Queer Eye (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Saving Sasquatch - full transcript
He's drowning in dog hair and prefers to keep his friends at a distance. But this self-depreciating app builder is finally ready to let folks in.
- It is Hotlanta. We're here. We are queer.
- It is summer.
He's wearing a safari onesie.
He's in a four-wheel drive.
- It's like a whole thing.
- Yeah, he is.
Oh, my God, our gorgeous guy of the week
is none other than Neal Reddy.
So excited.
He's been nominated by his
sometimes roommate Ben. He is 36.
He is 5-foot-8 inches
and supe single, ready to mingle.
Am I Rico Suave? No.
I'm a dork. When it comes to girls,
sometimes I'm good, sometimes terrible.
He has this massive long hair
and beard that hide most of his face.
I've had long hair,
long beard for 6 years.
Used to be down to here.
I made a baby step and cut it up to here.
He's giving me Wilson
from Home Improvement realness.
I need to get out there,
let me see that face.
I thought I looked cool.
Girls and airport security
did not think it looked that cool.
His mom wants to get rid of the hair
to shop him at weddings.
Indian parents, a lot of times,
are very strict,
very overbearing
and always in your life.
I think she wants me to look
more like a typical, upstanding Indian.
He doesn't change clothes.
He'll pick an outfit for a period of time,
and that's what he exists in.
First floor of his house
is the base of his fierce app.
He is a Martha Stewart app-making genius.
Ooh!
I'm partner
in a business-to-business app.
It helps restaurants primarily
get broken equipment fixed.
He is going to be hosting
this launch event for his app.
It's gonna be his first big hosting event
from his house in over ten years.
- Wow.
- Ten years?
I don't like people in my house.
I don't like my personal life discussed.
It's a control, power thing,
it's a comfort thing, protection thing.
I've separated all aspects of my life.
My friends are separate, family.
Everything is separate.
I believe one of the reasons that Neal
is so private is because he's insecure.
His friends don't know him.
He keeps everyone at a distance.
Keep them at arm's length
so you don't get hurt.
- I don't get it.
- It's like a Kelly Clarkson song.
I really hope the Fab 5 can help
Neal get out of his comfort zone
and make him a little bit more open.
With his hair, his beard, his home,
- he keeps everyone at arm's length.
- Yes.
We need to give this man some sass
in that Sasquatch.
- Yes!
- Let's go.
Is that him walking down the street?
Look, I see a Yeti.
I see a Yeti.
- Get out.
- Neal!
- Come on.
- Oh, my God!
- How you doing, man?
- Don't scare the dog.
- Hi.
- You don't like being touched?
Look how comfortable I am.
- Forever, attack them.
- Look at all this.
This is so cool
that you guys are just touching me.
I'm the hairdresser.
He's like,
"I have a license to touch you."
Your shoulders and arms are so cute.
Look at all this delt life.
Yes.
- You have adorable eyes.
- Thank you.
And you don't take
a compliment well.
You look away, but we'll work on that.
- It's comfortable.
- You've got a dog hair on your eyelash.
- This is your street? You live close?
- Down the road.
- Can you walk us over?
- Yeah, yeah.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God, there's so much hair, Neal.
Oh, my God.
Oh, Neal, you need to vacuum this rug.
This is disgusting.
That's part of the rug.
- No, you need to vacuum.
- You're ruining the rug.
You could create ten new dogs
with the hair around this house.
Christmas was over,
like, six months ago.
Those have only been up for 11 years,
so it's fine.
The card says "best couple ever,"
then you have to specify "dog plus owner."
What woman will come
and have a relaxing night?
She has to clean before she can sit... Ew.
It's no surprise to me
that Neal hasn't had friends over.
- Who would want to?
- Why do you have a lantern full of bags?
Those are for poops.
Ew!
- Dog poops.
- And stuff is just thrown around.
The sofa is gross.
It's covered in hair.
Oh, my God.
Look how full this thing is of hair.
- Ew.
- Oh, my God.
That can't be his brush.
- That has to be the dog's brush.
- Literally so real.
No.
- Look how disgusting the bathtub is.
- It's so nasty.
Neal's bathroom reminds me
a lot of a skin tag.
We gotta start
just cleaning this.
It's not hurting anything,
but it doesn't look great.
It's so gross in here.
It's like that green emoji
with the like face.
- He's got a lot of shavers.
- He ain't using them.
Those are just my crotch shavers.
Thanks for touching them.
- You're going through everything. Cool.
- You know when you're feeling just:
- Yeah.
- Yes!
This is very beautiful.
- Do one of those dances, the circular one.
- You wanna learn...? We grind the pepper.
And then we're changing the light bulb,
and then stay away, stay away.
There are basics with Indian dance moves,
but it's not just something fun to do.
You're showing your skills
in the kitchen.
- Get your hands... No, yeah.
- Yes.
- There you go.
- Yes, yeah.
Around the house, and when you've got
uninvited guests, just stay away.
Let's talk about this real quick. Now,
you've given these shoes pride of place?
- Yeah, when I do work and stuff, I...
- Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Plaid. Every house I go into, plaid.
God, what is it with Americans?
I thought with an Indian,
we'd get something other than plaid.
It looks like the dog destroys the house,
and he never fixes it.
This is a reminder you're not married
and you've got to get married.
A dowry suitcase is something that
pretty much every Indian
and Pakistani has.
Your parents collected this
since your mom was in her 2nd trimester.
- This is beautiful stuff.
- But it's usually silver
and gold and jewelry that you will one day
gift to your new bride or husband.
It's not a dowry kit.
She told me to hold on to it.
- She...
- I love that you fell for that bullshit.
Do you feel the pressure with this
to marry Hindu?
I don't feel that much pressure anymore.
I separated myself from it.
I feel the same. My family still ask,
"When will you marry a girl?"
I'm like, "Uh...
I've got something to tell you, Mom."
Here we see this gorgeous, blond wolf dog
in its natural habitat
outside of Atlanta, Georgia.
We keep a safe distance
from the animal so as to not disturb it.
But any time you see an animal get
behind you like this, you're in danger.
So, you really wanna be careful.
I'm just gonna go ahead
and go away so he doesn't attack me.
Oh, wow, he has a dehydrator.
Raw probiotics,
they make me super regular.
So, let's chat.
I'm gonna get a little more comfortable.
Okay, I'm gonna be slightly uncomfortable.
I do think, professionally,
with the look that you have,
you're giving me Cast Away.
- Cast Away's a great movie.
- It is.
We can keep some of your natural vibes,
but also groom it in a way
that it is more commercially attractive.
- Yeah.
- So, take your shirt off,
hold me for ten minutes.
That's the best way...
- You can't. You're wearing a romper.
- We'll do your shirt. I'll cuddle,
- just a little. He hates it.
- So uncomfortable.
He loves it. A little cuddy.
- Forever, bite him.
- Aw...
So, you have elements
that say home chef a little bit.
You have a rice cooker,
a blender, a really good juicer.
They seem like they were bought
eight years ago,
- and they've been neglected since.
- I used to cook more than I do now.
I cook 'cause I like to entertain people.
I stopped,
because it sucks cooking for one person.
- We need a reason for you to cook again.
- Yes.
- You have this app you're working on.
- Yup.
There's an event this week.
Tell me about that.
It will be a launch party. Friends and
people from the restaurant industry here.
The perfect way to end this week
will be for you
to use your kitchen in an amazing way
and create something beautiful
- for your guests.
- That's one option. Other option is chips.
You haven't had anybody in this space
or entertained for ten years?
- It's been a while.
- Why?
It wasn't like one thing.
It was a slow... I used to have parties.
And then my friends grew up and moved on.
They all got married, had kids.
I was this guy that's by myself.
So, it's like everything changed.
Is there a part of you
that feels you have a wall up?
Yeah, sure, I have a wall up.
I read body language,
and the minute I started asking you
why you have a wall up,
you built a wall in front of me.
- You literally did this.
- I was trying to show you my guns.
Yeah. That's all it was.
No, you're right. I don't know
why I have a wall. I just know I have one.
What do you think it's keeping you from?
I mean, I think it's keeping me from being
more consistently happy, honestly.
Like, I feel like I'm protected, I'm safe.
That's the thing about, uh,
when people build up walls.
They end up keeping other people out,
but they're also keeping themselves in.
You act like you don't care
about your house, how you look,
or people are no longer in your life,
I don't buy it.
- You're a toucher, I forgot.
- No, listen. We'll all touch you
because we'll get you out of this space.
And I see you have half blinds.
Used to be full blinds. I took them down
so I could paint this color.
- Then I never...
- Which...?
I put up these temporary blinds,
and then I never, uh...
- I see unfinished projects.
- There's a million.
Show me more.
I build this deck.
I had this whole vision of finishing this,
but I never got around to it.
This space looks like an awesome place
to have your party.
Like here and in there.
I use that area a lot, usually
for me and maybe one other person.
But no one sits here anymore.
We sit in the same corner.
It looks dirty. Why would they?
And the chair's broken.
All right, let's go back in.
It is hot out here.
What's going on here?
This doesn't look finished.
- It's another...
- Unfinished project.
- I'm seeing a pattern.
- There's a theme.
Fellas, I think we're done!
I gotta let you know. I see you're
laughing and smiling, having a good time,
but, also, this is hard for you.
We're here to help you make better.
- Right.
- You're allowing people to be let in.
Allowing yourself to be vulnerable
is the biggest show of strength.
That's what I really want, is a change.
All we ask for is an open heart.
We feel you have that.
- Let's put our hands in.
- Okay.
Yes.
- All in.
- This is a first.
Get this over with.
- Oh, enjoy feeling it.
- It's weird now. So weird.
It's love and energy we're sending to you.
- Touchers and lovers.
- Neal!
Yes.
I know I've gotta get
my weed whackers out,
and I gotta get my biceps strong,
because we're gonna be cutting.
I wanna show him that everyone
is capable of making a meal from scratch.
It'll make you feel good about yourself.
My biggest mission is to get Neal out
of this bachelor pad cave he's living in,
and get him a home that's eclectic,
it's cool, it's modern, sleek.
It's everything that Neal is.
I wanna take him from hipster yogi
and make his wardrobe more appropriate
for the creative director
that he wants to become.
Neal's having a problem
with letting people in.
We gotta break down that wall.
People need to see the real Neal.
There's a lot of fancy stores.
I don't really shop at fancy stores.
You don't? I would never have known.
Thank you very much.
Let's talk clothes. You are one of the few
people that has got pieces I really like.
- However, you're not wearing those.
- My mom will buy me clothes.
I don't like throwing them away,
so I put them up.
I think Indians or Pakistani people
have the same mom.
- Exact same mom.
- They refuse to let you have
- your own life.
- Yeah, but it's all out of love.
She wants you to make an effort.
Take it from a business owner.
I'm not in a suit,
but I have to make an effort.
There's no way, if I've got
a big investor meeting and I say:
"Okay, here's the team.
Look how good we look."
And there's a house Yeti. Like, no.
You've never seen one of those.
You got the first one. That's a big deal.
Button-downs. I want you to start
seeing these as a decent option for work.
I'm not trying to take you
from super casual to Mr. Businessman.
- I'm not gonna go for anything crazy.
- Just subdued like this?
I would wear that. However, I'm not trying
to dress you as a gay guy.
- This is Miami camouflage.
- Actually, I do love it.
There are certain options that would work.
They're more muted,
especially the job that you do.
You're a creative guy. How you'd think
this represents you is beyond me.
If you spend less time on your outfit,
you can spend more time creating.
- Steve Jobs wore the same thing.
- See how slick he was? It was killer.
- I'll wear turtlenecks now?
- I'll get you a version that makes sense.
Neal's challenging. He seems resistant
to us wanting to make him
feel good about himself.
You did a great job with the blazer.
- You're right. I look good.
- Let me show you a second way
of wearing it, for funsies.
He's laughing, but I need him to realize
that he's gotta change something.
Right now, his look is not working.
Let's get that hair out of the way.
I've got a feeling we'll get rid of it.
I just wanna see
how it would look if it were gone.
Good. Oh, my God, that's already better.
- Let's tuck that into your shirt.
- What's really funny is,
it was so long,
so I would tuck my beard in to eat.
Isn't that worrying?
Okay, how do you feel in it, first of all?
It just seems like there's a lot going on.
- All right. Let's tone it down.
- Yeah.
Wearing a blazer over it
will tone down the print.
You won't see as much of it.
You just get a pop.
Feels better that we cover the print.
But now it feels like I'm going
to a very formal meeting.
You think this is formal?
It is not formal at all.
It's just slightly dressed up.
And I wouldn't button it up.
We would make sure
this is slightly shorter.
So, if the arms are the correct length,
it makes the suit feel better fitted.
I know you would wear this tucked out.
I'm not gonna do it all the way.
How do you feel in that?
- Good, feel very European.
- Love that.
I'm like the Indian member of Coldplay.
Best compliment you could ever give me.
I wanna try putting on a shirt over it.
- Should I roll the sleeves?
- I like the sleeves rolled.
It looks younger.
Now, personally, I think you look wicked.
I'm too hip. It's like,
"This guy thinks he's cooler than us."
See, at an event like the one
that you've got this week,
I'd happily have you wear
a shirt over a T-shirt.
We're elevating your look.
It's no longer just jeans and T-shirt.
- It's a version that makes sense for you.
- Right.
It's still very much Neal,
but a dressed-up, mommy-pleasing Neal.
Neal isn't listening.
He's hearing what I'm saying.
However, I don't think he's understanding
that he needs to change.
So, let's send you off to the boys.
It's gonna take us chipping away
to make him see that he can feel good
and confident about himself.
And that's nothing to be ashamed of.
Let's go on to the kitchen.
Hey, chefs, this is my friend Neal.
- Hey, guys.
- Thank you for letting us come.
This is one of my favorite restaurants.
They do amazing stuff with pinchos.
Pinchos, which are tapas on bread
meant to be shared.
- You guys have things you can show us?
- Yeah.
I want him to get excited
about one dish.
It's a good way to light up that fire
and get him excited about cooking.
Cheese and bread, the simplest sandwich.
But it's the best thing!
The simplest can be the best.
For entertaining, it's easy,
'cause you can prepare this ahead of time.
You just have it ready there.
All you have to do after is assemble.
The cool thing is,
it has mayo on both sides,
which lubes up the sandwich.
Nothing like a good lubing of a sandwich.
With white American cheese
with the ibérico ham,
with bread on the outside.
Key to a good grilled cheese,
you just douse it in butter.
- Yeah.
- You're like Picasso in this thing.
Give it a bit of press.
Bread has crevices and stuff.
- You can do it with, like, a plate.
- I'm a tough guy. I'll use my hand.
So, cut it once this way,
then once that way.
- You guys wanna try this? Beautiful.
- Yes.
- Can we sit down and have this?
- Absolutely.
There you go. Put that right there.
Bon appétit.
- One bite, that's it.
- One bite?
- That's good.
- This bread is supporting a lot of weight
physically and emotionally,
'cause I'm holding it.
That was really good.
Making jokes is something you do a lot.
I do make jokes,
and I'm one of those people that's like,
what, you like to cover up awkwardness
with humor? Yeah, I do that.
- It's a protective layer?
- Yeah, it is.
When I came out, I was uncomfortable
with, like, how will people judge me?
What I could control was how I behaved.
I have to make everybody laugh.
I do the same thing, too, where it's like,
if you can be funny, then you can...
- Not control a conversation... Yeah.
- You control the amount of intimacy
and vulnerability you're giving off
or not giving off.
And the more comfortable I am with myself,
the more I'm the same guy with everybody
else, or at least it starts to bleed.
You thought it's depressing
to cook for one.
- It is.
- My goal is to change your mind.
You can take care
in making something as easy as this,
or scrambled eggs, omelet,
whatever it is.
It's just a matter of maintenance.
Tapping back into that.
I've forgotten about it for too long.
- Yeah.
- I do like eating. It's the truth.
Um, what'll be fun for this event,
a lot of it will be taken care of,
but have one component you make,
giving thanks to the people visiting you.
Maybe we'll do some version
of a grilled cheese.
- Okay. Yeah, excited.
- Cool? All right.
Neal's passionate about food,
loves to cook. But he's forgotten.
And it's a perfect opportunity
to bring cuisine back into his life.
Okay, grabbing a piece to go,
and we gotta get going.
Yo, yo, yo.
- What's going on?
- What's going on?
All right.
Oh, you're already more comfortable
with being touched.
We're making planters.
There's projects around the house
that you never finish.
So, today, we're gonna finish.
You took so long to get here,
I started already.
This new space will help
Neal let his walls down with work,
family, friends, future girlfriends,
everything.
These are for upstairs.
I want your party this weekend
to have some greenery out there.
It's sparse. You did great with the deck...
You didn't like that planter
that had a dead plant in it?
Plants hate me. Some plants are racist.
I don't know what to say to that.
I think I'm gonna move on.
All right.
Just kidding.
- Tell me about this party.
- We've been working on this app for years.
Wow.
We'll let people in the industry know
we're ready to start taking business.
Just have a reason
to bring friends and family together.
Usually separate,
but we're having everything mixed.
I feel like it'll be disastrous,
and I'll hate you guys after this,
- but fingers crossed.
- We'll make you look good.
- A few more strokes and we're done.
- That's what I say by myself.
- "Come on, you can do it. A few more."
- Few more strokes, and you're done.
It's really cool
to see Neal finish a project.
You could see that he was proud.
Done. How's that feel? Finished a project.
No thanks to you,
but, yeah, I got it done.
A lot of men have an issue
with vulnerability,
and letting people in
and telling them about yourself.
Ben told me that he knows nothing
about you and that it breaks his heart.
I do think a lot of my friends feel,
I think, a little disconnected from me,
because I know everything about them,
but they know very little
- about what's going on with me.
- Why?
I thought if I'm the loyal guy,
dependable,
that'd be enough for me
not to have to open up.
And I think that builds
this, like, not equal kind of...
You're not being vulnerable
with people around you.
He needs to understand that being
vulnerable is not weakness. It's strength.
You're in tune with yourself,
which is the sexiest thing.
You're gonna enjoy where we're taking you.
What?
- How's it going?
- Let's get some boxing going.
I want you to understand, we're waking up
your body. You work where you live.
That's turning you into a hermit.
Start doing more physical activity.
- Have you guys boxed before?
- Yes.
I was sad, and boxing was the way
that I could get out of my head,
and it helped me to take out some anxiety
I was having.
Quick boxing lesson.
Never wanna be a wide target.
Be a small target.
The number one punch
in your arsenal is your jab.
So, put your hands up. Ready?
One. Oh, y'all not ready.
One, two, three, four, five.
Neal's so afraid to be judged,
he never gets in the ring.
This is a way that he can understand
that you gotta put yourself out there.
Somebody's running out of gas.
- The tank was very low to begin with.
- Too bad.
- Sometimes you get knocked down.
- Take your time. One.
There you go, champ. And zero. Nice work.
You know what? Get back up and have faith
that you're gonna win the next fight.
How you feel?
- All right to terrible.
- Are you gonna work at it?
- Yeah.
- There you go.
You're taking yourself
out the comfort zone
by doing something
you normally never do.
Getting in the ring,
it's about connecting with another person.
- You can do it.
- Whatever you say, I agree with.
The first thing you gotta learn
is move your head.
If you can't move your head,
you're gonna get what?
- Hit.
- Ships that don't move get sunk.
So, remember that. Ready? Go.
Look at that.
Wow, good job, Neal.
- Five, four... Missed. Three, two, one.
- Good job. You got it. Keep it up.
You got it. Good job.
- You got one more round in you?
- Yeah.
- Twenty seconds.
- You can do it, Neal.
Come on. Change your life now.
Only 20 seconds of your life.
Let me get them now.
- Let's go, 20. Come on, 20.
- You got it.
You're not tired.
Ten, nine, eight... Come on, one more.
Seven, six... Land it. Five, four, three...
Come on, two, one. Finish.
Time.
There you go, baby.
That's how you work.
You didn't think you could,
what happened?
- I did it. Thank you.
- Always go one more round, brother.
Get a good stretch, guys. Thanks again.
- How was that?
- It was good.
Made me realize that it's been
a slow couple months to years
as far as activity-wise goes,
put on some lbs, that sucks.
Any type of sadness you feel, if you start
doing something like this, it'll help.
You'll start being happy,
feeling supported, energetic.
I have to mention.
The time you spent looking him in the eye
is more than I've seen you engage
in eye contact during
the duration of us being together.
I really wanted to hit him.
That's where this is coming from.
It's like you're forced to have contact
with another person and share this moment.
Look what it does.
- I'm proud of you for this.
- Thanks.
It's looking great, man.
And don't fuck it up, and I already did.
Come on, get in there.
- If I ran, you think you could catch me?
- I'm faster than you.
Getting Neal to come out
of his comfort zone
and getting him out
from behind all that hair,
he's gonna see he is an attractive guy
and people want to be around him.
He just has to take his arms down.
- What's your fear about cutting your hair?
- I just don't wanna fade in.
Be like another dude
with a haircut that everyone else has.
I am not married to cutting your hair off
for the sake of cutting it off.
I don't wanna take away your personality.
It'll look so good. You have enough length
to donate to Beautiful Lengths.
- What is the length to cut off?
- Eight inches.
That's the only time someone said
I've had eight inches, Johnny.
Ooh.
- Okay, I'm just gonna cut this off now.
- I'm so nervous.
- It's happening. I want us to hold on.
- It hurts, it hurts.
Okay. So, that's over with.
Let's go wash your hair.
Let me cry inside a little bit first.
Neal is a little baby guinea pig
with anxiety, honey.
I love how relaxed you are.
He is so terrified, every noise, he's:
Can't look at you like this.
I wanna do your beard first.
- I love this length of beard.
- While you do that,
- I'm gonna pat your head.
- Thank you.
Get it, really get it.
All right.
I'm getting you through this touch phobia.
I'm gonna wax your brows.
- Oh! That felt so good.
- That's why you don't have a girlfriend.
Every time you make out,
they had to look at this.
Oh! Feels better.
He looks amazing, and he's just,
like, handling it really well.
- Oh. That's the worst one.
- Sorry.
I'm shaping you to be
like a gorgeous Indian Jake Gyllenhaal.
Neal is a really fun guy,
so I want his new look to reflect that.
So, people know, "I am a guy with style,
I do have creative ideas,
let me help you out."
See how your hair's damp now?
It's not soaking wet?
That's what you do when round brushing.
Only part I'd brush is the top.
Oh, my God. I did so good.
Do you like? Get all up in it.
- How's that beard feel?
- I don't know who this man is.
This was the part I feared most,
but I'm super excited.
- You are?
- Yeah, I am genuinely excited.
Let me give you a hug, I'm so excited.
Thank you so much.
It's a deep hug, it's a deep hug.
I'm so happy. Looks so cool.
How can I forget?
I got you some cologne.
This is how you do this, and I learned
this from Queer Eye numero uno.
Stand up. That gorgeous Kyan
taught me this trick.
You spray, delay and walk away.
- Okay.
- Hey, your turn, ready?
Spray, delay, walk through it.
- Just like you did.
- Yes. Fiercedom, honey.
Who's a pretty girl? So fluffy, so clean.
You look so good.
- It feels good. I feel...
- Wait till you see your house.
Are you ready to see your place?
Come on, come on through.
Look how handsome he looks.
- I love it.
- Thanks.
- He has been waiting...
- Oh, he doesn't recognize you.
- She's like, "Who the hell are you?"
- Oh, I know.
I had the same reaction.
Look how happy she is.
"You've finally cut your damn hair."
Oh, yeah, I feel so happy.
- Wow, amazing.
- Do you recognize me at all?
- Sharp.
- You look so good.
- Are you ready?
- Yeah.
What?
Oh, shit. It's so different.
It's so cool, though.
This place was kind of a '90s time capsule
with the wood color.
I decided to take the cabinets black,
which toned down the gold of the floor.
And now it looks modern.
- It's not all monotone now.
- Yeah.
Painted the brick. Crazy.
Have you noticed
that there is no more dog hair?
Do you know why?
Here's your new roommate.
You can set it to where once a day,
it goes and vacuums the house.
I got a leather sofa,
so it doesn't stick to it.
Oh!
- The deck is done.
- The deck is decked out.
Get all butch on your deck, honey.
- This is nuts.
- This looked like a college dorm.
- Now it looks like a grown man lives here.
- I know.
You can host 20 people out here.
- Look at the planters we made.
- Hey, they're good.
- We also found you a wife.
- Lawrence of Gayrabia.
Yes.
- There's still more.
- Follow Bobbers.
And look at this,
you even have room to entertain.
You had this '90s mirror up there.
The way to modernize it is to frame it.
And now for the love nest
that you're gonna be using
with this new look.
What was your version?
Oh, shit.
Most people think black walls make rooms
feel smaller. It's the opposite.
It adds depth to a room.
I never would have thought to do it,
but it's me.
- Painted the grout lines, too?
- Instead of spending money to rip it out,
paint the grout black
and it modernizes it.
It's so nuts.
We'll make buttered leek
Gruyère grilled cheeses.
- Tell me what it smells like.
- Onions. What is a leek?
They're a little sweeter, more delicate.
So, you cut off the root part,
and then the green part.
So, these we don't use.
- And you just do a really thin chop.
- Slice.
Leeks have a lot of sand in them,
so it's something
that you have to wash out.
Once you're done slicing leeks,
you're gonna put a glob of butter,
maybe two to three tablespoons,
medium low.
Sweat them out.
It's about getting them translucent.
Assemble the grilled cheeses ahead
of time, so when you have a large majority
of the people that are here,
you start busting these out.
Um, how are you feeling
about entertaining people?
Nervous, but in a good way.
It's nice to have a place to show off
to your guests, right?
Here we are.
We're in your getting-ready space.
I'm full of presents.
I got you a blow-dryer.
I'm just gonna get myself
a quick cold shot. It'd be hot in here.
- Let me help you.
- Yes.
Oh, Mommy likes it. Oh, Mommy loves it.
Ooh, body moisturizer.
I got you some razors for your cheeks.
- Your beard line is actually here.
- I was shaving it down?
- When you do your shaving...
- Don't take it out.
Exactly. It's for up here.
Get out of the shower, dry your face,
give your beard a little:
- Gets the dead skin out.
- Then you can put beard lotion on
just to keep the whiskers nice and soft.
So, yeah, we're good.
I wish that with this party tonight,
that is such high stakes for you,
- like your mother could be here.
- She's gonna be here.
- She is?
- Yeah, yeah. I'm excited and nervous,
because my mom hasn't seen me
without a beard in seven years.
- Really?
- Yeah, it's crazy.
She wanted me to look like I cared.
I think that's her biggest fear.
I didn't care about how I looked
and I kind of let myself go,
finish projects that
I start and all these things.
I think she's gonna be super-happy.
- This is a big night for you.
- This is different.
To have my family, friends,
business people all thrown in together.
My friends have never met my parents.
A few of them have.
Mostly, it wasn't that kind of thing.
Sounds like those walls you had up
of letting people out and keeping yourself
- locked in are getting knocked down.
- So, baby step.
Those baby steps are what keeps you
on your journey
to being this guy
your mother won't be worried about.
Right. The biggest thing,
I don't want her to worry.
Your closet. We've kept some
of the good stuff that you had in here.
We've gotten rid of stuff
that's never gonna work.
- Burned it in a bonfire.
- Had to go.
So, button-up shirts.
This will be your go-to section.
When going to work,
you don't need a long-sleeved shirt.
Go short-sleeved. But there's a way
to do it playfully. Next, footwear.
Never owned a brown pair of dress shoes.
- How's that possible?
- Can I wear black?
- Goes with everything.
- Not everything.
- Also, I found this.
- Cricket.
There's also one in my closet.
Indians and Pakistanis, uh, fight
about cricket literally every year.
That's the time I started to think,
"We really are in a closet together."
This may be a first. Um, okay...
We're breaking down
cultural barriers here.
- Um, I wanna put you in a couple of looks.
- Okay.
For me, the most important part of tonight
is what his mom has to say.
I get what it feels like, as a Pakistani,
to have your mom be proud of you.
It takes a lot for them to say, "I am
proud of you." It's gonna be beautiful.
- Ready, boys?
- Yes.
- All right, mate, come on down.
- Right.
You look so good.
- Those pants and that shirt are awesome.
- You look adorable.
- This is how Miss India does it.
- I can't sashay like that, though.
You're wrong. She's always got a sari.
She holds the sari.
- Oh, my God, you're so right.
- It's the little detail.
- Give us your version. There you go.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
- Make your mama proud.
- There we go.
We want a look he'll wear to work.
We show some style,
he's got a graphic print.
He's got a pant that looks denim,
but it's actually just linen.
Then a sneaker that's slightly stepped up.
I am in love with the shirt.
I love it buttoned all the way up.
I'd never wear linen,
but it's not dress pants.
Linen is awesome in the summer.
These are high tops, but not ratty.
Looks like a guy in the creative field.
I wouldn't expect he's an accountant.
I wish I was a crazy, excited guy,
but I'm, like, inside bursting, excited.
- No, we can tell you are.
- Yeah.
I'm proud of the fact
that from getting to know you,
it seemed you were all over the place.
You are no longer that man.
- Thanks.
- You can't selectively numb feeling.
If you try to numb the vulnerability,
you also numb joy, happiness, connection.
You can't have connection, joy
and happiness without vulnerability.
It doesn't happen overnight.
If it happens in one department
of your life,
you can do it in every other part.
There's no shame in showing
that you're happy.
No, especially as a dude.
It's the weirdest thing to be happy.
- What's wrong with being happy?
- You're awesome.
You have a great heart, super-handsome.
You know what you're doing.
Let people know.
Thank you so much.
I just wanna say something.
Uh... All right.
Uh...
This has been a completely weird
and beautiful experience.
I just wanna thank you guys.
I was in...
uh, a big down spell,
like a really dark place.
In the past couple months, I've been
comfortable being in that dark place.
For some reason,
I didn't fight my way out of it.
And that's why this meant a lot to me.
I didn't have anyone to talk to about it.
So, all those weird laughs,
that's the first time in a long time
I've just been, like, joyful,
genuine joy, right,
that was bred from, like, just pain.
When I started out the week,
I felt like this was just highlighting,
like, uh, what was wrong in my life.
And by the end of the week, I realized
it wasn't highlighting
what was wrong in my life.
It was showing me, like,
how good my life could be if I just cared.
I don't have to change overnight,
it won't be perfect,
but it did give me a glimmer of hope
there could be a different option for you,
and that's the most powerful part
of this week.
I can't thank you guys enough.
From the bottom of my heart, that's
the nicest thing anyone's done for me.
So, I appreciate it.
- Give me a hug.
- We're proud of you for being vulnerable
- and sharing with us.
- I appreciate it.
Thanks, buddy. It's okay, it's okay.
- Love you.
- It's okay, girl.
- Oh, that's a really good hug.
- I'm doing two-arm hugs now.
I know. When we first met,
you wouldn't let us touch you.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- We gonna do a group hug?
- We're doing a group hug.
- You get in the middle.
- You ready for it?
It's a big one.
So good!
- Bye.
- Bye.
We love you!
Oh, queens, my little internal alarm
is ringing to check in with Neal Reddy.
- How is he doing? What is going on?
- Are you ready?
Checking in.
Forever, are you sad now?
It's quiet. Everyone's gone.
Is he not like giving me
Le Cordon Bleu realness now?
- He's giving me crushed bread.
- This is making me hungry.
- Yeah, this is like torture.
- Cheese and bread, what's not...
- Oh!
- He just cut himself!
That's gonna be bad.
- I felt that through my whole body.
- I heard that.
It was just grilled cheese.
I thought he'd be safe.
- It's a good omen for the meal.
- Attaboy, put the glove on.
I love the pop of color.
I know. Oh, bless him.
I'd be freaking out.
I love him so much right now.
This makes me happy.
- Cute.
- Yes, love those options.
- I'd go for the whiter one.
- I'd go for the pink.
I like the pink.
- I like the first choice.
- Honestly, either, I'll be happy.
Yes. It looks real formal.
I mean, it is a business event.
- I'm overruling myself. I love it.
- That's a great fit.
He's turning me on
so much right now.
That was a gorgeous bit
of a matte pomade.
Yes, queen.
Yeah!
I love Neal, man, he's so funny.
He's nervous, you guys.
He hasn't had people in his space
for so long.
- Ten years.
- I can only imagine
what he's going through.
Wow.
- Hey.
- Finally, I see your face.
- Surprised?
- Oh, my God.
You look nice. It's beautiful here,
it's very nice.
- Are you happy?
- Very.
- Oh, my God.
- Wow.
His mom is so cute, I love her little bod.
- Beautiful.
- Everything down here.
Wow. That's nice.
I love the kind of ever-present,
slightly disapproving look in her eye.
- Yes, always.
- You look so handsome.
- Are you sure?
- Yes. I can't believe you're my son.
She just gave him...
- She's smiling, bless her.
- There she goes.
- I like your shirt.
- I'm wearing a watch.
You look like a real gentleman now.
- This is what you wanted for how long?
- A long time. I didn't expect it from you,
- but it's a nice surprise.
- Why didn't you?
You never listen to me,
so, finally, somebody made you listen.
That's a good thing.
- There's a compliment with a bit of shade.
- That was a lot for her.
Big step.
Usually, they don't give that compliment.
- Hey.
- Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. You look incredible.
Yes, it's Ben!
- Hey, guys, come on in.
- That is insane.
- Hey.
- Hello.
What's up, man?
- You're so handsome. Goodness.
- Thank you.
He hugged everyone
as they walked through.
- I know.
- He's feeling good.
Oh, my gosh.
- How many sexy friends does he have?
- His friends are hot.
The whole week,
I had this envisionment in my head
- of what the haircut would look like.
- Me too.
It's actually a little longer than
I was anticipating, and it looks better.
He didn't wanna go, like, too drastic.
Now I feel like I'd be comfortable
setting you up with Rachel's friends.
Honestly, Ben is taking my breath away.
Mine, too.
If you see anyone brown,
that's my family. Say hi to them.
Help yourself to some booze.
We'll get a bottle opener, hold on.
- You should've been wearing this...
- Okay, Mom.
...months ago.
I have more hair products than you do.
I've got a whole stack.
No, no, you don't understand,
it's a whole tray.
He's so cute and coy and flirty.
- I know.
- I love that Neal Reddy.
Mm. Very good, Neal.
- You prepared this?
- Yes.
Is that prosciutto?
Prosciutto ham, brioche bread,
Gruyère cheese, some mayonnaise.
That's it.
He does seem comfortable
and in his element.
Thank you for coming. Three years ago,
we decided we were gonna do an app
to help restaurants get stuff fixed.
The app was put in the App Store.
- You gotta celebrate your victories.
- He's looking at them all.
This has been a crazy week for me.
About 90 percent of the people here
haven't been here
and I've known them for 15 years.
But I didn't think it was weird
until everyone started telling me it was.
I'm glad everyone's here mixing.
We're gonna do a quick video
about the app, and then that's it.
- Other than that, have fun.
- Good job.
It's a good app, they'll love it.
When an issue arises,
everything is right at your fingertips.
- He's doing super-well.
- Everyone's engaged.
Don't let broken equipment
break your business.
Get your business humming along.
Now we go back to being normal.
Back to normal, talking to each other.
I hope Neal takes from this experience
that letting people in isn't a sign
of weakness, it's a sign of strength.
Hopefully, just opens himself up
to real possibility.
I know that his life has changed
from this point,
and he's got an amazing future
ahead of him.
He's no longer nonchalant Neal.
He's the man now.
- I'm very proud of you.
- Yeah? Thank you.
- You don't need to worry.
- I know. Thank you.
He ran from us when we met him.
And now he's embracing.
And all in a few freaking days.
Good job to us.
Yeah.
Sometimes, it just takes the fairies.
Social media is a great way to build
your brand and reach the right audience.
But be strategic
about the hashtags you use.
Keep them short, understandable
and, most importantly, about you.
Hashtag "ass."
Damn.
- It is summer.
He's wearing a safari onesie.
He's in a four-wheel drive.
- It's like a whole thing.
- Yeah, he is.
Oh, my God, our gorgeous guy of the week
is none other than Neal Reddy.
So excited.
He's been nominated by his
sometimes roommate Ben. He is 36.
He is 5-foot-8 inches
and supe single, ready to mingle.
Am I Rico Suave? No.
I'm a dork. When it comes to girls,
sometimes I'm good, sometimes terrible.
He has this massive long hair
and beard that hide most of his face.
I've had long hair,
long beard for 6 years.
Used to be down to here.
I made a baby step and cut it up to here.
He's giving me Wilson
from Home Improvement realness.
I need to get out there,
let me see that face.
I thought I looked cool.
Girls and airport security
did not think it looked that cool.
His mom wants to get rid of the hair
to shop him at weddings.
Indian parents, a lot of times,
are very strict,
very overbearing
and always in your life.
I think she wants me to look
more like a typical, upstanding Indian.
He doesn't change clothes.
He'll pick an outfit for a period of time,
and that's what he exists in.
First floor of his house
is the base of his fierce app.
He is a Martha Stewart app-making genius.
Ooh!
I'm partner
in a business-to-business app.
It helps restaurants primarily
get broken equipment fixed.
He is going to be hosting
this launch event for his app.
It's gonna be his first big hosting event
from his house in over ten years.
- Wow.
- Ten years?
I don't like people in my house.
I don't like my personal life discussed.
It's a control, power thing,
it's a comfort thing, protection thing.
I've separated all aspects of my life.
My friends are separate, family.
Everything is separate.
I believe one of the reasons that Neal
is so private is because he's insecure.
His friends don't know him.
He keeps everyone at a distance.
Keep them at arm's length
so you don't get hurt.
- I don't get it.
- It's like a Kelly Clarkson song.
I really hope the Fab 5 can help
Neal get out of his comfort zone
and make him a little bit more open.
With his hair, his beard, his home,
- he keeps everyone at arm's length.
- Yes.
We need to give this man some sass
in that Sasquatch.
- Yes!
- Let's go.
Is that him walking down the street?
Look, I see a Yeti.
I see a Yeti.
- Get out.
- Neal!
- Come on.
- Oh, my God!
- How you doing, man?
- Don't scare the dog.
- Hi.
- You don't like being touched?
Look how comfortable I am.
- Forever, attack them.
- Look at all this.
This is so cool
that you guys are just touching me.
I'm the hairdresser.
He's like,
"I have a license to touch you."
Your shoulders and arms are so cute.
Look at all this delt life.
Yes.
- You have adorable eyes.
- Thank you.
And you don't take
a compliment well.
You look away, but we'll work on that.
- It's comfortable.
- You've got a dog hair on your eyelash.
- This is your street? You live close?
- Down the road.
- Can you walk us over?
- Yeah, yeah.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God, there's so much hair, Neal.
Oh, my God.
Oh, Neal, you need to vacuum this rug.
This is disgusting.
That's part of the rug.
- No, you need to vacuum.
- You're ruining the rug.
You could create ten new dogs
with the hair around this house.
Christmas was over,
like, six months ago.
Those have only been up for 11 years,
so it's fine.
The card says "best couple ever,"
then you have to specify "dog plus owner."
What woman will come
and have a relaxing night?
She has to clean before she can sit... Ew.
It's no surprise to me
that Neal hasn't had friends over.
- Who would want to?
- Why do you have a lantern full of bags?
Those are for poops.
Ew!
- Dog poops.
- And stuff is just thrown around.
The sofa is gross.
It's covered in hair.
Oh, my God.
Look how full this thing is of hair.
- Ew.
- Oh, my God.
That can't be his brush.
- That has to be the dog's brush.
- Literally so real.
No.
- Look how disgusting the bathtub is.
- It's so nasty.
Neal's bathroom reminds me
a lot of a skin tag.
We gotta start
just cleaning this.
It's not hurting anything,
but it doesn't look great.
It's so gross in here.
It's like that green emoji
with the like face.
- He's got a lot of shavers.
- He ain't using them.
Those are just my crotch shavers.
Thanks for touching them.
- You're going through everything. Cool.
- You know when you're feeling just:
- Yeah.
- Yes!
This is very beautiful.
- Do one of those dances, the circular one.
- You wanna learn...? We grind the pepper.
And then we're changing the light bulb,
and then stay away, stay away.
There are basics with Indian dance moves,
but it's not just something fun to do.
You're showing your skills
in the kitchen.
- Get your hands... No, yeah.
- Yes.
- There you go.
- Yes, yeah.
Around the house, and when you've got
uninvited guests, just stay away.
Let's talk about this real quick. Now,
you've given these shoes pride of place?
- Yeah, when I do work and stuff, I...
- Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Plaid. Every house I go into, plaid.
God, what is it with Americans?
I thought with an Indian,
we'd get something other than plaid.
It looks like the dog destroys the house,
and he never fixes it.
This is a reminder you're not married
and you've got to get married.
A dowry suitcase is something that
pretty much every Indian
and Pakistani has.
Your parents collected this
since your mom was in her 2nd trimester.
- This is beautiful stuff.
- But it's usually silver
and gold and jewelry that you will one day
gift to your new bride or husband.
It's not a dowry kit.
She told me to hold on to it.
- She...
- I love that you fell for that bullshit.
Do you feel the pressure with this
to marry Hindu?
I don't feel that much pressure anymore.
I separated myself from it.
I feel the same. My family still ask,
"When will you marry a girl?"
I'm like, "Uh...
I've got something to tell you, Mom."
Here we see this gorgeous, blond wolf dog
in its natural habitat
outside of Atlanta, Georgia.
We keep a safe distance
from the animal so as to not disturb it.
But any time you see an animal get
behind you like this, you're in danger.
So, you really wanna be careful.
I'm just gonna go ahead
and go away so he doesn't attack me.
Oh, wow, he has a dehydrator.
Raw probiotics,
they make me super regular.
So, let's chat.
I'm gonna get a little more comfortable.
Okay, I'm gonna be slightly uncomfortable.
I do think, professionally,
with the look that you have,
you're giving me Cast Away.
- Cast Away's a great movie.
- It is.
We can keep some of your natural vibes,
but also groom it in a way
that it is more commercially attractive.
- Yeah.
- So, take your shirt off,
hold me for ten minutes.
That's the best way...
- You can't. You're wearing a romper.
- We'll do your shirt. I'll cuddle,
- just a little. He hates it.
- So uncomfortable.
He loves it. A little cuddy.
- Forever, bite him.
- Aw...
So, you have elements
that say home chef a little bit.
You have a rice cooker,
a blender, a really good juicer.
They seem like they were bought
eight years ago,
- and they've been neglected since.
- I used to cook more than I do now.
I cook 'cause I like to entertain people.
I stopped,
because it sucks cooking for one person.
- We need a reason for you to cook again.
- Yes.
- You have this app you're working on.
- Yup.
There's an event this week.
Tell me about that.
It will be a launch party. Friends and
people from the restaurant industry here.
The perfect way to end this week
will be for you
to use your kitchen in an amazing way
and create something beautiful
- for your guests.
- That's one option. Other option is chips.
You haven't had anybody in this space
or entertained for ten years?
- It's been a while.
- Why?
It wasn't like one thing.
It was a slow... I used to have parties.
And then my friends grew up and moved on.
They all got married, had kids.
I was this guy that's by myself.
So, it's like everything changed.
Is there a part of you
that feels you have a wall up?
Yeah, sure, I have a wall up.
I read body language,
and the minute I started asking you
why you have a wall up,
you built a wall in front of me.
- You literally did this.
- I was trying to show you my guns.
Yeah. That's all it was.
No, you're right. I don't know
why I have a wall. I just know I have one.
What do you think it's keeping you from?
I mean, I think it's keeping me from being
more consistently happy, honestly.
Like, I feel like I'm protected, I'm safe.
That's the thing about, uh,
when people build up walls.
They end up keeping other people out,
but they're also keeping themselves in.
You act like you don't care
about your house, how you look,
or people are no longer in your life,
I don't buy it.
- You're a toucher, I forgot.
- No, listen. We'll all touch you
because we'll get you out of this space.
And I see you have half blinds.
Used to be full blinds. I took them down
so I could paint this color.
- Then I never...
- Which...?
I put up these temporary blinds,
and then I never, uh...
- I see unfinished projects.
- There's a million.
Show me more.
I build this deck.
I had this whole vision of finishing this,
but I never got around to it.
This space looks like an awesome place
to have your party.
Like here and in there.
I use that area a lot, usually
for me and maybe one other person.
But no one sits here anymore.
We sit in the same corner.
It looks dirty. Why would they?
And the chair's broken.
All right, let's go back in.
It is hot out here.
What's going on here?
This doesn't look finished.
- It's another...
- Unfinished project.
- I'm seeing a pattern.
- There's a theme.
Fellas, I think we're done!
I gotta let you know. I see you're
laughing and smiling, having a good time,
but, also, this is hard for you.
We're here to help you make better.
- Right.
- You're allowing people to be let in.
Allowing yourself to be vulnerable
is the biggest show of strength.
That's what I really want, is a change.
All we ask for is an open heart.
We feel you have that.
- Let's put our hands in.
- Okay.
Yes.
- All in.
- This is a first.
Get this over with.
- Oh, enjoy feeling it.
- It's weird now. So weird.
It's love and energy we're sending to you.
- Touchers and lovers.
- Neal!
Yes.
I know I've gotta get
my weed whackers out,
and I gotta get my biceps strong,
because we're gonna be cutting.
I wanna show him that everyone
is capable of making a meal from scratch.
It'll make you feel good about yourself.
My biggest mission is to get Neal out
of this bachelor pad cave he's living in,
and get him a home that's eclectic,
it's cool, it's modern, sleek.
It's everything that Neal is.
I wanna take him from hipster yogi
and make his wardrobe more appropriate
for the creative director
that he wants to become.
Neal's having a problem
with letting people in.
We gotta break down that wall.
People need to see the real Neal.
There's a lot of fancy stores.
I don't really shop at fancy stores.
You don't? I would never have known.
Thank you very much.
Let's talk clothes. You are one of the few
people that has got pieces I really like.
- However, you're not wearing those.
- My mom will buy me clothes.
I don't like throwing them away,
so I put them up.
I think Indians or Pakistani people
have the same mom.
- Exact same mom.
- They refuse to let you have
- your own life.
- Yeah, but it's all out of love.
She wants you to make an effort.
Take it from a business owner.
I'm not in a suit,
but I have to make an effort.
There's no way, if I've got
a big investor meeting and I say:
"Okay, here's the team.
Look how good we look."
And there's a house Yeti. Like, no.
You've never seen one of those.
You got the first one. That's a big deal.
Button-downs. I want you to start
seeing these as a decent option for work.
I'm not trying to take you
from super casual to Mr. Businessman.
- I'm not gonna go for anything crazy.
- Just subdued like this?
I would wear that. However, I'm not trying
to dress you as a gay guy.
- This is Miami camouflage.
- Actually, I do love it.
There are certain options that would work.
They're more muted,
especially the job that you do.
You're a creative guy. How you'd think
this represents you is beyond me.
If you spend less time on your outfit,
you can spend more time creating.
- Steve Jobs wore the same thing.
- See how slick he was? It was killer.
- I'll wear turtlenecks now?
- I'll get you a version that makes sense.
Neal's challenging. He seems resistant
to us wanting to make him
feel good about himself.
You did a great job with the blazer.
- You're right. I look good.
- Let me show you a second way
of wearing it, for funsies.
He's laughing, but I need him to realize
that he's gotta change something.
Right now, his look is not working.
Let's get that hair out of the way.
I've got a feeling we'll get rid of it.
I just wanna see
how it would look if it were gone.
Good. Oh, my God, that's already better.
- Let's tuck that into your shirt.
- What's really funny is,
it was so long,
so I would tuck my beard in to eat.
Isn't that worrying?
Okay, how do you feel in it, first of all?
It just seems like there's a lot going on.
- All right. Let's tone it down.
- Yeah.
Wearing a blazer over it
will tone down the print.
You won't see as much of it.
You just get a pop.
Feels better that we cover the print.
But now it feels like I'm going
to a very formal meeting.
You think this is formal?
It is not formal at all.
It's just slightly dressed up.
And I wouldn't button it up.
We would make sure
this is slightly shorter.
So, if the arms are the correct length,
it makes the suit feel better fitted.
I know you would wear this tucked out.
I'm not gonna do it all the way.
How do you feel in that?
- Good, feel very European.
- Love that.
I'm like the Indian member of Coldplay.
Best compliment you could ever give me.
I wanna try putting on a shirt over it.
- Should I roll the sleeves?
- I like the sleeves rolled.
It looks younger.
Now, personally, I think you look wicked.
I'm too hip. It's like,
"This guy thinks he's cooler than us."
See, at an event like the one
that you've got this week,
I'd happily have you wear
a shirt over a T-shirt.
We're elevating your look.
It's no longer just jeans and T-shirt.
- It's a version that makes sense for you.
- Right.
It's still very much Neal,
but a dressed-up, mommy-pleasing Neal.
Neal isn't listening.
He's hearing what I'm saying.
However, I don't think he's understanding
that he needs to change.
So, let's send you off to the boys.
It's gonna take us chipping away
to make him see that he can feel good
and confident about himself.
And that's nothing to be ashamed of.
Let's go on to the kitchen.
Hey, chefs, this is my friend Neal.
- Hey, guys.
- Thank you for letting us come.
This is one of my favorite restaurants.
They do amazing stuff with pinchos.
Pinchos, which are tapas on bread
meant to be shared.
- You guys have things you can show us?
- Yeah.
I want him to get excited
about one dish.
It's a good way to light up that fire
and get him excited about cooking.
Cheese and bread, the simplest sandwich.
But it's the best thing!
The simplest can be the best.
For entertaining, it's easy,
'cause you can prepare this ahead of time.
You just have it ready there.
All you have to do after is assemble.
The cool thing is,
it has mayo on both sides,
which lubes up the sandwich.
Nothing like a good lubing of a sandwich.
With white American cheese
with the ibérico ham,
with bread on the outside.
Key to a good grilled cheese,
you just douse it in butter.
- Yeah.
- You're like Picasso in this thing.
Give it a bit of press.
Bread has crevices and stuff.
- You can do it with, like, a plate.
- I'm a tough guy. I'll use my hand.
So, cut it once this way,
then once that way.
- You guys wanna try this? Beautiful.
- Yes.
- Can we sit down and have this?
- Absolutely.
There you go. Put that right there.
Bon appétit.
- One bite, that's it.
- One bite?
- That's good.
- This bread is supporting a lot of weight
physically and emotionally,
'cause I'm holding it.
That was really good.
Making jokes is something you do a lot.
I do make jokes,
and I'm one of those people that's like,
what, you like to cover up awkwardness
with humor? Yeah, I do that.
- It's a protective layer?
- Yeah, it is.
When I came out, I was uncomfortable
with, like, how will people judge me?
What I could control was how I behaved.
I have to make everybody laugh.
I do the same thing, too, where it's like,
if you can be funny, then you can...
- Not control a conversation... Yeah.
- You control the amount of intimacy
and vulnerability you're giving off
or not giving off.
And the more comfortable I am with myself,
the more I'm the same guy with everybody
else, or at least it starts to bleed.
You thought it's depressing
to cook for one.
- It is.
- My goal is to change your mind.
You can take care
in making something as easy as this,
or scrambled eggs, omelet,
whatever it is.
It's just a matter of maintenance.
Tapping back into that.
I've forgotten about it for too long.
- Yeah.
- I do like eating. It's the truth.
Um, what'll be fun for this event,
a lot of it will be taken care of,
but have one component you make,
giving thanks to the people visiting you.
Maybe we'll do some version
of a grilled cheese.
- Okay. Yeah, excited.
- Cool? All right.
Neal's passionate about food,
loves to cook. But he's forgotten.
And it's a perfect opportunity
to bring cuisine back into his life.
Okay, grabbing a piece to go,
and we gotta get going.
Yo, yo, yo.
- What's going on?
- What's going on?
All right.
Oh, you're already more comfortable
with being touched.
We're making planters.
There's projects around the house
that you never finish.
So, today, we're gonna finish.
You took so long to get here,
I started already.
This new space will help
Neal let his walls down with work,
family, friends, future girlfriends,
everything.
These are for upstairs.
I want your party this weekend
to have some greenery out there.
It's sparse. You did great with the deck...
You didn't like that planter
that had a dead plant in it?
Plants hate me. Some plants are racist.
I don't know what to say to that.
I think I'm gonna move on.
All right.
Just kidding.
- Tell me about this party.
- We've been working on this app for years.
Wow.
We'll let people in the industry know
we're ready to start taking business.
Just have a reason
to bring friends and family together.
Usually separate,
but we're having everything mixed.
I feel like it'll be disastrous,
and I'll hate you guys after this,
- but fingers crossed.
- We'll make you look good.
- A few more strokes and we're done.
- That's what I say by myself.
- "Come on, you can do it. A few more."
- Few more strokes, and you're done.
It's really cool
to see Neal finish a project.
You could see that he was proud.
Done. How's that feel? Finished a project.
No thanks to you,
but, yeah, I got it done.
A lot of men have an issue
with vulnerability,
and letting people in
and telling them about yourself.
Ben told me that he knows nothing
about you and that it breaks his heart.
I do think a lot of my friends feel,
I think, a little disconnected from me,
because I know everything about them,
but they know very little
- about what's going on with me.
- Why?
I thought if I'm the loyal guy,
dependable,
that'd be enough for me
not to have to open up.
And I think that builds
this, like, not equal kind of...
You're not being vulnerable
with people around you.
He needs to understand that being
vulnerable is not weakness. It's strength.
You're in tune with yourself,
which is the sexiest thing.
You're gonna enjoy where we're taking you.
What?
- How's it going?
- Let's get some boxing going.
I want you to understand, we're waking up
your body. You work where you live.
That's turning you into a hermit.
Start doing more physical activity.
- Have you guys boxed before?
- Yes.
I was sad, and boxing was the way
that I could get out of my head,
and it helped me to take out some anxiety
I was having.
Quick boxing lesson.
Never wanna be a wide target.
Be a small target.
The number one punch
in your arsenal is your jab.
So, put your hands up. Ready?
One. Oh, y'all not ready.
One, two, three, four, five.
Neal's so afraid to be judged,
he never gets in the ring.
This is a way that he can understand
that you gotta put yourself out there.
Somebody's running out of gas.
- The tank was very low to begin with.
- Too bad.
- Sometimes you get knocked down.
- Take your time. One.
There you go, champ. And zero. Nice work.
You know what? Get back up and have faith
that you're gonna win the next fight.
How you feel?
- All right to terrible.
- Are you gonna work at it?
- Yeah.
- There you go.
You're taking yourself
out the comfort zone
by doing something
you normally never do.
Getting in the ring,
it's about connecting with another person.
- You can do it.
- Whatever you say, I agree with.
The first thing you gotta learn
is move your head.
If you can't move your head,
you're gonna get what?
- Hit.
- Ships that don't move get sunk.
So, remember that. Ready? Go.
Look at that.
Wow, good job, Neal.
- Five, four... Missed. Three, two, one.
- Good job. You got it. Keep it up.
You got it. Good job.
- You got one more round in you?
- Yeah.
- Twenty seconds.
- You can do it, Neal.
Come on. Change your life now.
Only 20 seconds of your life.
Let me get them now.
- Let's go, 20. Come on, 20.
- You got it.
You're not tired.
Ten, nine, eight... Come on, one more.
Seven, six... Land it. Five, four, three...
Come on, two, one. Finish.
Time.
There you go, baby.
That's how you work.
You didn't think you could,
what happened?
- I did it. Thank you.
- Always go one more round, brother.
Get a good stretch, guys. Thanks again.
- How was that?
- It was good.
Made me realize that it's been
a slow couple months to years
as far as activity-wise goes,
put on some lbs, that sucks.
Any type of sadness you feel, if you start
doing something like this, it'll help.
You'll start being happy,
feeling supported, energetic.
I have to mention.
The time you spent looking him in the eye
is more than I've seen you engage
in eye contact during
the duration of us being together.
I really wanted to hit him.
That's where this is coming from.
It's like you're forced to have contact
with another person and share this moment.
Look what it does.
- I'm proud of you for this.
- Thanks.
It's looking great, man.
And don't fuck it up, and I already did.
Come on, get in there.
- If I ran, you think you could catch me?
- I'm faster than you.
Getting Neal to come out
of his comfort zone
and getting him out
from behind all that hair,
he's gonna see he is an attractive guy
and people want to be around him.
He just has to take his arms down.
- What's your fear about cutting your hair?
- I just don't wanna fade in.
Be like another dude
with a haircut that everyone else has.
I am not married to cutting your hair off
for the sake of cutting it off.
I don't wanna take away your personality.
It'll look so good. You have enough length
to donate to Beautiful Lengths.
- What is the length to cut off?
- Eight inches.
That's the only time someone said
I've had eight inches, Johnny.
Ooh.
- Okay, I'm just gonna cut this off now.
- I'm so nervous.
- It's happening. I want us to hold on.
- It hurts, it hurts.
Okay. So, that's over with.
Let's go wash your hair.
Let me cry inside a little bit first.
Neal is a little baby guinea pig
with anxiety, honey.
I love how relaxed you are.
He is so terrified, every noise, he's:
Can't look at you like this.
I wanna do your beard first.
- I love this length of beard.
- While you do that,
- I'm gonna pat your head.
- Thank you.
Get it, really get it.
All right.
I'm getting you through this touch phobia.
I'm gonna wax your brows.
- Oh! That felt so good.
- That's why you don't have a girlfriend.
Every time you make out,
they had to look at this.
Oh! Feels better.
He looks amazing, and he's just,
like, handling it really well.
- Oh. That's the worst one.
- Sorry.
I'm shaping you to be
like a gorgeous Indian Jake Gyllenhaal.
Neal is a really fun guy,
so I want his new look to reflect that.
So, people know, "I am a guy with style,
I do have creative ideas,
let me help you out."
See how your hair's damp now?
It's not soaking wet?
That's what you do when round brushing.
Only part I'd brush is the top.
Oh, my God. I did so good.
Do you like? Get all up in it.
- How's that beard feel?
- I don't know who this man is.
This was the part I feared most,
but I'm super excited.
- You are?
- Yeah, I am genuinely excited.
Let me give you a hug, I'm so excited.
Thank you so much.
It's a deep hug, it's a deep hug.
I'm so happy. Looks so cool.
How can I forget?
I got you some cologne.
This is how you do this, and I learned
this from Queer Eye numero uno.
Stand up. That gorgeous Kyan
taught me this trick.
You spray, delay and walk away.
- Okay.
- Hey, your turn, ready?
Spray, delay, walk through it.
- Just like you did.
- Yes. Fiercedom, honey.
Who's a pretty girl? So fluffy, so clean.
You look so good.
- It feels good. I feel...
- Wait till you see your house.
Are you ready to see your place?
Come on, come on through.
Look how handsome he looks.
- I love it.
- Thanks.
- He has been waiting...
- Oh, he doesn't recognize you.
- She's like, "Who the hell are you?"
- Oh, I know.
I had the same reaction.
Look how happy she is.
"You've finally cut your damn hair."
Oh, yeah, I feel so happy.
- Wow, amazing.
- Do you recognize me at all?
- Sharp.
- You look so good.
- Are you ready?
- Yeah.
What?
Oh, shit. It's so different.
It's so cool, though.
This place was kind of a '90s time capsule
with the wood color.
I decided to take the cabinets black,
which toned down the gold of the floor.
And now it looks modern.
- It's not all monotone now.
- Yeah.
Painted the brick. Crazy.
Have you noticed
that there is no more dog hair?
Do you know why?
Here's your new roommate.
You can set it to where once a day,
it goes and vacuums the house.
I got a leather sofa,
so it doesn't stick to it.
Oh!
- The deck is done.
- The deck is decked out.
Get all butch on your deck, honey.
- This is nuts.
- This looked like a college dorm.
- Now it looks like a grown man lives here.
- I know.
You can host 20 people out here.
- Look at the planters we made.
- Hey, they're good.
- We also found you a wife.
- Lawrence of Gayrabia.
Yes.
- There's still more.
- Follow Bobbers.
And look at this,
you even have room to entertain.
You had this '90s mirror up there.
The way to modernize it is to frame it.
And now for the love nest
that you're gonna be using
with this new look.
What was your version?
Oh, shit.
Most people think black walls make rooms
feel smaller. It's the opposite.
It adds depth to a room.
I never would have thought to do it,
but it's me.
- Painted the grout lines, too?
- Instead of spending money to rip it out,
paint the grout black
and it modernizes it.
It's so nuts.
We'll make buttered leek
Gruyère grilled cheeses.
- Tell me what it smells like.
- Onions. What is a leek?
They're a little sweeter, more delicate.
So, you cut off the root part,
and then the green part.
So, these we don't use.
- And you just do a really thin chop.
- Slice.
Leeks have a lot of sand in them,
so it's something
that you have to wash out.
Once you're done slicing leeks,
you're gonna put a glob of butter,
maybe two to three tablespoons,
medium low.
Sweat them out.
It's about getting them translucent.
Assemble the grilled cheeses ahead
of time, so when you have a large majority
of the people that are here,
you start busting these out.
Um, how are you feeling
about entertaining people?
Nervous, but in a good way.
It's nice to have a place to show off
to your guests, right?
Here we are.
We're in your getting-ready space.
I'm full of presents.
I got you a blow-dryer.
I'm just gonna get myself
a quick cold shot. It'd be hot in here.
- Let me help you.
- Yes.
Oh, Mommy likes it. Oh, Mommy loves it.
Ooh, body moisturizer.
I got you some razors for your cheeks.
- Your beard line is actually here.
- I was shaving it down?
- When you do your shaving...
- Don't take it out.
Exactly. It's for up here.
Get out of the shower, dry your face,
give your beard a little:
- Gets the dead skin out.
- Then you can put beard lotion on
just to keep the whiskers nice and soft.
So, yeah, we're good.
I wish that with this party tonight,
that is such high stakes for you,
- like your mother could be here.
- She's gonna be here.
- She is?
- Yeah, yeah. I'm excited and nervous,
because my mom hasn't seen me
without a beard in seven years.
- Really?
- Yeah, it's crazy.
She wanted me to look like I cared.
I think that's her biggest fear.
I didn't care about how I looked
and I kind of let myself go,
finish projects that
I start and all these things.
I think she's gonna be super-happy.
- This is a big night for you.
- This is different.
To have my family, friends,
business people all thrown in together.
My friends have never met my parents.
A few of them have.
Mostly, it wasn't that kind of thing.
Sounds like those walls you had up
of letting people out and keeping yourself
- locked in are getting knocked down.
- So, baby step.
Those baby steps are what keeps you
on your journey
to being this guy
your mother won't be worried about.
Right. The biggest thing,
I don't want her to worry.
Your closet. We've kept some
of the good stuff that you had in here.
We've gotten rid of stuff
that's never gonna work.
- Burned it in a bonfire.
- Had to go.
So, button-up shirts.
This will be your go-to section.
When going to work,
you don't need a long-sleeved shirt.
Go short-sleeved. But there's a way
to do it playfully. Next, footwear.
Never owned a brown pair of dress shoes.
- How's that possible?
- Can I wear black?
- Goes with everything.
- Not everything.
- Also, I found this.
- Cricket.
There's also one in my closet.
Indians and Pakistanis, uh, fight
about cricket literally every year.
That's the time I started to think,
"We really are in a closet together."
This may be a first. Um, okay...
We're breaking down
cultural barriers here.
- Um, I wanna put you in a couple of looks.
- Okay.
For me, the most important part of tonight
is what his mom has to say.
I get what it feels like, as a Pakistani,
to have your mom be proud of you.
It takes a lot for them to say, "I am
proud of you." It's gonna be beautiful.
- Ready, boys?
- Yes.
- All right, mate, come on down.
- Right.
You look so good.
- Those pants and that shirt are awesome.
- You look adorable.
- This is how Miss India does it.
- I can't sashay like that, though.
You're wrong. She's always got a sari.
She holds the sari.
- Oh, my God, you're so right.
- It's the little detail.
- Give us your version. There you go.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
- Make your mama proud.
- There we go.
We want a look he'll wear to work.
We show some style,
he's got a graphic print.
He's got a pant that looks denim,
but it's actually just linen.
Then a sneaker that's slightly stepped up.
I am in love with the shirt.
I love it buttoned all the way up.
I'd never wear linen,
but it's not dress pants.
Linen is awesome in the summer.
These are high tops, but not ratty.
Looks like a guy in the creative field.
I wouldn't expect he's an accountant.
I wish I was a crazy, excited guy,
but I'm, like, inside bursting, excited.
- No, we can tell you are.
- Yeah.
I'm proud of the fact
that from getting to know you,
it seemed you were all over the place.
You are no longer that man.
- Thanks.
- You can't selectively numb feeling.
If you try to numb the vulnerability,
you also numb joy, happiness, connection.
You can't have connection, joy
and happiness without vulnerability.
It doesn't happen overnight.
If it happens in one department
of your life,
you can do it in every other part.
There's no shame in showing
that you're happy.
No, especially as a dude.
It's the weirdest thing to be happy.
- What's wrong with being happy?
- You're awesome.
You have a great heart, super-handsome.
You know what you're doing.
Let people know.
Thank you so much.
I just wanna say something.
Uh... All right.
Uh...
This has been a completely weird
and beautiful experience.
I just wanna thank you guys.
I was in...
uh, a big down spell,
like a really dark place.
In the past couple months, I've been
comfortable being in that dark place.
For some reason,
I didn't fight my way out of it.
And that's why this meant a lot to me.
I didn't have anyone to talk to about it.
So, all those weird laughs,
that's the first time in a long time
I've just been, like, joyful,
genuine joy, right,
that was bred from, like, just pain.
When I started out the week,
I felt like this was just highlighting,
like, uh, what was wrong in my life.
And by the end of the week, I realized
it wasn't highlighting
what was wrong in my life.
It was showing me, like,
how good my life could be if I just cared.
I don't have to change overnight,
it won't be perfect,
but it did give me a glimmer of hope
there could be a different option for you,
and that's the most powerful part
of this week.
I can't thank you guys enough.
From the bottom of my heart, that's
the nicest thing anyone's done for me.
So, I appreciate it.
- Give me a hug.
- We're proud of you for being vulnerable
- and sharing with us.
- I appreciate it.
Thanks, buddy. It's okay, it's okay.
- Love you.
- It's okay, girl.
- Oh, that's a really good hug.
- I'm doing two-arm hugs now.
I know. When we first met,
you wouldn't let us touch you.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- We gonna do a group hug?
- We're doing a group hug.
- You get in the middle.
- You ready for it?
It's a big one.
So good!
- Bye.
- Bye.
We love you!
Oh, queens, my little internal alarm
is ringing to check in with Neal Reddy.
- How is he doing? What is going on?
- Are you ready?
Checking in.
Forever, are you sad now?
It's quiet. Everyone's gone.
Is he not like giving me
Le Cordon Bleu realness now?
- He's giving me crushed bread.
- This is making me hungry.
- Yeah, this is like torture.
- Cheese and bread, what's not...
- Oh!
- He just cut himself!
That's gonna be bad.
- I felt that through my whole body.
- I heard that.
It was just grilled cheese.
I thought he'd be safe.
- It's a good omen for the meal.
- Attaboy, put the glove on.
I love the pop of color.
I know. Oh, bless him.
I'd be freaking out.
I love him so much right now.
This makes me happy.
- Cute.
- Yes, love those options.
- I'd go for the whiter one.
- I'd go for the pink.
I like the pink.
- I like the first choice.
- Honestly, either, I'll be happy.
Yes. It looks real formal.
I mean, it is a business event.
- I'm overruling myself. I love it.
- That's a great fit.
He's turning me on
so much right now.
That was a gorgeous bit
of a matte pomade.
Yes, queen.
Yeah!
I love Neal, man, he's so funny.
He's nervous, you guys.
He hasn't had people in his space
for so long.
- Ten years.
- I can only imagine
what he's going through.
Wow.
- Hey.
- Finally, I see your face.
- Surprised?
- Oh, my God.
You look nice. It's beautiful here,
it's very nice.
- Are you happy?
- Very.
- Oh, my God.
- Wow.
His mom is so cute, I love her little bod.
- Beautiful.
- Everything down here.
Wow. That's nice.
I love the kind of ever-present,
slightly disapproving look in her eye.
- Yes, always.
- You look so handsome.
- Are you sure?
- Yes. I can't believe you're my son.
She just gave him...
- She's smiling, bless her.
- There she goes.
- I like your shirt.
- I'm wearing a watch.
You look like a real gentleman now.
- This is what you wanted for how long?
- A long time. I didn't expect it from you,
- but it's a nice surprise.
- Why didn't you?
You never listen to me,
so, finally, somebody made you listen.
That's a good thing.
- There's a compliment with a bit of shade.
- That was a lot for her.
Big step.
Usually, they don't give that compliment.
- Hey.
- Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. You look incredible.
Yes, it's Ben!
- Hey, guys, come on in.
- That is insane.
- Hey.
- Hello.
What's up, man?
- You're so handsome. Goodness.
- Thank you.
He hugged everyone
as they walked through.
- I know.
- He's feeling good.
Oh, my gosh.
- How many sexy friends does he have?
- His friends are hot.
The whole week,
I had this envisionment in my head
- of what the haircut would look like.
- Me too.
It's actually a little longer than
I was anticipating, and it looks better.
He didn't wanna go, like, too drastic.
Now I feel like I'd be comfortable
setting you up with Rachel's friends.
Honestly, Ben is taking my breath away.
Mine, too.
If you see anyone brown,
that's my family. Say hi to them.
Help yourself to some booze.
We'll get a bottle opener, hold on.
- You should've been wearing this...
- Okay, Mom.
...months ago.
I have more hair products than you do.
I've got a whole stack.
No, no, you don't understand,
it's a whole tray.
He's so cute and coy and flirty.
- I know.
- I love that Neal Reddy.
Mm. Very good, Neal.
- You prepared this?
- Yes.
Is that prosciutto?
Prosciutto ham, brioche bread,
Gruyère cheese, some mayonnaise.
That's it.
He does seem comfortable
and in his element.
Thank you for coming. Three years ago,
we decided we were gonna do an app
to help restaurants get stuff fixed.
The app was put in the App Store.
- You gotta celebrate your victories.
- He's looking at them all.
This has been a crazy week for me.
About 90 percent of the people here
haven't been here
and I've known them for 15 years.
But I didn't think it was weird
until everyone started telling me it was.
I'm glad everyone's here mixing.
We're gonna do a quick video
about the app, and then that's it.
- Other than that, have fun.
- Good job.
It's a good app, they'll love it.
When an issue arises,
everything is right at your fingertips.
- He's doing super-well.
- Everyone's engaged.
Don't let broken equipment
break your business.
Get your business humming along.
Now we go back to being normal.
Back to normal, talking to each other.
I hope Neal takes from this experience
that letting people in isn't a sign
of weakness, it's a sign of strength.
Hopefully, just opens himself up
to real possibility.
I know that his life has changed
from this point,
and he's got an amazing future
ahead of him.
He's no longer nonchalant Neal.
He's the man now.
- I'm very proud of you.
- Yeah? Thank you.
- You don't need to worry.
- I know. Thank you.
He ran from us when we met him.
And now he's embracing.
And all in a few freaking days.
Good job to us.
Yeah.
Sometimes, it just takes the fairies.
Social media is a great way to build
your brand and reach the right audience.
But be strategic
about the hashtags you use.
Keep them short, understandable
and, most importantly, about you.
Hashtag "ass."
Damn.