Angel’s Ridge, Washington Territory, 1854. The air is dusty, a saloon stands on the main street, horses are tied up outside, and the place carries an ineffable feeling of—let’s call it manifest destiny. The only color the settlers seem to have brought with them is sepia. But wait—what’s this? The owner of the local silver mine riding into town? And it’s a woman! In a western?
Yes, indeed. Not only that, but she’s played by Gillian Anderson (in full ice-queen mode, despite the dust) and she clearly means trouble. And there’s a second woman ready to go toe-to-toe with her, battling for the soul of the town over the eight episodes of The Abandons, the latest series from Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter. Its co-lead is Lena Headey as Fiona Nolan, a devout Irish Catholic woman who has gathered a ragtag family of orphans and outcasts around her in Jasper Hollow. Unfortunately, Jasper Hollow sits on silver deposits that Constance Van Ness (Anderson’s mine-owner) is determined to control to satisfy one of her investors.
The Nolan homestead and cattle ranch, along with the lands of three other hard-working families in the Hollow, have been hit by a streak of bad luck ever since Van Ness set her sights on their property. After Constance’s latest visit, masked men drive Fiona’s cattle to a cliff edge—only the bravery of her plucky orphans prevents a bovine massacre.
“Her tyranny’s getting worse!” says orphan Elias (Nick Robinson), in a moment where the script feels less like A Fistful of Dollars and more like The Gilded Age heading west. But he’s right, and the sheriff, a dirty dog, won’t lift a finger. So begins the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, right and might, blood family and chosen family. Add to that faith versus godlessness, loyalty versus betrayal, legal justice versus moral justice. It’s a very black-and-white era.
But westerns can’t survive on abstract struggles alone. We need emotional investment, so when Constance’s dissolute but beloved son Willem (Toby Hemingway) tries to rape Elias’s sister Dahlia (Diana Silvers), she kills him with a pitchfork. The Nolans hide the body, but Constance sniffs out guilt like a mongoose in a bustle and doubles down on destroying them. Fiona, in turn, redoubles her efforts to unite Jasper Hollow’s four families against this tyranny. In the end, a dead dog sways the vote, and the fight is truly on.
Also in the mix is outlaw Roache (Michiel Huisman), who bonds with Constance’s daughter over a shared love of Schubert—and we all know where that can lead. She and Elias have also been making eyes at each other, no small feat in all that dust. Timothy V. Murphy joins as Father Duffy, Fiona’s childhood friend and lifelong support. But is it wise to trust a priest in this genre? Is it ever? We’ll see.
Like many westerns, The Abandons can be frustrating because it takes itself so very seriously. Perhaps as the U.S. matures, it will learn to laugh at itself a bit more, or at least allow more light and shade into these retellings of its origins. For now, the result often feels too heavy to truly take flight.
Does it help that the warring protagonists are matriarchs instead of patriarchs? A little. But the novelty wears off quickly when their concerns remain the same: protecting their family legacy—whether born or built—and rallying hardscrabble folks against the privileged, seemingly untouchable few.Get a weekly newsletter in your inbox every Monday. Enter your email address to sign up.
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Many of the themes in The Abandons were explored more effectively and with greater nuance in the 2022 series The English—a revisionist western from Hugo Blick, starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer as two wanderers discovering the meaning of freedom. Still, The Abandons remains a thoughtful and fundamentally solid production, and the writing improves in quality, if not depth. Ultimately, the show succeeds because myths, by their nature, always do. You root for the Nolans to triumph, you want corruption defeated, and you long to see moral order restored. In a stubbornly un-mythical real world, we need our stories. The Abandons is now streaming on Netflix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the review of The Abandons framed as questions a viewer might ask
General Beginner Questions
Q What is The Abandons
A Its a Netflix western drama series created by Kurt Sutter starring Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey It follows a group of outcast families defending their land from a powerful mining corporation in the 1850s
Q Is the show worth watching
A Reviews are mixed It has a strong cast and production value but many critics say its overly serious and suffers from a slow pace and some awkward dialogue It depends on your tolerance for a very grim deliberate western
Q Why are people saying Gillian Anderson is overly serious in it
A Her character Fiona Nolan is written as a stern determined matriarch Some reviewers feel Andersons performance is relentlessly grim without enough emotional variation which can make the character feel onenote
About the Criticisms Questionable Script Moments
Q What does questionable script moments mean in the reviews
A It refers to lines of dialogue or plot developments that feel clichéd unnatural or overly melodramatic These moments can take viewers out of the story because they feel forced or unearned
Q Can you give an example of a questionable script moment
A Without major spoilers critics have pointed to some overly expositional dialogue and sudden character decisions that seem driven more by plot necessity than believable motivation
Q Is the shows tone a problem
A For some yes The review suggests its unrelentingly grim and selfserious lacking the moments of levity or moral complexity that can make a dark story feel more balanced and engaging
Q Does the show have pacing issues
A Many reviews indicate it does The story develops very slowly focusing heavily on building a grim atmosphere which may test the patience of viewers looking for more action or narrative momentum
Advanced Practical Viewer Questions
Q How does The Abandons compare to other Kurt Sutter shows like Sons of Anarchy
A It shares Sutters trademarks of family loyalty violence and moral ambiguity within a
