Netflix's attempts to bring the Wild West to the frontiers with The Abandons have had a disappointing debut with an extremely low Rotten Tomatoes score. Despite the star-studded cast, the Western drama starring Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey failed to leave its mark on the critics or the audience.The Gillian Anderson-starrer debuted on Netflix on December 4 with its first season of seven episodes. Centering around two families in the 1850s, led by two matriarchs, the show examines the division of wealth between the two and the clash in their battle for supremacy.Keep reading to find out more.Netflix's The Abandons, starring Gillian Anderson, debuts to a low Rotten Tomatoes scoreFrom the Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter, the show debuted on December 4, 2025, and its Rotten Tomatoes score is quite disappointing. The Rotten Tomatoes score is an average score based on reviews from the critics and the audience. It is subject to change based on the number of reviews.However, at the time of writing, the Gillian Anderson-led drama had a 29% Average Tomatometer score. This score is based on critic reviews, and with 21 reviews, the Netflix drama has a very disappointing score. The Wrap has given a low score to the show, citing:"Ultimately, the biggest thing working against “The Abandons” is a frustrating need to complicate its own vision."Additionally, the New Statesman comments:"The problem with The Abandons is that, three episodes in, I feel like I’ve already seen the whole show. It lacks the gothic sensibility and the creeping menace that marks the best of the genre."Some reviews take a neutral stance on the show, as seen in the one from Comic Book Resources:"The Abandons [has] a slight edge that lets its story blossom over seven episodes, but there are still underlying problems poisoning the roots."Netflix's "The Abandons" LA Premiere - Source: GettyThese reviews seem to paint a grim picture of the show, imploring that it does not achieve the tone needed for its subject and fails to be an accurate representation of the issue and time it is set in. The Hollywood Reporter writes:"The Abandons is never particularly bad, but it’s confusingly spare, rushed and vaguely shoddy, as if the final product was, in some way, gutted of its most potentially distinctive elements."Some reviews also consider it an underuse of the talented cast leading the Netflix drama, as explained by TV Guide:"It's easy to imagine a more entertaining version of The Abandons where Headey and Anderson really get to cook, but here they're just battling against unmemorable material."When it comes to the audience score, the show has managed to fare a little better, with a score of 37%, based on fewer than 50 ratings. The number is also subject to change as more audience reviews come to light.Nevertheless, the low Rotten Tomatoes score does not bode well for the show, especially so soon after its release. However, the audience's opinion and score, and the critics' score for that matter, are still open to change as more reviews are taken into consideration.Keep reading Soap Central for more such interesting insights into your favorite shows!