Netflix’s The Waterfront is a show about many things: organized crime, the decline of the fishing industry, tossing men into the ocean blue and hijacking their boat carrying millions of dollars worth of drugs. More than anything, The Waterfront is about family, and the many ways in which families love, hate, destroy, and ultimately need each other. If you’re the type of viewer who keeps mixing up who’s who, all the maritime family drama can get pretty confusing. Don’t worry — we here at Decider have got you covered. 

Set in the fictional coastal town of Havenport, North Carolina, the series follows the Buckleys as they try to keep their floundering fishing business above water. When two heart attacks leave the family patriarch out of commission, his wife and son must make shady drug deals to keep on top of finances. But what role does each character play in the tangled fishing line of the Buckley family tree? Here’s a full breakdown to help you navigate the complex family dynamics.

The Buckley Family

• Harlan (Holt McCallany): Husband to Belle and father to Cane and Bree, Harlan is the type of character who’s hard to pin down. Is he a myth, a monster, or just a man who knows how to shoot whiskey and cover his tracks long enough to build up a fishing empire in his deceased father’s name? Harlan wanted to leave the fishery’s criminal past in the 80’s, but after his heart attacks leave him incapacitated, he’s no longer the one driving the boat.
• Belle (Maria Bello): As a wife, mother of two, and sudden owner of the Buckley family restaurant, Belle is a complex woman. Her and Harlan’s marriage is beyond strained, with Belle having full knowledge of her husband’s ongoing affair. Despite the resentment she holds, Belle isdetermined to do whatever it takes in order to keep the family legacy intact.
• Cane (Jake Weary): You can look up Cane’s picture in the dictionary next to the definition of “daddy issues.” He gets wrapped up in the fishery’s illegal operations to do right by his ailing father, despite his ongoing bitterness about leaving his college football dreams behind for the family business. He is also married to Peyton and has a daughter with her.
• Bree (Melissa Benoist): As the previous manager of the fishery’s finances, Buckley daughter Bree has fallen from grace. She is now a recovering alcoholic attempting to win back the trust of her parents and her teenage son, Diller, after losing him in the custody battle.

Other Characters

• Jenna Tate (Humbrey González): As Cane’s high school sweetheart, Jenna isn’t a direct member of the Buckley clan, but she makes an impact. When she returns to Havenport to care for her sick father, she finds that Cane may still have feelings for her.
• Shawn West (Rafael L. Silva): Shawn may not be related to the Buckleys, but he sure is interested in them. As the restaurant’s newly-hired bartender, he holds a secret that could sink the family business for good.
• Grady (Topher Grace): Imagine if a menacing drug lord looked like he was about to recommend Bitcoin to you, and that’s Grady. Don’t let appearances fool you; Grady’s lighthearted disposition is a cover for some seriously sadistic behavior as the Buckleys become entangled in his opioid smuggling business.

All episodes of The Waterfront are available on Netflix.