The Buckley family’s moral compassion broke at some point when they were establishing and growing their fisheries and restaurant business in the fictional coastal town of Havenport. In the web series, The Waterfront, created by Kevin Williamson. Not one of them — father Harlan (Holt McCallany), mother Belle (Maria Bello), disgruntled son Cane (Jake Weary), and recovering alcoholic daughter Bree (Melissa Benois) — is honest or above board. Their only redeeming feature is their fierce loyalty to family.
When the show opens in the deceptively calm and beautiful town, the Buckleys are in financial trouble. Without Harlan’s knowledge, Belle and Cane start running drugs on their fishing boats, to be able to pay off their debts. Harlan’s father was tortured and murdered when he tried to get out of the drugs business, and he does not want to get into it again.
When one of their boats is looted and the men on it killed, Harlan has no choice but to do what it takes to protect his family and his business. The town’s drug boss also happens to be the sheriff, so the Buckleys find themselves in a tight spot. Once he is dragged back, Harlan tries to wrest some control, which ends in a trail of murders.
Meanwhile, Bree, who lost custody of her son Diller (Brady Hepner), due to Cane’s testimony, wants to punish him. She allies with a cop (Gerardo Celasco), who is investigating narcotics smuggling in the town, while trying to find ways to keep connected to her son. Cane’s marriage starts cracking when his school sweetheart returns to the town.
Harlan finds himself forced to work with the psychopathic Grady (Topher Grace), who behaves all warm and pally, but is the kind of gangster, who kills people for sport. While trying to keep the family’s head above water, Belle tries to work a land deal with a developer, well aware that her husband has an emotional attachment to the land. When Shawn (Rafael L. Silva), an illegitimate son of Harlan turns up looking for family, the family faces more strain with the walls, and outside, trying to cope with the murderous Grady.
The Buckleys have no qualms about smuggling drugs, and hide their crimes with impunity, still, with Grady as an adversary, they win some sympathy points. Grady’s crazy methods somehow manage to tighten the family’s bonds. The entitled Cane and damaged Bree are also forced to put their troubles behind when they and their loved ones are in danger.
The Waterfront is a crime thriller cum family drama—a more soapy version of the shows like Succession, Ozark and Yellowstone. Every episode ends with a hook that encourages bingeing the eight episodes. The good-looking and mostly talented cast and the soundtrack comprising country, rock and pop songs are an added attraction.
Created by Kevin Williamson
Cast: Holt McCallaney, Melissa Benoist, Jake Weary and others
On Netflix
