The Fate of Netflix’s Hit Military Drama ‘Boots’ Has Been Decided

The Netflix hit dramedy Boots, the final credited television work of the legendary Norman Lear, has been cancelled by the streamer, according to reports this evening. When Boots premiered on Netflix, it didn’t just become a streaming hit — it sparked an unusually public backlash from the U.S. government. Within days of its debut, the Pentagon weighed in, dismissing the series as “woke garbage” and accusing the show of pushing an ideological agenda at odds with what it described as the modern military’s priorities. It was a rare moment where a Netflix drama stopped being just entertainment and became a political talking point.

That criticism only fueled interest in the series. More eyes landed on Boots as a result, itself a military drama that centers on service members navigating identity, loyalty, and life inside the armed forces, precisely because it challenged the version of military culture some officials wanted to project. The result was a cultural flashpoint: a show praised by audiences, attacked by the Pentagon, and suddenly framed as a referendum on representation, power, and who gets to tell stories about the military. But ultimately, perhaps the criticism was too much for it to overcome.

The show followed Cameron Cope (Miles Heizer), who signed up for Marine basic training alongside his best friend while trying to keep his homosexuality under wraps. On his journey, he bonds with his brothers in arms, as well as Captain Liam Sullivan (Max Parker), another secretly-gay military member with his own secrets and, having been through the experience already, Sullivan’s mission is to aid Cameron on his journey of finding himself while not making the same mistakes he did.

What Inspired Boots?

The series is inspired by Greg Cope White‘s memoir The Pink Marine. Cope White — also a writer on the series — told Collider’s Maggie Lovitt during an interview that working with Lear was a dream come true, and that he appreciated the honor of being able to work with Lear on his final show, saying:

“I’m so happy to report that, if we have to be known as his final show, everyone came together and created such a wonderful project. There’s a lot of responsibility there, being known as his last show, and to be in that canon is not just a privilege, but there’s a responsibility, and I’m so thankful to… I mean, look at what you’re seeing. I’m thankful to Sony and Netflix and the actors and the military advisors and all the other writers who all wanted to make not just the most authentic depiction of this world, but to tell stories of ‘other,’ and a lot of other others.”

Boots has been cancelled by Netflix after one season. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and fallout.