It’s been a while since I’ve seen Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey in their own separate streaming shows. And now, they’re together as rivaling mothers in the pre-West in Kurt Sutter’s new Netflix series The Abandons. Things are already tense between two matriarchs, land owner Constance van Ness (Anderson) and humble rancher Fiona Nolan (Headey). And it’s about to get worse as Constance’s son Willem (Toby Hemingway) goes missing and Constance is asking around looking for answers.

It’s obvious that Fiona has something to do with it but she has problems on her own, as she deals with disloyal priests even in Washington State, a place she though she can finally find some peace. Her adopted children Dahlia (Diana Silvers) and Elias Teller (Nick Robinson) are starting to have their own minds. Elias himself is falling in love with Constance’s daughter Trisha (Aisling Franciosi), who’s rebelling against her own greedy mother.

Female leads in Westerns are rare – Johnny Guitar? – but this show still has what one expects genre wise. It gives us bar fights and bandits, women and men who are running away from their past histories. The Abandons in general is an interesting spin to Netflix throwing as many shows reminiscent of Yellowstone. Anderson and Headey are the draws here, both baiting fellow gay viewers and even the straight ones as well.

Despite who gets top two billing in The Abandons, it seems to be interested in its younger characters. Sure, one can be cynical and chalk that up to Netflix wanting to attract older AND younger viewers alike. But these characters also reveal the show’s worldview, about young people who care less about their parents’ drama. These characters share gossip with each other, etc., but inevitably, their elders’ rivalry guides the paths they take.

I say elders despite that again, The Abandons are about a piece of land and its competing matriarchs, although it’s not just about them, as the show also captures the men that are close to them. Some of these men, though, are a bit older than the young characters – Albert Mason and Garrett Van Ness. Albert is Fiona’s adopted son while Garret is Constance’s biological, both having their own quite interesting diverging paths.

And of course, some of those men in The Abandons are just slightly younger than Constance and Fiona. Most of these characters, quite interestingly enough, are on Constance’s camp, like Roache (Michiel Huisman) and Jack Cree (Michael Greyeyes). Jack’s is maybe one of three Indigenous characters in a show that mostly treats them like people. I can say the same thing about Lilla Belle (Natalie del Riego) and I’m happy about both characters.

Netflix is the only place to stream The Abandons.