Netflix Series

The Waterfront Season 1 Review: Netflix’s Glossy Coastal Drama With Familiar Currents

June 20, 2025

Review: The Waterfront Season 1 — A Sun-Soaked Family Drama That Tries to Do It All

Netflix’s The Waterfront, which debuted on June 19, 2025, is a sun-drenched cocktail of family secrets, political ambition, and small-town crime—all set against the picturesque backdrop of coastal America. Created by Luke Schelhaas, the show stars Melissa Benoist, Holt McCallany, and Maggie Kiley in a high-stakes, drama-laced series that’s equal parts Ozark, Yellowstone, and Big Little Lies. But does it blend all these influences into something compelling? The answer is: sort of.

Plot Snapshot

Set in a fictional seaside town in North Carolina, The Waterfront revolves around Madison Cowan (Melissa Benoist), a young woman from a powerful political family returning home under scandalous circumstances. Her father, Graham Cowan (Holt McCallany), is a former mayor with a murky legacy, and her mother, Grace (Maggie Kiley), is a political power player in her own right.

As Madison gets drawn into the family’s corrupt world of backroom deals and hidden vendettas, she begins to uncover secrets that have long poisoned both their name and the town. Layered with themes of legacy, identity, and justice, the show blends personal reckoning with public scandal.

The Waterfront is beautifully shot. Warm, golden-hour lighting gives the coastal town a dreamy veneer, masking the rot underneath. The cinematography captures both the intimacy of family drama and the broad sprawl of political machinations, with visual cues that evoke both elegance and unease.

Strong Cast

Benoist brings a grounded, empathetic performance to a role that could have easily become overwrought. She’s matched by Holt McCallany, whose portrayal of a complicated, morally ambiguous patriarch is magnetic. The supporting cast, while occasionally underutilized, still delivers—especially Maria Bello as a ruthless rival and newcomer Mike Faist, who plays Madison’s brother with simmering intensity.

High Stakes, Fast Pace

There’s no shortage of twists and cliffhangers here. Each episode ends with enough momentum to keep viewers binging. Corruption, murder, betrayal—it’s all here, delivered with glossy flair and urgency. This is a show that knows its soap-operatic roots and embraces them.

The Not-So-Good

1.Tonal Whiplash

The biggest flaw is its inconsistent tone. One moment, the show feels like a sunlit family soap; the next, it dives into gritty crime territory with jarring brutality. This back-and-forth is distracting and undermines its credibility, especially in the middle episodes where it struggles to balance emotional depth with melodrama.

2.Predictable Tropes

The Waterfront borrows heavily from its genre predecessors without adding much new. There’s the troubled heroine with a secret past, the brooding brother caught in their father’s shadow, and the omnipresent threat of a scandal waiting to break. While these elements are executed competently, they rarely surprise.

3.Shallow Side Characters

Despite a large ensemble cast, several characters feel underwritten. Viewers are teased with interesting arcs—especially those involving indigenous land disputes and generational trauma—but many are sidelined in favor of family feuds and dramatic speeches.

What Critics Say

Variety calls it “highly watchable and tightly constructed” with “gorgeous aesthetics.”

The Daily Beast, however, criticizes it for “trying to be Yellowstone with seafood and ending up more Revenge with less bite.”

The Guardian praises it as “perfect summer nonsense,” ideal for casual viewing, but notes the lack of substance beneath the surface.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an 80% critic score (based on only a handful of reviews), while audience reception is more enthusiastic, averaging a 9.8/10 on user review sites.

The Waterfront is neither prestige TV nor a complete misfire. It lands somewhere in the middle—a slick, stylish, and sometimes compelling drama that’s enjoyable if you don’t dig too deep. With stronger writing and better tonal control, future seasons could elevate it into something truly special.

For now, Season 1 is a decent summertime binge: a visually lush, emotionally volatile series that will hook fans of family dynasties, buried secrets, and political intrigue.

Watch The Waterfront Official Trailer:-