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After The Abandons' cancellation, creator Kurt Sutter slams Netflix for their "destructive" behind-the-scenes decisions.
Sutter, who previously helmed the hit FX series Sons of Anarchy, was the creator, showrunner, and an executive producer of The Abandons. In October 2024, only three weeks before the Netflix Western was supposed to wrap filming, Deadline reported that he had exited the show, allegedly due to creative differences. After releasing all season 1 episodes on December 4, 2025, the series was canceled on January 21, 2026.
On Threads, Sutter blasted Netflix for being fearful and choosing "the algorithm over a creator’s vision." He goes on to say that the streamer "unraveled a potentially beautiful project" and wasted $150 million "on a single show trying to fix unnecessary mistakes of leadership failures - a destructive trend for both Hollywood and Wall Street." The accompanying image is a compilation of headlines reporting the cancellation. Check out the post below:
When Sutter's exit was originally reported, it was largely attributed to Netflix's concerns about the first episode being one hour and 40 minutes long, and executives still being dissatisfied after the first installment was split into two parts. The final version of the first episode has a runtime of 50 minutes. The Abandons creator departing from the series came several years after Sutter stepped down from Mayans M.C., a Sons of Anarchy spinoff.
The cast of The Abandons is led by Game of Thrones star Lena Headey and The X-Files star Gillian Anderson. Headey plays Fiona Nolan, while Anderson plays silver mine owner Constance Van Ness (Anderson), who is determined to take possession of her opponent's farm. This extends beyond the two women, as Fiona's found family and the Van Ness dynasty come into conflict with each other as well.
Matthias Clamer /©Netflix / Courtesy Everett CollectionDespite the high-profile talent involved with the series, The Abandons received poor reviews, as indicated by the 30% critics' score and 51% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critical consensus on the review aggregation site states that "The Abandons may wield powerful lead performers, but the flimsiness of its characters, lack of originality, and ultimately fervorless material makes for a lackluster experience."
During its first week on Netflix, the Western debuted in the fourth spot on the streamer's global charts with 7.8 million views. It remained in the fourth spot a week later after accumulating an additional 7.6 million views. By the third week, though, it had dropped out of Netflix's global Top 10 and did not return to it in the following weeks.
The Abandons now joins the increasingly long list of Netflix shows canceled after one season, with other notable cancellations including The Society, I Am Not Okay With This, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, 1899, The Residence, and Boots.
Release Date December 4, 2025
Network Netflix
Showrunner Kurt Sutter
Directors Otto Bathurst
Writers Kurt Sutter