The Abandons review: New Netflix western is no Yellowstone, but Gillian Anderson shines
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Who knew Taylor Sheridan’s titanic reign at Paramount would be such a disaster for Netflix? Well, just about everyone – and the new western series The abandoned completely proves it.
Let’s set the scene. Instead of the usual Kevin Costner-style male-dominated environment, two matriarchs rule this version of the Wild West. Wealthy tyrant Constance Van Ness (Gillian Anderson) rules the town of Angel’s Ridge with an iron fist, determined to control every inch of it.
The Abandons is cursed by an environment beyond Netflix’s control
Look on it
If a broadcaster or major broadcaster airs a western these days, we watch it with intense scrutiny. Ten years ago, no one would have batted an eyelid, but the genre has been single-handedly resurrected thanks to the partnership between Sheridan and Paramount. While he continues to produce hit shows, that doesn’t really leave room for anyone else.
For Netflix, this means that any content that isn’t automatically a hit is likely to be forgotten, and I think The Abandons falls into that category. He had more success with new romantic western shows like Ransom Canyonand I think if the streamer wants to be an industry leader in the genre, that’s where it needs to direct its efforts.
This gives the impression that The abandoned is absolutely terrible, and it’s quite the opposite. However, this doesn’t stray too far from “good”. Each element of its composition is solid and meets its needs, but exceptional? Memorable? I’m not so sure.
Part of the problem is how the overall storyline plays out. In Episode 1, we’re thrown into a myriad of plotlines that aren’t well explained – and I don’t mean that it naturally has to keep us in suspense, like in a murder mystery.
As an example, Fiona is from Ireland and managed to bring together a found family at Abandons Ranch in a few years. How she got to America and how they all ended up becomes complicated too quickly.
I’m all for a bit of “show, don’t tell”, but I need enough understanding to fully embrace the Western illusion. Instead, I struggle like a spectator caught in the middle of a gunslinger’s duel. This effect continues throughout the series, and it’s not an incredible incentive to continue bingeing.
Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey rule the house
However, it’s not all doom and gloom: let’s do my favorite thing in the world and talk about Gillian Anderson. I don’t think it’s his best role of the year (it would be in Intrusions on Channel 4 in the UK), but its performance is never bad. Obviously, because she’s Gillian Anderson.
Constance Van Ness is everything you want in an archetypal villain and remains calculated, cold and cruel in every decision she makes. She’s literally on her high horse here, metaphorically (and sometimes physically) kicking every person and dog who dares to get in her way. For a Gillian Anderson fan, it’s everything you could want, and I see more YouTube fan edits in her future.
Of course, Lena Headey isn’t far behind Anderson. Fiona is as tenacious as she is decisive, almost single-handedly driving the plot forward with dangerous incidents and turns. At the same time, she is reserved and elusive, and the desire to learn more about her becomes overwhelming. The scenes between the two are actually rare, but when they do happen, they are golden.
Obviously whatever these two are in automatically carries more weight, but to say the good in The abandoned rests solely on their shoulders, it’s not fair. Their cast is strong and the ranch, Angel’s Ridge, and the natural beauty of the countryside are almost all characters in their own right.
I don’t think Netflix’s new western will be the most satisfying TV binge this December, but you won’t waste your time watching it either. It’s certainly a budget version of a Taylor Sheridan show (metaphorically speaking, not in terms of production value), but if you’re a fan of our leading ladies, The abandoned is a slam dunk.
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