Aahana Swrup
‘Boots’ presents a story about a closeted teenager’s journey of becoming a Marine through an extensive 13-week boot camp training. Early on in Cameron Cope’s time as a recruit, his Platoon received a new drill sergeant, Liam Sullivan, a stern, no-nonsense man who had just been transferred from Guam. Off-the-bat, the sergeant seems to develop a certain bitterness toward Cameron, constantly undermining his place at the camp and putting him through the ringer day in and day out. Therefore, when an NCIS agent, Blodgett, rolls into town seemingly with intentions of investigating Sullivan, a new, intriguing storyline begins unraveling around the character. From his pointed attention toward Cameron to his ever-elusive time in Guam, every new piece of information about him only creates further mystery around the sergeant’s backstory. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Sullivan Fell in Love During His Time at Guam
Even though Sullivan never directly talks about his experiences in Guam, a few flashbacks into the past allow the viewers an insight into his story. Much like Cameron, the sergeant was also risking a charge of misconduct by simply enlisting in the Marines as a result of his sexuality. In the 90s, the era in which the story takes place, homosexuality was still banned in the military, making it a legal offense for Marines and other military men to be queer. Yet, despite the risks, Sullivan ended up falling into bed with a fellow Marine, Wilkinson, a Major, who served in the same station as him and shared similar proclivities toward men.
Yet, soon enough, over motel meet-ups, the two men ended up falling in love with one another. Even though it was a dangerous game, their romance ended up overtaking their lives to the point where they were considering abandoning re-enlistment for a chance of building a real relationship with each other. In fact, when Sullivan’s squad got their group tattoos of the Marine motto, “Semper Fi,” he got one right over his heart, similar to Wilkinson’s, as a subtle show of their love and devotion to one another. Nonetheless, things ended tragically between them when Sullivan ultimately chose his military career and reputation over his heart. As a result, he was transferred out of Guam and arrived at Parris Island.
NCIS is Pursuing Sullivan as a Part of the Investigation Into Wilkinson
When agent Blodgett first arrives in town with a file on Sullivan, many different possibilities plague the narrative surrounding his character. Nonetheless, the reveal of his past relationship with Wilkinson clears up much of the smoke. As it turns out, the sergeant’s exit from Guam and subsequently his relationship with the Major hadn’t come without strings. Their romance hadn’t ended due to any conflict between the two. Instead, Sullivan had let his insecurities and fear take over after hearing his bunkmate and fellow Marine, Rob, warn him about staying away from Wilkinson, whom many people in the base suspected of being a gay man.
Since being gay in the Marine Corps was illegal, any discovery of homosexuality would have resulted in an individual being charged with misconduct, which would have landed them in prison. Therefore, Sullivan grew fearful of the others discovering his relationship with the Major. For the same reason, he ended up putting in a transfer order. However, not only that, as he was leaving, he also threw Wilkinson under the bus and told Rob that the reason he was leaving was because the Major had made a move on him. From there, the other sergeant ended up reporting Wilkinson, which opened up an investigation into him. This same investigation brings Blodgett to Parris Island, where she interrogates Sullivan about his relationship with the dishonorably discharged Major. Ultimately, his tattoo ends up giving up the entire charade, sealing Wilkinson’s fate and likely setting Sullivan up for suspicions and accusations in the future as well.
Read More: Boots Season 2 Plot and Cast Theories
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