The Waterfront (TV series)
| The Waterfront | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Created by | Kevin Williamson |
| Showrunner | Kevin Williamson |
| Starring | |
| Music by | John Frizzell |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Editors |
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| Running time | 42–55 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | June 19, 2025 |
The Waterfront is an American crime drama television series created by Kevin Williamson that premiered on Netflix on June 19, 2025.
Cast and characters
Main
- Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley, owner of the local restaurant and port and owns land, whose father ran a cartel
- Maria Bello as Belle Buckley, Harlan's wife who runs the business and is struggling with debt
- Melissa Benoist as Bree Buckley, Harlan and Belle's daughter who lost custody of her teenage son due to burning down a house with her son inside while drunk. She is an alcoholic and a drug addict. She is dating DEA Agent Marcus Sanchez and informs him about her family's shady dealings.
- Jake Weary as Cane Buckley, Harlan's and Belle's son and Bree's younger brother who is running his family's business which is sinking
- Danielle Campbell as Peyton Buckley, Cane's wife and mother to their daughter, Savanah
- Brady Hepner as Diller Hopkins, Bree's teenage son who lives with his father and has a tense relationship with his mother
- Humberly González as Jenna Tate, a journalist who dated Cane in high school and has come back to town to care for her ailing father who owns a local hardware store
- Rafael L. Silva as Shawn West, a recently hired bartender at the Buckleys' waterfront restaurant and bar who is later revealed to be Harlan's son from an affair with his late mother Bebe who used to work at the restaurant
Recurring
- Gerardo Celasco as DEA Agent Marcus Sanchez, a DEA agent whom Bree is sleeping with and feeding information to about the drugs her family are dealing. He is also a heroin addict.
- Michael Gaston as Sheriff Clyde Porter, the crooked Havenport sheriff in North Carolina
- Joshua Mikel as Rodney Hopkins, Bree's ex-husband and Diller's father
- Dave Annable as Wes Benson, a real estate developer whom Belle is working with and having an affair with
- Andrew Call as Deputy Sawyer, the Havenport deputy sheriff who later becomes acting sheriff after Porter's death, who is married to Harlan's cousin
- Topher Grace as Grady, a drug supplier that the Buckleys are forced to work for
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Almost Okay" | Marcos Siega | Kevin Williamson | June 19, 2025 | |
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Harlan Buckley returns to manage the family's fishing business after health issues, finding it in financial trouble due to decisions made by his wife, Belle, and son, Cane. The family's boat, the Miss Glory, is found beached, leading to accusations that Cane stole a drug shipment it was carrying for the mysterious Owen. As Harlan investigates, he learns that Belle and Cane have secretly entered the drug-running business to save their legacy. Harlan discovers the identity of "Owen" to be local Sheriff Clyde Porter, who orchestrated the attack on the Miss Glory and now demands the Buckleys make up the lost shipment. Meanwhile, Bree Buckley, a recovering addict, begins working with DEA Agent Marcus Sanchez, whom she is also dating, potentially gathering information against her brother Cane. Cane, married to Peyton with two daughters, reconnects with his high school ex, Jenna. | |||||
| 2 | "Taking Control" | Marcos Siega | Kevin Williamson | June 19, 2025 | |
| 3 | "Playing with Fire" | Liz Friedlander | Michael Narducci | June 19, 2025 | |
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After the warning shot at Peyton, Harlan decides to re-enter the dangerous alliance tied to his family's past. Bree still continues her search. Belle tries to save what's left of family's legacy. Meanwhile, a deadly confrontation occurs that puts family in further hot water. | |||||
| 4 | "You Can't Trust a Buckley" | Liz Friedlander | Brenna Kouf Jimenez | June 19, 2025 | |
| 5 | "I'm a Hugger" | Erica Dunton | Hannah Schneider | June 19, 2025 | |
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The newfound partnership with Grady further pushes the family in trouble. At the end of their ropes, Marcus and Bree goes off the deep end that ends tragically. Cane uncovers more secrets about the family's finances. | |||||
| 6 | "Hunting Season" | Erica Dunton | Lloyd Gilyard Jr. | June 19, 2025 | |
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Cane and Bree reconcile. Grady makes an unsettling visit to the Buckley Fish House, demanding an impromptu drug run from Harlan. Later, Grady cajoles Diller into an impromptu hunting trip, forcing Harlan to join. Belle learns Wes has reneged on their deal. Grady accidentally shoots Diller with birdshot. At the hospital, Rodney accuses Bree of being high. Grady shows up to offer an apology, but Belle hits him. Grady has his men attack Belle, but Shawn rescues her and subdues Grady’s men. Later, Cane goes to Jenna’s house to reconnect. Grady and his men show up at the fish house and torture Harlan. | |||||
| 7 | "Nice Try" | Jann Turner | Katelyn Crabb | June 19, 2025 | |
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With their loan deadline looming and Grady becoming more dangerous, The Buckleys rely on an unlikely source for help, but it does more harm than good. Cane is sent on a life-or-death mission. Meanwhile, Bree's custody for Diller begins to worsen as he goes missing but uncovers a dark secret during her search. | |||||
| 8 | "Lost at Sea" | Jann Turner | Kevin Williamson & Michael Narducci | June 19, 2025 | |
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Grady kidnaps Bree and sails out to sea to exchange her for Harlan. Diller, who saw Bree’s kidnapping, had stowed away in the bow and was discovered. Bree attempts to escape and is shot in the leg and thrown into the sea. Harlan, who was supposed to come out alone, successfully hides Cane and Shawn, who overtake Grady and his men. They rescue Bree and Diller. Grady taunts Cane as being weak, but Cane kills Grady, and he falls into the sea. To settle their debts and retain their land assets, the Buckleys make a deal with Emmett, agreeing to run drugs for them for one year. Emmett puts Belle in charge to oversee the Buckley operations. Sheriff Sawyer aligns with Harlan and disposes of all the evidence of the altercation. | |||||
Production
Development
On May 15, 2024, Netflix gave production a series order for The Waterfront. The series is created by Kevin Williamson who is also expected to executive produce alongside Ben Fast. Production companies involved producing the series are Universal Television and Outerbanks Entertainment.[1] Williamson also serves as the showrunner.[2] Four months later, Marcos Siega was expected to direct the first two episodes and added as an executive producer.[3]
Casting
In August 2024, Holt McCallany and Maria Bello were cast to star.[4][5] On September 18, 2024, Melissa Benoist, Jake Weary, Rafael L. Silva, Humberly González, Danielle Campbell, and Brady Hepner joined the cast as series regulars while Michael Gaston and Gerardo Celasco joined the cast in recurring roles.[3] In October 2024, Topher Grace and Andrew Call were cast in recurring capacities.[6][7] On November 4, 2024, Dave Annable joined the cast in a recurring role.[8]
Filming
Principal photography for the series took place between August 2024 and December 2024 in Wilmington and Southport, North Carolina.[9][10]
Music
On May 23, 2025, John Frizzell were revealed to be composing music for the series.[11] The Waterfront Soundtrack was released digitally by Lakeshore Records on June 20, 2025.[12]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dead Bodies" | 0:40 |
| 2. | "Young Bree" | 2:14 |
| 3. | "Ride to Town" | 1:06 |
| 4. | "Keep Going" | 1:08 |
| 5. | "The Incident at Sea" | 1:51 |
| 6. | "Harlan Meets Grady" | 2:17 |
| 7. | "Harlan and Shawn" | 1:37 |
| 8. | "Bree on the Pier" | 1:11 |
| 9. | "The Truth About Granddad" | 1:39 |
| 10. | "Harlan Manipulates Drew" | 1:26 |
| 11. | "Bree at the Swim Meet" | 1:25 |
| 12. | "Almost OK" | 0:41 |
| 13. | "Sanchez Questions Cane" | 1:54 |
| 14. | "Sharks" | 2:22 |
| 15. | "You Owe Me" | 1:54 |
| 16. | "Before the Sun Comes Up" | 1:04 |
| 17. | "Now I'm in Charge" | 1:38 |
| 18. | "Cane Can't Handle It" | 1:24 |
| 19. | "Been Sober Before" | 1:41 |
| 20. | "Belle and Harlan" | 0:59 |
| 21. | "You Can Count on Me" | 2:06 |
| 22. | "Childhood Memories" | 1:08 |
| 23. | "An Attempt Was Made" | 0:59 |
| 24. | "Hear Me on This" | 0:48 |
| 25. | "Bree Flashback" | 1:16 |
| 26. | "Harlan Confronts Grady" | 1:40 |
| 27. | "Bree Fights Back" | 1:04 |
| 28. | "Standoff with Grady" | 1:07 |
| 29. | "The Waterfront End Credits" | 1:31 |
| Total length: | 30:11 | |
Release
The Waterfront was released on June 19, 2025, with all eight episodes.[13]
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 64% approval rating based on 36 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Grim and pulpy, The Waterfront traffics in clichés but injects them with enough bravado to make for a gripping binge."[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 54 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average".[15]
References
- ^ White, Peter (May 15, 2024). "Kevin Williamson's Family Drama Series 'The Waterfront' Lands At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Kinane, Ruth; Romero, Ariana (May 22, 2025). "The Waterfront Trailer Is Here, and So Is a Whole Lot of Chaos for the Buckleys". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
- ^ a b Otterson, Joe (September 18, 2024). "Kevin Williamson Netflix Drama Series 'The Waterfront' Adds Nine to Cast, Marcos Siega to Direct". Variety. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 1, 2024). "Holt McCallany To Star In Kevin Williamson's Netflix Drama Series 'The Waterfront'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (August 20, 2024). "Maria Bello Joins Kevin Williamson Netflix Series 'The Waterfront'". Variety. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 2, 2024). "Topher Grace Joins Kevin Williamson's Netflix Series 'The Waterfront'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Petski, Denise (October 18, 2024). "Andrew Call Joins Kevin Williamson's Netflix Series 'The Waterfront'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 4, 2024). "Dave Annable Joins Kevin Williamson's Netflix Series 'The Waterfront'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Port City Daily Staff (August 21, 2024). "'The Waterfront' announces cast, background actors needed ahead of local film dates". Port City Daily. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
- ^ Staton, John (August 16, 2024). "Locations, casting info released as Netflix series starts production in Brunswick". Wilmington StarNews. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
- ^ "John Frizzell Scoring Netflix's 'The Waterfront". Film Music Reporter. May 23, 2025. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
- ^ a b "Soundtrack Album for Netflix's 'The Waterfront' to Be Released". Film Music Reporter. June 19, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ Romano, Nick (April 9, 2025). "Vampire Diaries fam, Supergirl star unite in Netflix's The Waterfront first look". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ "The Waterfront: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "The Waterfront: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved July 3, 2025.