For many years it seemed that the western was the genre of our parents, if not our grandparents. A genre that was an American thing, liked by our elders out of pure nostalgia, and that didn’t have much to contribute to the present. Of course, we were wrong. There are excellent westerns out there and in fact, it is still possible to make good westerns. There is nothing in the setting that is irreproducible today and, due to its characteristics, it fits perfectly with our chaotic present of wild capitalism.
Kurt Sutter, creator of Sons of Anarchy, knows this well, who, with his new series, The Abandoned, wants to show us that the western can be used to tell stories that resonate with today’s audience. And, moreover, to do it on the favorite platform of many: Netflix.
A western driven by two exceptional actresses
The Abandoned is set in 1850 in Oregon. There, a group of people live peacefully without any kind of conflict.But that doesn’t make for any kind of story, and that’s why something happens: a corporation arrives seeking to take over their lands. This causes the locals to organize under the auspices of two families dominated by two powerful matriarchs who will define the events from then on for the control of their town. By fair means or foul.
Closely following the structure and tone of Sons of Anarchy, Sutter’s intention is to create a western that exploits all the clichés of its stories. The violence, family ties, individuals and their infrafamilial groups against society, and the clash between capitalism and community. In this case, it is led by two well-known actresses: Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey.
In fact, all the critics who have been able to see the series already highlight that they are the true driving force of the series. These two actresses with more than accomplished careers prove to be the true heart and soul of The Abandoned, carrying the narrative of the series on their shoulders in a way that only two absolutely exceptional actresses like them could do. Making the series an absolute must-watch for any fan of these two actresses, that is, anyone who knows them.
It is no less true that the general opinion among critics is that the series is, at the very least, uneven. Even if the lead actresses are absolutely superb and the narrative works, its violence and schematic nature ultimately take a toll. Resulting too artificial for some critics.
One of the reasons cited that may have caused this is that its creator, Stutter, left the series before the completion of its first season. Although his reasons have not been clarified, whether it was due to creative differences with Netflix or because he wants to focus on his directorial debut in film with This Beast, still without a release date, everyone acknowledges that what is clearly missing here is what is very evident in his great works, such as Sons of Anarchy or The Shield: a certain moral ambiguity in his characters and greater depth in the events of the plot.
Does that mean that Los abandonados isn’t worth it? Not at all. As we have pointed out, its leading actresses make any series they appear in essential, and even if it’s just an echo, Stutter is always a mark of quality. It may have been able to be more, but it is also true that many critics believe it is a good series despite everything. Even if not at the level of what they expect from the creator of Sons of Anarchy.
If you’re curious to see the series, it’s already available on Netflix. There are ten episodes, a second season has not been confirmed, and without its showrunner, it seems doubtful that there will be one. So it seems like a perfect plan to enjoy a series that, even if it’s not the best that its creator has offered us, is a more than worthy curiosity in the current streaming catalog.
