Warning! This article contains major spoilers for My Life with the Walter Boys season 3.
My Life with the Walter Boys‘ dramatic season 3 cliffhanger ruins one of its best story choices. Overall, season 3 is a major step forward for the teen romance drama. SomeMy Life with the Walter Boys characters, like Lee and Isaac, finally receive the attention they deserve as their long-lost mother, Hannah, returns to Silver Falls. Katherine and George deal with the fallout of George’s sudden stroke, while the show’s best secondary couple, Danny and Erin, make a monumental, if somewhat premature, decision.
Still, despite being an ensemble drama, My Life with the Walter Boys is, for the most part, Jackie, Cole, and Alex’s story, as their lives have been intertwined ever since Jackie arrived on the ranch after her family’s horrific car accident. The love triangle between the three teenagers has been a driving narrative force in the show for the past two seasons, though season 3 finally puts that dynamic to rest. Jackie chooses Cole, Alex vows to move on — and finally realizes that he might have feelings for his best friend, Kylie — leaving the show free to focus on building a relationship rather than the buildup of one.
Of course, with a full 10 episodes to fill (and a fourth season already confirmed), My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 was bound to introduce some tough obstacles in Jackie and Cole’s blissful new romance. These include the return of Jackie’s well-meaning but high-maintenance uncle, Richard, Cole’s newfound love for drag racing, and the arrival of another third wheel in Jackie and Cole’s relationship: Eliot, Jackie’s old childhood friend.
My Life With The Walter Boys Sets Up A New Love Triangle In Season 3
Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
In every way, Eliot functions as a reminder of Jackie’s world in New York. He comes from an affluent family, goes to an Ivy League school, works as Richard’s intern, and he’s known Jackie and the rest of her late family since they were kids. Eliot’s arrival presents an interesting conundrum for Jackie. How does she feel about her new life in Silver Falls versus her old life in New York? How has living on the ranch changed her plans for the future?
Eliot isn’t just a friend, though. He’s also set up as a possible new love interest for Jackie, especially now that Alex is out of the picture (for the time being, at least). Eliot and Richard park on the ranch just as Jackie and Cole’s physical relationship starts to heat up, a clear narrative signal that Eliot’s arrival might interfere with the development of the young couple’s dynamic.
Surprisingly and refreshingly, though, for most of the season, Jackie and Eliot remain friends. There are never any obvious signs that Jackie is truly interested in Eliot that way; she’s all in on Cole, feeling freer than she ever has before as the two support each other in their individual pursuits. The tension is largely between Eliot and Cole rather than Eliot and Jackie. Eliot, like Richard, believes Cole isn’t right for Jackie — this leads to their classic third-act breakup — while Cole is jealous of how much Eliot knows about Jackie’s life before she moved to Silver Falls.
Jackie Rejecting Eliot Is An Important Part Of Her Season 3 Character Arc
Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Despite Jackie’s happiness with Cole — at least, in the first half of the season — Eliot does show an unrequited interest in her. He’s always quick to remind her of the fun they had together when they were kids. He stares at her with lingering affection. After Cole breaks up with Jackie because Richard and Eliot both ganged up on him, Eliot is quick to make a move, brushing paint off her cheek during the community center build and asking her if she wants him to be her date to the opening party.
Crucially, though, Jackie says no. She tells him gently but in no uncertain terms that she isn’t ready for anything or anyone else. She’s rightfully angry with Cole, but she also knows that there’s something else going on, something that caused him to lash out and be needlessly cruel towards her.
Jackie’s rejection of Eliot is an important part of her character arc in season 3. For the first time in years, Jackie is doing what’s best for her. She isn’t as worried about pleasing everyone around her, especially her uncle. She wants to do things and be around people that bring her joy. Saying no to Eliot is part of that journey.
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01
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?
✓ 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.
02
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?
✓ 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.
03
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?
✓ 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.
04
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?
✓ 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.
05
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?
✓ 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.
06
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?
✓ 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.
07
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?
✓ 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.
08
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?
✓ 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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And yet, despite what Jackie told him and her clear lingering feelings for Cole, Eliot takes the opportunity in the season 3 finale to kiss her at the community center’s opening party. It’s a sudden kiss, obviously instigated by him, and the season ends before we can really see how Jackie responds. Still, that moment will forever change the relationship between Jackie, Eliot, and Cole.
It’s been so refreshing to see a teen romance show move past its first love triangle without immediately jumping into another, despite its obvious setup. That kiss, while not wholly unsurprising, forces Jackie into a new and unnecessarily complicated dynamic. Yes, there’s another season left, with more potentially still to come, and Jackie and Cole will have ample time to make up if they’re meant to be the story’s endgame. This feels like it’ll impact their individual character development, however, and not in a good way.
My Life with the Walter Boys’ last dramatic love triangle dragged the story down in season 2. Season 3 avoids this trap, but after this major cliffhanger? I’m worried it won’t be the same for season 4.
Jackie’s & Cole’s Relationship Will Never Be The Same After That Cliffhanger
Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
There are three possible outcomes here: Jackie will realize she has feelings for Eliot, she’ll take the kiss as a one-off opportunity to make Cole jealous, or she’ll push Eliot off of her as soon as My Life with the Walter Boys season 4 begins, but even then, the damage will have already been done. Jackie will never be able to forget where she was or what she was doing once she hears Cole’s been involved in a malicious car crash during the party. The guilt will be hard to overcome, especially after everything she’s gone through with her family.
Cole, on the other hand — we’re going to assume he survives the crash; Jackie’s been through enough trauma to last a lifetime — will have to figure out how he feels about Eliot and Jackie’s (brief) moment of romance. Will he fight for her as he planned to do before he was run off the road, or will he start to believe even more that Jackie’s future lies with Eliot?
The couple will have a lot to work through when they return in the upcoming season of My Life with the Walter Boys. Hopefully, they’ll be able to patch things up. It certainly won’t be easy, though, especially if Eliot and Richard plan to stick around now that Jackie’s and the Walter family’s lives have been turned upside down (literally, in this case) yet again.
All episodes of My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 are streaming now, only on Netflix.
