I’m Not Convinced This Story Needs A Love Triangle (& Neither Is The Show)

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Following Jackie Howard’s clandestine departure to New York, My Life With the Walter Boys season 2 starts with a mostly clean slate – for better and for worse. Based on the novel by Ali Novak, My Life With the Walter Boys season 2 takes audiences back to the wide-open plains of Colorado, as Jackie tries to find her groove again in the Walter family household.

While the love triangle between Jackie (Nikki Rodriguez), Alex (Ashby Gentry), and Cole (Noah LaLonde) remains a central pillar of the show, Walter Boys season 2 attempts to make the most of its ensemble cast, allowing other characters bigger narrative arcs.

This has ensured that certain characters flourish while others falter, both in terms of storytelling and screen time. Some, like Katherine Walter (Sarah Rafferty) and Alex’s friend, Kiley (Mya Lowe), are granted lives and relationships outside their proximity to the Walter boys. Katherine’s relationship with Jackie is vital in the second season, with the Walter matriarch acting as a grounding emotional force in the show.

Others, such as only daughter Parker (Alix West Lefler) and guidance counselor Tara Jacobs (Ashley Holliday Tavares), are barely a footnote, while eldest brother Will (Johnny Link) is still on a quest to find his purpose, overwhelming a large part of the season. Some storylines feel a little too far removed from the show’s true central character: Jackie.

All in all, My Life With the Walter Boys season 2 struggles to find the right balance between plot threads, but given the size of the Walter family, it’s a forgivable offense. There’s a lot to juggle.

History Repeats Itself In My Life With The Walter Boys Season 2

Blake and Alex Walter in My Life With the Walter Boys season 2

There’s little the YA romance drama genre loves more than a love triangle, especially a love triangle involving two brothers. To make matters worse for Jackie, she has to live under the same roof as her respective love interests, creating a complicated web of secret meetings, heated arguments, and awkward kitchen encounters.

When Jackie returns to the Walter family ranch, the triangle reverts to its previous state. Jackie is still drawn to Alex, but Cole haunts her, and she’s having trouble choosing between the two. Instead, (for a while, at least), she chooses neither.

While much of the construction of Jackie, Alex, and Cole’s interwoven story feels too similar to their dynamic in Walter Boys season 1, I did appreciate that the series took its time to reintroduce their issues. Because of Alex’s understandable ire and Jackie’s determination to stay away from Cole, Jackie gets a chance to grow into her life in Silver Falls without the distraction of a will-they-won’t-they romance.

Our three leading young performers are given more to do beyond the romantic aspect of the show, and you can tell they’ve all grown more comfortable in their roles. Within a love triangle, however, audiences will always side with one candidate over the other, and My Life With the Walter Boys is no exception. I’m not convinced by the chemistry between Jackie and Alex, especially when compared to Jackie’s relationship with Cole.

The lack of spark between Jackie and Alex becomes even more apparent with the introduction of new character Blake (Natalie Sharp), who shares a similar passion for adrenaline with Alex. Then, of course, there’s Kiley, Alex’s best friend. Their potential relationship has been an intriguing prospect since the first season, and Kiley’s new and somewhat surprising love interest hasn’t changed that.

Either of these two young women feels like a better match for Alex, essentially undermining the tension at the very heart of the show’s central love triangle. In fact, compared to the show’s new secondary love triangle, which involves an impressionable Nathan (Corey Fogelmanis), the drama between Alex, Cole, and Jackie falls somewhat flat.

And The Award For Best Character Development Goes To…

Noah LaLonde as Cole Walter in My Life With the Walter Boys season 2(1)

I was surprisingly moved by the way the new season of My Life With the Walter Boys handled Cole Walter’s development. While I was a little worried that they’d force Cole back into his old habits after Jackie’s abrupt departure, it’s clear that the ex-football player has been genuinely changed by knowing Jackie.

Out of all the young characters, I was most invested in his storyline. The way he handles his future, his new responsibility at school, and even his twin brother’s relationship with his ex (one of the most pleasing developments from season 1), feels relatable yet inspiring. There’s one personal choice he makes near the tail end of the season that really shows how far he’s come.

This focus on Cole showcases yet another problem with the show’s primary romance, however. It’s notoriously tricky to get the balance in a love triangle right. If one romantic prospect is clearly the more viable option, why should we care about what happens on the other side? Between Jackie and Cole’s more immediate chemistry and her personal effect on him, the competition isn’t all that competitive.

Jackie’s Grief Is A Moving Throughline In Walter Boys Season 2

Katherine Walter and Jackie Howard in My Life With the Walter Boys season 2

Whereas Jackie’s grief over the tragic loss of her family understandably overwhelmed her storyline last season, this season, it’s beautifully interwoven throughout all the moving parts of Jackie’s life. Her relationship with her mother makes up a big part of who Jackie is, and this is reflected in her quieter moments of grief.

This time, Jackie’s grief is wholly hers. The romantic drama in the series doesn’t encroach on it this season; she gets to reconnect with her mother’s art and celebrate her family’s heritage with her uncle. The writing has handled Jackie’s ongoing struggle well, if a little predictably. She’s moving on, but grief will always be a part of her.

Much like season 1, My Life with the Walter Boys season 2 isn’t exactly groundbreaking. It’s a pleasant enough, easy, and escapist watch, with some interesting character work and a few overly dramatic yet intriguing turning points. Perhaps most importantly, My Life with the Walter Boys season 2 sets up plenty of drama for the already commissioned season 3.

My Life With the Walter Boys season 2 is available on Netflix on August 28.