Boots on Netflix, not to be confused with Boots: The Musical or Das Boot , is advertised as the last series by Norman Lear, who produced some of the greatest hip sitcoms of the 1970s: All in the Family, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, Maude, Mary Hartman. It's based on The Pink Marine by Greg Cope, his memoir of joining the Marines as a closeted gay kid in 1990.
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Scene 1: 1990. In the recruiting office, Cameron (Miles Heizer) is asked why he wants to be a Marine. "Um...for freedom and America?" The real reason: he's being bullied to death.
Narrating, Cam goes back to the beginning. Montage of his birth, toddler years, getting beat up, lifting weights, a penis, David Hasselhoff, Medieval knights. "What if you're not who everybody says you're supposed to be?"
Mom advises him to be more masculine. Brother Benjy, to not be such a p*ssy. Getting his head shoved in a toilet at graduation. Complaining about having to stay closeted. Sounds like everybody knows you're gay, buddy.
His inner self interrupts and asks him to "stop being afraid, and just be yourself. Our place is out there." So you're joining the Marines? I moved to West Hollywood.
Scene 2: Close up of the shoes of Cameron's only friend, Ray (Liam Oh), as they eat at an outdoor restaurant. He's going to join the Marines, where they have the "buddy system": if you join with a friend, you stay together.
"But they don't allow gays in the military."
"So you'll just pretend to be straight." Wait -- does this mean that Ray is straight? I remember 1980: you didn't come out to any straight person, ever. If they found out by accident, they would drop you instantly.
Cameron considers the idea. He can't afford college, and his only other option is Bismarck, North Dakota (move to West Hollywood?). Besides, he wants to stay with Ray.
Scene 3: Back to the recruitment office: "Boot camp is a machine that turns boys into men. In 13 weeks you won't even recognize yourself."
"Sounds great. Let's do it."
Scene 4: Parris Island, South Carolina. The boot camp bullying begins immediately, as Drill Instructor Knox (Zach Roerig) screams for the recruits to get off the bus. Drill Sergant McKimmon introduces himself --by yelling and insulting them ("a bunch of f*king degenerates). This triggers Cameron. Actually, it's starting to trigger me.
They call their "next of kin" to say that they arrived safely. But they have to follow the script. A guy who deviates has to do push-ups.
Next come haircuts, punishment for smiling at each other, dinner (forced to retrieve food that he threw away and eat it, gross!) , new uniforms (lots of beefcake).Next, Drill Instructor Knox forces them to run to their bunk room and make their beds fast. He yells at Ray for being Asian, and forces the recruit who stole Cam's boots to do push-ups.
Another recruit flirts with Cam.
Back home, Older Brother is watching a public-domain 1930s cartoon. Mom was too drunk to notice when Cody mentioned that he was joining the Marines, so she is shocked when she gets his phone message.
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Scene 5: Night. Cameron sneaks out to go to the bathroom, and finds another recruit pleasuring himself (maybe do it in your bunk under the covers, like every other guy who sleeps in a dorm room?). He sees Cam watching and calls him a homophobic slur.
Cam runs back to his bunk and tells Buddy Ray that he made a mistake, he's got to get out of here. It was an all-purpose slur, Princess -- he didn't really think you were gay.
"It's hard on everyone," Ray answers. "I got a racist breathing down my neck."
Scene 6: Drill Instructors Howlitt and Knox come in with trash can lids to wake up the recruits. Ochoa (Johnathan Nieves) gets yelled at for having an erection (not visible on screen). He may be the one who flirted with Cam.
Cam gets bullied for not shaving properly, and later is asked if he has a girl back home. "She dumped me. She's a Communist."
Time for the strength test, which involves sit-ups and running, where he bonds with the fat guy John Bowman (Blake Burt). He joined because it's family tradition.
Next, you have to do at least three pull ups, or you're out. Cam sees his chance: he pretends that he can't do any, but then he wants to encourage John Bowman, so he does his three, and stays in. The Drill Sergeant allows them to hug and yell, as long as they say "ooray" instead of "hooray."
More after the break
Scene 7: Sgt. Pitowski (Brett Dalton) is busily recruiting when Cam's Mom rushes in: "Are you the man who took my son?" If he's 18, he doesn't need your permission, lady. "You're not looking for a few good men, you're filling a quota."
They argue; Pitowski implies tht Cam wanted to join because his home life was terrible, but that doesn't work, so he changes his tactics: "Cam had what we were looking for, because he got it at home. Only the best mothers can make Marines. And Cam is having the time of his life."
Cut to Cam being yelled at as he waits in line to shower. Brief views of at least three cocks. He accidentally touches someone and gets threatened, but the guy who flirted with him before is back: "So we meet again." Cam gazes at his butt as he walks away.
Time to be issued their guns. While they're waiting in line, Buddy Ray makes the mistake of looking at Cam. Drill Instructor Knox yells at him and calls him an anti-Asian slur. Then, when Ray makes eye contact, Knox punches and kicks him until he is unconscious. The Drill Sergeant clears the room, so Cam can't check to see if his friend is ok.
On to rifle instruction. Whoops, the company commander appears -- Hispanic, and a woman! I didn't expect that in this racist, sexist environment. She says "We have a serious problem," and calls the Senior Drill Instructor into his office. Hey, we don't hear what the problem is Is Ray too severely injured for them to cover up the assault?
Scene 8: Night. Cam lies in his bunk, crying. Buddy Ray isn't there (probably just at the infirmary). Cam's Inner Voice complains that he wanted to go to a gay neighborhood like West Hollywood, not join the homophobic Marines.
Cam feels guilty -- he probably got Ray killed. "Stupid f*ggot!" he calls himself.
Suddenly Buddy Ray comes in (so he was released from the infirmary in the middle of the night?). They hug. Seems that Drill Instructor Knox was out of line, so he's "gone" (discharged, transferred, in military prison? Give us the deets, bro!)
"I'm going to tell them I'm gay so I can go home," Cam tells him.
"No, I need you to be here." I never thought of that. Ray is as deeply invested in the relationship as Cam. Maybe more.
He returns to his bunk. Cam and his Inner Voice discuss the guy who's been flirting with him. Could there be annother gay guy in their squad? "But I can't do anything about it. I have to hide."
Scene 9: Wake up with trash can lids. The Drill Sergeant introduces their new drill instructor, Sgt. Sullivan (Max Parker). He forces the recruits to hold their guns in a painful position. Some of them think they're invincible. Some are too lazy and stupid to test themselves. Some should never have come in the first place -- making eye contact with Cam. I'll bet the new drill instructor is gay, and just identified Cam through gaydar. The end.
Beefcake:
Gay Characters: I was right. Drill Instructor Sullivan is gay, and in a relationship with Major Wilkinson (Sachin Bhatt, below). Several cast members are gay in real life.
Heterosexism: Just locker room talk. The only shown female character is Cam's mother.
My Grade: The characters were a little hard to tell apart, and the bullying strayed a little too close to torture porn. But practically perfect. A-.
See also: Miles Heizer: Gay and nearly-gay roles, a real-life girlfriend and several boyfriends, plus a penis and Guy's Bar
Arabic and Class Rings: Cruising at West Point during my junior year in high school
Shane Michael Parker: Soldier, stunt cock, wolf fan, gay BDSM performer?
See Here, Private Hargrove: To Be Young Was Very Heaven
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