The Waterfront, Netflix’s new family drama/crime thriller series with similar themes to the Emmy-winning hitOzark, has become an instant streaming success.The Waterfronthas become the number one TV show on Netflix after releasing all eight episodes on Thursday, August 04, 2025. Holt McCallany leadsThe Waterfront’scast, which also features performances by Jake Weary, Maria Bello, Melissa Benoist, and Topher Grace. Despite debuting with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 67%,The Waterfrontlooks to hold Netflix’s number one TV spot into the latter half of June 2025.
The Waterfrontfollows the prominent Buckley family in thefictional coastal town of Havenport, North Carolina. Series creator Kevin Williamson, known for sourcing classic 1990s projects such asDawson’s CreekandScream, recently revealed inan interview withScreen Rantthat Havenport is very much inspired by where he grew upin and around Wilmington and Southport, NC.Holt McCallany’s Harlan is the patriarch of the Buckley familywho will do whatever it takes to protect his loved ones and maintain his family name in town. Harlan owns and operates a fishing business and a seaside restaurant, but also gets his hands dirty in the drug smuggling game.
What The Waterfront’s Streaming Success Means For Its Future On Netflix
Williamson Already Has Season 2 Planned Out For Development
WhileThe Waterfrontjust came out, the fact that it shot to the number one spot on the Netflix U.S. streaming charts is certainly a good sign for its future. The family-centered crime drama easily draws comparisons to Netflix’s outstanding seriesOzark, which features similar themes and threats in a mostly rural and idyllic setting.Williamson has found plenty of success with his past TV series, which also includeThe Vampire DiariesandThe Following. This, as well as the cliffhangerending ofThe Waterfrontseason 1, suggests that season 2 is a strong possibility for the Netflix series if it continues to perform well on the streaming charts.
Williamson toldScreen Rantthat he already has a plan for a potentialseason 2 ofThe Waterfront, which has yet to be confirmed by Netflixat the time of writing. “I really hope people watch it and respond to it and we get a second season. I’ve just sort of figured out who these actors are in these roles, and I would love a chance to write for them and lean into them. I think the show can just go up.”
The biggest factor now is not necessarily the critical reception, but whetherThe Waterfrontwill maintain its viewership.
Essentially, all theingredients forThe Waterfrontto mature into Netflix’s new version ofOzarkare in place. The biggest factor now is not necessarily the critical reception, but whetherThe Waterfrontwill maintain its viewership.
Our Take On The Waterfront Potentially Returning For Season 2
The Waterfront Season 2 Could Learn From Season 1’s Mistakes
WhileThe Waterfrontdidn’t blow me out of the water, it was enjoyable enough to hang on for eight episodes, especially once Topher Grace’s villain was introduced roughly halfway through.The Waterfrontstill has a lot of things to work out in a potential second season, which Williamson would hopefully improve on, and I think the show deserves at least one more season to expand and grow.
While it still very much feels like a watered-down version ofOzark, as I noted in my review ofThe Waterfront, I am intrigued by how surprisingly personal the series is to Williamson and believe that he can pull off another solid season or two with this concept.
