gonna get mad if I say Elton John?
All: No!
Jonathan: He’s like our dad almost. Like, he almost like birthed us.
Based on the categories of the Fab Five, Tan, Bobby, and Karamo had the most difficult tasks in Sean's makeover.
Jonathan fully admitted that he had a great base to work with when it came to Sean's hair. And Antoni was enjoying teaching him how to cook for the future when he left Lulu's house. Both Jonathan and Antoni were set up pretty nicely with a calm week.
I really wanna take Sean from like a pre-pubescent Justin Bieber into like a world tour-purpose Biebs, except for one that didn’t get canceled and break everyone’s heart.
Jonathan
In the case of the other fields, however, the others had a hill to climb.
Sean's clothing didn't match the style he was going for as a teenager. If he wore any of those outfits to college, someone would've noticed and made a comment. Plus, he desperately needed to get rid of the monogrammed jackets!
Sure, I understand that it was his gimmick for performing, but the jacket didn't work. It never worked. Never have, never will.
Tan had to introduce a more trendy look into Sean's mind of thinking.
Bobby, on the other hand, had a great layout with Sean's future apartment to create the perfect bachelor pad. Seriously, just look at all that space!
Most people living in a city paying more than double on rent would wish for that amount of space. He may have had to fix it from the ground up, but the room had a lot of potential.
Seeing Lulu join Bobby in helping to paint and fix up Sean's apartment was heartwarming to witness. She clearly loves her godson/son; she would do anything for him. In fact, that was probably why she contacted the Fab Five in the first place to help him.
"Bedazzled" entered new levels of tears and emotions because of Lulu.
Her sheer joy and happiness at all the changes being made for Sean's life is the type of family love you want to have in your life. Lulu is truly a positive and kind person. When she broke down at thanking the Fab Five, the tears wouldn't stop.
Lulu: I was experiencing all this anxiety this week, and you know, starting college. And, you know, I’ve been with him every single minute and just everything. And, seriously, when I walked through the door and saw the space. Seriously, when I saw the space, it was just all gone.
Jonathan: Awww!
Lulu: And I know... You know what, I know that he’s going to be okay. [She sobs]
[Cut to confessional]
Bobby: Lulu: I was experiencing all this anxiety this week, and you know, starting college. And, you know, I’ve been with him every single minute and just everything. And, seriously, when I walked through the door and saw the space. Seriously, when I saw the space, it was just all gone.
Jonathan: Awww!
Lulu: And I know... You know what, I know that he’s going to be okay. [She sobs]
[Cut to confessional]
Bobby: I know when I get a good tear, it’s legit.
Karamo had the biggest change in Sean's life. You could see the difference from their first meeting during the restaurant show to the final performance at the music hall.
Sean could barely muster full paragraphs together, let alone the courage needed to talk to strangers on the street. However, after the guidance from Karamo, the aspiring full-time musician was making friends and interacting with people he didn't know.
A little push helped to get him out of his shell.
Whether it was the paintball game or the sum of the makeover parts, a new Hero emerged from the makeover.
Queer Eye Season 2 Episode 7 was a good example of how the Fab Five can help set someone on a better path for the future. Their client was fully invested in making a change, the makeover was happening at a critical point in their life, and the updates weren't too grand that they would overwhelm him.
All of the pieces worked together for a seamless transition. And, the Fab Five members were all utilized in an equally successful fashion.
The same can be said about Queer Eye Season 2 Episode 8.
The choice of "Make Ted Great Again" as the final episode of the season was an interesting selection. This season finale was not one of the more exciting or dramatic hours in Queer Eye Season 2, but the entry did leave an inspiring note for those involved.
On the other hand, Andrea and Ted were great people to focus on. Both of them were fun, engaging, and they had an important goal that they needed the Fab Five's help.
As the mayor of his town, Ted is going to interact with a lot of people and make plans to increase development. People need to have a strong, confident mayor to lead them and believe in. Ted needed the Fab Five's help to give him the confidence to public speak and lead the town.
Based on the transformations made to his life, the Fab Five did a great job setting him up for the future.
Firstly, his home looked gorgeous!
Bobby continues to be the most impactful member of the group. He can turn any room into a stunning masterpiece when he's done with it. In this case, he created a working dining room out of nothing!
He does not get enough credit for the work he does in the short amount of time for the transformation. (And he will never get enough.)
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Andrea and Ted absolutely loved the new kitchen, bedroom, and office. The house transformation was a success, and it's one they should love forever.
Plus, with the wine lesson they learned from Antoni, they'll be able to host many dinner meetings and events in their stylish home. It's a win-win for his political career.
Are you going to miss the "hipster mayor" look that Ted was sporting? I'm on the fence.
The style wasn't completely wrong. Casual clothing and the long beard definitely needed to go, but keeping some of the stubble wouldn't have been bad. His face was a little too clean in the end.
Though Jonathan fixing the hair was appreciated, and him getting rid of the long beard did wonders for Ted's final look. Tan's outfits wouldn't have had the same impact if they kept the long facial hair.
Hipster beards are welcomed, but they do need maintenance. And sometimes they need to be removed when they get too long/dirty.
The rap battle, on the other hand, was a tad cringe-worthy.
Sure, the impromptu performance got Ted out of his shell and it made him more comfortable to speak. However, he did not have the flow that Karamo expected. Ted, the teen speechwriter, and Karamo created an awkward moment.
The three of them had fun, but it was awkward to watch!
Karamo: You know Clarkston all the way.
Ted: Yeah, I can talk about Clarkston all day long
Karamo: But how can you talk about it in a way that’s going to be engaging and exciting?
Ted: Yeah, I definitely need help with that.
[Cut to confessional]
Karamo: He has to understand how to organize his thoughts in a way that come across clear, fun, but also show that he is confident about the work he is doing. And that’s my main job for him.
Ted's transformation is going to do a lot of good for the people in his town. But, more importantly, it's going to do great things for his life.
In past reviews of Queer Eye Season 2, we discussed individuals who needed help from the Fab Five, and whether they truly needed support. Ted was someone who needed a push in the right direction. He had all the potential in him, but he needed a confidence boost to be the person he could be.
We witnessed his full transformation during the dinner with the delegates and it turned out amazingly. Hopefully, Andrea and Ted will use their time with the Fab Five to make a lot of positive changes for the people in their lives.
Also, that Ted will remember to make himself a priority.
What did you think of "Bedazzled" and "Make Ted Great Again"? Did Sean get the best college apartment ever? Will Ted's new makeover give him the confidence for his political speeches?
Queer Eye Season 2 is now available to stream on Netflix.
Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
