Pop Culture Happy Hour The Abandons
Dec 8, 2025
Christina Escobar, an entertainment journalist and co-founder/editor-in-chief of LatinxMedia.co, joins to critique Netflix’s The Abandons starring Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey. She grapples with the show's blend of Western and nighttime soap elements, finding characters flat and lacking stakes. The discussion dives into the show's treatment of sexual assault and how it contrasts with other Western series like Godless. While praising the production and performances, Christina expresses disappointment with the payoffs and archetypal character dynamics.
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Soap Structure Behind The Western
- The Abandons is a Western built as a sudsy nighttime soap anchored by two matriarchs.
- Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson drive the show’s appeal through barbed scenes and stoic face-offs.
Guest Reaction: Wanted To Like It
- Christina wanted to like the show but found Gillian Anderson stuck in a single note until the final episodes.
- She praised the hats and visuals but said characters remained types, not people.
Big Casting Pays Narrative Dividends
- Glen argues the show looks expensive and leans into giving the two leads many direct scenes together.
- That casting payoff sustains interest even when secondary plots feel irrelevant.