The Abandons on Netflix: Is It Based on a True Story? Unpacking Its Real-Life Inspirations

The new Netflix series The Abandons tells a gritty story of land, power, and family set in the 1850s American West. With its dusty towns, brutal conflicts, and complex characters, many viewers are asking if the drama is based on real historical events. The short answer is no—the specific characters and plot are fictional. However, creator Kurt Sutter drew inspiration from very real historical power struggles, transplanting the origins of the Sicilian Mafia to the American frontier.

The show, which premiered on December 4, 2025, stars Lena Headey as Fiona Nolan and Gillian Anderson as Constance Van Ness. Fiona leads a found family of orphans defending their ranch, while Constance commands a wealthy mining dynasty desperate to take their land. Their clash forms the core of this seven-episode season.

The Real History That Inspired The Abandons

While The Abandons is not a true story, its central theme is rooted in historical conflict. Creator Kurt Sutter has said his main inspiration was the formation of La Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian Mafia, in the mid-1800s.

“I’ve always been fascinated with the origins of La Cosa Nostra, how these Sicilian peasant families were being more than marginalized by the land barons and the aristocrats,” Sutter told Deadline.

In Sicily, poor farmers and peasants faced abuse from wealthy landowners and corrupt officials with little legal protection. In response, they formed small, private self-defense groups to protect their interests. These groups eventually organized into the criminal network known as the Mafia. Sutter took this concept of oppressed people banding together to create their own power and moved it to the Washington Territory of the 1850s. The wealthy Van Ness family represents the oppressive land barons, while Fiona Nolan’s group of “abandons” becomes the emerging force fighting back.

Sutter was also inspired by classic Western television. He mentioned watching reruns of Bonanza during the pandemic, drawn to its themes of dark revenge and deep loyalty to family and land. The show’s title itself comes from a historical term. “The abandons” was a catch-all phrase from the period describing society’s outcasts: orphans, prostitutes, and others living on the fringes.

Are the Characters Based on Real People?

The characters in The Abandons are fictional creations. Fiona Nolan and Constance Van Ness are not direct portraits of any real historical figures. However, they are designed to explore universal conflicts between the powerful and the vulnerable, a dynamic common in the American West.

Executive producer Christopher Keyser describes the show as a “classic American story” about who owns the land and who makes the rules. The characters serve this larger theme. Fiona represents the resilient, protective matriarch building a family from nothing, while Constance embodies the ruthless determination of established wealth to expand and survive.

Sutter has hinted that if the series continues for multiple seasons, future stories might include stylized versions of real historical outlaws. He suggested the show could “cross paths with an 11-year-old Billy the Kid”. For its first season, however, the story remains in its own fictional world.

What The Abandons Is About: A Story of Two Families

Set in 1854 in the Washington Territory, the show centers on a brewing war over a piece of land in Jasper Hollow, near the growing town of Angel’s Ridge. The land is rich with silver, and the conflict draws in a wide community of settlers, outlaws, and Indigenous groups.

Fiona Nolan’s family is a “found family” of outcasts. Unable to have children of her own, Fiona has adopted four orphans. Her family includes Elias and Dahlia Teller (played by Nick Robinson and Diana Silvers), Albert Mason (Lamar Johnson), and Lilla Belle (Natalia Del Riego). They are fiercely loyal to each other and to the ranch they call home.

Constance Van Ness’s family is one of blood, wealth, and influence. As the widowed matriarch of a mining dynasty, she is desperate to secure new silver veins as her existing mines run dry. Her children are Willem (Toby Hemingway), Garret (Lucas Till), and Trisha (Aisling Franciosi). She uses her money and power to control the local sheriff and mayor, played by Marc Menchaca and Patton Oswalt.

When Fiona refuses to sell her land, Constance begins applying pressure through intimidation, violence, and sabotage. This forces Fiona and her family to make difficult moral choices to protect themselves, blurring the lines between right and wrong.

Exploring Season 1’s Major Themes and Conflicts

A core argument in the series is between different ideas of family. Constance believes the bonds of blood are superior and more meaningful. Fiona argues that the family you choose is just as real and worthy of protection. Executive producer Christopher Keyser notes this is central to their conflict:

“Those whom I choose to love, I love every bit as deeply and as meaningfully as you do. Maybe more meaningfully”.

The season also follows a star-crossed romance between Trisha Van Ness and Elias Teller, which creates dangerous tensions between the two families. Other storylines involve a local Cayuse tribe and a band of outlaws, broadening the show’s view of life on the frontier.

The seven-episode season builds toward a violent finale where the tensions between the families explode. The final episode features a direct confrontation between Fiona and Constance amid a fiery blaze, leaving the fate of one of them ambiguous.

How to Watch The Abandons

The Abandons is now streaming globally on Netflix. All seven episodes of the first season were released at once on Wednesday, December 4, 2025.

The main cast features:

• Lena Headey as Fiona Nolan
• Gillian Anderson as Constance Van Ness
• Nick Robinson as Elias Teller
• Diana Silvers as Dahlia Teller
• Lucas Till as Garret Van Ness
• Aisling Franciosi as Trisha Van Ness
• Lamar Johnson as Albert Mason
• Natalia Del Riego as Lilla Belle

The series was created by Kurt Sutter, known for Sons of Anarchy, and is executive produced by Sutter and Christopher Keyser.

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