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The Abandons Debuts on Netflix With Star Power and Divided Reviews

Late-season changes plus Sutter’s exit frame a female-led Western many critics call uneven.

Overview

  • Netflix premiered the seven-episode Western on December 4.
  • Set in 1854 Washington Territory, the story pits widowed matriarchs Constance Van Ness and Fiona Nolan in a brutal land feud.
  • Gillian Anderson portrays Constance in what she describes as her first explicit villain role.
  • Early critiques diverge: Newsday labels the series a misfire with disjointed writing, while the Observer deems it stylish yet insubstantial.
  • Coverage notes creator Kurt Sutter’s withdrawal over creative differences and Otto Bathurst’s direction as key context for the finished season.