The Waterfront: Why I’m Excited For Netflix’s Frothy New Summer Drama

One thing Netflix knows how to do well is have a summer hit emerge that’ll set the internet ablaze and have everyone discussing it in all corners of social media platforms.

There’s nothing quite like settling in for a binge with a cold beverage and nothing but time as the streamer lures you into a new world of pure vibes and solid characters.

And without a doubt, this summer’s hit will be The Waterfront.

The Waterfront Already Sold Us with Who Is Behind It

Kevin Williamson wrote and executive produced the series.

Yes, that one — the man behind some of our lasting favorite series such as Dawson’s Creek, The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle, FOX’s grisly but great The Following, and, you know, the entire Scream franchise.

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THAT Kevin Willamson. While we’re at it, I’m just going to casually toss in one of my all-time favorite underrated films from my childhood: Teaching Mrs. Tingle.

The point is that having someone of Kevin Williamson’s pedigree behind a project means we’re already guaranteed quality, entertaining, exciting, juicy content.

As I continue to lament the absence or slow trickle of other giants like Shonda Rhimes, it’s a genuine relief to know that we have another hit by a true hitmaker on our hands.

Truthfully, they had me at Kevin Williamson when it came to this series, and that was well before we learned about the cast.

The Waterfront’s Cast Brings Familiar Faces to the Forefront, Tapping Into Nostalgia and Brand Loyalty

Williamson has worked on so many projects that he has many people who stick beside him, and we see that with The Waterfront’s star-studded cast.

TV Fanatic had a great run with The CW series dominating so much of our coverage; it’s exciting to see some familiar faces in something fresh and new.

Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist plays a pivotal character: the troubled daughter of the patriarch, Bree Buckley.

From the description of her character, we can likely expect some compelling content. She’s a recovering alcoholic who lost custody of her kid. She’s hot-tempered but brilliant enough to help run the family Fishery.

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We’re in an age of incredibly Messy, Flawed, but Compelling women, and I’m thrilled to see Benoist onscreen again and sinking her teeth into a meatier role with such layers.

And, hey, if she’s our newest answer to Beth Dutton, I’m not complaining.

Layered Characters May Lead to Enhanced, Juicy Drama

The Waterfront also sees The Originals and Tell Me A Story‘s Danielle Campbell starring as Peyton Buckley, the supportive wife to the potential benefactor of a family empire, Cane.

And Cane? Well, Animal Kingdom Fanatics will be thrilled to see Jake Weary in another solid role, playing a complicated character with a difficult relationship with his father, struggling to run the family business and stumbling along the way.

The series is also led by veteran actors Holt McCallany and Maria Bello, the patriarch and matriarch of this family empire. They are more than complicated in their own right, especially in their attempts to keep the family legacy afloat.

Oh, and for those of us 9-1-1: Lone Star Fanatics who always lamented how Carlos Reyes’ Rafael L. Silva was criminally underused, it’s another high-selling point of this series that we’ll get to see him stretch his legs in a new role, perhaps one that may be worthy of his time.

The Waterfront Capitalizes on Family Dramas and Dynasties (We Haven’t Tired of Them Yet)

Sometimes, the mark of great television is that of a family drama, but specifically a strong familial unit where their surname means something. It evokes feelings all on its own.

Sadly, so many of those have signed off, leaving a gaping hole where family-focused television used to be.

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The Duttons, Blue Bloods‘ Reagans, This Is Us’ Pearsons, Empire’s Lyons, Animal Kingdom’s Codys, Succession‘s Roys, we’ve lost a whole era of television devoted to families, their legacy, and their respective empires, but The Waterfront teases the return.

In fact, this series may be closer to Netflix’s answer to Yellowstone regarding family dynamics than the upcoming series Ransom Canyon.

The Waterfront Combines the Best of Crime Drama and Family Dysfunction: A Recipe for Success

Speaking of Yellowstone, one of the exciting elements of the series is not so much that it’s a family drama as it combines crime with family dysfunction, which makes for thrilling television.

The Buckleys’ tale isn’t simply one of a dysfunctional family trying to keep things together as the series deeply explores themes of gentrification, monopolization, power struggles, addiction, and much more.

It’s also one of those series where, as one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in a North Carolinian coastal town and as a family with its hands in both the fishing industry and the restaurant scene, you don’t get to that type of position without getting your hands dirty.

The series’ premise centers around its enigmatic patriarch, Harlan Buckley, who builds up a family business through often shady and illegal means to get to a high position but needs to take a backseat after having two heart attacks.

It leaves his wife and son in charge of running the business, but their method of doing so mostly consists of running things into the ground, which may lead to the family being in deep waters with all sorts of sordid types.

More Grit Than Soap, The Waterfront May Be the Perfect Balance Like Previous Hits

From the teases and the fact that each of the Buckleys has a laundry list of issues, we could have something far grittier than your traditional family drama, more aligned with Ozark and Bloodlines than This Is Us; that’s for certain!

We can almost guarantee that The Waterfront won’t take place in a world of heroes and villains but rather incredibly flawed protagonists trying to navigate the treacherous world they’ve built while hoping for the best.

If I don’t love anything else, it’s complex, multifaceted characters, and The Waterfront promises to deliver on that in spades, especially when the entire family hovers on unhinged.

They should work better together than apart, but something tells me the Buckleys can’t get along to save their lives. Literally; yes, it promises to be that type of show.

Like Ozark, the concept of this series is that one mistake may lead to another, and the whole family may dig themselves into deeper holes while trying to put out fires. I love mess!

The Series’ Real Life Inspiration Sparks Intrigue

Williamson is masterful at creating exciting projects that leave us with jaws dropped, twists and turns, and fascinating character exploration. It all sounds like a winning formula.

Coupling that with Netflix’s binge format and a cast of heavy hitters that will have people clamoring to see more, it’s undeniably poised to be the most highly anticipated hit of the summer.

There’s also the added mystery of trying to figure out what true story inspires this series. If so, who exactly is it pulling from? I’m dying to find out.

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The Waterfront promises to blend action, drama, crime, dysfunction, and fun perfectly. It’s the perfect summer series for Netflix, and I can’t wait for its debut.

The Waterfront will premiere on June 19 with a full eight-episode drop on Netflix.

Over to you, TV Fanatics. Are you excited about this one, too?

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