I Knew Nothing About the Military, But Netflix’s “Boots” Had Me Hooked

As someone who knows nothing about the military or the Marine Cops training, Boots is such an interesting watch with lots to unpack. It has humor, love, friendship, and some emotional elements.

Synopsis

To begin with, the cast all fit their roles. Boots follows Cameroon Cope, who was bullied so much in high school. To prove to himself and maybe those around him that he is a man, he joins the Marine Corps boot camp through the Buddy System with his friend Benito.

At first, he thought it was like the normal boot camps where the challenges would be mosquitoes or not showering for days, but boy!!, he was in for something else. By day one, he was ready to quit since it was completely opposite to what he expected.

He was already experiencing bullying and had to get himself together and stand up for himself. Since he also depended on his friend, the drill instructor notices this and separates them, or else they will both face tougher consequences. Now he realises that he is on his own and has to man up.

Cast

Miles Heizer as Cameron Cope

Miles plays the closeted gay teen Cameron Cope, who has been bullied so much in high school, even at his graduation. When asked why he wants to join the Marines, he stammers and says for freedom and America.

He is afraid of being himself since everyone, including his family, has a certain expectation of how he should be. Ray comes up with the idea of joining the Marines through the buddies system, so they will train together. He, however, warns him that being gay is banned in the Military.

Ray convinces him, and he agrees to join the boot camp. On the night of his arrival, he experienced being shouted at by the drill instructors, bullying, and all types of verbal abuse. He turns to his friend at night and tells him he wants to quit.

Anyway, after accepting his fate, he faces intense training, friendship, betrayal, and learns more about himself in ways he couldn’t imagine.

Liam Oh as Ray McAffey

Cameroon’s straight best friend, Ray (Liam Oh), came from the Air Force Academy and suggested joining the Marines through the buddies system. Since he somehow has an idea of how the bootcamp works, things are smooth for him at first.

However, his strength is tested when he fails a challenge that makes him lose hope. Ray realises that he has been living according to the rules of his father, who has retired from the air force.

Through the 13 weeks, Ray unlearns what he was used to and chooses to live according to his principles.

Max Parker as Sgt. Robert “Bobby” Sullivan

Sgt. Sullivan appears strong on the outside, but deep down, he is also fighting his own battles. He immediately recognises Cope, who is closeted, and tries to depend on his friend Ray.

Realizing this, he would put them against each other during challenges, which caused a rift between the two friends. Cope soon realizes that Sullivan is just trying to help him stop looking down on himself and also depend on himself.

As Sgt. Sullivan was training the recruits to be men, he was also escaping from his past self, which soon catches up with him.

Rico Paris as Santos Santos

Santos joined the recruits much later. He is confident in himself and also talks about his wife and daughter back home. He had failed previous training a few times, and this was his last chance of being a recruit.

Kieron Moore as Nicholas Slovacek

This recruit is a bully. He joined the Marines to avoid prison, and at first, he is a pain to some of his fellow recruits. But after the boot camp, he is a slightly changed person.

Angus O’Brien as Thaddeus Beau Sterling Hicks

Recruit Hicks is so funny and goofy, who never takes anything seriously. He is the prankster and gives false conspiracies, and also gives the worst advice. He is no one’s friend and also no one’s enemy.

Dominic Goodman as Isaiah Nash

Nash didn’t inform his parents when he joined the Marines, which bothers him at some point. He used to write his thoughts in his diary, and one day, a fellow recruit read his personal diary in front of everybody.

Turns out he was very honest in his diary about his fellow recruits, which made him lose some friends temporarily.

Cedrick Cooper as Staff Sergeant Marcus McKinnon

Staff Sergeant Marcus McKinnon is the lead sergeant and very strict. He has a pregnant wife and another child, which shows a different side of him while being a parent.

Johnathan Nieves as Eduardo Ochoa

Ochoa wears his heart on his sleeve but ends up heartbroken. He misses his wife and vows to win the shooting challenge to earn a call back home. He regularly talks about his wife and kid back home to his fellow recruits.

Funn Moments

Hear me out, if you don’t find these episodes funny 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ (joking). Anyway, every episode in this series had such funny and absurd scenes, especially if you know nothing about the military. Also, the insults from the drill instructors, so sad irl but so funny, because why are they calling grown men ladies?

Warning, don’t watch Boots around kids because they have a habit of picking up language they shouldn’t. Okay, here are my top funny moments;

• When Cody and his brother met during lunch, Episode 6, 15:20
• When Hicks celebrates Cope’s dump
• When Hicks made a water mess in the toilet
• When Nash’s diary contents were revealed