Family crime dramas are now commonplace. This year's most popular series so far was MobLand, which focused on the feud between the Harrigans and the Stevensons and how the former's mediator, Harry Da Souza, mediated the whole matter before deciding to do what was best for his owner. Then there was Hound's Hill, which showed the Glowackis patriarch cleaning up his town to satiate his desire to be a Godfather-esque figure.
Penguin, the most acclaimed miniseries of 2024, took us to Gotham's underworld to follow the rise of Oz Cobb, who took full advantage of the feud between the Falcones and the Maronis. From Australia came Territory, which dealt with the Lawsons defending their farm at all costs while all the enemies they'd made over the years attacked them from all sides. The Gentlemen topped the charts with its story about two brothers, Freddy and Eddie, who go to great lengths to pay off the former's debts by colluding with drug dealers and gangsters. Now, The Waterfront joins this interesting list of series.
Creator: Kevin Williamson
Stars: Holt McCallany, Melissa Benoist, Jake Weary
Kevin Williamson's The Waterfront tells the story of the Buckleys, the most influential family in the fictional fishing town of Havenport, North Carolina. They own the largest fishery in the area. They own an elegant restaurant. And they own a slew of lucrative waterfront properties. The patriarch of the family is Harlan; his wife is Belle, and their two children are Cane and Bree. In his time, Harlan's father, Beau, was a drug dealer. But when this cost him his life, Harlan decided to stay as far away from such illegal businesses as possible. Unfortunately, when Harlan lost his mind after suffering a heart attack, Cane had to use his trawlers to transport drugs to make ends meet. Everything was going well between Cane and his contact, Hoyt, until someone stole one of the shipments and killed two Buckley men, Troy and Curtis. This attracted the attention of the DEA, prompting Harlan to end his sabbatical and return to the spotlight to address the problem his son had invented out of thin air. Whether or not Harlan managed to save the Buckleys from the abyss is the crux of the story.
The Waterfront doesn't necessarily have an original narrative. It's the typical mix of wealth, drugs, emotional manipulation, betrayals, and moments of redemption. If you've watched enough family crime dramas, as soon as a new element is introduced into the plot, you can predict pretty accurately where it will go. What keeps you hooked on the journey these characters take is the emotional turmoil they experience before making any decisions.
Instead of presenting everyone as apathetic and unkind, the writers delve into their psyches to try to uncover the flaws that led them to a particular situation and what their problem-solving skills reveal about their worldview. Of all the subplots, the one that elicited the most visceral reaction from me was Bree's. I won't spoil anything, but her desperation to prove herself and her refusal to let her mistakes define her moved me deeply. Aside from her, I found Grady fascinating because of how conflicted he was in expressing his love for Harlan, his "alpha male" attitude, and his petulant childish behavior. However, Topher Grace's performance might have been the key in that case.
To be honest, if it weren't for the incredible cast, I probably wouldn't have given The Waterfront such a positive rating; everyone was simply fantastic. I'm a fan of Holt McCallany's work, and it's always great to see him on screen doing, well, anything; he's that good. Melissa Benoist's performance as Supergirl is iconic. So I was a little afraid to separate that work of art from the artist and embrace her in this role. But she made the process so much easier with a career-defining performance. There's a scene where Bree has to come to terms with all the traumatic things that have happened in her life, and Melissa is simply devastating in that moment.
Jake Weary is terrific and aptly portrays the complex and confusing nuances of his character. Maria Bello is excellent. I've already mentioned how amazing Topher Grace is, but it's good to mention him again for his phenomenal performance as a villain. Rafael L. Silva, Humberly Gonzalez, Danielle Campbell, Brady Hepner, Gerardo Celasco, Michael Gaston, and the rest of the supporting cast are, to me, aces. I wish Williamson and his team had done a slightly better job presenting them, visually speaking. The cinematography, production design, art direction, costume design, and all other technical aspects were passable but could have been better.
The Waterfront is a perfectly watchable series. It won't surprise you, but it won't disappoint you either. If you've grown accustomed to Netflix crime dramas centered around dysfunctional, messed-up families, you're going to love this. In fact, I'm hoping it's a hit so Holt McCallany can showcase his talent every year or two. Yes, I think you know where this is going.
I was incredibly upset when the streaming giant canceled Mindhunter for reasons I don't fully understand. They said it didn't have enough views to justify more seasons, and yet, all indications are it did have the backing to keep going for several years. Anyway, no point crying over spilled milk. What's done is done. I'm glad that both McCallany and Jonathan Groff have starred in some of the best films and series of the last few years. And now that McCallany has returned to Netflix, I think it would be great if Groff also joined him, in some capacity, on the beaches of Havenport.
Comments
Post a Comment