With Anderson & Headey, This New Western Should've Been a Hit, but It's a Flop With 23% on RT

When Netflix announced a new Western from Kurt Sutter, the creator of the cult classic Sons of Anarchy, starring Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson, the project seemed to be one of the streaming service's top hopes.

However, The Abandons turned out to be a resounding disappointment – instead of the anticipated hit, viewers are left with a weak, plot-heavy drama.

What Is 'The Abandons' About?

The story is set in 1854 in the Wild West town of Angel's Ridge.

Fiona Nolan (Lena Headey), a devout Irishwoman who has adopted four children, is in a bitter struggle over her land with Constance Van Ness (Gillian Anderson), a greedy aristocrat who owns a mining company.

The conflict reaches a boiling point when Constance's son rapes Fiona's daughter. In a fit of rage, Fiona kills her assailant and conceals the truth, knowing that revealing it will lead to all-out war between the two clans.

Showrunner Kurt Sutter Left the Project Due to Creative Differences

Kurt Sutter, known for his love of gritty, twisted plots, originally conceived the series. However, he left the project just weeks before filming wrapped due to creative differences with Netflix.

Director Otto Bathurst finished the series. This behind-the-scenes conflict undoubtedly affected the final result, leaving The Abandons without cohesion or a clear artistic signature.

We can only wonder what the project might have been like if Sutter had had complete control.

'The Abandons' Is Overloaded With Side Storylines That Distract From the Main Conflict

One of The Abandons' main problems is its overwhelming abundance of unnecessary plotlines.

Rather than focusing on the epic confrontation between the two mothers, the creators dilute the narrative with superfluous plotlines, such as a bear attack and clashes between the army and Native Americans.

These subplots don't develop the characters or the world, rather, they artificially stretch the running time and distract from the only interesting story: the duel between Headey and Anderson, which is pushed to the very end.

'The Abandons' Is a Sluggish Western That Even the Lena Headey & Gillian Anderson Duo Can't Save

Despite the talent of these two outstanding actresses, their onscreen confrontation alone cannot carry the series. The Abandons is a Western sorely lacking in action and spectacle.

There are minimal shootouts, horse races, and duels, but an abundance of drawn-out dialogue and meaningful glances. The project tries to be a family saga, a melodrama, a love story, and a classic Western all at once, but fails to be convincing in any of these roles.

The result is a lazy, formulaic spectacle that fails to captivate even devoted fans of the genre.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Abandons'?

• The Abandons has 23% from critics and 48% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the series has a score of 6.1/10.