Why are teens in teen dramas so stupid?
That's the question I wrestled with while watching the third season of My Life With the Walter Boys, a show so flat that you really have to wonder who exactly its target audience is and what they find so appealing about a series that has already been renewed for a fourth season (yes, it's apparently that huge a hit). Also, why is it called "teen drama" when it only has teens but no drama? No, there is nothing dramatic about the problems the characters go through in My Life With the Walter Boys. If anything, they're all lame excuses to keep this drab machine running. Nathan (Corey Fogelmanis) is getting mild seizures, and he thinks medication is stupid? Insert an equally mild sentimental speech, and voila, he'll start taking it again without complaining. Cole (Noah LaLonde) wants to race cars, but Jackie (Nikki Rodriguez) is afraid of losing him, considering how dangerous the sport can be? Insert another mild sentimental speech, and that'll be more than enough to ease everybody's mind.
My Life With the Walter Boys blithely introduces obstacles and conflicts and blithely resolves them only to move on to the next set of obstacles and conflicts. "I like to stay busy," says Alex (Ashby Gentry) to Jackie. This line could very well be spoken by the whole series, which really knows how to keep itself busy. It converts hurdles and emotional tensions into dutiful chores that must be completed within a short deadline. Will (Johnny Link) thinks he's responsible for George's (Marc Blucas) accident and is afraid of moving to another city with his wife? Just manage his fears and mental strain with a paper-thin "It's not your fault. Go live your life," speech, and within a few minutes, if not seconds, the whole thing is dealt with. Kiley (Mya Lowe) doesn't like the attention she's getting because she's dating Dylan (Kolton Stewart)? Stop bringing up this concern after a while, and viewers will probably forget all about it.
Okay, but how's the "heart" of this series? Doesn't it exude warmth? Doesn't it beat? Unfortunately, it, too, isn't addressed any differently. Katherine (Sarah Rafferty) tells George that she will only sleep in their room upstairs once he is able to walk up the stairs comfortably, so you expect that moment to hold at least some weight, some meaning. Well, the joke's on you for having expectations. It's better to throw them out if you want peace of mind. The scene where George begins to climb the stairs comes across as ordinary as almost every other event in My Life With the Walter Boys. Has the show always been this hair-pullingly bad? Or am I simply losing my patience year after year, thanks to almost constant exposure to bad, boring eight-to-ten-hour-long shows on Netflix?
The one "consistent" element in Season 3, I guess, is the on-off, hot-cold relationship between Cole and Jackie. When they initially get together, they're so consumed by their hormones, sexual encounters, and romantic feelings that they underperform in other areas of their lives. All of it merely serves as "foreshadowing." There is even a scene where Cole, during a race, literally drives away from Jackie. Even these portions, however, are marked by inanity when you take into account Cole's poor judgment in breaking up with Jackie through a lie. Instead of being rude and making her cry, he could have told her the truth, and that conversation would have yielded something worthwhile. Sadly, the only logic guiding the breakup is that the creator, Melanie Halsall, wants to stretch the story. That futile exertion is visible throughout this futile series, which might as well be saying that it's dull living a life with the Walter Boys.
Anyway, if you enjoyed the first two seasons of My Life With the Walter Boys, I don't see why you'd choose to stay away from Season 3. I, on the other hand, was turned off by the show's lame, faux-emotional dialogue and lack of both a fervent tone and unbridled energy. Every scene looks dead; the "zombies" unleashed at a gaming event have more stamina than anyone else on screen. Erin Karpluk, as Hannah, however, lights up the series with her playful gestures that are physically unrestrained and bouncy. She does seem to have a spring in her step; she uses her body almost fluidly. Karpluk floats freely in a series where her co-actors appear to have been chained to a dour style. She is the real highlight of Season 3. Karpluk doesn't stay for long, and that's a pity. When she is not in front of the camera, what's automatically foregrounded is how clumsy My Life With the Walter Boys is. The topic then shifts away from the teens and ends up centering on the production that deals with their crises, their crushes, and their dreams. The question then becomes, "Why are teen dramas so stupid?" It's another thought that haunts you as you sit through My Life With the Walter Boys Season 3. You think Cole and Alex and Jackie and the others have it tough? Wait till you binge-watch this series.
Final Score - [1.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times