Warning! Spoilers for The Waterfront season 1 ahead!The Waterfrontseason 1 was full of surprises, but I was exceptionally shocked that one character survived to the very end. This Netflix series follows the Buckleys, a powerful family that runs a fishery and restaurant in a small coastal town. It’s ultimately revealed that their wealth didn’t just come from seafood, however.The Buckleys have historically been involved in trafficking heroin, and though they got out of the business long ago, their desperate financial situation pushed them to get back into the highly dangerous work just before the start ofThe Waterfrontseason 1.
The patriarch of theBuckley family inThe Waterfrontis Harlan Buckley, who started the family business with his late father, Beau, years prior. Beau’s death is why Harlan decided to break free of drug trafficking, since his father had betrayed the family’s suppliers, the Parkers, and got himself assassinated for it. Cane and Belle Buckley, however, hoped that dipping back into the business could solve their financial troubles. Of course, they quickly learned just how dangerous this decision really was. Luckily,everyone made it out oftheWaterfrontseason 1alive—something I didn’t expect.
Harlan Buckley’s Survival In The Waterfront Was Season 1’s Biggest Surprise
The Waterfront Frequently Draws Attention To Harlan’s Poor Health
From the very first introduction of Harlan Buckley inThe Waterfrontseason 1, it was clear that he had some significant health issues. Prior to the events of the first episode, he must have suffered a significant cardiac event. He now has a pacemaker and is supposed to adhere to the doctor’s orders of sobriety and a healthy diet. However, despite Belle’s insistence that her husband follow through, Harlan was almost always drinking inThe Waterfrontseason 1. Then,when he was forced back into the drug trade, the strain put on his heart became even more intense.
It really seemed as ifthe Waterfrontwas foreshadowing Harlan’s death—or at least a massive medical emergency—from the very first episode. Any time the Buckley patriarch was put in a high-stress or high-violence situation (which was often), I thought for sure that it would be the beginning of the end. Of course,The Waterfrontseason 1 came and went with no significant consequences in the way of Harlan’s heart troubles.
Harlan Probably Should’ve Died After The Waterfront’s Man-O-War Scene
How Long Can Harlan’s Heart Hold Up?
There was one moment in particular that I was sure would be the end for Harlan Buckley. The family’snew supplier inThe Waterfront, Grady, was unpredictable and dangerous. Though he appeared to be light-hearted, kind, and energetic, he acknowledged that he is a diagnosed sociopathic narcissist with absolutely no remorse for violence and cruelty. At the very first sign that Harlan wasn’t going to play the game by Grady’s chaotic rules, the younger man pulled out a rather unique punishment.Grady placed several Portuguese man-o-war on Harlanas a form of slow torture.
The fact that Beau Buckley died as a result of their drug trafficking endeavors is already a bad sign for Harlan, and the heart issues surely don’t help.
Grady intended only to punish Harlan, not kill him. However, I was sure that the strain of this torture would be too much for the Buckley patriarch’s heart. Itwas even mentioned later that man-o-war stings are only life-threatening if they cause a cardiac event. Somehow, though, Harlan came out of it all with little more than scars. It seems that the medical device in his chest is doing its job rather well. Harlan has survived being beaten bloody and tortured by venomous sea creatures, not to mention the high-energy gun fights and traumatic experiences.
Though Harlan’s heart troubles came to nothing inThe Waterfront, even during Grady’s torture with the man-o-war, it seems likely that this plotline will amount to something going into season 2. The fact that Beau Buckley died as a result of their drug trafficking endeavors is already a bad sign for Harlan, and the heart issues surely don’t help. Though this character survivedThe Waterfrontseason 1,it would be a miracle if he makes it through to the series' finale.
