Warning: This post contains spoilers for My Life with the Walter Boys season 1!

Summary

• My Life with the Walter Boys showrunner, Melanie Halsall, changed the series' ending to highlight Jackie's independence and surprise viewers.
• Jackie doesn't end up with either Walter in the love triangle, emphasizing her success and ability to thrive on her own.
• The alternative ending leaves room for a continuation and potential resolution of unresolved issues if there is a season 2.

My Life with the Walter Boys showrunner Melanie Halsall opens up about why she changed the book's ending. The series is based on the book of the same name by Ali Novak and follows Jackie (Nikki Rodriguez), a fifteen-year-old girl who moves in with the Walters and their ten boys after losing her family. Due to living in a family with several sons and male cousins, it's not long before a love triangle situation similar to The Summer I Turned Pretty and The Vampire Diaries arises. However, it concludes in a rather surprising way.

In an interview with Variety, Halsall explains why she changed My Life with the Walter Boys' ending. The showrunner didn't want Jackie to end up with either Walter boy in the love triangle. Not only was it important to highlight Jackie's independence, but Halsall also wanted to "surprise everybody." Check out her statement below:

In the book, she’s with Alex for quite some time, then they split up and it’s quite mutual. Then she and Cole decide they’re going to be together once she comes back from New York. I knew I didn’t want to do that. The thought I had in my head was that she wouldn’t up with either boy — that she’s a successful young woman, striving out on her own, without a romance. So that was one idea.

I wanted to make Alex a viable option, so we did change his character slightly in order to do that. What I really wanted to do was to surprise everybody.

My Life With The Walter Boys Ending Explained

In Netflix's My Life with the Walter Boys, Jackie finds herself in a love triangle with two of the Walter brothers, Alex (Ashby Gentry) and Cole (Noah LaLonde). Like most brothers in love triangle scenarios, they're quite different, with Alex being intelligent and bookish, and Cole athletic, humorous, and charming. As in the book, Jackie and Alex begin dating and get along well, though indications of her feelings for Cole are always present. It's only when Alex blurts out that he loves her and she cannot reciprocate that things between them grow tense.

Meanwhile, in My Life with the Walter Boys' finale, Cole shows up when things appear to be over between Alex and Jackie. He reveals that he fixed a tea set for her that belonged to her late sister. The kind gesture touches Jackie, and she and Cole share a kiss. Hence, the ending appears to be following the book, which ultimately saw Jackie choose Cole. However, instead Jackie returns to New York City with her uncle. Ultimately, she doesn't choose either brother, leaving the love triangle unresolved. Halsall's explanation of the alternative ending seems to imply that this is Jackie's final choice.

In addition to being surprising and making a statement by having the girl reject the love triangle entirely, the ending does leave room for a continuation. After all, just because Jackie left for New York City doesn't mean she won't ever come back to the Walters, who became her second family. Her decision not to choose a boy means that some things might need to be resolved if they ever meet again. Ultimately, My Life with the Walter Boys' ending works as a refreshing change from the typical love triangle saga but also leaves the door open for a season 2.

Source: Variety