We have all gone through stages in our lives where we hated who we are.
Whether it’s what we see in the mirror, or how we’ve treated other people, or even how we reacted to certain situations.
Then, for those in the deep end, we realize that we fell out of love with ourselves a very long time ago.
In Boots, the main character, Cameron Cope, fell out of love with himself sometime in his young life. After being bullied for being gay and small, Cameron decides enough is enough and decides to make a change.
While everyone is fantastic just as they are, and they shouldn’t have to change to impress other people, sometimes change is necessary.
The desire for change that comes from deep within someone can be a powerful driving force, leading them to achieve great things. However, the motivating factor can underscore deeper issues.
What Are You Willing to Do?
Boots takes place in the ’90s, and at that time, war was on everyone’s mind. Not much has changed there, since some country or another is always on the brink of war.
However, when you have a government whose priority is spending on the military, you will eventually fall for the propaganda, mainly when recruitment is conducted so casually.
Cameron, motivated by the fact that he feels like he needs to change, and with the Marines being right there, joins boot camp.
He wrestles with the question of whether the price he’s willing to pay is enough to end his “weakness.”
Boots balances comedy and drama in an admirable manner. Like most situations in life, being in the Marines can be funny, and it can also have some heavy moments.
I wouldn’t know how being in boot camp feels, but I went to a boys’ boarding school for four years, and when I say it’s not that different from boot camp, it’s not hyperbole.
The main difference is that school was not preparing us to kill or be killed, but everything else is almost identical. That’s why Boots connected with me so much. It brought up complicated feelings of being trapped in a single-gender prison and sustaining physical and mental abuse.
Whether it accurately captures the Marines, someone who has gone through this experience will have to tell us all in the comments section.
I would never join the military or other disciplined forces even if my life depended on it. I admire the sacrifice some people make for their country and respect it, but it could never be me.
I’m too stubborn to blindly follow someone into harming innocent people, knowing very well that there is a better approach, even when that approach is to do nothing at all.
Never in a million years would I give up my self-determination and freedom for anything. It may also be related to attending boarding school.
However, I understand those who do, even when they have the worst motivations, lack good options, or are taken advantage of.
Dualities of Military Life
The show tries to cover as much about the Marines as possible through various characters. Cameron has the angle of a gay kid who’s tired of life covered, while other characters show different motivations.
Miles Heizer never fails to win someone’s heart with his characters, but Cameron is arguably one of his best works. He effortlessly slides into the various skins the character wears, making it feel like the role was written for him.
Cameron’s inside voice, whom I call Sassy Cam, is easily one of my favorite characters from the show.
Cameron joins with his best friend, Ray, and together they try to tough it out. It’s easier for Ray because his father was a Marine and ran their house like boot camp, but he also struggles with the feeling of not being enough.
The chemistry between Heizer and Liam Oh is one of the cornerstones of this show. They give one of the best gay-straight duos to ever grace television, reminding me of Eric and Otis from Sex Education.
They are besties and boot camp pushes them to their limits, but together, they persevere.
Meanwhile, we get glimpses into other motivations, such as the pursuit of money, the desire to impress someone, or the need to escape a worse alternative, like jail, and more.
These motivations shine, and the actors bring these characters to life so well. It’s one of those shows where there is no single weak performance, and it’s hard to find a bias.
Max Parker, despite being devastatingly handsome almost to a fault, gives one of the best performances as Sergeant Sullivan. You’ll love to hate him.
However, every show has a scene stealer, even when they’re not the focus. For example, Peacemaker has Vigilante, Abbott Elementary has Mr. Johnson, Overcompensating has Hailee, and Boots has Hicks.
It is fun whenever Hicks appears on the screen, thanks in no small part to Angus O’Brien. I’m not sure if it’s too early to consider a Hicks spinoff. He is that kid you knew was going to end up in the military. Not because there is something off about him, but he would just fit in.
You were also concerned that he would definitely kill someone or himself by accident. From the word go, Hicks is right at home if the glee and contentment on his face don’t reveal it.
Boots is a critique of the military environment, highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses. It can give some people direction, community, brotherhood, and confidence.
However, the cost is the greatest factor, and through Cameron, we see how much some people have to sacrifice to fit in.
Being closeted is not easy anywhere, but it’s harder in a macho environment like the military. Boots explores the cost to a gay teen as he tries to remove “weakness” from himself.
However, he does a lot of introspection as mirrors are constantly held up in front of him, whether it’s his sassy inside voice, a tough closeted instructor, or another very different gay kid.
On the other hand, going through something that tough gives someone a sense of accomplishment. It creates bonds that last a lifetime.
This is Pandora’s box, which, once opened, unleashes a multitude of complex emotions. And Boots captures this dissonance well as the characters progress in their training, overcome hardships, and emerge stronger, both physically and mentally.
These two conflicting ideas are explored, but they do not offer a definitive solution. It’s up to an individual to decide for themselves, and even when we say goodbye to Cameron and his new friends, many of them are still unsure.
Boots Has Some Major Imperfections
The season is eight episodes long, two episodes fewer than initially advertised. Each episode is approximately 40 minutes long.
This constricted real estate move deals a major blow to the show’s pacing. It fails to establish itself as either a comedy or a drama. While it does balance both well, scenes that could have benefited from a stronger dramatic approach do not mature well.
For example, Ray is of Asian descent, and while the show does touch on racism in the military, especially in the 1990s, it doesn’t feel like it’s enough. That becomes a recurring theme, with many important topics touched upon, but only just enough to set up the next arc.
Boots could have benefited from having proper hour-long episodes and more actual episodes in the season.
It can be hard to pull off dramedies, but not impossible. Succession and Shameless did it. And what do they have in common? At least ten hour-long episodes.
I was very excited to see Vera Farmiga in a comedic role, but it felt like we barely got to see her character. Even worse, Barbara does not fit into the narrative all that well. The show can’t decide whether she’s a main character or a supporting character.
Boots is a well-written, well-acted dramedy that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. Prepare to experience a range of emotions in a binge-worthy series. I wanted to sample one episode and realized that I had watched the entire show within a day.
Have you watched it yet? If so, what did you think? If not, does this review urge you to watch? We also have a wealth of other reviews, opinion pieces, and editorials that you can check out.
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