Netflix has opted against renewing Kevin Williamson’s crime drama The Waterfront for a second season. Creator Williamson personally updated the cast, while crew members were also informed about the cancellation, sources have discovered.
The Waterfront dropped on June 19 and quickly pulled viewers in with its dark and twisted saga of the influential Buckley family of North Carolina achieved notable success, staying in Netflix’s global Top 10 for five weeks and dominating the No. 1 spot three weeks in a row, with 11.6 million views at its first-week peak. Adding to the shock is the fact that the announcement arrives only two months after The Waterfront debuted on June 19.
With a 68% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7/10 on IMDb, The Waterfront landed solid reviews. The series comes from Universal Television, which also scored quick Netflix renewals for The Man on Inside and Four Seasons.“Among Netflix’s one-season cancellations this year, The Waterfront stood out with stronger results compared to Pulse and The Residence, which each managed only four weeks in the peaking at 8.5M views at No. 3 and 8.8M views at No. 2 in the Top 10
While I’m say the Buckleys won’t be back for Season 2, I’m celebrating the joy that was Season 1,” Williamson wrote on IG. “It was one of the best experiences of my life!”
The Waterfront is a Southern Gothic crime drama set in the fictional coastal town of Havenport, North Carolina. It follows the powerful yet troubled Buckley family, once proud owners of a thriving fishing empire. With their business collapsing and bills piling up, the Buckleys are pushed into desperate choices. Patriarch Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany), recovering from health issues, tries to hold the family together, while matriarch Belle (Maria Bello) takes charge of their future. Their son Cane (Jake Weary) grows dangerously ambitious, dragging the family into the drug trade, while daughter Bree (Melissa Benoist) struggles with addiction and custody battles.
What begins as an attempt to survive quickly spirals into a high-stakes game of power, betrayal, and crime, threatening to tear the family apart. Inspired by creator Kevin Williamson’s real-life experiences, the series blends gritty realism with dark, soapy drama. With secrets, shifting loyalties, and moral dilemmas at every turn, The Waterfront explores just how far one family will go to protect its legacy—even if it means losing everything.