Let’s be fair, Alex is nothing like Jeremiah, because everybody actually likes this younger brother, maybe even more than the older one. My Life with the Walter Boys just dropped its second season, and everyone is buzzing about which brother Jackie will choose, but the new season gives us a brand new take on the golden retriever brother, Alex. No longer is he sweet and kind and quiet; he’s now got dozens of girls fawning over him, a new build, and a new broody way. The boy has changed, and maybe not for the better, as we’re reminded mid-show. Alex is the clean guy. Cole’s the brooding rebel without a cause (even dressing up as James Dean for Halloween) who is impulsive and makes mistakes that he regrets later in life. However, season 2 sees Alex turning a little bit into Cole, somewhat like he wants to be more like his older brother, but then loses track in between because he actually becomes kind of mean and nobody likes him anymore. Not Kiley, not Jackie, and not his family. So he decides to embrace some aspects of his older personality again, but tries bronc riding because he’s just cool like that. This contradiction in Alex makes him extra cool and grabs the attention of his trainer, Blake.
Spoiler Alert
Now, Blake’s 18, and I believe Alex is 16, so this pairing is a little bit problematic in my opinion, but I guess the show just ran with it anyway. Alex definitely likes Blake when he first sees her, especially considering he’s done with Jackie for good. But, spending all that time with her at the ranch, he starts to realize he still loves her and wants to hide those feelings. In all honesty, Blake’s right about Alex and her understanding of each other, because they’ve had similar upbringings, they enjoy the same things, and they get along really well. Blake is actually the perfect girl for Alex (minus the age gap), so why then does he not feel anything for her?
For one, Alex isn’t over Jackie as much as he pretends he is. On top of that, 18-year-old Blake should not be a rebound for a boy like Alex. It definitely comes across as very questionable, and if things had gone further than a kiss, it might’ve been hard to come back from, but I’m glad that’s where it stopped. The show definitely doesn’t paint Blake as a predator, but her jealousy towards Jackie makes her seem more juvenile than Alex, and I didn’t enjoy that at all. Oh, but this is not the first time someone who’s into Alex has ended up jealous of Jackie.
In Kiley’s case, she’s the old bestie; she’s known Alex since they were kids, they’re comfortable, and they know each other. But it’s an unrequited love that doesn’t really have any direction. For Kiley, Alex is the go-to, because she hasn’t explored anything else. She’s stuck on Alex because she hasn’t met anybody else who could show interest in her. She’s not an “outcast” because she chose to be; she’s an outcast because she got comfortable with Alex and never hung out with anybody else. Kiley has a bunch of secrets, and she’d rather share them only with Alex. However, when Alex starts to hang out with other people and leaves Kiley behind, he opens up the opportunity for her to make new friends and meet new people.
This is when she starts to interact with Dylan, who actually likes her for who she is. Since Kiley already knows she wants to get over Alex because she’d rather stay good friends with him (or cut ties altogether because this man is going a bit crazy), Dylan is the perfect, for lack of a better word, rebound. However, Alex only really “sees” Kiley, even if briefly, when she’s kissing Dylan at the end of the second season. Now, some of us might see this as a look of being betrayed: “How could you go after a jock? You’re such a hypocrite.” Or you could say that maybe Alex wants to do a double date with Dylan and Kiley, but both you and I know that’s not the case. Alex definitely has some hidden feelings for Kiley that he’s not confronted all his life, but now that Jackie’s broken his heart for a second time, the question remains: will he go back to Blake? Will he choose Kiley, or will he find someone entirely different?
I don’t know why Jackie and Alex jumped back into a secret relationship this season. Also, is it really a relationship if they’re just going around making out in random parts of the ranch or at Richard’s place? I don’t think Alex and Jackie have that emotional connection anymore, like they used to when they first met. They feel drawn to each other, sure, but having to keep things hush-hush is definitely making them more passionate. Yes, Alex still loves Jackie, but we already know Jackie’s heart was never in it, because she’s always felt more emotionally challenged by Cole, which is why he makes the perfect match for her.
At the end of the day, Alex has three girls he’s fumbled because he’s still learning about himself, and that’s totally fine. Instead of getting hurt again, I think he should take some time off, focus on his bronc riding, and use that sponsorship to his full advantage. I suppose this would mean more time spent with Blake, so I wonder if that’ll mean another go at their relationship (I’d hope not), but she’s a great trainer, and it looks like they’re good, so only time can tell. In the end, it’ll be best if Alex finds someone entirely different, but we’ll just have to wait to find out. Who do you think Alex will end up with? Do you think Jackie and Alex are meant to be?
