No matter how messy they get, love triangles are every romance fan’s guilty pleasure. The audience loves choosing a team or rooting for their favorite contender who ends up with the lead girl or guy. But when you are in a house full of handsome hunks, it gets a bit tricky to choose the winner. This inner turmoil has been Jackie’s fate ever since she arrived at the Walter household. My Life with the Walter Boys saw Jackie, Cole, and Alex in a complicated love triangle that stood to test their youthful days.
As a beautiful, smart, and ambitious young woman, Jackie attracted the Walter men almost immediately. However, despite not wanting to make things awkward, she ended up harboring feelings for both Alex and Cole. She couldn’t escape the emotional tumult that came with being in close proximity with the Walter boys. Ultimately, there can only be one winner, but the right person isn’t just the one who loves the most but the one who brings a sense of completion to your life.
Jackie and Cole’s chemistry is undeniable but toxic at times
It was inevitable for the broody and handsome Cole Walter not to fall for Jackie’s warmth and beauty. Despite their initial hot-and-cold relationship, it was evident that Cole’s frosty attitude would eventually give in to Jackie’s refreshing nature. Unfortunately, both Cole and Jackie were going through a tough phase, and a relationship of such turbulent nature was out of the question for both of them then.
Therefore, it felt right for Jackie to lean more toward a safer choice, Alex. Unfortunately, even with a loving and caring partner like Alex, Jackie couldn’t help but be drawn to Cole’s chaos. Although he proved on many occasions that he wasn’t in the right mindset to support Jackie’s fragile stability, the former couldn’t help but answer his every lingering gaze and close encounters.
Both brothers represented different kinds of love, but it all boiled down to how Jackie responded to their affection based on her current emotional state. She was just orphaned and had no choice but to move in with a completely different family. Therefore, Jackie preferred a love life that would offer the least instability so that it wouldn’t jeopardize her new relationship with the Walters.
However, Cole was the complete opposite of what Jackie was looking for. He was already in multiple no-strings-attached relationships when she arrived. He was struggling with his football career, which was cut short, and the financial burden it put on his family. That’s why every time Jackie considered the possibility of being with Cole, the familiar feeling of losing control gripped her. She was attracted to him, but she disliked the fact that every time it got tough for Cole, he would ruin it for everyone else as well.
Jackie liked Cole because he made her feel free, and that’s also the reason why she didn’t want to stay with him. Their chemistry made her cheat on Alex, twice—the kind of impulsive behavior she thought would only get stronger if she stayed with Cole.
Jackie and Alex have a ‘safe’ relationship but lack intensity
Alex Walter had eyes for Jackie the moment she arrived at their house. He felt a genuine connection with her and wanted a sincere relationship to develop. Compared to Cole, Alex was a green flag who knew how to cherish and take care of Jackie. His only weakness was the fear he felt over his older brother stealing things he wanted.
Alex made Jackie feel in control and safe from the anxieties of being alone and wanting to fit in. Unfortunately, despite looking the part, they lacked the passion and intensity Jackie felt with Cole. Their relationship seemed perfect, but it also felt forced at times, as if even Jackie were trying to spare Alex the hurt he’d feel when he realized that Cole had, in fact, stolen his girl. She cheats on him by kissing Cole at the end of season 1 and leaves without telling anyone, breaking Alex’s heart in the process.
She then comes back, tries to make amends, and ends up getting secretly back together with Alex. However, she again betrays him by confessing her love to Cole and her desire to be with him. Honestly, if you look at it, Jackie was sort of the red flag in their relationship because, despite knowing she hurt him, she continued to pursue Alex, even when she clearly knew she had feelings for Cole. No matter her problems, it seemed that Alex always ended up with the short end of the stick while dating her.
Jackie’s choice is obvious at this point
Jackie, Cole, and Alex’s love triangle is complicated yet compelling. It follows the classic teenage rom-com tropes, but it has its heartfelt moments. Of course, there can only be one right choice, and it’s necessarily not the choice that feels the easiest. Jackie had a rough patch, and that has pushed her into retracting herself into a shell.
She feels she’ll lose control and get hurt if she stays with someone like Cole. That’s why she keeps going back to Alex, because he keeps accepting her for all her flaws. However, in reality, the best choice for Jackie is Cole Walter. He challenges her, questions her, and forces her to take risks. Because he suffered through something tragic, he understands how compromise and being defensive destroy a person.
In the end, Cole makes Jackie feel like herself—a free-spirited teenager with a whole life ahead of her. What’s more, their passion and chemistry are far more pronounced and natural. Their relationship is electric and spontaneous, something that Jackie sorely lacked with Alex. However, in this case, it’s not Jackie but Alex who deserves better.
At the end of season 2, Jackie and Cole confess their love, and Alex overhears. This will be another blow for him, and it's about time Jackie makes a clean break from their on-again-off-again relationship. Fortunately, you wouldn’t have to wait long to find out how Jackie and Cole’s confrontation worked out because My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 will hit Netflix next month. So, are you Team Cole or Team Alex?
Watch My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 on Netflix on Aug. 6, 2026.
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