My Life With The Walter Boys Season 3 Review: Cole & Jackie Take Center Stage In Netflix's Romance Series

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A shirtless Cole with a towel looking at Jackie in My Life with the Walter Boys season 3

Published Aug 6, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT

Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more.

Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."

My Life With the Walter Boys season 3 is a fun new chapter in this cozy romance series that keeps presenting exciting ways for Netflix to bring it back. 2026 has proven itself a great year thus far for those looking for romance series, with multiple new hits and returning shows. Prime Video has had a lot of success with new arrivals like Off Campus and Every Year After, both being book adaptations like My Life With the Walter Boys, which adapts Ali Novak's book series. That said, some of Netflix's best shows drink from that same well.

Earlier this year, one of Netflix's most-watched TV shows of all time, Bridgerton, returned with an excellent season. Now, the streaming service continues that with the vibrant My Life with the Walter Boys season 3. Over the first two seasons, fans watched as Jackie (Nikki Rodriguez) saw her world come crashing down after the deaths of her parents and sister, having to leave New York behind and move in with the Walter family in rural Colorado.

This gave life to a classic love triangle trope, as Jackie saw herself drawn to two brothers, the enigmatic Cole (Noah Lalonde), and the charming Alex (Ashby Gentry). As comes with the territory, I found there were both exciting moments and pitfalls to that setup. That is why I was so excited by what My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 decided to do with those three characters. After My Life With the Walter Boys season 2's ending revelations, a lot had to change in the Netflix romance series, and I'm glad to say that it was for the better.

The Netflix Series Makes The Season 2 Finale's Major Moments Count

My Life With the Walter Boys season 3 deals with the fallout of two major events: Cole and Jackie confessing their love for one another and Alex overhearing it, and George's medical emergency. These two events shape the new season of the Netflix series in completely different ways. For the first time, the love triangle between the two Walter brothers and Jackie is not the focus of the show, and, honestly, My Life With the Walter Boys is better off for it. The sibling rivalry got in the way of seeing how Cole and Alex could support one another.

That is something that I have enjoyed seeing sporadically throughout My Life With the Walter Boys's first two seasons, and it is in season 3 that the dynamic between the brothers really gets its time to shine. This infuses the show with new energy, helping it escape some of the usual trappings of coming-of-age stories. Additionally, all three characters get their separate storylines related to what they want out of life and see their future. Cole starts to lean into the racing world now that football is not an option, and it suits his daredevil persona.

It is clear that things have to change around the Walter household, and there are plenty of emotional moments on that journey.

Jackie is met with an unexpected visit that shakes things up, with the character also having to think about what she really wants for her future and what she is willing to do to make her Princeton dreams a reality. Finally, Alex has a hard time with his bronc riding as he makes some major discoveries about himself, both in terms of the man he wants to be and what, or who, his heart really wants. I thought the show perfectly addresses the season 2 finale reveal and moves on with the trio's lives in exciting ways for the most part.

It is true that some of the dialogue in season 3 felt off, and the show's wide range of characters made decisions that were either repetitive or did not make much sense with where they were headed. That said, My Life With the Walter Boys season 3 does move forward the show's overall story and its core characters' lives in meaningful ways. A huge part of that relates to George's condition after the season 2 finale. It is clear that things have to change around the Walter household, and there are plenty of emotional moments on that journey.

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Squid Game shattered records on launch in 2021, becoming Netflix’s biggest-ever series debut. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean thriller centres on a desperate gambler named Seong Gi-hun. What is his player number?

A067 B218 C001 D456

✓ Correct! Gi-hun is Player 456 — the last number drawn. Kang Sae-byeok (the North Korean defector) is 067, Cho Sang-woo (the Stanford-educated finance crook) is 218, and the mysterious elderly Oh Il-nam is 001. Squid Game became Netflix’s first show to hit #1 in every country it launched in, amassing over 1.6 billion hours watched in its first month alone.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is 456. Gi-hun’s number is the very last of the 456 players. 067 is Sae-byeok the defector, 218 is Sang-woo the Stanford grad, and 001 is the mysterious old man Oh Il-nam whose identity becomes the series’ biggest reveal. Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched launch ever, hitting #1 in 94 countries.

The Tim Burton-directed Addams Family spin-off set at Nevermore Academy became Netflix’s second-biggest English-language debut in 2022 and launched a TikTok dance craze. Which young actress plays the deadpan title character?

AJenna Ortega BMillie Bobby Brown CSadie Sink DMaya Hawke

✓ Correct! Jenna Ortega — a Disney Channel graduate and indie-horror favourite (X, Scream VI) — took the role Christina Ricci made iconic in the 1990s films and made it entirely her own. Her now-famous cello-accompanied dance scene became an overnight TikTok phenomenon, and her performance earned Wednesday two Emmy nominations despite airing mid-season.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is Jenna Ortega. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven on Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield (also Stranger Things), and Maya Hawke plays Robin. Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams — and her viral cello-dance scene — turned the show into a global phenomenon in late 2022.

In 2013, Netflix released a dark political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman breaking the fourth wall. It became the first major streaming original to land a Primetime Emmy nomination and effectively invented prestige streaming TV. Which show was it?

AOrange Is the New Black BHouse of Cards CArrested Development (revival) DHemlock Grove

✓ Correct! House of Cards — adapted by Beau Willimon from the 1990 BBC series — became Netflix’s first prestige original and proved a streaming service could go toe-to-toe with HBO. Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and his asides to camera defined early streaming TV. Orange Is the New Black followed months later in July 2013 and became Netflix’s longest-running original at the time.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is House of Cards (February 2013). Orange Is the New Black launched five months later (July 2013), Arrested Development’s Netflix revival came in May 2013, and Hemlock Grove was a horror effort the same spring. House of Cards was the flagship — the first streaming original to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series.

Peter Morgan’s The Crown famously recast its entire ensemble every two seasons to age the royal family. After Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1-2, which Oscar-winning actress took the crown for seasons 3-4?

AImelda Staunton BOlivia Colman CHelena Bonham Carter DGillian Anderson

✓ Correct! Olivia Colman — fresh off her Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite — played the Queen across seasons 3 and 4, covering the late 1960s through the early Thatcher years. Imelda Staunton took over for seasons 5-6, Helena Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in seasons 3-4, and Gillian Anderson stole the show as Margaret Thatcher in season 4.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is Olivia Colman. Imelda Staunton took over for the final two seasons (5-6). Helena Bonham Carter played the chain-smoking Princess Margaret during seasons 3-4 alongside Colman. Gillian Anderson delivered an Emmy-winning Margaret Thatcher in season 4. Colman anchored the show’s middle era fresh off her 2019 Oscar win.

The Duffer Brothers’ 1980s nostalgia juggernaut sees Eleven and the gang battle inter-dimensional horrors from a portal beneath the town’s Hawkins National Laboratory. In which fictional US town and state is the series set?

ADerry, Maine BHawkins, Indiana CHill Valley, California DTwin Peaks, Washington

✓ Correct! Hawkins, Indiana — a fictional Midwestern small town that became one of TV’s most iconic settings. The Duffer Brothers chose Indiana for its unassuming, ordinary-America vibe, making the supernatural chaos feel more jarring. Derry is Stephen King’s It setting, Hill Valley is from Back to the Future, and Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s famous town.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is Hawkins, Indiana. Derry, Maine is the fictional town from Stephen King’s It. Hill Valley is Marty McFly’s home in Back to the Future. Twin Peaks, Washington is David Lynch’s famous fictional town. Hawkins is The Duffer Brothers’ deliberately ordinary Midwestern setting — the flat, unassuming backdrop that makes Vecna’s horrors hit harder.

Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut — based on Julia Quinn’s novels and famous for its colour-blind casting, string-quartet pop covers, and narrated gossip column — is produced by which prolific showrunner’s production banner?

AShonda Rhimes (Shondaland) BRyan Murphy CJulian Fellowes DJenji Kohan

✓ Correct! Shonda Rhimes — the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal — produces Bridgerton through her Shondaland banner as the first major fruit of her massive 2017 Netflix deal. Chris Van Dusen created the show, but Shondaland’s signature ensemble-romance DNA is all over it. Julian Fellowes did Downton Abbey, Ryan Murphy did Monster/Dahmer, and Jenji Kohan did Orange Is the New Black.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is Shonda Rhimes (Shondaland). Ryan Murphy produces true-crime anthologies like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Julian Fellowes is the Downton Abbey/Gilded Age creator — a different period drama entirely. Jenji Kohan is behind Orange Is the New Black and Weeds. Bridgerton was the first big payoff of Rhimes’ nine-figure Netflix deal.

La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) became a global phenomenon on Netflix after a modest Spanish TV debut — partly thanks to its gang’s instantly recognisable red jumpsuits paired with a mask of which famous figure?

AGuy Fawkes BSalvador Dalí CChe Guevara DPablo Picasso

✓ Correct! The Salvador Dalí mask — with its upturned moustache — became the show’s defining visual alongside the red jumpsuits, a nod to Spanish artistic rebellion and surrealist individuality. It inspired protest iconography worldwide, from Lebanon to France. The original Antena 3 version underperformed; Netflix acquired it in 2017, re-edited it, and turned it into a global sensation.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is Salvador Dalí. Guy Fawkes is the V for Vendetta mask that Anonymous adopted. Che Guevara is a common revolutionary image but not the heist crew’s mask. Picasso is a frequent wrong answer given he’s the more globally-known Spanish artist — but the Dalí mask, with its iconic moustache, is the one fused forever with Money Heist’s red jumpsuits.

Netflix’s 2020 limited series about a Cold War-era chess prodigy named Beth Harmon caused a global surge in chess-set sales and was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows that year. Who played Beth?

AFlorence Pugh BAnya Taylor-Joy CSaoirse Ronan DDaisy Edgar-Jones

✓ Correct! Anya Taylor-Joy — already a cult favourite from The Witch and Emma — broke out globally as Beth Harmon, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The Queen’s Gambit pulled 62 million households in its first 28 days and caused such a chess-boom that Chess.com and retailers ran out of sets. It also made Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel a surprise bestseller almost 40 years later.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is Anya Taylor-Joy. Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Oppenheimer), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Where the Crawdads Sing) are all frequent competitors in similar roles. Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon earned her a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and turned Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel into a sudden bestseller.

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While Lalonde and Rodriguez continue to bring the spark as Cole and Jackie's dynamic this season intensifies, I have to applaud three other performances as well. Many of my favorite moments in My Life With the Walter Boys season 3 come from watching Gentry's Alex and Mya Lowe's Kiley's friendship being tested in interesting ways after he realized in the season 2 finale that he did not like to see Dylan (Kolton Stewart) kissing her. Finally, Suits alum Sarah Rafferty as Katherine Walter continues to be a delight, always offering sage advice, and facing a daunting task after George's health scare.

My Life With The Walter Boys Season 3's New Cast Members Change The Game

Three new arrivals contribute to some major changes in the lives of Cole, Jackie, and the Walter family as a whole. One of those is Mac (Chad Rook). The drag racer leaves his car for Cole to fix and later becomes directly responsible for putting Cole on a new path. Honestly, drag racing makes a lot of sense for Cole. Not being able to play football anymore after his knee injury, I like how this opens the character to experience a similar kind of thrill to what he was used to, but it comes with some negatives.

I don't feel that the writing on this particular storyline was that strong or innovative. That said, it fits Cole's character and leads to some high-adrenaline scenes and surprises in season 3. Another major new addition is that of Hannah (Erin Karpluk), who is George's sister and the mother of Isaac and Lee. Her sudden arrival comes with the expected emotional turmoil for her sons, and I liked how the show gives them a meatier role to play as a result. It is interesting to see just how different George and his sister are.

Eliot comes from a completely different world, and his presence makes Jackie rethink what she envisions her future to be.

The biggest new addition to My Life With the Walter Boys in season 3 is that of Eliot (Naveen Paddock). Not only is he Uncle Richard’s new intern, but Eliot is also an important person from Jackie's past. As such, his arrival sets up a new love triangle, taking Alex out of the equation.

While that does retread some old ground for the series, Eliot comes from a completely different world, and his presence makes Jackie rethink what she envisions her future to be. The final episode answers many of the questions posed throughout the season, and ends on quite the cliffhanger for the — thankfully — already announced My Life With the Walter Boys season 4.

All 10 episodes of My Life With the Walter Boys season 3 are now out on Netflix.