Gillian Anderson’s gritty period drama branded “absolutely outstanding” gets cancelled at Netflix

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Netflix has cancelled Gillian Anderson’s western drama, The Abandons, after only one season. The seven-episode show features Lena Headey and tells the story of a conflict between two groups: the wealthy Van Ness family, led by Constance, and a close-knit group of outcasts and orphans led by Fiona Nolan.

In 1854 Washington Territory, a bitter feud between families explodes into conflict over land ownership. According to a summary of the story, their destinies become intertwined through two crimes, a hidden secret, a forbidden romance, and a valuable piece of land containing a silver deposit.

People had very different reactions to the series. Some thought it was fantastic, while others weren’t impressed by the western period drama.

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The series bombed on Rotten Tomatoes with a woeful 30% score.

The show received negative reviews, with Variety calling it “strangely thin” and a disappointing exploration of an interesting idea. Other critics expressed similar dissatisfaction.

The Guardian described the show as a serious, but flawed, western, pointing out some weak writing. Others suggested a lack of chemistry between the two lead actors, Anderson and Headey, contributed to its lack of popularity.

Before its release, the Netflix series faced problems when Kurt Sutter, who created, ran, and produced the show, left the production due to disagreements about the creative direction, according to Variety. He departed just weeks before filming was set to finish.

In addition to Harry Connick Jr., The Abandons features Patton Oswalt and Marc Menchaca from Ozark. Nick Robinson, known for his work in Jurassic World, plays the character of Elias Teller. Robinson shared with the Seattle Times that he’s always loved Westerns like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars, and Silverado, and that’s what drew him to this role.

“It was such an extension of my own imagination and where I wanted it to go.”

The Abandons season one is available to stream now on Netflix.

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2026-01-22 18:50