Has the modern gothic western peaked? There’s been a resurgence in recent times: The English, American Primeval and more, all dealing in guns, grit, land and blood on the prairie. Now there’s The Abandons on Netflix, a US frontier saga set in 1850s Washington territory. Gillian Anderson (seen recently in the Troubles drama Trespasses) plays Constance, a ruthless, moneyed landowner with three children and a failing silver mine. British actress Lena Headey (Cersei from Game of Thrones) is her adversary Fiona, a God-fearing Irish ranch owner who, being infertile, has gathered orphans and outcasts around her.
