Netflix's New Hit Show 'The Waterfront' Has Viewers Seriously Divided—Here Is My Honest Review

I’ve been on the hunt for a new Netflix series since knocking out the latest season of Ginny and Georgia, and luckily, it didn't take too long to find my replacement.

The Waterfront is the latest series to quickly enter into Netflix’s top ten streaming list at the number one spot, and needless to say, it’s already drawing a lot of chatter. Depending on who you ask, you might find someone who loves it or hates it (I guess a show about fishing isn't for everyone...). A thriller series set in the fictional town of Havenport, North Carolina, the show stars Holt McCallany, Maria Bello and Topher Grace, and centers around the Buckleys, a family of fishermen who are bedeviled by secrets, betrayal, greed and addiction. The show is a slow burn, as it starts off by introducing the key players and dynamics to set the scene. 

For starters, you have Harlan Buckley (McCallany), the head of the table, willing to do anything and everything to protect his family. Harlan's past is a dangerous one that includes drug fronts, cartels and a host of other illegal activities. While Harlan has somewhat tried to reinvent his image over the years, the decline of opportunities for fishermen, plus some health issues, has driven him back into that lifestyle.

The character is loosely based on creator Kevin Williamson's own father, who encountered a similar situation in his career as a fisherman. "I come from a family of fishermen — not just my dad, but the entire family," Williamson told TIME in a recent interview. "Someone came along and said, ‘If you do this one thing, you can make all this money.’ And it was hard to say no," he continued, explaining that his father agreed to run drugs on his fishing trawler, for which he was later arrested. "He got caught, he served his time, he got out, and I graduated."

Then there is Belle Buckley (Bello), the straight-shooting matriarch who is also willing to defend her family at all costs. While Belle looks demure and innocent on the outside, she isn't afraid to get her hands dirty either, and is quite cunning, I might add.