Pop Commentary

The Pentagon called the new Netflix show “Boots” “woke garbage,” which only made me want to watch it more and it actually turned out to be a really good and bingeable series.

The show follows a bullied gay teenager who impulsively joins the U.S. Marine Corps and ends up finding new purpose and unexpected brotherhood with his motley crew of fellow recruits.

It’s kind of giving a more adult version of “Cadet Kelly,” the Disney Channel original movie starring Hilary Duff. Both follow fish out of water who have to prove themselves in military settings and end up making connections with unlikely friends.

My favorite part of “Boots” was the gay storyline, but it actually turned out to be more of a subplot. There weren’t a ton of queer scenes in the first season. It focused more on the comradery of the recruits. Hopefully, if there’s a season two, they can develop those gay relationships more.

Another thing I liked about the show was learning about how boot camp works. I’ve had friends go through it but haven’t really seen it depicted on screen like this before, especially not from a queer perspective.

My biggest critique of the show would be that it relies a lot on Marine cliches and it portrays the military in a sanitized way by downplaying some of the harsher realities, like what the soldiers will actually do once they’re deployed.

I’d also say Miles Heizer, who played the main character, could improve his acting a bit. His performance wasn’t horrible, but he had some clunky lines throughout the season.

With all that said, I thoroughly enjoyed “Boots.” I hope others watch the show so it can get renewed and we can continue to follow these characters.

If you’ve already watched the first season, let me know what you thought about it in the comments and subscribe to Pop Commentary for more reviews like this!