Unfortunately, Boots will not be returning for a second season on Netflix.
The queer military comedy-drama follows bullied, closeted teen Cameron (Miles Heizer), who decides to join the Marine Corps with his best friend Ray (Liam Oh). Set in 1990, when being gay in the military was illegal, the two friends must navigate “the literal and metaphorical landmines of boot camp.” The series is inspired by former US Marine Greg Cope White’s memoir The Pink Marine, in which he recounts his own experience as a gay teenager trying to survive summer boot camp.
Boots first premiered on Netflix earlier this October and spent four weeks in the streaming platform’s Top 10 English TV chart, peaking at No. 2 with an average of 9.4 million views during its first full week. It is currently well received by fans and critics alike, with a Tomatometer and Popcornmeter score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, Boots found an unlikely critic in the Pentagon when its Press Secretary, Kingsley Wilson, decried the show. “We will not compromise our standards to satisfy an ideological agenda, unlike Netflix, whose leadership consistently produces and feeds woke garbage to their audience and children,” said Wilson.
The cancellation of Boots marks the end of its long production journey. Although the series was greenlit in 2023, filming was postponed due to the Hollywood strikes. Production resumed in 2024, but it took a year for the series to be scheduled.
As of writing, Netflix has yet to provide a concrete reason for choosing to cancel a series that was arguably performing well. According to Deadline, the show had internal support, with Netflix working with Boots studio Sony Pictures Television to analyze viewership data.
However, this isn’t the first time that Netflix has cancelled a series out of the blue. Past shows such as I Am Not Okay With This, Mindhunter, and Kaos have all received the axe after just one season, much to the chagrin of their fans.
