Netflix fans rush to binge Western dubbed ‘everything wrong with TV in 2025’

Netflix viewers have held nothing back as they blast the new star-studded Western, climbing the charts.

The Abandons, created by Kurt Sutter and starring Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey and screenstar Gillian Anderson, has arrived on the streaming giant to a horrified reaction.

The seven-episode series, which is already at number four in the top 10 chart, is set in 1850s Washington.

Attempting to break into a genre populated by widely-acclaimed shows like Yellowstone and American Primeval, the show follows ‘two families led by powerful matriarchs – one wealthy, one poor but deeply loyal – as they battle for supremacy on the lawless frontier.’

As Gillian’s Constance and Lena’s Fiona face off in this twisting tale of deceit, bloodshed and clan strategy, who will rise victorious?

The show has already come under intense scrutiny after Deadline claimed in October 2024 that Sons of Anarchy’s Sutter had exited the Netflix series just weeks before production ended, reportedly over creative differences.

Now the show is out, it seems it hasn’t quite made the splash Netflix are hoping for.

What are fans and critics saying about The Abandons?

The main thrust of the criticism has targeted the script, pacing and plot of the show, with Lena and Gillan’s performances hailed as standouts among the ‘slop’.

The show has only secured a measly 29% critic score and 35% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

‘The acting is atrocious. Couldn’t even make it past the first 30 minutes. Bad CGI and writing. I was so excited for a historical fiction show, but wow does this suck,’ Suit B wrote.

‘Was looking forward to another great Western saga instead I got something less enjoyable than a spaghetti Western,’ Cody M added.

Although Michele K added: ‘Lena heady carries this show and it is worth it for her stellar performance.’

Over on X, David Opie wrote: ‘The Abandons isn’t bad per se. It just feels a bit flat. The problem with that though, is you’re then wasting Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson in what could have been the Mother-Off of the century.

‘They’re exceptional, obviously, but the material doesn’t do them justice.’

‘Lena and Gillian are the queens of the show, no doubt about it, though I’m not entirely sure the script does justice to the incredible performances the two of them are capable of,’ Edu reflected.

On IMDb, Kirsty888 dubbed it ‘shockingly bad’ adding ‘I found this to be a sad mix of disappointment and lack of…well, anything really!’

‘This goes on record for being the worst thing I’ve seen on Netflix in recent times,’ imdbfan-3500 echoed.

‘The only decent things: The scenery and Gillian Anderson. The rest of the show is ABSOLUTE SLOP,’ MrKlassen reflected.

Their disappointment was heartily echoed by critics, with TIME dubbing it ‘everything wrong with TV in 2025’.

IndieWire noted it was ‘demonstrably worse than plenty of recent television’ and The Independent complained there was ‘no excuse for this Netflix western to be this bad’.

AV Club added: ‘Netflix’s The Abandons is misguided nonsense, a show that takes itself so relentlessly seriously that it verges on parody.’

‘The Netflix Western feels strangely thin and compressed, especially when held up against its epic, sweeping scenery,’ Variety slammed.

‘Cliffhanger be damned, few will want to stick around this Western territory to find out the next hackneyed steps it intends to take,’ The Daily Beast concluded.

The Abandons is now streaming on Netflix.

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