THE WATERFRONT: 1.1 and 1-2

Name: THE WATERFRONT: 1.1 and 1-2
Item: THE WATERFRONT: 1.1 and 1-2
Author: Review

"A Sea Breeze Yellowstone Story"

Family Content: -3 Excessive sex, violence, immorality, and/or worldview problems. (Sometimes excessive content such as violence is in otherwise redemptive movies.)

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

Credits →

What You Need To Know:

Washing up on Netflix is the first season of THE WATERFRONT. The first two episodes of the family drama series, set in the fictional town of Havenport, NC, follow the Buckley family as their multi-generational fishing empire begins to crumble around them. Cane, son of patriarch Harlan, engages in shady dealings, such as drug smuggling, to secure the funds that could save the marina, restaurant, and other establishments. When the word gets out about these fishy "inner ring" transactions, family members and innocent bystanders must take sides. THE WATERFRONT is a sort of beach bum YELLOWSTONE. It features family drama, disconnection, and devastation in the Neo-Western genre.

The cinematography, acting, and overall storytelling in the first two episodes of Season 1 are excellent, and the writing, while peppered with foul language, is not nearly as offensive as other shows in this genre. The dominant worldview is one of Romanticism, with a slight possibility of a biblical moral element. Most of the characters act on the pleasure principle, driven by overtly selfish motives. Scenes of graphic violence and sexual material, along with strong language, lead MOVIEGUIDE® to advise strong caution for adults.

Content:

(B, RoRoRo, LLL, VVV, SSS, NN, AAA, D, MMM):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Romantic worldview, with a slight possibility of a biblical moral element with close family dynamics. Most of the characters act on the pleasure principle, driven by overtly selfish motives. The patriarch sleeps around and only steps back in when things go south, using a strong-arm approach until he runs into a bigger fish. The son works with drug dealers to earn money and restore the family's fortunes. Both father and son eventually become drug runners trying to dig themselves out of a deep, dark hole they dug for themselves;

Foul Language:

Episode 1: 12 strong profanities (including the “s’ word, the “f word), 3 light profanities (including “a” word, “‘Gd” word, “ah” word) , and 7 obscenities. Episode 2: 21 strong profanities, 7 light profanities 5 obscenities (Jesus and the Lord’s name taken in vain);

Violence:

Episode 1: Two men are knocked out with gun stocks and one is wrapped in a fishing net and thrown into the sea (the scene cuts but it is shortly revealed that both men drowned); a policeman pulls his sidearm and shoots a man in the head at point blank range (impact is shown and bloody chunks fly everywhere and the head wound is later shown with lots of blood flow); two men take a dead body to a bayou and feed it to alligators (no munching shown). Episode 2: A waterlogged and gray dead body wrapped in fish nets is picked up by a rescue crew (some disturbing shots of the dead man’s face); a man is hit in the head with a rifle (some blood is shown); a man slugs another knocking him down (impact shown and some blood in mouth);

Sex:

Episode 1: A man is shown waking up in bed with a woman other than his wife (he is seen shirtless and she is splayed on the bed in panties and a loose shirt); a man knocks his son down with a punch and then kicks him (no blood); men dunk a man’s head in shark infested waters (no shark bites take place). Episode 2: A man and a woman have sex in his apartment both totally naked (he pins her against the wall and thrusts, while both moan as they climax); a woman has an affair with a client; it is clear that a man has had many extramarital affairs;

Nudity:

Episode 1: A man strips to show he’s not wearing a wire (upper male nudity with quick shots of legs and buttock). Episode 2: A man and a woman have sex in his apartment both totally naked (male back, buttocks, and legs and female sides and legs exposed);

Alcohol Use:

A lot of drinking with multiple people getting tipsy, tight, or drunk in multiple situations;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

A few scenes of smoking; drug smuggling is a key part of the plot; drugs are shown in a shack and multiple people are involved with illegal transport; a man admits to helping drug smugglers and taking a percentage of the profits; a man admits to being a “recovering heroin addict”; a man says he overdosed on heroin; two people eat some gummies that clearly have illicit substances in them: and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

Characters lie, are deceitful, murder, and commit crimes of every description abound.

More Detail:

When the word gets out about these fishy “Inner Ring” transactions, family members and innocent bystanders must take sides. But will these dramatic developments inevitably lead to familial and business implosion? Can the Buckley clan make the shift to keep their fortunes from foundering?

THE WATERFRONT is a sort of beach bum YELLOWSTONE. It features family drama, disconnection, and devastation in the Neo-Western genre. Kevin Williamson’s epic tale of familial disintegration stands out from Sheridan’s, however, with at least one character who has a moral compass, which gives this series a much better chance than others in the vein of BREAKING BAD.

The cinematography, acting, and overall storytelling in the first two episodes of Season 1 are excellent, and the writing, while peppered with foul language, is not nearly as offensive as other shows in this genre. THE WATERFRONT makes one feel that the writers spent time on the project. The locales do a lot for the show, creating its scorched-earth, sea-breeze mystique. And because there are people to connect with on a moral level, the opening two episodes keep viewers engaged.

The dominant worldview is one of Romanticism, with a slight possibility of a biblical moral element. Most of the characters act on the pleasure principle, driven by overtly selfish motives. The patriarch sleeps around and only steps back in when things go south, using a strong-arm approach until he runs into a bigger fish. The son works with drug dealers to earn money and restore the family’s fortunes. Both father and son eventually become drug runners trying to dig themselves out of a deep, dark hole they dug for themselves.

Besides one daughter, who seems appalled by the nature of her family and possibly the patriarch (depending on how the show develops this character), the series presents a deleterious den of wealthy people seeking to maintain their wealth by any means possible. Scenes of graphic violence and sexual material, again, along with strong language, lead Movieguide® to advise strong caution for adults.