Harry's Movie Review

The Abandons plants itself in 1850s Washington territory, where two matriarchs from opposite ends of the wealth spectrum wage a battle for control over frontier life. The premise has legs. Two strong women leading rival families should create natural friction and compelling drama. What I found instead was a show that wanted to matter but couldn't quite commit to why.

Lena Headey does what Headey does best: she carries scenes through pure presence, saying as much with a look as with dialogue. Gillian Anderson brings a stiffness to her role that works against her in moments where the script calls for warmth, though she finds her footing when the character turns calculating. There is a vein of cruelty running through Anderson's performance that feels more honest than the show deserves. Nick Robinson and Diana Silvers round out the ensemble, but neither gets enough room to breathe alongside the matriarchs.

Kurt Sutter directs with the weight of his previous work hanging over every frame, which means the show takes itself very seriously. Sometimes that works. Often it doesn't. The pacing lurches between quiet scenes that linger too long and moments that rush past before they land. There is a sense throughout that the series is trying to prove something, and that effort shows.

What stays with me is frustration more than anything else. Not at what The Abandons is, but at what it might have become. The cliffhanger that closes the season suggests real stakes and momentum. That it will never be resolved is the real shame here.