Two rival matriarchs clash over land, loyalty and survival in the gritty 1854-set Western drama premiering Dec. 4.
Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey are set to face off in a new frontier drama, The Abandons, which will premiere on Dec. 4.
The series — anchored by two powerhouse performances — unfolds in Washington Territory in 1854 and pits two rival matriarchs against one another in a story of family, power and survival.
According to Netflix, Headey plays Fiona Nolan, a hardened figure who stands her ground on the town’s main street, while Anderson portrays Constance Van Ness, a woman of wealth and influence who looks down from a wooden balcony with the assurance of someone used to shaping the rules.
The collision of their households — one bound by blood and privilege, the other a found family of orphans and outcasts — is triggered by “two crimes, an awful secret, a star-crossed love, and a piece of land with silver underneath,” the series teases.
Executive producer Chris Keyser positions the show as a “classic American story” that uses the frontier to examine enduring questions: What makes a family? How do you remain good in a bad world? And how far will people go to protect what they love?
“Smack in the middle of murder and revenge and a bit of illicit romance, we get to explore questions we never seem to get away from,” Keyser says, adding that the drama is seen principally through Headey’s and Anderson’s characters — widowed matriarchs battling to survive.
First-look photos drop viewers directly into the tension. One image finds Fiona Nolan unmoved in the center of town; another frames Constance Van Ness watchfully overlooking the community she seeks to control.
A quieter shot hints at the human cost of the feud: Elias Teller (Nick Robinson) and Trisha Van Ness (Aisling Franciosi) captured in an intimate moment, suggesting a romance that will complicate loyalties and escalate the violence to come.
Supporting players include Diana Silvers as Dahlia Teller, Lamar Johnson as Albert Mason, Lucas Till as Garret Van Ness and Natalia del Riego as Lilla Belle. Together, the ensemble sketches a world where class conflict, frontier justice and buried secrets create a volatile mix.
The series promises a gritty, character-driven tale that balances sweeping Western trappings with intimate emotional stakes.
With Dec. 4 as its streaming debut, The Abandons positions itself as a winter drama that will appeal both to Western aficionados and viewers drawn to morally complex, family-centered storytelling.
