'My Life With The Walter Boys' Season 3 Netflix Review: Why Did We Have To Go Through This Again! 

Call me a millennial girlie because my whole life I’ve enjoyed teen dramas. Yes, long after I stopped being a teen too. But the shift in the way these shows play out these days has made me wonder if I’ve finally grown up, or if the genre has just gone rotten. My Life With The Walter Boys grew on me after feeling like its own thing despite the insane popularity of its big sister, The Summer I Turned Pretty. Despite the plot itself being a bit teen-dream-like, the show actually had a lot of heart in it, and focused on things like family trouble, having to learn how to grow up too soon, and, of course, coping with loss. But the second season went more into the brother-vs-brother angle, which definitely made it more run-of-the-mill than before. I know, the show is literally called “My Life With The Walter Boys,” but hey, that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little variety in our storytelling. 

What the 3rd season of the show does is bring in a new rival for the leading lady. Not to swoon over, not to suddenly fall for, but here we have an old friend who is clearly into Jackie the second he meets her, or rather, is reunited with her. This season sees a new development in Jackie’s life that nobody expected from her. There’s a shift in her personality, but it’s not because she’s giving up or wanting to let go of her dreams; it’s just that she wants to let loose a little, having tried to be perfect her whole life. This is too much of a plot twist for the people who’ve known her for a long time. So for some reason, everybody is out to get Jackie except the one guy she’s obsessed with. 

For the most part, the first half of season 3 is actually good. It sees Jackie and Cole finally get together after everyone is done dealing with George’s heart attack and trying to go back to being a normal family again. This can be a daunting time, and the way all of this stuff plays out is very nice and sensitive, just like the parts of the show we’ve enjoyed the most so far. Even Alex is mature as a human being, brother, and friend; everything about him has changed, and he’s got other things to worry about now. But it’s the second half of the show that really takes everything downhill for me. Specifically, it’s a personality trait in Cole that I absolutely can not stand. 

You know when you’re watching something, and you feel the need to smack the character through the screen? That means either you’re super excited by this show, or you absolutely hate it. For me, in this particular show, it’s the latter, because boy was I mad at Cole every time he was on screen in the second half of the season. Oh, and I know, if you’ve seen this season, you’ll say that this is exactly what Cole is like, and this is what you’d expect of a character like him, and to that I will simply say it’s a massive disappointment. I understand that some tropes surrounding the brooding leading man are never going to change. No, for real, by never I mean even in a million years; this show proving my point yet again, but I will write elaborate articles about my disappointment in said tropes in the hope that somebody will eventually see it and try to make something new. 

The chemistry between Cole and Jackie is electrifying, and there are some adorable scenes here that get forgotten by the time you reach episode 10 because of said trope, and a miserable ending nobody in their right minds should be looking forward to. I’m all for teen dramas leaving us on cliffhangers, making it clear that they’re coming back to entertain us. This isn’t about that; it’s still about Cole’s behavior and just how absolutely annoying it was till the end of season 3. On the other hand, the rest of the cast remains quite sidelined, especially with the entry of Eliot this season. I was especially disappointed at the sidelining of Danny, who is meant to be Cole’s twin. But at least the parents are ever-present and still important, taking charge of everything around here. However, I don’t think I appreciated Richard showing up so often, because he left me as annoyed as he did Jackie. Nicki Rodriguez is so beautiful, and there’s an innocence in her face that no fully grown adult should have, but you know, good for her. She’s perfect for this role. But she’s especially good at being annoyed Jackie, who I thoroughly enjoyed this season. There’s a change in her demeanor that made the show more interesting. 

What I’ve always loved about My Life With The Walter Boys is that, despite being a teen drama with such a silly premise on the outside (barring the dead family, that is in no way silly), none of the characters are flat, and season 3 continues to prove this. I just wish the second half looked completely different and switched a flip somewhere. I’m not even saying don’t follow tropes at all, but just one little change could’ve made a huge difference, in my opinion. But alas, maybe this is just a personal opinion that no one is going to agree with, and I’m totally prepared for that outcome. I just really enjoy Cole as a character, and it’s shocking that Alex has a better arc this season than he does, despite being the brother that got left behind. At the end of the day, does this mean I will not be watching season 4? Well, heck no. I will definitely be watching and cheering Cole on because let’s face it, he’s the one for Jackie, okay? There’s no arguments to be had. Ultimately, I give My Life With The Walter Boys season three 3 out of 5 stars. Mainly for the first half, that one black outfit Jackie wore, and the friendships in the show. What did you think of season 3? Let me know in the comments down below.