Will Netflix’s ‘The Waterfront’ Return for Season 2?

Holt McCallany, Maria Bello, Jake Weary, Danielle Campbell, and Melissa Benoist in Netflix's 'The Waterfront,' Season 1, Episode 4.
Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025

The debut season of Netflix’s The Waterfront took viewers on a wild ride — one that ended with an intriguing Season 2 setup.

The show, which premiered on June 19, followed the Buckley family as they try to save their North Carolina fishing empire. While turning to drug smuggling to get the money needed to save the family business, the Buckleys find themselves in a dangerous situation after crossing paths with a dangerous drug lord named Grady (Topher Grace).

As fans await renewal news, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about The Waterfront‘s potential return on Netflix.

Has The Waterfront been renewed for Season 2?

The show, which comes from Dawson’s Creek and Scream creator Kevin Williamson, was not renewed for a second season. Deadline was first to report the news on August 25, with sources telling the trade that Williamson informed cast and crew about the decision himself.

What happened at the end of The Waterfront Season 1?

After being abducted, Bree (Melissa Benoist) was shot and thrown overboard by Grady and left on a life raft to bleed out. Luckily, her family came to the rescue and got revenge against Grady. During his final confrontation with the Buckleys, Grady is shot in the face by Cane (Jake Weary) and again by Harlan (Holt McCallany) before falling off the ship to his watery demise.

Cane also sought to mend his marriage with Peyton (Danielle Campbell) after reconnecting with his former flame, Jenna (Humberly González). The season finale ended on a cliffhanger, with Harlan’s wife, Belle (Maria Bello), being confronted by the leader of a more powerful crime family, Emmett Parker (Terry Serpico).

“The Buckleys might be the big family in town, but they’re really a much smaller operation,” Williamson shared in an interview with Netflix’s Tudum. “The Buckleys are the big fish in the small town. But the Parkers? They’re a school of sharks.”

Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley, Jake Weary as Cane Buckley in episode 105 of 'The Waterfront'

Dana Hawley / Netflix

What has The Waterfront Cast said about a Season 2?

Before the cancellation news, cast members appeared hopeful that another season would be coming. “The end of the first season feels like it’s still moving because you don’t want it to stop, right? So that’s a good sign, I think, for Season 2,” Weary exclusively told TV Insider of his hopes for the show’s return. “I would like to see it just keep moving. I would like to see the family come together to stave off some universal villain.”

Following the reveal that Shawn is Cane’s half-brother, Weary told TV Insider it would be “incredible” to share more scenes with Silva. “There’s a bond there that can’t be broken. Even if we don’t do a Season 2, we’re all gonna be friends for life,” he gushed. “I love them so dearly. Rafa, too, that’s my boy. He’s such an incredible actor, and that would be cool to see more of and Cane and Shawn for Season 2, for sure.”