Quick PSA: I am not claiming that one country is better or more worthy than another is terms of creative output. We Americans have been putting together fine work for even the last few decades. “Mad Men,” “Six Feet Under,” “American Horror Story” (at least the first few seasons. These are just a smattering of some that I have witnessed. Surely there are angry readers yelling “Breaking Bad” into their newspapers now. But sometimes we get it wrong. A show isn’t given enough time or axed due to some outside pressure. And now it is time to jump on Netflix with their cancellation of “Boots.”
Created by Andy Parker, the show is based around the memoir The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White about his experiences joining the elite Army branch in 1990. Our main character, Cameron Cope, is a closeted teen fresh out of high school and unsure about his direction in life. His best friend Ray plans to enlist. So, looking to man up, Cope follows suit much to both his and his mother’s dismay.
Miles Heizer plays Cope with the kind of wide-eyed shock at what he witnesses. In look into this man’s mind, a less inhibited version of Cameron has conversation with himself about why he has done this and what his next move is. But the show isn’t an examination of gay life; it is of masculinity as a whole. Of the twenty-three characters, only three are confirmed not heterosexual. The real reason a certain someone at Pentagon called this “woke garbage” was what’s call the Jarhead effect. When that film came out, it was heavy critiqued for being too anti-military when the film was really just showing the truth about what war and combat training can do on the human psyche. There are characters on this show who go insane and others who make horrible decisions that affect themselves greatly.
One look at the executive producers will tell you something: Norman Leer. Before his death, this was one the final projects he was pushing through. A man who never stopped finding the hot-button issues of the day. And for that we should be grateful. Because this show was gem waiting to happen.
Now onto the part that, at least some of you, have been waiting for. So…HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry huh? What can I say that hasn’t been exhaustedly discussed ad nauseam all over the internet and media? For those who do not know, here are the details. This show is based on a series of romance novels by Rachel Reid, created by Jacob Tierney for Canadian steaming. We follow two rookie hockey players (Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov) as they get signed and work to become the best players for their respective teams. All the while, they develop a secret relationship that starts out casual but then blossoms into something more intimate.
The two leads have been everywhere. Talk shows, awards red carpets, podcasts…the list goes on. But if you think the only thing this show has to offer is steamy sex, you would be wrong. It is all that and more. Tierney said he wanted to keep in the spirit of the novel so as to not dumb down the material. He said this in respect to the physical scenes. However, I posit that this statement can also refer to the carefully-written dialogue, how these characters communicate. To quote NYT critic Wesley Morris, “You are coming for the sex, but you are staying for the relationship.”
All the talk, online and off, have been about how loving and full of chemistry these two are. The other couple on the show, Scott and Kip, play a counterpoint to them in how they can care for each other. I don’t think this show is just beautiful men jumping in bed together. It is love shown though glances and smiles, gestures and conversation that matter. In a time of so much division and hopelessness, it is great to find a space of joy and empathy. A cottage, if you will. We all pray to find one to call our own, someday.
