5 reasons why The Waterfront deserved a Season 2 and should not have been canceled

The Waterfront premiered on Netflix on June 19, 2025, introducing viewers to the Buckleys, a cash-strapped fishing family in North Carolina who turn to smuggling as a last resort. Kevin Williamson produced the show, which explored the harsh realities of survival crime that clashed against the backdrop of family loyalties morphing and shifting local politics.

Despite earlier expectations, Deadline reported that Netflix canceled the show after just one season. This contradicted expectations, as The Waterfront was never intended to be a short-term story. The first eight-episode run established complex conflicts, power dynamics, and an emergent criminal culture, all of which were left half-battered.

With Williamson's experience in long-form storytelling and a fan base that had begun relating to its richly complicated characters, the show is considered to have loose ends.

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Below are five specific reasons why The Waterfront was worthy of Season 2 and how the cancellation was premature.

1. The Parker family was established as long-term villains

While most of Season 1 was focused on survival by the Buckleys and the eventual downfall of Grady, the series finale simply shifted focus to the Parker family. Their arrival as tough rivals hinted at a bigger story of territorial wars and power struggles that was only beginning.

The cancellation of The Waterfront cut off what possibly would have been more examination of in-family conflict and how local political organization intersected with smuggling operations, plot lines unique to this show's setting.

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2. Belle's consolidation of power rewrote the story

One of the highlights of the finale was Belle's building from supporting character to pivotal power broker. Her calculating maneuvers and her embracing of reigning over violence showed that she was becoming one of the most compelling figures on this show.

A second season would have witnessed Belle's leadership evolving, her compromises, and her ability to hold the Buckley empire intact. To leave The Waterfront here was to abandon this character's valuable transformation largely uncharted.

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3. Kevin Williamson's three-season plan tackling political and economic strata

Unlike most crime dramas that stayed stuck on intra-family issues, Williamson had reportedly mapped out a three-season arc involving a broader political and economic blowback of smuggling in a coastal town based on economics. That meant future shows would have progressed beyond survival at the individual level and involved themselves with structural issues like corruption, police involvement, and economic meltdown.

This multi-strata vision set The Waterfront apart from usual crime sagas, and cancellation cut short a more developed story already in the making.

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4. The setting was more than a backdrop

The North Carolina coastal fishing village wasn't scenery; it was part of the story. The erosion of traditional industries, the dependency on seasonal revenues, and the tensions of modernization all went toward explaining why the Buckleys entered into illegal trade.

Few crime dramas are grounded in so precise an economic reality. The Waterfront might have delved further in a second season into how decision-making was influenced by local culture, politics, and survival imperatives, and how the locale itself became a character. By cutting back early, this unique strength of the series was left unrealized.

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5. Audience engagement was niche but steady

While The Waterfront never conquered Netflix like global hits such as Squid Game, it stayed in the U.S. Top 10 for weeks after its debut, proving it had built a dedicated fan base rather than disappearing quickly. This sort of heightened interest suggested promise of word-of-mouth growth over multiple seasons.

Cancelling the show after one run dismissed the possibility for it to become a slow-burning success, something that has occurred with other shows that gained traction later in their run.

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Cancelling The Waterfront after one season not only left character plot developments unresolved but also cut short larger storylines about economic survival, political corruption, and family conflict. The Parker family dominance, Belle's shocking power grab, and strong identification of the show with its setting differentiate it from other dramas in the same category.

Having Kevin Williamson's multi-season plan already charted, the series had a clear idea of where it was headed for further development. Despite the finality of the decision, it’s clear why many believe The Waterfront deserved a Season 2, its storylines were left untold and uniquely its own.

Also read: The Waterfront ending explained: What happens to the Buckleys