On Aug. 28, the highly anticipated second season of My Life with the Walter Boys premiered on Netflix. Season one followed 15-year-old Jackie Howard, whose entire family passed away in a car crash. She moved from New York to rural Colorado to live with a family of twelve. The season ended with Jackie returning to New York to attempt to escape from the love triangle she accidentally formed with two of the brothers.
The second season begins with Jackie’s return to Colorado after a summer spent back home in New York. This storyline felt unnecessarily dramatized, contrary to how the first season offered a logical, yet still exciting plot. Unfortunately, I found the new season to enable drama that was both redundant and unrealistic.
One entertaining aspect of this season was the focus on some of the side characters. We saw yet another love triangle this time featuring Nathan, one of the Walter boys. This entertained me, as I enjoyed the perspective of someone who wasn’t Jackie, Cole or Alex. Additionally, I thought this storyline set My Life with the Walter Boys apart from the similar popular teen series The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Speaking of love triangles, Jackie’s mess only got worse as the season progressed. Unfortunately, I was not amused. The annoying tropes and clichés increased at an alarming rate, and honestly made me want to rip my eyes out. Jackie refuses to choose a boyfriend, yet continues to lead both boys on, all while pretending that she’s not interested in a real relationship. After all of that she enters a secret relationship with Alex, even though she never officially ended things with him after cheating on him with his brother in last season’s finale.
Meanwhile, on the third side of the love triangle, Cole did not reduce the cringe levels. He continued being his moody, distant, dramatic self. However, as a strong Team Cole supporter, I was overjoyed watching the finale as he confessed his love for Jackie, and she reciprocated the feelings. This was the highlight of the entire season. Although it wasn’t quite worth the painful hours of cringe that came with it, you better believe that I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next season.