Saddle up, Western lovers — a new frontier drama has officially arrived.
The Abandons, starring Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey, is now streaming on Netflix — and with the help of executive producer Christopher Keyser, we’ve got everything you need to know about the series as you journey into Jasper Hollow.
Set in the Washington Territory in 1854, the series follows the matriarchs of two very different families: the Van Nesses, a dynasty of wealth and privilege led by Anderson’s Constance, and the Abandons, a found family of orphans and outcasts fiercely protected by Headey’s Fiona Nolan. The families find their fates linked by two crimes, an awful secret, star-crossed love, and a piece of land over a silver lode. Their collision in a place just beyond the reach of justice echoes the perpetual American struggle between the haves and have-nots.
That collision sets the stage for a story of passion, betrayal, and survival. “This first chapter of The Abandons is a classic American story — the frontier, two families both at war and in love with each other, [and] a battle over who owns the land and who makes the rules,” Keyser tells Tudum. “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: What makes a family? How do you stay good in a bad world? And would you change who you are and what you believe in to protect what you love? But in this case, we do it all through the eyes of Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson, as two widowed matriarchs battling to survive. And that … is really something to watch.”
Lena Headey plays Fiona Nolan, the fierce, faith-driven matriarch of the family she’s brought together — abandoned souls on the fringes of society. She refuses to let the powerful Van Ness family drive them from the cattle ranch she built in silver-rich Jasper Hollow. Both nurturer and warrior, Fiona leads her adopted children with a moral authority that commands loyalty, even when her choices have devastating consequences.
Gillian Anderson plays Constance Van Ness, a very different iron-willed matriarch who will stop at nothing to protect and grow the mining fortune she inherited from her husband — and then doubled. She aims to consolidate the Van Ness clan’s power on the ruthless, unforgiving frontier, and no challenge to her ambition — especially from Fiona and her family — will go unchecked.
The Abandons are led by Nolan, who holds together her found family of orphans and outcasts: the devoted Elias Teller (Nick Robinson), the spirited Dahlia Teller (Diana Silvers), the level-headed Albert Mason (Lamar Johnson), and the fiercely loyal Lilla Belle (Natalia del Riego). Opposite them stands the powerful Van Ness family, ruled by calculating matriarch Constance. The Van Ness clan includes her ambitious son Garret (Lucas Till), rebellious daughter Trisha (Aisling Franciosi), and the eldest son Willem (Toby Hemingway). You can read more about their characters here.
Additional cast includes:
Yes, you can watch the trailer at the top of this article!
All seven episodes are streaming now, only on Netflix.
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