Netflix Cancelled 'The Waterfront,' and It's Clearly Topher Grace's Fault

Netflix has canceled Kevin Williamson’s The Waterfront after one season. I find this very upsetting, maybe even more so than the creator, Kevin Williamson, who was diplomatic in his response: “While I’m sad the Buckleys won’t be back for Season 2, I’m celebrating the joy that was Season 1.”

Good for you, Kevin. I’m ticked.

I’m ticked because it was a fun show. I’m ticked because it had a great cast—Holt McCallany, Melissa Benoist, Jake Weary, Maria Bello—and I’m ticked because the inferior Yellowstone series, Random Country or Ransom County or Ransom Cowbell or whatever the hell it was called—the one with Minka Kelly and dollar-store Olyphant—did get a renewal.

And here’s the thing about The Waterfront: It performed well. It spent five weeks in Netflix’s top ten, including three weeks at number one. Deadline reported that its completion rate was strong, too. And yes, costs have to be factored in, but I can’t imagine The Waterfront was wildly more expensive than Random Cowboy.

It all leads me to a conclusion, and there’s a spoiler here for those who may still watch, but it’s Topher Grace’s fault. Why? Because he was so devilishly good as the villain—it was the role Topher Grace was born to play—that Netflix didn’t think they could replicate the success of the first season without him. Seldom has one actor in an ensemble turned a good series into a great one—and this is all relative, because The Waterfront was B-A-N-A-N-A-S—but that’s exactly what Topher Grace did. He was too good. He was like a shot of adrenaline in a bull already bucking on 10 gallons of Mountain Dew. He chewed all the scenery, and he did so with villainous indifference. The man deserves an Emmy and a Razzie for the same performance.

God, it was fun.

I watch a lot of Netflix shows. Most of them come and go and are quickly forgotten (like Randy Countryman), but I enjoyed the hell out of The Waterfront, which burned through more plot in a single season than Ryan Murphy on a six-season renewal bender. I’m not saying it was great television, but man, I enjoyed the hell out of it, and that’s not something I can say for most Netflix shows.

Anyway, someone put Topher Grace in a Zach Cregger horror movie. And make him the villain. But if you want a franchise, don’t kill him off in the first film. Kevin Williamson, an iconic horror writer/director, gets it. He knew exactly what to do with Topher Grace. The rest of Hollywood needs to figure it out.