Netflix might have just delivered the most captivating and nerve-wrecking hit series of the year. The streaming platform took the essence of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone and added a refreshing maritime twist to it. The chart-topping Netflix series, The Waterfront, created by Kevin Williamson, introduces a wealthy local family, the Buckleys, who run a fishing empire, and explores their dangerous play with the law throughout eight unnerving episodes. The Buckley’s fishing dynasty doesn’t come without its difficulties, as their maritime heritage is in significant danger of collapsing.
While the family continues to enjoy a high standing within the Havenport community and certainly benefits from their many connections, they are working hard (and illegally) to keep their rapidly approaching financial ruin undercover. While Harlan (Holt McCallany), the patriarch of the family, promised himself he would never go down the drug-smuggling road again after it got his father killed, his son, Cane (Jake Weary), decided otherwise. Needless to say, they quickly came to regret it. The final episode was a whirlwind of emotions, a rollercoaster of love and betrayal between the Buckleys. So, without further ado, let’s find out what happened at the end of Netflix’s hit series The Waterfront.
Drug Lord Grady Is History
The Buckleys are caught in some dangerous waters when they start working with the notorious drug lord, Grady (Topher Grace). While they thought it would be a quick deal, Harlan and Cane were forced to accept that Grady could be incredibly dangerous when he didn’t get his way. As a consequence, the father-son duo made a new deal with another influential yet equally dangerous family, the Parkers, who sent men to kill Grady. That plan failed, though, and Grady sought revenge. During an epic battle at sea, Grady clarifies that betrayal doesn’t sit right with him at all and that his way is the only way. If there was one thing Grady was good at, then it was talking a lot and enjoying seeing his enemies get killed.
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Crane and Harlan were facing Grady in the last few seconds of the shoot-out, which left no escape for the drug lord. The only attempt to save his life was by talking his way out of the situation. Unfortunately, though, at that point, everyone had been fed up with Grady’s endless monologues. Cane proved that Grady doesn’t stop talking unless a bullet shuts him up. Our apologies to Grady, but he kind of deserved to go out like this after ordering one of his minions to use his machine gun and hunt down a traitor like a rabbit in an open field.
Harlan and Cane Are Closer Than Ever
In addition to father and son delivering an epic shoot-out scene in Netflix’s number one series, they also took a dip into more emotional waters. In a heartfelt moment, Harlan told his son that all those years ago, he wanted him to stay and work for the family company instead of chasing his football star dreams, because he was scared to do it alone. He explained that it was always him and his father, so it was only natural for him to continue the business with his son.
Since Cane is struggling to work through everything that happened, including pulling the trigger and killing someone, the connection to his father could be more valuable than ever. Harlan has seen and done a lot, and the true story behind Netflix’s The Waterfront proves that good people can also end up doing bad things. This guy pulled moves straight out of the most insane action movies, so his experience could be used in a comforting way for Cane and bring them even closer.
While Cane now knows where he stands within his relationship with his father, the confusion regarding his marriage remains ever-present. Before all the drama went down (or, much rather, while it went down), Cane had a short-lived affair with his high school sweetheart, Jenna. He told his wife, Peyton, and, naturally, she was furious and hurt.
It seemed their relationship had reached the end of the road, but the final episode showed Peyton with a newfound dedication. After Cane explained to her that he wanted the two of them to be good and save their marriage, Peyton took matters into her hands and practically told him that nothing ever happened. She built a perfect, new world in which they returned to being the power couple. How exactly she is going to do it could be an interesting storyline for a potential second season of The Waterfront.
Bree’s Near-Death Experience
Bree’s (Melissa Benoist) journey was far from easy throughout the entire season, and yet the final episode managed to make the rest look easy. From struggling with her drug addiction to fighting for visitation rights with her teenage son, Diller (Brady Hepner), Bree is more often than not perceived as a disappointment within the often hypocritical Buckley family. When the entire situation involving her brother and her parents goes sideways, Grady kidnaps her and takes her to sea. Once she regained consciousness, she realized that her son had secretly followed her and was trying to save her.
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When Grady discovered Diller on board, he swiftly decided that no one needed a drug addict. Grady shot Bree in her leg and threw her into the ocean. Diller’s quick reaction of throwing an inflatable lifeboat after her eventually saved her life. The traumatic experiences they shared brought them significantly closer. Once they reunited in the hospital after the Buckleys got rid of Grady, Diller and Bree shared their love for each other. Diller fell into his mother’s arms, and Bree refused to take a normal dose of painkillers because of her addictive tendencies.
The Waterfront is the ultimate must-watch series for many reasons, but Bree’s journey is incredibly touching. She is genuinely dedicated to getting better and surviving for her son, and the near-death experience and trauma at sea added even more weight to this decision. There would certainly be a lot more to uncover and explore in the growing relationship between Bree and Diller.
Belle Is the New Boss
Getting rid of Grady required Harlan to go back into business with another notorious family, the Parkers, who brutally murdered his father many years ago. It turned out that his hesitation to trust them was justified, because shortly after Grady’s death, they immediately replaced Harlan with none other than his wife. Just like the Duttons struggle with internal conflicts in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone, the Buckleys also have some significant issues. In an attempt to save her family from financial ruin, Belle (Maria Bello) had intended to sell some land to Wes Benson. However, when they got romantically involved, she ended the affair and the deal, but Wes still wanted the land.
This is where the Parkers came in. They abducted Wes, tortured him, and served him on a silver platter to Belle. Since the Parkers were aware of the Buckleys’ financial struggles, they seized the moment and tried to get Belle on their side. If the plans for The Waterfront Season 2 are put into action, then a major part at the beginning could explore whether Belle truly went through with the offer and is willing to go behind her husband’s back. The already tense relationship between Harlan and Belle could explode at any point.
Their dysfunctional family is far from healthy, and the only reason they are still together is that they want to save the business and uphold a strong, united image on the outside. Maybe the Parkers’ offer is too enticing to decline, though. In reality, Belle has always been the puppet master, guiding Harlan and the rest of the family from the shadows. She never tried to be too obvious about it and make it seem as though the patriarch was in control, but, ultimately, Belle was the one who had the reins in her hands, and she liked it that way. The final episode finally allows her to step out of the shadows and take charge.
How Harlan and Cane react to Belle’s potential new position as the boss remains to be seen, but it surely wouldn’t go over smoothly. The Waterfront is available to stream on Netflix.
