Review of 'The Abandons': Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson Shine as Rival Mothers in Captivating Netflix Western

During Americas westward expansion in the 1800s, women rarely held positions of power. The harsh, unforgiving frontier demanded sacrifice from those inhabiting the land and often brutality from those claiming it. Netflix has occasionally explored stories where women take charge in this male-dominated era. In 2017, Godless portrayed a town run by widows defending their home, and more recently, American Primeval showed a widowed woman navigating 1857 Utah amid conflict with native tribes and settlers. Emily Blunts The English also explores similar themes.

Kurt Sutters The Abandons joins this lineage, offering a story of two mothers from different social standings clashing over their families. Lena Headey plays Fiona Mam Nolan, an Irish matriarch overseeing a patchwork family on a property known as The Abandons. After her husbands death, Fiona protects his children, Elias (Nick Robinson) and Dahlia (Diana Silvers), and welcomes other displaced individuals including Albert (Lamar Johnson), a freed Black teenager, and Lilla (Natalia del Riego), an indigenous girl.

Fionas guardianship draws the ire of Constance Van Ness (Gillian Anderson), a wealthy widow whose family dominates the town of Angel Ridge through their mining business. Constances attempts to acquire The Abandons for her expansion are repeatedly thwarted by Fionas steadfast refusal to sell. God gave us this home, Fiona tells Constance, who retorts with controlled sarcasm, highlighting their starkly different approaches to family and property.

Both women are driven by protecting their kin. Constances children, Garrett (Lucas Till), Willem (Toby Hemingway), and Trisha (Aisling Franciosi), live under her influence, embodying privilege and entitlement. Fionas unyielding faith and moral resolve stand in contrast to Constances calculated pragmatism. Their conflict, though simple in essencea battle over possessionreaches its strongest moments when the leads confront one another with unrestrained intensity.

Headey excels at conveying simmering emotion and strategic patience, reminiscent of her performance in Game of Thrones. Anderson, meanwhile, subverts expectations, portraying Constance as both menacing and composed, challenging Fionas role as a mother without descending into caricature. By the finale, both characters perceived control over their worlds erodes, allowing the actresses to fully embrace the climactic confrontation.

However, the series occasionally falters by overcomplicating its narrative. Constances ambitions entangle her with Russian arms dealers and a superfluous cowboy, while Fionas attempts to rally neighbors add subplots that dilute the central mother vs. mother tension. These distractions reduce the impact of the primary rivalry, leaving moments that could have been electrifying less potent.

Despite these missteps, the series shines when focusing on Headey and Andersons conflict, delivering compelling drama and highlighting the power struggles of women in the West. The Abandons is now available to stream on Netflix.

Author: Logan Reeves