After almost two long-awaited years, fans rejoice over the return of the hit Netflix series “My Life with the Walter Boys.” Season two stars Nikki Rodriguez as Jackie Howard, the protagonist who is navigating grief, her return to rural Colorado and a tumultuous love triangle. Viewers see both male romantic leads, actors Noah Lalonde and Ashby Gentry, reprise their respective roles as former football star Cole Walter and shy rodeo prodigy, Alex Walter. Although this titular will-they-won’t-they romance launched into the Top 10 trending Netflix series after only a week, its excessive focus on romance detracts from the series’ equally intriguing subplots.
Plagued by grief-filled memories, Jackie Howard is back again after her sudden and surprising departure from Silver Falls at the end of last season. Viewers of season two see Jackie grapple with the lingering guilt over her secret rendezvous with a certain Walter brother. Throughout the series, Jackie struggles with feeling out of place at both her former life in New York City and the new one she has begun to build at the Walter home in Colorado.
Her return is not without struggle, though, as she faces her unspoken feelings for both Cole and Alex. However, it’s not just Jackie, Cole and Alex confronting their own tangled relationship. Viewers also see Alex struggle over his former best friend, Kiley’s, unexpected fling with reigning quarterback, Dylan. Alongside the main cast, fellow Walter brother Nathan faces relationship troubles with his boyfriend, Skylar, all while a new cowgirl throws everything else into chaos.
Throughout season two, producers explored multiple storylines, including Jackie’s ongoing struggle with grief, Noah’s quest to find purpose after a life-altering injury, and the struggles between patriarch George and his eldest son as they contend over the future of the Walter family farm. Unfortunately, with only ten episodes, each 50 minutes long, the storylines often felt superficial. For example, the series only briefly touched on the continual effects of grief in favor of multiple back-and-forth high school relationships. The story falls victim to the doomed friend group-incest trope, where when one relationship fails, another begins, all with the same six teen leads.
Despite the storyline’s faults, Rodriguez, Lalonde and Gentry continue to deliver outstanding portrayals of America’s teenagers, both in their complexities and discomforts. Particularly, Rodriguez’s heartfelt portrayal of grief one year later has viewers invested and sympathetic. Despite season two of “My Life with the Walter Boys” being overcomplicated and overdone, the scenes’ gritty, authentic depictions of rural life continue to hook viewers in episode after episode.
