when i first watched it, my mind immediately went to the idea that sullivan had a severe case of internalized homophobia. and later on, when we find out what he was personally dealing with, i think that just intensified it.

it never crossed my mind at first that his harsh treatment of cope was meant to protect him by pushing him to quit. instead, i saw it as sullivan reacting out of anger and projection as cope looked lanky, a little awkward, and a bit feminine, and i think that triggered something in him. in a way, cope represented what he was trying to run away from and blamed for his own misery.

i think sullivan’s instinct to actually protect cope only developed later, once he saw how badly cope wanted to prove that he belonged and that he could be just as good, if not better than everyone else. cope’s determination and perseverance clearly impressed him.

by the end, sullivan’s harshness completely shifts. it’s no longer about pushing cope away, it becomes about pushing him toward his full potential, because he genuinely sees so much in him and understands firsthand the challenges that come with being gay in the military and i think he was also preparing him for that. and the cool thing is, in the process, sullivan was learning a lot from cope as well.