Netflix’s ‘The Waterfront’ follows the Buckley family of Havenport, North Carolina, as they try to fix their financial problems by indulging in criminal endeavours. When his father, Harlan Buckley, takes a backseat following health complications, it falls on Cane to ensure that his family survives. The task of running the family business would have been difficult on a normal day, but the pressure of keeping it going against all odds makes things even more impossible. This starts to affect his marriage with Peyton, and things between them get worse with the arrival of his old flame, Jenna. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Cane Turns to Jenna to Find Comfort in Difficult Times
When Cane was in high school, he had big dreams about his life. He played football and wanted to go pro, and the promise of an illustrious career came with a life he imagined with his then-girlfriend, Jenna. They were the “it couple,” who everyone thought would end up together. But then, Jenna moved on from the town, while Cane was held back by his father, which diverged their paths, and they ended up marrying different people. Still, years later, when they meet, it seems that the feelings between them still exist, especially since both of them are struggling to keep the spark of their marriages alive.
At the time, Jenna is married to someone else, while Cane is married to Peyton, who was also their schoolmate and is aware of their past relationship, like much of the town. Her father’s declining health drives Jenna’s return to Havenport, and her husband provides no comfort during this time. This is why, when Cane comes back to her life, it is easy for her to fall back into familiarity and seek the solace she couldn’t find in her current relationship. At the same time, Cane is feeling distant from Peyton, mainly because he is stressed with the affairs of his family business and cannot share his problems with her.
The more Peyton tries to pull him towards herself, the more he pushes away and turns to Jenna, with whom things seem much simpler. For the most part, they are drawn together by nostalgia, which makes them forget that they would be cheating on their partners. When Peyton senses what is happening between them, she leaves Cane to give him the space to figure out what he really wants. And it turns out that he wants Jenna. The threat of losing his wife doesn’t seem to deter him from running to Jenna when things get tough for him. Eventually, Peyton returns, and this time, when Cane goes to Jenna, he discovers that her feelings have changed. Her father has passed away, and in the time of this emotional crisis, Peyton becomes the friend Jenna desperately needs.
Even though Peyton knows that Jenna slept with her husband, she sets aside her anger to help Jenna plan her father’s funeral. This leads Jenna to realise how good Peyton is and how bad she has been to her. Out of respect for Peyton’s kindness, Jenna reflects on her affair with Cane and comes to the conclusion that both of them were going through difficult times during which being with each other was the easiest thing to do. However, that doesn’t make it right. So, when Cane comes to see her, she comes clean and tells him to end things between them, for good.
Peyton Gives Cane Another Chance
Despite Cane and Peyton being married for a few years now, everyone believes that Cane wouldn’t have married her if she hadn’t gotten pregnant. Considering that he still has feelings for Jenna, this seems to be a believable theory, even though Cane tries to rebut it when his sister asks him this question. He claims that he would have still married Jenna if her pregnancy were not in the picture, but he doesn’t seem entirely convinced of it. For all intents and purposes, Peyton should have left Cane. If he hadn’t already started to become distant, he becomes even more so with Jenna’s arrival.
The cheating part is enough to make her walk away. However, she tries to fix things with him at every turn. She makes it clear that she will not take cheating lightly, and even warns Jenna that she will do something bad if she doesn’t stop making a move at Cane. However, when the time comes, Peyton takes the high road and helps the woman she felt like killing. Throughout the season, Peyton shows nothing but her good side. She is supportive and protective of her husband. She even gives him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Jenna and even tries to be friends with her. But the betrayal chips away at her patience. Eventually, however, Cane realises that he must be honest with her about everything, including the problems with the family business and their new criminal activities.
When this happens, the block that had been placed between him and his wife disappears. Moreover, Jenna has also broken off things for good, which means that Cane has no one but Peyton, and it seems he is ready to finally appreciate his wife. In another act of goodness, Peyton decides to give Cane another chance to fix things between them. Now that she knows Jenna is out of the picture, and she has been finally brought into the loop with everything that has been going on so far, she is finally ready to claim her place in her marriage as well as the family, which is what should have happened a long time ago.
Read More: The Waterfront Ending Explained: Does Belle Betray Harlan?