It is rare for a show to successfully make a comeback after a significant creative overhaul. While there have been exceptions over the years, particularly in long-running network television, it typically does not bode well when a creator leaves a show during production. This is the case for Kurt Sutter‘s The Abandons, marking the writer and director’s first project for any network or streaming service since FX’s one-and-done The Bastard Executioner a decade ago. The Western drama initially had strong potential based on both pedigree and premise; who wouldn’t want to watch a series featuring Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson as warring matriarchs in the 1850s, fighting for every scrap of land they can claim for their families?
Unfortunately, any discord that may have arisen between Sutter and executive parties behind the scenes — reportedly due to Netflix’s dissatisfaction with rough cuts of the series premiere — appears to have impacted the final product. Based on the seven episodes provided for review (the show was originally greenlit for 10, then trimmed to eight), The Abandons falls short of being the female-forward Deadwood replacement many hoped for. Despite the immense talent of its leads, Headey and Anderson’s best scenes cannot compensate for sluggish pacing and an uneven focus, which leads to sidelining the story’s most compelling characters and elements, culminating in a chaotic rush to resolve every dangling narrative thread.
What Is ‘The Abandons’ About?
In the fictional town of Angel’s Ridge, within the largely unsettled Washington Territory, two families are at odds in an ongoing land war, where privilege and wealth are occasionally outmatched by scrappy resourcefulness. Constance Van Ness (Anderson), a widow and mother of three, is the town’s de facto authority (think Ian McShane‘s Al Swearengen, only with much less… well, swearing), someone even the sheriff defers to when legal matters arise. Her ruthless ambition drives her to extract as much wealth as possible from her land — literally, as her fortune comes from mining silver — while removing any obstacles that might hinder her control. In many ways, Fiona Nolan (Headey) stands in stark contrast to Constance, having fought hard to achieve even a fraction of her success. Without biological children of her own, Fiona has adopted several orphans, creating a family that looks different from others in Angel’s Ridge but fights just as fiercely to protect what is theirs.
Their offspring frequently cross paths due to Fiona and Constance’s ongoing conflict, compounded by the fact that Angel’s Ridge is a small town. Willem (Toby Hemingway), Constance’s volatile older son, is interested in Fiona’s adoptive daughter, Dahlia Teller (Diana Silvers), though she consistently rejects him. Meanwhile, Dahlia’s brother, Elias (Nick Robinson), may secretly harbor feelings for Constance’s daughter Trisha (Aisling Franciosi), who prefers practicing piano over anything else. Constance’s other son, Garret (Lucas Till), strives to impress his mother but often becomes a laughingstock due to his inexperience and bravado.
A late-night ambush on Fiona’s land results in the loss of some cattle, prompting Dahlia to publicly chastise Willem, whose wounded pride leads him to seek revenge later. The events of that fateful night create ripple effects that threaten to deepen the rift between both families, potentially culminating in the complete destruction of Angel’s Ridge. The lengths Fiona and her children go to cover up what truly happened draw various allies and enemies into the fray, including Miles (Sons of Anarchy‘s Ryan Hurst), a gentle giant neighbor who questions Fiona’s recklessness but harbors his own secrets; Xavier Roache (Game of Thrones‘ Michiel Huisman), Constance’s new hired hand who has no qualms about getting his hands dirty; and Jack Cree (Michael Greyeyes), Constance’s loyal enforcer who begins to doubt his loyalty as she makes increasingly ruthless decisions.
Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey’s Strong Performances Can’t Save ‘The Abandons’ Uneven Pacing
The concept alone held great promise for The Abandons, and in one significant aspect, the series delivers. Casting two iconic actors known for their powerful portrayals typically ensures success. Gillian Anderson imbues Constance Van Ness with a frosty demeanor that gradually reveals something much more primal; by the time her facade melts away, she transforms from chilling to terrifying. Where Constance represents ice, Lena Headey’s Fiona embodies fire — quick to throw a punch before asking questions once the blood has dried. Unfortunately, this impulsiveness leads her into increasingly precarious situations; however, Headey’s performance (despite an uneven Irish accent) convincingly portrays Fiona as someone who will defy odds to protect her family. Whenever these two share the screen, it’s electrifying, though their gravitas cannot overcome fundamental weaknesses in pacing and plotting.
A handful of intriguing characters orbit around The Abandons‘ two strongest pillars, but the show lacks sufficient time to develop all of them adequately. It’s no surprise that the forbidden romance between Franciosi’s Tricia and Robinson’s Elias garners significant attention; their dynamic is one of the most captivating aspects. Franciosi excels in period dramas but shines brightest when her characters’ quiet poise begins to unravel — this holds true for her role in The Abandons. Similarly, Till’s Garret starts off as Van Ness’s failson with numerous unresolved mommy issues — one moment underscores this without subtlety — but he improves significantly once he stops alternating between delivering wooden speeches and throwing childish tantrums about his leadership potential.
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Unfortunately, other supporting characters do not receive nearly as much development or growth, with their scenes scattered throughout the season merely serving as breaks from the main conflict. Fiona’s other two children, Albert Mason (The Last of Us‘ Lamar Johnson) and Lilla Belle (Natalia del Riego), are largely siloed into their own storylines; Lilla earns no meaningful dialogue or interactions that could strengthen her dynamics with her adopted siblings. Johnson arguably delivers one of the show’s most intriguing performances but is never fully developed beyond a promising new vocation and an equally charming romance that blossoms late in the season. Even Silvers’ Dahlia suffers from underdevelopment beyond her initial trauma at Willem’s hands — this detracts from the overall narrative impact. On a broader scale, other glaring issues emerge: most notably how Indigenous representation is treated merely as window dressing within its established world. As the season approaches its conclusion, focus shifts towards an action sequence with unconvincing visual effects at best; it becomes challenging to generate excitement when most involved characters lack sufficient depth for any potential losses to resonate.
It’s hard not to ponder what The Abandons might have looked like had Sutter remained at its helm throughout production. In his absence, the Netflix western series fails to maintain significant narrative momentum despite its two leading powerhouses. Episodes vary widely in runtime — some nearing an hour while others barely reach 35 minutes — ultimately harming both story cohesion and character development. There may have been initial promise in its premise when The Abandons was first announced — especially within a genre seldom led by women onscreen — but the sluggish final product assembled after Sutter’s departure cannot rely solely on Anderson and Headey’s strengths.
