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Season 1 – The Waterfront

Play trailer 2:07 Poster for Season 1 – The Waterfront 2025 Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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64% Tomatometer 36 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Inspired by true events, The Waterfront dives into the flawed Buckley family as their attempts to retain control of their crumbling North Carolina fishing empire drive them to increasingly dangerous means to keep themselves afloat.
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The Waterfront — Season 1

The Waterfront — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

Grim and pulpy, The Waterfront traffics in clichés but injects them with enough bravado to make for a gripping binge.

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Critics Reviews

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Wenlei Ma The Nightly (AU) The Waterfront has no self-awareness and definitely no chill. This isn’t, in Netflix’s parlance, a gourmet cheeseburger, it’s a half-bag of stale Burger Rings. Jun 30, 2025 Full Review Sherin Nicole RogerEbert.com I hope it’s not an indicator of my own repressed villainy, but the best thing about “The Waterfront” is a string of truly spectacular and nicely choreographed murders that’ll get your schadenfreude pumping. Jun 23, 2025 Full Review Rebecca Onion Slate This first season of The Waterfront sets more tables than the waitresses at the Buckleys’ seaside restaurant. We see Cane’s moral dilemmas, Bree’s tragic history. But the best seeds it sows are in the relationship between Harlan and Belle. Jun 23, 2025 Full Review Ty'Kira Smalls Common Sense Media This series is violent, intriguing, and has plenty of plot twists and mystery. Jul 7, 2025 Full Review Austin Burke Austin Burke/Flick Fan Nation The Waterfront is an overly dramatic and unnecessarily complicated story that will provide some viewers the comfort food they are looking for. Rated: 5/10 Jul 3, 2025 Full Review Tatat Bunnag Bangkok Post It's held back by derivative storytelling, shallow character work and a tendency to mistake volume for substance. Jun 29, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Irene H The Waterfront is exactly the kind of gripping, character-driven drama Netflix needs more of! The writing is sharp, the performances (especially Holt McCallany and Maria Bello) are incredible, and the storyline keeps you hooked with constant twists and tension. It blends crime, family drama, and power struggles in such a believable way — I couldn’t stop watching. The ending left me desperate for a Season 2. There’s so much more to explore with these characters, and the setup for the next chapter is perfect. Please renew this show — it deserves it! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/06/25 Full Review Iolo J More ham than a pig and a dreadful waste of some talented actors. I presume this was developed during the writers' strike because the scripting is awful. You just long for a hurricane to come along and wipe out all these two dimensional characters. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 07/06/25 Full Review Doc L Not a single decent character in the entire show. I need someone to root fot or at least minimally identify with. This is too grim, Slim. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 07/06/25 Full Review Jötnär H My first thought, halfway through episode 2: this feels like the writers of Ozark and Bloodline got together for a coke weekend, and this was the product. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/06/25 Full Review Joshua A I made it thru the 1st season but there was too much relationship drama and not enough smuggling for my taste Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/05/25 Full Review Stitch X Personally, I found this show very enjoyable. The story in itself, interesting, based on true story to an extent but also the topics covered from the business aspect, family issues, addiction, etc are very real for many people. I binge watched all 8 episodes right after each other. My only issue/complaint would be with there only being 8 issues, there was too many characters introduced, from back stories, family, other characters, etc. Introducing so many characters, while I do understand that importance of doing so I found it also took away from delivering more of the story cause the show was Introducing us to a character, showing some back story, current drama, etc. The show definitely has potential for a season 2 and beyond. Getting green lit for multiple seasons would really help to develop and deliver the story more. The style of the show is very much in the realm of other popular series recently so lots of potential for a big , even cult following. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/05/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Waterfront — Season 1

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jun 19, 2025 Almost Okay When a suspicious shipwreck draws the eyes of the law, the fractured Buckley family must put aside their grievances to cover their tracks. Details Episode 2 Aired Jun 19, 2025 Taking Control Cane and Harlan take bigger risks to keep the business running; Bree seeks proof to confirm her suspicions about her family. Details Episode 3 Aired Jun 19, 2025 Playing With Fire As Harlan re-enters a risky alliance tied to the family's past, Belle makes quiet moves to protect what's left of their legacy. Details Episode 4 Aired Jun 19, 2025 You Can't Trust a Buckley Cane works to contain the growing fallout at home; Harlan connects with a new player and learns the rules of the game have changed. Details Episode 5 Aired Jun 19, 2025 I'm a Hugger As pressure mounts and operations get riskier, Belle and Harlan struggle to keep a low profile; old wounds resurface between Cane and Bree. Details Episode 6 Aired Jun 19, 2025 Hunting Season Belle receives upsetting news about the family's future; a hunting trip troubles the fragile alliance between Harlan and Grady; Bree makes a confession. Details Episode 7 Aired Jun 19, 2025 Nice Try Hoping to regain control of his operation, Harlan tries to outmaneuver an imminent threat; a violent warning shakes the Buckley family to its core. Details Episode 8 Aired Jun 19, 2025 Lost at Sea As tensions flare, a dangerous standoff at sea brings the Buckleys face-to-face with their enemies. Details

Season Info

Director
Liz Friedlander, Marcos Siega, Jann Turner, Erica Dunton
Creator
Kevin Williamson
Executive Producer
Marcos Siega, Ben Fast, Kevin Williamson, Michael Narducci
Screenwriter
Kevin Williamson, Michael Narducci, Hannah Schneider, Katelyn Crabb, Brenna Kouf, Lloyd Gilyard Jr.
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date
Jun 19, 2025
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