Netflix's gritty new Western series, The Abandons, has made a dramatic entrance, captivating audiences and critics alike. The show, which debuted in full on December 4, 2025, has been praised as a potential rival to hits like Yellowstone, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats with its tense finale and hungry for a second season.
Behind the Scenes: From 10 Episodes to 7
The journey to the screen for The Abandons was far from straightforward. Initially, Netflix commissioned a ten-episode series back in October 2022, with screenwriter and director Kurt Sutter at the helm. However, the production encountered significant turbulence. A couple of years later, with just weeks of filming left, Sutter departed the project due to reported creative differences.
By that point, the episode order had already been reduced. It was first trimmed from ten to eight episodes, and finally settled at just seven. Only six episodes were fully in the can when Sutter left. Executive producers Otto Bathurst and Rob Askins were brought in to oversee the completion of filming and any necessary reshoots.
Creative Clashes and Budgetary Pressures
The shift in episode count was driven by a combination of creative and financial factors. A major point of contention was the length of the premiere. The initial cut of the dense first episode, which sets the scene for the large ensemble cast, came in at a staggering one hour and 40 minutes.
Streamlining it to a standard hour proved impossible. The solution was to split the material into two separate episodes, requiring the creation of a new cliffhanger and additional scenes to bridge the gap. This restructuring played a direct role in the evolving episode tally.
Simultaneously, across-the-board budget cuts at Netflix and other streamers impacted the show's scale. These financial constraints were a key reason behind the decision to ultimately reduce the series from its original ten-episode order down to the seven that viewers can now stream.
What is The Abandons About?
Set in the 1850s during the era of the Old West, the drama centres on a fierce land dispute between two families. Fiona Nolan, portrayed by Lena Headey, is a formidable matriarch who has painstakingly cultivated her land. She finds herself in a brutal conflict with the powerful Van Ness family, led by Constance Van Ness, played by Gillian Anderson, who are determined to seize her property.
All seven episodes of the series were released at once on Netflix, a slight deviation from the platform's typical eight or ten-episode seasons. Despite its truncated run, the show's compelling narrative and star-studded cast have secured its place as one of the platform's most talked-about new releases.
