I love to self-soothe with TV shows, usually with something I've watched a million times. But, occasionally I enjoy something new. This year I've been devouring the new TV shows that graced my iPad with extreme regularity. One such watch is My Life with the Walter Boys, a Netflix Original.
It was a coming-to-age story written by a 15-year-old Ali Novak way back in 2010, I remember reading back when Wattpad books were the rage. It's pretty impressive her work has gotten created into a show - kudos Ali!
Now, let's discuss the show. If you haven't yet caught it, allow me to set the scene. The show follows Jackie Howard (Nikki Rodriguez), who, after a tragedy, moves to Silver Falls, Colorado from NYC to live with her guardians Katherine Walter (Sarah Rafferty) and George Walter (Marc Blucas) and their 10 children. Well, the fun fact here - Katherine is Jackie's mum's BFF whom she's never met. What are the odds? Quite high, actually. Having a BIG family, a ranch, and a vet practice - that's the definition of a full plate. Right off the bat, Jackie attracts the attention of not one but two of the Walter boys - Alex, the sweet one and Cole, the jock! Yes, a love triangle - another key part of the genre. She's confused by her attraction to both and predictably dates the safer brother. (the sweet, reader brother). The show has all the prerequisites of an angsty teen drama - a 'good' girl who doesn't know what she wants now, a mean girl a la Regina George, a jock who's lost his way, sibling rivalry, forbidden love, so many love interests, a health scare, a wedding (obviously), and corniness. Is it phenomenal? No, not really. But, did I enjoy it? Yes, I did, for the nostalgia. Did I have questions about it all? Yes, you bet.
While there are so many of the Walter Family, we know just the bare necessities of their characters. Well, other than Katherine, Cole and Alex (Jackie's love interests) which isn't much since they're more of a jumble of teen tropes than flushed-out complete characters. Jackie also reminds me of Rory Gilmore while in Chilton with her hyper-focus on getting into Princeton. Her grief flows quite choppily throughout the storyline - with it rearing its head periodically according to the situation. The same can be said about how her relationship with the brothers is laid out, proximity is the key here. Racial representation through the show is quite questionable for me too. With quite a diverse cast, you'd expect to see how their identities affected their place in the world. But, other than a couple of characters, you don't see the depth that could have been showcased. That was a part of the storytelling I believe would have amped up the show.
Even with those qualms, I would enjoy seeing if the writers could give us a better Season 2. We could learn more about the Silver Falls community and the Walter Boys, what happens to the ranch, and Jackie and her relationships with the brothers. Maybe they could dispense with the typical teen drama tropes and tell a complex story of the characters growing up and finding their voices. I am looking forward to watching that story unfold.
Tell me, have you watched it yet?
Always,
M x
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