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The Waterfront finale brought a kidnapping, a power shift, and other shocking twists that culminated in questions that season 2 of the Netflix crime drama must answer. The show explores complex family dynamics and the murky underworld of drug trafficking, disguised behind a failing North Carolina fishery business, making for eight episodes of entertaining television.
While season 2 of Netflix's current #1 TV show is yet to be confirmed (the show premiered only last week, on June 19, 2025), creator and showrunner Kevin Williamson seems optimistic. In his interview with Cosmopolitan, published on June 23, 2025, he admits to having a storyline for seasons 2 and 3.
While fans eagerly wait for more seasons after The Waterfront season finale, here are some burning questions that need answers.
Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong to the writer. Spoilers ahead.
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Exploring the fate of the Buckleys after that The Waterfront finale
1) Has Belle's deal tipped the power scales in her favor?
The Waterfront season 1 ending left a burning question about Belle's seeming betrayal of Harlan's trust and returning to the Parkers right after cleaning up Bree's hostage situation. She had found a way to clear the Buckleys' $2 million debt by utilizing Wes and developing the land they owned along the beachfront. But after she gets intimate with him and things get murky, Wes refuses to deal with her.
Enter the Parkers. Emmett swoops in to help, but on one condition: Belle takes over the business from Harlan. When Belle meets Emmett in the middle of the night, and he presents her with a battered and bruised Wes, fans understand that she has accepted the deal and is now in control.
What does this mean for The Waterfront season 2? Will her marriage with Harlan survive, and honestly, would she care, given the power trip this is shaping up to be?
2) How will Wes be useful to the Parkers?
With Wes captured and tied to a chair in The Waterfront finale, Belle asks the obvious question: Are the Parkers going to kill him? The response, however, is vague. They tell her that the very guy who purchased the Buckleys' debt and threatened to foreclose on their properties needs to be alive.
The Parkers also inform Wes that Belle is his new boss, and he is in no state to refute that claim. What plans do they have with him? And how will this affect the Buckleys in season 2?
3) Can the Parkers be trusted in the first place?
The Parkers and the Buckleys did not get off on the right foot, which is evident from Jeb Parker ordering a hit on Harlan's dad, Beau Buckley, for double-crossing them during a drug deal. This event is of great significance to the Buckleys, but when push came to shove, they chose the Parkers over the unreliable Grady to get into drug deals with.
But with the lack of trust gluing their foundations together and the Parkers wanting Belle in charge over Harlan, the biggest question after The Waterfront finale would be whether to trust the Parkers at all. For starters, their demeanor strongly suggests that the Buckleys should be grateful to them for all the wealth they originally helped them build during Beau's era.
Moreover, they could use anything as leverage (including Wes) to control the Buckleys, given their financial vulnerability. The Waterfront season 2 will have to give fans all the answers.
4) Will Grady's legacy come back to haunt the Buckleys?
In The Waterfront finale, Grady kidnaps Bree and her son, Diller, in exchange for Harlan, complete with instructions to come alone or else. After a tense standoff with Bree on his yacht and Bree getting shot in the thigh and pushed overboard, Harlan finally arrives to save the day. Not paying heed to instructions, he enlisted Cane and Shawn's help in the matter, and Grady stared down the barrel of a gun.
After he taunted Cane to shoot him dead (Which he did), the show quickly cleared up all evidence with an inside man of the Buckleys at the police station. However, while the matter was legally taken care of, people actively involved in Grady's deals, such as his allies, friends, or even foes, could come after the Buckleys in The Waterfront season 2 after his death inevitably shifts the business power dynamics.
5) What will Bree's next steps be after her near-death experience?
One of the most active subplots in the crime drama is Bree and her struggles with addiction. She set her ex-husband's house on fire in a drunken stupor, earning her limited and court-monitored time with her son, Diller. In the season finale, she is shot and thrown overboard, but Diller throws her a life raft pack.
As she bleeds and floats in the ocean, Bree hallucinates about releasing her inner child from the guilt of watching her grandfather, Beau, die. Since this incident is the reason for her mental health issues and struggles with addiction, things in her life might turn around. What does her future look like? And will she fight to keep Diller in it?
6) What is Cane and Peyton's fate?
Cane's infidelity with his high school sweetheart Jenna is another sub-plot in The Waterfront season 1. His wife, Peyton, finds out about the infidelity and goes to confront Jenna, only to end up consoling her over her father's death and helping her with the funeral. A guilt-ridden Jenna breaks it off with Cane afterward.
However, Peyton does not break up with Cane. She accepts his half-hearted apologies and says they will be fine. Cane waits to make his next move based on Peyton's reaction, but her strong emphasis on moving forward from the infidelity suggests she has something else up her sleeve.
Creator Kevin Williamson told Variety in an interview on June 20, 2025:
"I think Peyton is a power player. She knows what she wants and she's going to get it."
7) Will Shawn stick around and join the family business?
Shawn hunted the Buckleys down to find out who his biological father was, but got caught in a whirlwind of drugs, murder, and complicated family affairs. While he held his own as the Buckleys hit troubled waters, it will be interesting to see if he will stick around and go all in with them.
Since he wants to become a lawyer, would it be possible for him to become their family lawyer and help them navigate sticky situations in the future? For now, Shawn seemed uncertain of his future with the clan in The Waterfront.
Watch all episodes of The Waterfront on Netflix.
