The opening episode of Netflix’s new Western drama, The Abandons, sets the stage for a brutal war between two families. Titled “Orphans,” the premiere establishes a conflict over land that quickly escalates into violence and a secret crime that threatens to tear a community apart. The story unfolds in 1854 in the Washington Territory, a place where justice is scarce and power rules. At the center are two powerful women leading very different families into a collision that echoes the classic struggle between the rich and the poor.
The Foundation of a Found Family
The episode introduces Fiona Nolan, played by Lena Headey. She is a devout Irish woman who has built a home and a family on a cattle ranch in a place called Jasper Hollow. Unable to have children of her own, Fiona has adopted four orphans: Elias and Dahlia Teller, Albert Mason, and Lilla Belle. This group forms a loyal, if unconventional, family bound by love and necessity rather than blood.
Fiona’s ranch sits on land desired by Constance Van Ness, portrayed by Gillian Anderson. Constance is the wealthy matriarch of the Van Ness family, a European dynasty that controls the local silver mining interests. She believes Fiona’s land is crucial for expanding her empire. The episode shows that Constance’s campaign to force Fiona out has been going on for a long time, including acts like poisoning crops.
A Crime That Crosses the Line
The tension between the families explodes due to an act of violence. Willem Van Ness, Constance’s troubled eldest son, attacks Fiona’s adopted daughter, Dahlia. In a desperate act of self-defense, Dahlia fights back and wounds him. Willem is left severely injured.
This is where the episode’s central, dark secret is born. Fiona finds Willem dying. Knowing the local law, represented by Sheriff Hayworth, is controlled by the Van Ness family and will not deliver justice for Dahlia, Fiona makes a fateful decision. She chooses not to save him. Instead, she ends his life herself, ensuring Dahlia does not have to carry the guilt and that the Van Ness family cannot use the law against her child.
“When you’re being beaten, you forget that the hands holding you down are fragile. That’s a hard lesson to learn,” Fiona says in the episode, connecting the violence to her own past with an abusive husband.
Her action is a defining moment. It is presented as a twisted act of maternal protection, shifting the moral ground and setting the stage for all-out war. The crime is successfully covered up, leaving Constance Van Ness to search desperately for her missing son.
Two Mothers, Two Definitions of Family
A key scene contrasts the two matriarchs and their core beliefs. When Constance confronts Fiona, she argues that true bonds and pain can only be understood through blood relations. Fiona forcefully rejects this idea.
“Love isn’t passed on through blood,” Fiona tells Constance. She describes her family as “five abandoned souls who have now become kin,” stating that no amount of money or trouble will drive them from their land.
This clash of ideologies—blood versus chosen family, wealth versus faith—becomes the emotional engine of the series. Constance’s motherly love is shown to be controlling and possessive, while Fiona’s is fiercely protective, even when it leads her to commit murder.
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A Community Too Scared to Act
The episode also shows the wider impact of the Van Ness family’s power on the small community of Angel’s Ridge. Fiona and her ally Albert try to convince their neighbors to unite against Constance’s aggressive land grabs. However, most are too afraid to resist, knowing the Van Ness family can destroy their lives with money and influence. The sheriff’s unwillingness to help Fiona proves that the law is not a shield for the poor or the outcast. This collective fear isolates Fiona’s family, forcing them to rely only on themselves and setting the stage for a desperate fight for survival.
How to Watch The Abandons
All seven episodes of The Abandons Season 1 are available to stream globally on Netflix. The series was created by Kurt Sutter, known for Sons of Anarchy, and features a main cast including Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Lucas Till, and Aisling Franciosi. The first season consists of seven episodes, with runtimes between 35 and 52 minutes.
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Credits: Netflix Tudum, Netflix Official Site
