Netflix's 'Boots': A timely series on gay Marines in the '90s

In Boots, a bullied gay teen enlists in the Marines during 1990’s pre–“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era, diving headfirst into a world that’s both brutal and transformative. What begins as a classic boot camp story reveals deeper tensions of identity, loyalty, and survival. In "Boots," a new miniseries set in 1990, Miles Heizer plays Cameron Cope , a scrawny, bullied gay teenager who is out only to his best (and only) friend, Ray ( Liam Oh ). Ray, who is joining the Marines to make his disciplinarian but not unkind father proud, convinces Cam to join alongside him. (The recruiters sell a buddy system, which is a bit of a come-on.) Cam told his messy but not unkind mother, Barbara ( Vera Farmiga ), where he was going, but she wasn't listening. Though the series, which premieres Thursday on Netfli