Premiering on June 19, 2025, on Netflix, The Waterfront is an explosive new crime TV series from the mind of Kevin Williamson, best known for creating Dawson’s Creek, The Vampire Diaries, and penning Scream. With a setting steeped in saltwater and secrets, this eight-episode drama blends southern noir, family dysfunction, and cartel tension in the fictional seaside town of Havenport, North Carolina. Boasting a cast led by Holt McCallany, Maria Bello, Melissa Benoist, and Jake Weary, the series centers on the powerful yet fractured Buckley family and the crumbling fishing empire they operate—both legally and criminally. Inspired loosely by Williamson’s real-life upbringing in a coastal fishing town, The Waterfront is Netflix’s latest swing at prestige soap, where betrayal is as common as breaking waves, and every family dinner could end in bloodshed.
Coastal Crime, Southern Drama, and the Legacy of the Buckleys
Set in the visually rich but emotionally treacherous town of Havenport, The Waterfront follows the Buckleys—generations-deep pillars of the fishing industry and, quietly, seasoned veterans of drug smuggling. At the center of the empire is Harlan Buckley (McCallany), a gruff patriarch recovering from multiple heart attacks and a lifetime of hard living. His wife Belle (Bello) runs the legitimate side of the business while their troubled son Cane (Weary) stumbles further into criminal territory.
When a smuggling run goes violently sideways, Cane’s botched deal with a cartel triggers a domino effect that threatens to unravel not just the business, but the entire Buckley family. Secrets resurface. Old lovers return. And Harlan, believing crime may be the only way to save his legacy, reclaims control—much to the detriment of everyone around him.
Kevin Williamson Trades Teen Angst for Family Chaos
While Williamson made his name writing teens with razor-sharp wit, The Waterfront trades high school heartbreak for middle-aged menace. This TV show retains his trademark pacing and plotting, but with a darker, more cynical tone. The script is loaded with twists—murder, double-crosses, surprise paternity revelations—but it’s Williamson’s sharp dialogue that gives the show its identity. Lines land with bite, characters speak in coded truths, and nearly every scene simmers with underlying conflict.
That said, The Waterfront wears its inspirations proudly. There are shades of Yellowstone, Ozark, and Bloodline here—but filtered through Williamson’s distinctive, high-gloss lens. This isn’t gritty realism; it’s elevated pulp, and it knows exactly what it is.
Melissa Benoist and Jake Weary Lead a Strong Ensemble
The cast is rock-solid, but Melissa Benoist as the damaged, determined Bree Buckley is the beating heart of the series. A recovering addict trying to rebuild a relationship with her estranged son, Bree’s storyline is a raw, redemptive arc that offers surprising emotional resonance. Benoist navigates Bree’s fragility and fury with precision, creating a character who feels unpredictable yet grounded.
Jake Weary, as the haunted and erratic Cane, delivers a career-best performance. Cane is a man forever caught between his father’s shadow and his own ambitions, and Weary captures the self-loathing and desperation of a son trying—and failing—to escape both. His quiet scenes often land harder than the violent ones.
Rounding out the family are Maria Bello, commanding as Belle, a woman trying to hold the family together while harboring secrets of her own, and Holt McCallany, perfectly cast as Harlan, a man who treats intimidation like a second language.
Big Stakes, Bigger Secrets – A Plot That Never Rests
If one thing defines The Waterfront, it’s momentum. Every episode ends with a cliffhanger or a gut-punch reveal. The plot threads—drug wars, secret children, land development deals, custody battles, extramarital affairs—are knotted tightly and unraveled just enough to keep the viewer guessing.
What makes the series so watchable isn’t just its pacing, but how it weaves personal drama with criminal stakes. Harlan’s old-world masculinity clashes with Cane’s reluctant ambition. Bree’s fight for redemption intersects with an ongoing DEA investigation. And even the quieter moments, like dinner conversations or boardroom meetings, are thick with tension and ulterior motives.
Yes, it’s melodramatic—but that’s the point. This is high-octane soap disguised as prestige drama, and it’s never boring.
Visual Style and Southern Gothic Atmosphere
Filmed on location in North Carolina, The Waterfront looks gorgeous. The series uses its seaside setting to full effect: sun-bleached docks, salt-worn boats, humid backwoods, and lavish waterfront homes give the show a distinct sense of place. The cinematography is crisp, and while a few scenes lean heavily on Netflix-style gloss, the atmosphere mostly sells the illusion of a community on the edge.
Director Marcos Siega (a frequent Williamson collaborator) brings a cinematic polish to the series, especially in the early episodes. There's a sense of menace even in tranquil moments—a reminder that violence lurks just beneath the surface, like a gator in the shallows.
Topher Grace's Scene-Stealing Turn and a Shift in Tone
Midway through the season, the show injects a fresh jolt of chaos with the arrival of Topher Grace as an eccentric drug kingpin. His performance is wildly offbeat—equal parts menacing and absurd—and it brings a much-needed sense of unpredictable energy to the second half of the series.
Grace plays it like he’s in a different show entirely, and in some ways, that works. His scenes are among the most memorable, and his bizarre charisma forces the Buckleys to react in new ways. It’s a tonal shift that’s jarring, sure, but also thrilling.
Themes of Legacy, Addiction, and Generational Trauma
Beyond the gunfights and shady deals, The Waterfront is about legacy—what we inherit, what we destroy, and what we try to reclaim. Harlan’s desperate efforts to preserve the Buckley name clash with the moral failings of the past. Cane, trapped between loyalty and ambition, questions his place in the family. Bree, meanwhile, wants to redefine hers entirely.
Addiction and trauma run like toxic rivers through the show. Every character is haunted—by dead parents, broken marriages, or dreams long abandoned. The emotional weight is surprisingly heavy for a series this flashy, and it adds a depth that keeps the narrative from feeling hollow.
Where It Stumbles – Familiar Tropes and Gloss Over Substance
As entertaining as The Waterfront is, it’s not without flaws. Some characters feel undercooked—especially Peyton (Danielle Campbell), Cane’s wife, who’s given little more to do than react to his bad decisions. Others, like the mysterious bartender Shawn (Rafael L. Silva), are intriguing but underused.
The show also suffers occasionally from tone whiplash. One moment you're watching a sensitive family reconciliation; the next, someone is being mauled in a swamp. The balance between soap opera theatrics and serious crime drama doesn’t always hold.
And while the plot is fast and fun, it’s not particularly original. If you’ve seen Bloodline, Yellowstone, or even Sons of Anarchy, you’ll spot the DNA here.
Final Verdict – Dive In and Enjoy the Mayhem
The Waterfront may not be groundbreaking, but it is highly bingeable TV—the kind of streaming series that pulls you in with its glossy production, twists, and emotionally charged characters. It thrives on spectacle and scandal, but tempers that with real pathos, thanks largely to strong performances by Benoist, Weary, and Bello.
If you're craving a new crime family TV series with just the right mix of dysfunction, betrayal, and southern noir, The Waterfront delivers the goods. It’s not always subtle, but it knows exactly what it’s doing—and that’s part of the charm.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)