Kevin Williamson returns to North Carolina with The Waterfront, a darker drama than Dawson’s Creek. The family crime drama trades in teen angst for dark family secrets, complete with the requisite lightning-fast Williamson plot twists. Sharp, sardonic dialogue, a strong ensemble within the Buckley family, and an electric villain performance by Topher Grace anchor this new Netflix series.
The Waterfront Overview
Paramount Plus’s MobLand was a successful attempt to deliver a compelling British crime drama. The Waterfront succeeds by following in the footsteps of Ozark and Bloodlines, which helped make Netflix a streaming giant.
Set on the North Carolina coast, The Waterfront centers on the Buckley family, forced to return to their criminal roots to save their once-thriving fishing empire. Holt McCallany, known for his commanding presence, is perfectly cast as Harlan Buckley, the hardened patriarch. Maria Bello (in her best role since 2013’s Prisoners) matches him scene for scene as Belle Buckley, the equally formidable matriarch. Whether they’re working together or pushing separate agendas, their chemistry—and the cracks in their partnership—ground the show in emotional realism. Their marriage may be frayed, but their shared determination to protect the family legacy lends them a surprising strength.
The Buckley children are more of a mixed bag. Jake Weary plays Cane, the youngest child, who is unequipped to handle the rigors of a criminal enterprise. Unfortunately, his character is bogged down by a clunky love triangle involving his wife, Peyton (Danielle Campbell), and past flame Jenna Tate (Humberly González), a subplot that saps momentum from the series.
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Balancing that lull is Melissa Benoist’s standout performance as Bree, the eldest Buckley. A recovering alcoholic who’s lost custody of her son and remains on the margins of the family’s operations, Bree’s resentment and reckless decisions threaten to bring the whole enterprise down. Her attempts at redemption add to the chaos. However, the show misses an opportunity by not fully exploring her relationship with Harlan.
Ultimately, it’s the family dynamics that make The Waterfront so compelling. Add in a simmering crime plot that keeps the Buckleys scrambling, and you have one of 2025’s most surprising—and satisfying—TV dramas.
The Waterfront is streaming on Netflix.
Family Legacy in The Waterfront
With the Buckleys’ fishing business collapsing and Harlan hospitalized after a heart attack, Belle and their son Cane scramble to keep things afloat. Desperate and out of options, they turn to drug trafficking to pay off mounting debts. A move that flies in the face of everything Harlan hoped to shield his family from.
Having once run drugs with his father—who died chasing greed—Harlan is furious to see history repeat itself. However, faced with the harsh reality of their finances, he reluctantly takes control of the operation, determined to protect his family. This decision puts him and Cane in the crosshairs of corrupt sheriff Clyde Porter (Michael Gaston), the middleman for local supplier Grady (Grace). When Harlan tries to cut out Porter and negotiate directly with Grady, tensions escalate, setting off a power struggle that highlights just how supportive Harlan and Belle can be when the stakes are high.
Meanwhile, Belle runs her angle, offering to sell off Harlan’s inherited waterfront properties to secure long-term financial stability. Her methods include a secret affair with the real estate developer involved. When Harlan learns of it, his only, hilarious comment is that he’s hurt, before moving on. He’s had his affairs, after all.
This dual-track approach to the family’s survival—Harlan’s violent pragmatism and Belle’s calculated maneuvering—adds complexity and emotional depth to The Waterfront, reinforcing the Buckleys’ bond in the face of chaos.
The Softie, The Bartender and The Black Sheep
Harlan learns he has more than just two adult children when Bree hires bartender Shawn West (Rafael L. Silva) at the family restaurant. Belle uncovers the truth: Shawn is Harlan’s son from an affair years ago. His mother left without telling Harlan she was pregnant. In one of the show’s most affecting scenes, Harlan and Shawn share a candid conversation. Harlan admits he was not a good man back then and places no blame on Shawn’s mother. Shawn responds with maturity, offering a rare moment of grace in a fractured family.
The same emotional clarity doesn’t extend to Harlan’s other children.
Cane constantly tries to prove himself to his father, often overreaching and forcing Harlan to clean up his mistakes. Under pressure, Cane begins drifting from his wife, Peyton—but Peyton, like all the women in this series, sees more than she lets on.
Bree, meanwhile, begins the series at odds with her family. A recovering alcoholic seeking to reconnect with her son, she blames Cane for her legal troubles and resents Belle for keeping her at a distance. Initially, Bree turns to a DEA agent out of spite, risking the entire family’s future. But after Cane offers a heartfelt apology, she reconsiders, attempting to repair the damage she’s caused, actions that come with their price.
These tangled relationships add emotional weight to The Waterfront, making the Buckley family’s internal struggles just as compelling as the criminal threats circling them.
The Kingpin of Coastal North Carolina
The arrival of Grady (Grace) as the drug lord in Episode 4 significantly raises the stakes in The Waterfront.
Harlan may be a criminal, but he operates by a personal code—if he’s going to hurt or kill someone, he’ll do it face-to-face. Grady, by contrast, is unpredictable and ruthless, with no guiding principles to inform his actions. The more time Harlan spends with him, the clearer it becomes just how dangerous and volatile his new supplier is.
The dynamic between McCallany and Grace crackles with tension. McCallany’s quiet, steely presence is the perfect foil to Grace’s fast-talking, unpredictable menace. Grady mocks nearly every situation, keeping both Harlan and the audience on edge. Just when Harlan seems to gain ground or understand the rules of their relationship, Grady shifts direction—whether through a sudden act of violence or an unexpected decision—forcing Harlan to recalibrate.
Their scenes together are among the show’s strongest, embodying the larger clash between old-school codes and unchecked chaos.
The Waterfront Final Thoughts
The Waterfront succeeds by threading its crime story through the emotional turmoil of a fractured family.
McCallany and Bello anchor the series with commanding, emotionally grounded performances that elevate every scene they share. Benoist and Grace are the standouts as both Bree and Grady inject chaos into the series at just the right moment. Even when subplots—like Cane’s uninspired love triangle—drag things down, the series recovers quickly by doubling down on its strengths: fractured relationships, conflicting motivations, and the looming threat of everything falling apart.
With tight plotting, a moody coastal atmosphere, and characters who feel lived-in and raw, Netflix has a promising crime show on its hands.
The Waterfront
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Great - 8/108/10
