Netflix’s The Abandons arrives dressed like a prestige western: dusty landscapes, simmering grudges, and a cast stacked with recognisable faces. What could go wrong? A frontier setting plus morally grey characters is a formula that has delivered everything from Deadwood to Godless. In practice, though, The Abandons feels like a checklist of Western clichés stitched together without much conviction.
From the opening episodes, the show signals its intentions clearly — land disputes, revenge, rugged individualism — but rarely digs deeper than the surface. What should feel raw and dangerous instead plays out flatly, as if the series is going through the motions of the genre rather than engaging with it.
Even Big Names Can’t Save It
One of the main draws of The Abandons is its cast. Lena Headey, forever associated with the steely menace of Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones), brings her usual intensity. Gillian Anderson, whose career ranges from the cool intelligence of Dana Scully (The X-Files) to regal authority in The Crown, is similarly committed. The problem isn’t effort — it’s material.
Both actors feel boxed in by thin characterisation. Headey’s character leans heavily on familiar “tough frontier woman” tropes, while Anderson’s role never quite escapes predictable beats. You keep waiting for a moment of subversion or emotional complexity, but it rarely comes. Strong performances can elevate average writing, but they can’t perform miracles.
A Western Built on Familiar Tropes
If you’ve watched more than a handful of westerns, The Abandons will feel instantly recognisable — and not in a good way. Brooding stares across saloon tables, slow-burning feuds, and dialogue that sounds like it was lifted from a genre handbook all make appearances.
Compare this to more recent genre entries. Godless used its western setting to explore community and trauma. Deadwood revelled in messy, profane humanity. Even Yellowstone, for all its excesses, understands how to inject modern stakes into an old framework. The Abandons never find that hook. It borrows the genre's aesthetics without adding a compelling perspective of its own.
Pacing Problems and Emotional Flatness
Another issue is pacing. Episodes often feel stretched, with long stretches of tension that never quite pay off. When violence or major plot turns do arrive, they lack impact because the emotional groundwork hasn’t been properly laid.
This emotional flatness is ultimately what hurts the show the most. Westerns thrive on big feelings — loss, rage, loyalty, desperation. Here, those emotions are muted, leaving the series feeling strangely bloodless despite its harsh setting.
A Missed Opportunity
The Abandons isn’t offensively bad; it’s simply underwhelming. For a show with this cast and this genre, that might be the biggest sin of all. If you’re a die-hard Western fan, you may find some comfort in the familiar imagery. Everyone else will likely wonder how a project with so much potential ended up feeling so lifeless.
In the end, The Abandons proves that even big names and big hats can’t save a story that has nothing new to say.
Suggestion: If you're a fan of Westerns, check out American Primeval.
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