Diksha Sundriyal
In Netflix’s Western drama series, ‘The Abandons,’ two matriarchs clash with each other to gain control of a piece of land that can change everything for them and their families. Lena Headey plays the role of Fiona Nolan, who leads a family of four young people she has adopted under different circumstances. Against her is Gillian Anderson’s Constance Van Ness, who wants to expand her family’s business by taking over Fiona’s land. The conflict escalates with each episode as Fiona and Constance’s families become complexly intertwined in a game of love and hate. Created by Kurt Sutter, the show explores the meaning of family and loyalty, hitting the notes that will seem familiar and relatable to the audience. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Abandons is Inspired by the Real Conflict Between Two Factions of the Old West
‘The Abandons’ is a fictional story created by Kurt Sutter. He had wanted to create a Western even before he created shows like ‘The Shield’ and ‘Sons of Anarchy.’ Around the time he started thinking about it, ‘Deadwood’ was released, which made him wonder if he should stay in his lane and explore the crime genre. His desire to go into the Old West reignited during the pandemic, and with Danielle Woodrow’s move from FX to Netflix, he got a chance to pitch an original idea. He revealed that he was captivated by the idea of La Cosa Nostra. He referred to “Sicilian peasant families” who were driven off their lands by robber barons and other wealthy individuals. That was until the families decided they were stronger together and joined forces to fight a common enemy.
These were the underdogs who, when not protected by the law and order, decided to create their own version of law to protect themselves. Sutter wanted to create a story along similar lines, diving into the intricacies that would need to be maneuvered in that time period to save one’s family and property. He was also influenced by ‘Bonanza,’ which had revenge as a major thematic and plot point. He was drawn to the dark nature of the characters, driven by a sense of deep loyalty towards their family and/or community. He infuses his story with the same tone, which is how ‘The Abandons’ was born. In particular, he was fascinated by the idea of how this sense of love and loyalty would turn a good person into an evil one. He wondered, “What must transpire to drive the morally sound to become the dangerously corrupt?”
To give the story a greater emotional punch, he decided to put two mothers at the center of it. Apart from that, he also saw the Old West setting as a good way to explore certain situations in the context of “race, gender, morality in a really kind of organic and meaningful way.” He found that all these questions and conflicts were just as meaningful today as they were more than a century and a half ago. While Sutter received the chance to see it all work out on screen, the show suffered a major setback when he left the show a few weeks before it wrapped. Reportedly, his departure was a result of creative differences with Netflix over the length of the first episode.
The Fictional Matriarchs Examine the True Meaning of Familial Connections
While land and power become the driving forces for every character, the show uses Constance Van Ness and Fiona Nolan as a way to explore two different sides of family. Both women are fighting for their family, particularly their children, but while Constance’s children are born of blood, Fiona’s are forged in the fire of life and its struggles. A major point for the show’s creator was to explore the meaning of family. Executive producer Christopher Keyser told Netflix Tudum that the show ponders questions like: “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?” With the two matriarchal forces clashing with each other, the show’s creators also wanted to ensure that there were no obvious heroes or villains in the story.
Both Constance and Fiona have their reasons to do all the things, good or bad, that they do, but eventually, there is a line that both of them cross at one point or another. Their desire to protect what’s theirs leads them into the territory of some truly questionable choices, which proves that they are more alike than different. And yet, they cannot reconcile or empathise with the other person. The question of biological and adopted children emerges as a major point of contention, especially for Constance, who sees her interests and losses in a more important life due to the blood relations in her family, something that Fiona’s family lacks. The show’s creators decided to lean into this detail and the differences it caused, highlighting the changes that have taken place over the decades to alter the definition. At the end of the day, they wish for the show to encourage “a broader, more generous way of thinking about life” and give the audience some food for thought.
Read More: Where is The Abandons Filmed? All Shooting Locations
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