Netflix’s new Western series ‘The Abandons’ has received a mixed review, with critics praising the performances of Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey while lamenting the show’s underdeveloped premise and abrupt ending. The series, set in 19th-century Washington and shot in Alberta, follows the rivalry between mining mogul Constance Van Ness (Anderson) and devout Irish matriarch Fiona Nolan (Headey).
The show’s chaotic production history is noted, with creator Kurt Sutter leaving before filming wrapped and an initial ten-episode order reduced first to eight then to just seven. Episodes often run closer to 30 minutes than 60, contributing to a sense that the story is compressed and incomplete. The review describes the finale as ending so abruptly that viewers might check for additional episodes.
While Anderson and Headey deliver solid performances as steely antiheroines, the supporting characters are unevenly developed. Diana Silvers’ Dahlia and Natalia del Riego’s Lilla Belle receive little screen time, and the origins of the found family at the story’s heart remain largely unexplained. The show’s graphic violence, a hallmark of Sutter’s previous work like ‘Sons of Anarchy’, is present but adds little depth.
Despite its flaws, the review notes that ‘The Abandons’ offers a better take on women in the Old West than Netflix’s 2017 series ‘Godless’. However, the underutilised cast and rushed storytelling leave the series feeling half-hearted. The title, referring to the neglected protagonists, proves apt in more ways than one.
