Waterfront

In 1919, Peter McCabe, a ship's fireman, sets off to sea and leaves his wife Nora behind in a Liverpool slum. She struggles to make ends meet with two young daughters and a son born shortly after his departure, while the fear of his absence hangs over them. Nora's resentment grows as the family endures hardship with little word from him.

George Alexander McCabe, aged 12, wins a scholarship, and Nora and George celebrate by going to the Empire Theatre in Liverpool. During the celebration, George's exuberance leads to an accidental shove that strikes a man on the back of the head with his lollipop. The man, Ben, is an engineer on a ship and is immediately drawn to Nora, setting the stage for a later romance.

Nora develops a romance with Ben, an engineer who plans to marry her after his next voyage. A severe economic slump idles the docks, leaving Ben out of work for two years. Nora stands by him, hoping for a future together despite the hardship.

Peter McCabe returns unexpectedly after fourteen years. He visits Liverpool, rejects a demotion and quits his job due to his troublemaking reputation. Nora is shocked and wary of his sudden reappearance, while his absence has left scars on the family.

During his return, McCabe dallies with a blonde acquaintance and soon learns of the existence of his son. The revelation deepens the tension in the family as old wounds resurface. He heads to the pub afterward, where alcohol loosens his control.

The Benediction's second engineer mocks McCabe; they fight outside a pub, and McCabe ends the brawl by slicing the man's throat with a razor, getting arrested. The shocking act exposes the volatile tension simmering behind his return. His arrest triggers a deadly twist of fate for the ship's crew.

In a twist, Ben learns of the Benediction's dead man's post and applies immediately, winning the job as second engineer. He later learns that the ship will sail at midnight, and he must inform Nora of the news. The chain of events ties their fates to the same vessel.

The Benediction sets sail at midnight, giving Ben only a chance to send a note to Nora before departure. Nora senses something ominous and waits to hear from him, all while the family is drawn farther into the ship's shadowy future.

Police arrive to tell Mrs. McCabe that her husband has been arrested, and Nora suddenly realises the cruel coincidence that his absences echo her own past. The same pattern that kept them apart now intersects with their present lives.

Rather than heading out to sea, the Benediction is diverted to Manchester for three days, giving Ben time to visit Nora and they marry shortly after. The impetuous shortcut to marriage marks a moment of hopeful union amid the ship's ominous fate.

Mrs. McCabe goes to the police station to see her husband, only to learn he has been moved to Walton Jail. She visits him in his cell and attempts to understand the tangled web of their family's past.

George, waiting outside in his school uniform, enters the jail to recite a Latin poem for his father. The gesture is a poignant moment that underscores the strained yet intimate bond between father and son.