If you want better soundtrack quality
Choose Spartacus: House of Ashur. It scores 5.0 vs 1.0 for soundtrack quality, with a 3.6 overall score.
The Abandons Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for Anderson and Headey’s fierce rivalry, strong production design, and quick seven-episode run. Skip it if you need deep characters, natural dialogue, steady pacing, or a resolved finale.
Best for
Best for viewers who want a short, female-led Western built around a bitter family feud, strong star presence, handsome production design, and melodramatic tension.
Not for
Not for viewers who need deep ensemble characterization, natural dialogue, consistent pacing, strong historical immersion, or a season that ends with clear resolution.
Verdict
The Abandons has a strong hook and two formidable leads, and that is enough to keep parts of the seven-episode Western watchable. Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey earn the most consistent praise, especially when their rival matriarchs finally share the screen, while production design, costumes, scenery, and occasional action also land well. The tradeoff is substantial: reviewers repeatedly describe the writing as shallow or clumsy, supporting characters as underdeveloped, and the pacing as either rushed or slow. The season’s fractured structure and unresolved cliffhanger make those weaknesses harder to overlook. Viewers who enjoy soapy family feuds and star-driven Westerns may still have fun, but the series rarely turns its promising premise into the deeper, more distinctive drama many critics expected.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
61 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.05 (8%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.48 (13%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.412 (20%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.421 (34%)
-
Very negative below 1.515 (25%)
Pros
-
Anderson and Headey are the most consistent strength across reviews. Even negative critics often say their presence, rivalry, and commitment keep the show watchable.
-
Production design is among the strongest technical areas, with frequent praise for sets, locations, scenery, and period scale. Some critics still find parts too polished or visibly constructed.
-
The clearest chemistry comes from the central matriarchs. Reviewers repeatedly say the series heats up when Anderson and Headey finally share scenes.
-
Costume work is generally a strength, from Anderson’s tailored wardrobe to broader period clothing. A few reviewers note that some outfits look too clean or curated for the frontier.
-
The short seven-episode run can go down quickly, and a few reviewers call it an easy or engrossing binge. Confusing plotting and weak middle episodes reduce that pull for others.
-
The central feud can generate strong tension, especially near the end and when the leads confront one another. Predictability and weak character investment blunt suspense for several critics.
Cons
-
The cliffhanger is one of the most consistent complaints. Reviewers call it abrupt, perfunctory, clumsy, frustrating, or simply not compelling enough to justify the lack of resolution.
-
Familiarity is a dominant criticism. Reviewers repeatedly point to Western clichés, Romeo-and-Juliet plotting, obvious influences, and predictable beats despite the female-led twist.
-
Season pacing is one of the broadest concerns: reviewers describe stretches as rushed, plodding, glacial, slow-moving, or lacking momentum, often with a stronger beginning or ending than middle.
-
Dialogue is one of the most criticized elements. Reviews repeatedly call it expository, stilted, clumsy, overly solemn, unnatural, or awkwardly old-timey.
-
Character depth is a major weakness across the coverage. Reviewers frequently describe thin backstories, shallow arcs, neglected adoptees, and underwritten supporting players.
-
The ensemble is widely seen as overcrowded and unevenly served. Several supporting characters disappear for stretches or receive far less development than the central pair and romance.
Cast & Creators
-
ActorAnderson is one of the season’s most reliable draws, praised for poise, menace, restraint, and commanding presence. A minority of reviewers find her stiff or one-note, but even negative coverage often sees her as elevating thin material.
-
ActorFranciosi is repeatedly singled out from the younger cast, with reviewers calling her a highlight, fantastic, captivating, or the top main-cast performance. Her work often rises above criticism of the surrounding subplot.
-
ActorHeadey earns frequent praise for Fiona’s ferocity, warmth, passion, and emotional force, and several critics call her the show’s biggest asset. A few reviews criticize her accent or find the performance one-note, creating a smaller but clear dissenting strand.
-
ActorHurst earns positive notices for a warmer, more grounded supporting presence, with one review calling the role a welcome change and another finding him more lifelike than many central players.
-
ActorJohnson receives standout praise where his performance is discussed, including being called one of the show’s most intriguing performers. Critics generally wish Albert had been given more material to match that promise.
-
ActorSilvers receives limited direct performance commentary, but one review specifically praises her as fiercely expressive. Criticism around Dahlia focuses more on underwritten material than on Silvers herself.
View all 61 feature scores and cast & creators
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other TV Shows, this product is above average in value for money, renewal interest, cast chemistry, near average in main cast performance, production design, below average in soundtrack quality, emotional impact, cliffhanger effectiveness.
Comparison summary
61 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher6 (10%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts6 (10%)
-
Below average 0.4+ pts lower49 (80%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| soundtrack quality | 1.0 | 4.2 | -3.2 |
| emotional impact | 1.0 | 4.2 | -3.2 |
| cliffhanger effectiveness | 1.1 | 3.9 | -2.9 |
| special effects quality | 1.5 | 4.2 | -2.7 |
| character likability | 1.0 | 3.7 | -2.7 |
| episode structure | 1.0 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
| character development | 1.8 | 3.8 | -2.0 |
| editing quality | 1.0 | 3.4 | -2.4 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better cliffhanger effectiveness
Choose The Beast In Me. It scores 5.0 vs 1.1 for cliffhanger effectiveness, with a 3.8 overall score.
If you want better main cast performance
Choose Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials, Season 1. It scores 5.0 vs 4.2 for main cast performance, with a 3.4 overall score.
If you want better plot originality
Choose A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Season 1. It scores 5.0 vs 1.6 for plot originality, with a 4.5 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
American Primeval
- Better: grit and authenticity American Primeval is presented as the grittier, stronger version of this concept.
- Better: overall quality The series ranks far behind American Primeval among Netflix Westerns.
Godless
- Better: female-led Western execution The reviewer says Godless is vastly better as a female-centered Western.
- Better: overall quality The series ranks far behind Godless among female-driven Westerns.
1923
- Better: intrigue The Abandons is judged much less intriguing than 1923.
FAQ
Is The Abandons worth watching?
It depends on what you value. The strongest case is the Anderson-Headey rivalry and production craft; the weakest is the writing, character depth, pacing, and unresolved ending.
How are Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey?
They are the most consistent point of praise. Reviewers repeatedly say the show is at its best when the two matriarchs share the screen, though a minority criticize individual choices such as accent consistency or stiffness.
Does the story develop the supporting characters well?
Usually not. Many reviews say the ensemble is overcrowded, with several adoptees and younger characters receiving thin, rushed, or uneven arcs.
Does it feel like an authentic 1850s Western?
Opinions split. Some reviewers praise the sets, costumes, scenery, grime, and period recreation, while others find the world too polished, artificial, glossy, or historically shallow.
Is the series violent or family-friendly?
It is not presented as family-friendly. The source reviews describe sexual assault, bloody and torturous violence, nudity, sex, and heavy profanity.
Does the season have a satisfying ending?
The finale has some of the season’s strongest tension and action, but it ends on an unresolved cliffhanger. Most reviewers who discuss that choice find it frustrating or ineffective.
Is it easy to binge?
The seven-episode season is short and several reviewers call it a quick or easy binge. Others say the middle drags and the plotting can become jumbled despite the compact runtime.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
Article Reviews
pluggedin.com
‘The Abandons’ puts viewers in the midst of a deadly family rivalry in 1850s Washington territory—one filled with violence and crudities.
- Review score
- 1.0
afr.com
“The Abandons” is clearly an attempt to channel Taylor Sheridan, but is plagued by slow pacing, unremarkable characters and awkward subplots.
- Review score
- 1.6
forbes.com
Should you watch The Abandons on Netflix? Depends on if you watch to believe critics and audiences. It has a great cast, however.
- Review score
- 2.0
purewow.com
This intense and gritty new show, 'The Abandons,' just hit #3 on Netflix. It stars Gillian Anderson and Lena Heady but its Rotten Tomatoes...
- Review score
- 3.0
npr.org
On the surface it's a gorgeous, hardscrabble Western, awash in stark landscapes, grubby faces, bar fights and banditry. But scratch away the...
- Review score
- 3.1
Top TV Shows to Consider
Choose The Pitt Season 2 for a gripping, realistic medical drama with superb acting and emotional depth. Skip it if graphic procedures, unresolved arcs, or slower character-driven pacing bother you.
Pros: episode structure, main cast performance
Cons: age appropriateness, plot clarity
Best for powerhouse performances, thorny character work, and a tense revenge mystery that grows richer as it goes. Skip it if abuse, trafficking, graphic violence, or deliberately messy moral questions...
Pros: episode structure, supporting cast performance
Cons: cinematography, sexual content level
Best for sharp jokes, standout performances, and a warm, emotionally satisfying goodbye. Skip it if you most valued the pricklier Deborah-Ava conflict and biting Hollywood satire; the final season is...
Pros: plot originality, episode structure
Cons: season length, realism
Best for fast, darkly funny spy thrills, standout performances, and a tightly wound six-episode run. Skip it if the familiar formula, dense callbacks, or a major cliffhanger ending are likely...
Pros: season finale quality, character development
Cons: accent authenticity, product placement