The Waterfront fans look upset about the Netflix crime drama's cancellation despite "higher viewership than Ransom Canyon and Department Q."

The Waterfront is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Netflix has decided not to bring the crime drama back for a second season, and fans are baffled.

The numbers were there, the buzz was there, but still, the axe fell. As Reddit user lightsongtheold wrote,

“Bit of a shock cancellation. It was not a big viewership hit but it did solid numbers and got higher viewership than Ransom Canyon and Department Q. Figured that would see this renewed.”

So why did this happen? Fans have plenty to say.

Fans can’t believe Netflix pulled the plug on The Waterfront

If you were following The Waterfront from its June debut, you probably remember how quickly it caught on. For weeks, it stayed in Netflix's global Top 10, even climbing to No.1 more than once.

That's not something many first-season shows can brag about. With Holt McCallany, Maria Bello, Melissa Benoist, and Jake Weary leading the Buckley family saga, the show had the mix of crime, family drama, and slow-burn tension that fans compare to Ozark and Bloodline.

The decision to cancel stung even more because shows with weaker numbers, like Ransom Canyon and Department Q, were picked up for another run. That's exactly why the fan community is so fired up.

Reddit user HRJafael pointed out;

“I wonder how much this show cost versus the other two renewed shows. It's the only thing I can think of when you take away the viewership aspect, unless the numbers weren't as high as people thought.”

And other fans felt that same frustration, too.

Reddit user lightsongtheold followed up by saying,

“It had to be cost or completion rates that hurt this one compared to Department Q and Ransom Canyon. From the raw numbers they report this definitely looked like a solid bet for renewal. Either that or Netflix just decided they had renewed enough bubble shows in 2025 so far and The Waterfront was just unlucky.”

For many, this theory makes sense as Netflix has been on a streak of renewals this year, and perhaps the streamer felt the lineup was already crowded.

However, Some fans, like x_lincoln_x, even joked by saying;

“It was on Netflix so how much of a shock was it that it got canceled?”

Still, fans can't shake the feeling that this one was cut too soon.

Why The Waterfront deserved another season

The heart of The Waterfront was the Buckley family. They were messy, powerful, and fascinating to watch. Harlan Buckley, played by Holt McCallany, brought that intimidating presence of a patriarch trying to keep his empire alive, while Maria Bello's Belle and Jake Weary's Cane took risky dives to save the family legacy.

Melissa Benoist's Bree gave the show its most 'humaness', battling her addiction while struggling to reconnect with her son. These characters weren't perfect, and that's why viewers couldn't stop watching.

Even creator Kevin Williamson had plans brewing for where the series could go. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he shared that Season 2 would have introduced the Parker family as the next big conflict, saying;

"The Parker family would become season two's big conflict. We've only met Emmett and his father. There are more Parker family members and they will prove to be equally as complicated as the Buckleys - and more dangerous than Grady could ever be."

But instead of giving audiences more of that drama, Netflix chose to move on. While Williamson later posted on his Instagram mentioning how proud he was of the show he had created, and now, the fandom can't help but feel shortchanged.

As Reddit user Citizen51 explained;

"Can't speak for Department Q, but Ransom Canyon seems to be right up their Virgin River-esque alley that Netflix likes to sit in. I don't think it always comes down to the total views but who is watching and what the watch patterns of those demographics are like."

In short, The Waterfront may not have fit neatly into Netflix's preferred lane, even though the audience was clearly there.

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The end of The Waterfront feels like unfinished business. Fans invested in the Buckleys’ chaos and resilience, only to have the story cut short just as it was finding its rhythm. With solid numbers and a creator eager to expand the world, it’s no wonder fans are upset.

Cancelations like this leave audiences wary of committing to new Netflix dramas, because even when a show succeeds, there’s no guarantee it will live on.

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