This review contains minor spoilers for My Life with the Walter Boys.

The Big Picture

My Life with the Walter Boys is a refreshing and well-done adaptation of a popular story from Wattpad. The show skillfully combines elements from other teen dramas, offering a familiar yet enjoyable viewing experience. The series tackles heavy issues with grace, offering representation, complex characters, and a genuine portrayal of grief and healing.

Confession time: I’m a fanfiction nerd. I know my way around fanfiction.net, Tumblr, Archive of Our Own, and, yes, Wattpad, so I’ve been aware of My Life with the Walter Boys since its early days. Giving stories that originally appeared on these sites film and TV adaptations isn’t a new concept. In the past few years, everything from the One Direction-rooted After series to The Kissing Booth to, perhaps most famously, the Twilight-inspired Fifty Shades phenomenon has taken the internet by storm to… let’s face it, less-than-positive results. The Wattpad-to-screen pipeline might have been something of a punchline thus far. My Life with the Walter Boys, however, is a refreshing change — proof that, in the right hands, these adaptations can be done well.

My Life with the Walter Boys Release Date December 7, 2023 Cast Sarah Rafferty, Alisha Newton, Nikki Rodriguez, Ashby Gentry, Corey Fogelmanis, Noah LaLonde Genres Drama Creator Ali Novak Developer Melanie Halsall

The whole thing feels a bit like a collage of other shows: a little The Fosters here, some The Summer I Turned Pretty there with a dash of Ginny and Georgia, and a pinch of One Tree Hill for good measure. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it combines them all skillfully. My Life with the Walter Boys may not break any new ground, but sometimes you want to walk familiar territory, and the show provides that — as well as some stunning Colorado views along the way.

What Is ‘My Life with the Walter Boys’ About?

My Life with the Walter Boys takes a page out of the teen dramas that came before it, which means it has all the classic conflicts that you’d come to expect. The protagonist, Jackie (Nikki Rodriguez), is a type-A overachiever. She volunteers, runs track, and dreams of going to Princeton. However, when her family passes away in a tragic accident, she has to move from New York City to a ranch in Colorado with her mother’s college friend Katherine (Sarah Rafferty). It’s somewhere with a lot fewer resources and a lot more boys. Jackie goes from having one older sister to one little one and nine pseudo-brothers. (Well, more like seven considering she’s caught in a love triangle between two of them, but more on that later.)

The stress of university applications, acceptances, and scholarships may be cliché, but My Life with the Walter Boys tackles them in a way that feels compelling and has real stakes attached. Jackie’s Ivy League dreams become even more personal after she loses her family, as her father went to Princeton, and she wants to follow in his footsteps to feel close to them. One of the Walters, Danny (Connor Stanhope), dreams of being an actor and wants to go to a Juilliard summer program, but he struggles to find the time and privacy to study performances in movies with so many siblings and isn’t sure whether his family will be able to afford the program even if he does get in. Part of the financial pressure is due to Cole’s (Noah LaLonde) medical bills, as an injury caused him to need several surgeries and ruined his dreams of a football scholarship — something that causes him to have an identity crisis and act out.

My Life with the Walter Boys strikes a nice balance of showing teenagers rebelling without going full Euphoria. Several of them drink and smoke to numb the pain of whatever they’re going through, and the show neither glamorizes their actions nor condemns them in a way that feels overly preachy or like an after-school special. Instead, it’s shown as a coping mechanism for the real, heavy issues. The show does a good job of keeping its light, playful air while tackling these subjects and showing Jackie dealing with her grief and trauma. In less diligent hands, the loss of her family could feel like nothing more than a convenient plot device to get her to move in with the Walters, but it’s treated like a true tragedy. Jackie’s healing isn’t linear, having ups and downs like when her sister’s birthday comes around or when she flubs an internship interview after the interviewer mentions she knew her dad. The way the Walters rally around to support her is truly sweet and moving.

My Life with the Walter Boys’ makeup feels refreshingly representative of the real world. There are several disabled main characters — eldest brother Will (Johnny Link) is hard of healing, and middle child Nathan (Corey Fogelmanis) discovers he has epilepsy — but it’s only one aspect of their characters. The same goes for other minority groups. Nathan is also gay and starts a relationship with Skylar (Jaylan Evans), but there is never a coming out scene, and none of their conflicts stem from their sexuality — it’s simply treated the same as every other straight teen relationship. Nathan learns more about Skylar and his father Mato’s (Nathaniel Arcand) history and perspective on Thanksgiving as Indigenous people before he goes to celebrate a traditional meal with his own family. Jackie is Latina and occasionally speaks Spanish with Katherine’s nephews Isaac (Isaac Arrellanes) and Lee (Myles Perez), who are also staying with the Walters while their father is in the military.

My Life with the Walter Boys never feels like it’s checking boxes or forcing representation for points — it genuinely integrates everything into the series in a way that feels natural and respectful. It doesn’t pat itself on the back or seek to provide a sanctimonious message; rather, it allows its characters to drive the story and educate the audience naturally — an effective way to present topics and something with which other shows still often struggle.

‘My Life with the Walter Boys’ Gives Everyone a Chance to Shine
Image via Netflix

The Walter family itself is huge, with over a dozen characters residing inside the household itself. And while it’s not always easy to keep everyone straight, especially at first, eventually, almost everyone gets a chance to shine. Sure, I left wanting more development between Jackie and Parker (Alix West Lefler), the only other young girl in the household, but they have a few nice chances to bond. While a couple of the brothers fade into the background for the majority of the time, only definable by a single hobby or personality trait, the relationships the show does invest time in are worth it. The sibling connection Jackie and Danny form is one of the highlights of the series, with their mutual ambition and love of art.

Plus, characters that seem like shallow stereotypes when we’re first introduced to them get surprising depth as time goes on. Guidance counselor Tara (Ashley Holliday Tavares) initially seems like a convenient form of comedic relief as she introduces Jackie to the school, encourages Cole to apply himself, and chats with Will’s fiancee Haley (Zoë Soul), but she gets her own engaging storyline as she finds romance with the teacher Nikhil (Moheb Jindran). Another nice example is Erin (Alisha Newton), Cole’s on-again, off-again girlfriend. Though originally your standard mean girl who’s jealous and suspicious of Jackie, relentlessly bullying her and acting territorial of Cole, she quickly becomes much more. She and Jackie find common ground through tragedy, and it’s clear Erin is facing her own pressures from her overbearing mother (Chantal Perron) who’s also the school track coach. We, and Erin, discover that maybe her frustration isn’t about loving Cole at all — that maybe instead it stems from her low self-esteem and losses she’s dealt with in other areas of life. Her journey of discovering her true passion, purpose, and even a new love interest that might be a better fit for her is one of the most surprising and enjoyable aspects of the show.

While there are a plethora of townspeople, it never feels like they distract from the main Walter family story. Rather, they enhance each of the subplots and make the town feel rich and fleshed out in the way that shows like Friday Night Lights and Gilmore Girls were so good at. Turning to the Walter family, the show is at its strongest when it focuses on those familial connections. Even when they go through challenges, it’s clear there’s love at the core. Though Jackie struggles to adjust at first, we as an audience are on board for her to stay, even when her Uncle Richard (Alex Quijano) — who still lives in New York — throws the subject of custody into question. Still, Uncle Richard isn’t painted as a villain. He has depth, too, and only wants what’s best for Jackie.

The question of how to handle adults has long been a tricky subject for teen-centric shows to figure out, but My Life with the Walter Boys does a nice job of navigating it. Parents Katherine and George (Marc Blucas) are kind and warm, setting rules and boundaries while also supporting their kids’ dreams and allowing them to make mistakes. Katherine and Jackie’s connection is particularly beautiful, with Rafferty and Rodriguez having lovely chemistry. The adults also get the chance to explore their interests and goals outside of their children. Their marriage is healthy but not perfect, facing relatable challenges like finances and making time for everyone.

Will and Haley fill that age gap between the parents and teenagers, as they are in their mid-20s. The season sees them with their own set of obstacles that push them to the brink, including planning a wedding and juggling pursuing their professional careers while still fostering their romantic spark. Seeing that awkward stage between being a kid and feeling like a true grown-up who has their stuff together is compelling, and Will and Haley are both likable while being flawed. Theirs is one of the most intriguing relationships in a series where there are many.

The Love Triangle in ‘My Life with the Walter Boys’ Is… Perfectly Fine
Image via Netflix

Speaking of central relationships, it wouldn’t be a teen show without a love triangle between two opposite boys. In this case, we have Cole, the rebellious and cool older brother with a tough exterior but a secret heart of gold, and Alex, the reliable and nerdier younger one who’s immediately sweet but struggles to come out from Cole’s shadow. We’ve seen this a million times, and it plays out in a formulaic pattern complete with jealousy, brooding, and fistfights galore.

Still, My Life with the Walter Boys does something essential in that it makes compelling arguments for both boys. There are sure to be Team Cole vs. Team Alex debates, which is obviously what they’re going for and is key to the investment for many, even if it sometimes feels like My Life with the Walter Boys is so focused on them being evenly matched it can get a little silly. It’s almost mathematic, like an equation. Cole used his practical skills to repair something important to Jackie! Oh, but then Alex thoughtfully showed her something to remind her of home! Cole and Jackie have such great tension with him teasing her! But Alex is so kind, and he always makes her feel included! The hard-to-get with Cole is so hot! But the chemistry and ease with Alex have to count for something! The show complicates things, too, by the inclusion of Erin, as well as Alex’s friend Kiley (Mya Lowe), who’s pining after Alex, though I found myself puzzled by that storyline and not altogether convinced.

The love triangle can feel a little eye-roll-inducing at times, but it does act as an interesting springboard and lens with which to view the dynamic between Cole and Alex, which is genuinely compelling. Strip away the theatrics of them playing games to make the other jealous. Try not to think about the toxicity of them trying to “win” a girl (who lives in their house). Ignore the dated, somewhat childish plotline of rumors going around about Alex crying when Cole interfered with a previous relationship. Seeing Cole and Alex try to work out their differences and ultimately discover they wish they could be more like each other really works. It goes back to the family element being the best part of the show. The exploration of teen romance may be unsurprising, but the focus on siblings and brotherhood is welcome and executed well all around, from the writing to the performances. (Even if I was begging them to move Cole’s hair out of his eyes once in a while, for god’s sake.)

What You See Is What You Get With ‘My Life with the Walter Boys’
Image via Netflix

However you think you’re going to feel about My Life with the Walter Boys based on what you know from the synopsis and promos, you’re probably right. If you’re looking for a cozy, predictable, mostly wholesome teen drama, you’ll most likely enjoy the journey. If you’re looking for something edgy and innovative, you might want to keep looking. There are no big shocks, but there is a big heart — something sorely missing from a lot of similar programming.

My Life with the Walter Boys is a perfectly pleasant binge-watch with several solid breakthrough performances and some delightful turns from more seasoned actors. Like Jackie, it might take a minute to get adjusted to the sheer number of characters and plotlines happening at all times, but you’ll quickly feel welcomed with open arms into the diverse and picturesque town. If you keep an open mind and suspend a little disbelief, by the end, you’ll feel like part of the family.

Rating: 7/10

My Life with the Walter Boys is now available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

Watch on Netflix