They are not letting up with these love triangles involving two brothers this summer!
As we’re deep in the throes of The Summer I Turned Pretty, and there’s still no way of knowing how things will play out, My Life with the Walter Boys will come in hot with their love triangle, too.
I’m wary, because goodness knows these love triangles can be exhausting, but there’s this grounded heart to My Life With the Walter Boys that has me excited.
MLWTWB Teases Depth Beyond Love Triangle
Much of it is due to the fact that the trailer teases a season that will very much still be about self-discovery, family, and finding one’s place.
What’s largely appealing about My Life with the Walter Boys is that it’s not a series that’s exclusively about a love triangle. And all the inhabitants of that triangle are fully developed characters in their own right, still battling with their own issues outside of that.
A sense of family is still so much at the center of this series.
Katherine and George are at the helm of that, somehow managing to successfully raise this big, beautiful, diverse family with so much love, care, and consideration without once making it seem like anyone is a burden or any issue is too small.
Doubling Down on Family Marks the Return of the Rare Teen-Led Family Drama
We’re missing out on family dramas. Many of the prestigious ones have signed off a long time ago, and there’s very little in their stead, with so many series dedicated to gritty and dark storytelling, satire, or work-oriented stories.
But there are elements of My Life with the Walter Boys that still deliver the type of familial elements that we haven’t seen since shows like The Fosters signed off — where many members of the Walter family feel just as valuable and developed as the main trio.
Fortunately, the trailer suggests that they’re still leaning into that. At her core, Jackie is still a young woman who lost both parents and is still trying to find her place in this new family. And fortunately, the Walters feel like family and home.
But the environment still tests her as her struggles with fitting into this Colorado town don’t just disappear overnight, or because she ran away and back to NYC for a while.
The Sophomore Season Teases Self-Discovery and Growth for Main Trio
Jackie is still finding her place in Colorado and this family, and that’s without the additional conflict of her uncertain standing between these two brothers.
But fortunately, it’s not just exclusively about how these three are navigating a love triangle. The trailer teases this idea of the Walter boys trying to come into their own, too.
It’s hard not to get a bit emotional when watching Cole on the football field, seemingly basking in his glory days. Football remains a significant part of his life, even as he tries to figure out his identity beyond his status as a former promising football star.
And better yet?
He’s actually looking into college, which results in an amusing reaction from many of the other family members at the breakfast table, as his announcement of this news surprises but delights them.
Maybe it’s a reflection of how Jackie has a positive influence on him, sure, but it’s also just generally great to see that Cole working to better himself and finally climbing out of this dark space is for so much more than just Jackie.
It’s as if he’s trying to reclaim his life, which makes his character development, especially outside of the girl he loves, gratifying from a character perspective.
The Sophomore Season Could Rip the Brothers Apart, Before Bringing Them Closer Together
And it’s similar for Alex. We see him leaning heavily into rodeo again — even working with someone who is training him and helping him improve — a young girl who may very well add more tension to this love triangle already.
But what’s gaspworthy is that it appears Alex may get injured during a rodeo competition. It even looks like a bull may be on the cusp of trampling him.
However, as dark as it is to point out, this also presents a fascinating opportunity for the Walter brothers to connect.
In many ways, Alex never fully grasped what it was like for Cole to have an injury derail his future in something he loved and excelled.
And Cole never fully realized how his behavior after his injury impacted the rest of his family.
Through a possible tragedy, it could be what brings these brothers together, because it’s evident, beneath all of their respective issues, that they do love each other.
It seems like My Life With the Walter Boys may have a genuine interest in actually exploring the brothers strengthening their relationship, even as they try to navigate the situation with Jackie — which is very much at the forefront too.
Katherine & George Ground the Series and Family
We see Katherine and George musing that the tension between the boys and even Jackie’s departure is all due to this love triangle. What’s refreshing is that these parents are as aware as two working parents with so many kids can be about what’s happening in their household.
And they have a vested interest in all of these kids; they love finding happiness and helping them navigate difficult things. There are no hints of favoritism, and their love is felt with everyone, whether it’s Alex and Cole or even Jackie.
It’s that familial quality of this series that grounds it so well and makes it so refreshing to watch and less taxing despite the angst of the love triangle.
And there’s so much angst there. The trailer hints at the exact moment that Jackie may tell Alex about kissing Cole. He struggles with it, but also admits he can’t get over her.
We also see that the chemistry between Jackie and Cole is still strong. But it’s also something that she’s trying to manage. But what’s gratifying is that it’s less about needing to choose one boy over another and more about her desire to choose FAMILY.
The Walters are her family, and their home is hers now, and for a young woman who has lost so much already, those are not things she wants to lose.
It’s Jackie’s self-awareness of her own needs, as well as those of the brothers and the family, that makes this situation complicated, yet also more layered and refreshing.
The trailer suggests that not only will the series return, offering us more of what we loved about the show in the first place, but they’ll also build on that. And that has me intrigued.
Did You Find the Trailer Intriguing?
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Watch My Life With the Walter Boys Online
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