WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for The Waterfront.
Netflix’s family crime drama seriesThe Waterfrontcenters on the Buckley family, and most of its main cast members are connected by either blood or history. Holt McCallany leads thecast ofThe Waterfrontas Harlan Buckley, the head of the well-to-do Buckley family in the fictional coastal town of Havenport, North Carolina. Harlan owns and operates fishing and restaurant businesses in Havenport and has become a prominent name in town, so much so that he’s able to have in hand in many pockets on both sides of the law.
After Harlan starts to face financial hardship, he begins smuggling drugs under the guise of his family name and reputation. He enlists the help of his golden boy son Cale, who, as demonstrated through his irresponsible relationship with his old flame Jenna, is still very much a manchild despite being a father and a husband. Neither of the adult Buckley children is perfect, with Bree digging herself into a hole with alcohol and having a shady past that led to her losing custody of her son. Belle Buckley, the matriarch of the family, tries to sell land to keep her family afloat, just one of the lies she keeps from Harlan and her children.
Harlan Buckley Is the Patriarch Of The Buckley Family
He Owns & Operates A Fishing Business & Restaurant In Havenport, NC
Harlan Buckley is married to Belle Buckley, even though both of them have romantic partners outside of wedlock. They are not divorced and still love each other despite their flaws and infidelities. Harlan is shown having a one-night stand with a woman named Rhonda, who is not an integral part of the story inThe Waterfront. Belle has a brief affair with a businessman named Wes, who is eager to strike a deal with Belle and the Buckleys to acquire some of their land. By the end ofThe Waterfront, it’s obvious that the fling between Belle and Wes is very much over.
Harlan and Belle have two children together, Bree and Cane, who are both Buckleys. Although both Cane and Bree had interests outside of the family business, they found their way back to Havenport one way or another and are very much a part of the community, where they are constantly recognized. Although Cane has more of a role in the business affairs than Bree does, she runs the restaurant while Cane gets his hands dirty on the drug-smuggling side of things. Series creator Kevin Williamson revealed thatHarlan shares surprising similarities to his real-life father.
Cane Is Married To Peyton But Is Still In Love With Jenna
Cane Has A Daughter With Peyton But Tries To Get Back With Jenna
Cane had a shot at being a professional athlete, but that didn’t pan out.He moved back home after college to be a family man like his father, only to come up short as both a father and a husband. Cane is married to Peyton, a simple yet strong-willed woman whom Cane met in high school when Cane was a senior and she was a freshman.
Cane and Peyton have a daughter named Savannah, whom Cane doesn’t spend very much time with in between helping his dad’s drug smuggling operation and flirting withhis high school sweetheart, Jenna, who is also married. Throughout most ofThe Waterfront, Cane incessantly tries to spark an old flame with Jenna, revealing that he, just like his dad, is prone to cheat on his spouse, even though Jenna (quite hilariously) still calls him a “good guy.” Cane, who has had many things handed to him in life, is also quite good at throwing them away and screwing them up.
Bree Is Divorced From Rodney Hopkins & Is The Mother Of Diller
Diller Is Part Buckley But Is Not Legally Allowed To See His Mom
Bree, a recovering alcoholic, is the divorced older sister of Cane and the firstborn Buckley child. She has characteristics of both her mom and dad, but experiences the most personal struggles out of the four of them. Bree used to be married to Rodney Hopkins, but the two got divorced several years back, andBree lost custody of her child, Diller Hopkins. Diller is a young adult inThe Waterfrontbut is not legally permitted to be around his mom.
Rodney tries to warn Diller to stay away from the Buckleys, but he doesn’t listen because he is one, at least partly.
Rodney got married again to a woman named Georgina. Rodney tries to warn Diller to stay away from the Buckleys, but he doesn’t listen because he is one, at least partly. He still considers Bree his mother.Bree has a fling with the DEA agent named Marcus, who has his own battle with addiction as well.
Shawn West Is The Son Of Harlan & A Former Employee Named Bebe
Harlan is also the father of Shawn West, a drifter who graduated from law school yet mysteriously comes into town looking for a job as a bartender at the Buckley’s restaurant. It’s revealed that Shawn arrives in Havenport to meet his dad for the first time, which takes Harlan by surprise, having never known that he had a second son. Shawn tells Harlan that his mother’s name wasBebe, a woman who used to work for Harlan at the restaurant.
Belle initially blows Shawn’s cover after seeing what a lousy bartender he was, knowing he was there for another reason. Harlan tells Shawn that his mother was great with people and one of his first ever employees. Even though Shawn has other prospects, such as passing the bar exam and becoming an attorney,he chooses to dive headfirst into the murky and dangerous world of the Buckley familyand his dad’s various businesses.
Grady Is Not A Buckley But Wishes He Were Harlan’s Son
Topher Grace plays the unhinged antagonist Grady, who becomes a real problem for Harlan and the Buckley family throughoutThe Waterfront. Grady is a well-connected and powerful drug supplier who tries to get off on the right foot with Harlan and the Buckleys in an uncomfortably assertive way. Grady is excited to meet Harlan and reveals that he has a lot of respect for him, which sets the foundation for a great drug-smuggling partnership.Grady, however, starts to cross some serious boundaries with Harlan, such as showing up in the middle of the day at his restaurant.
Grady very desperately wants to be a part of Harlan’s family, which is why he strangely treats his business partnership with Harlan as a sort of initiation into the Buckley family.
Grady very desperately wants to be a part of Harlan’s family, which is why he strangely treats his business partnership with Harlan as a sort of initiation into the Buckley family.Grady expresses several times that he didn’t have a good relationship with his father, and essentially is hoping that Harlan will take him in as a third son. Unfortunately for Grady, and unlike Shawn’s acceptance into the family, Harlan rejects him and his odd antics that risk jeopardizing his business, which leads to a thrilling climax inThe Waterfront.
