Must-Watch Western Series with Game of Thrones, X-Files Stars Will Obsess You!

December is packed on Netflix. Between the final season of Stranger Things and the return of Emily in Paris, a new series premieres today: The Abandons. This brutal Western stars Gillian Anderson (X-Files, The Crown, Sex Education) in a role unlike any we’ve seen her in before and Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) exploring a vastly different character. And let’s just say: it’s going to be bloody.

And it’s no coincidence: The Abandons is the brainchild of Kurt Sutter, yes, the creator behind the bikers of Sons of Anarchy!

Two Women, Two Empires, One Territory

It’s 1854 in Washington Territory. On one side, Constance Van Ness (Gillian Anderson), a ruthless matriarch of a wealthy mining dynasty. On the other, Fiona Nolan (Lena Headey), an Irish immigrant and devout woman who has formed a makeshift family out of orphans and outcasts. We’re not giving you their stats, but they’re definitely in a relentless showdown.

The two factions are entwined in a fierce competition over lands that harbor a silver mine, two crimes, a dreadful secret, and… an impossible love.

“It’s a classic American tale: the frontier, two families at war yet in love with each other, and a battle over who owns the land and who makes the rules,” explains executive producer Christopher Keyser to Tudum.

“With murders, vengeance, and forbidden romance, we explore questions that constantly haunt us: What makes a family? How do you remain good in a bad world? And would you change who you are and what you believe to protect what you love?“

A Western Reimagined with Women at the Forefront

Unlike traditional Westerns centered on lone cowboys, The Abandons redefines the frontier myth with women wielding their own form of power. And honestly, it’s not so different from the men.

“But this time, we do it all through the eyes of Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson, as two widowed matriarchs fighting to survive. And that… is really something to see,” promises Keyser.

Fiona, a nurturing mother and warrior, leads her adopted children – Elias (Nick Robinson), Dahlia (Diana Silvers), Albert (Lamar Johnson), and Lilla Belle (Natalia del Riego) – with an iron fist in a velvet glove. Her creed: moral authority and loyalty, even when her choices have devastating consequences.

Opposing her, Constance rules over her clan – her ambitious son Garret (Lucas Till), her rebellious daughter Trisha (Aisling Franciosi), and her eldest son Willem (Toby Hemingway) – with an iron fist, plain and simple.

A Menu of “Blood, Betrayal, and Brutality”

The series promises a slew of shootouts and bloody vendettas, all justified or excused on the grounds of protecting what one calls family. Fiona’s belief that adopting orphans serves a higher purpose clashes with Constance’s vision of privilege and legacy.

And while the two women are desperate to keep their families together, the series doesn’t shy away from showing the brutal compromises they will make along the way. In six episodes, The Abandons is set to be the most violent and female-focused Western on the platform. Fans of the Yellowstone universe or the dawn of America should not be disappointed.

The Abandons is now available on Netflix.

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