'The Abandons' Ending, Explained: Did [Spoiler] Survive Netflix's Western Drama?

What happens in The Abandons?

By the end of The Abandons, we see that everything about the Van Ness family is totally falling apart. In addition to the members of the family getting split up, the integrity of the Van Ness house (and its symbol status) is also threatened when it catches fire.

Without a doubt, this is a story about what a mother will do to protect her family, and Constance Van Ness (Gillian Anderson) and Fiona Nolan (Lena Headey), and both their families, have endured a lot throughout the course of their feud. Dahlia's been attacked, Willem's dead, and Elias' hand in Willem's death affects his relationship with Trisha.

“Both [mothers] want to do the same thing,” executive producer Chris Keyser says in an interview with Tudum. “They want to protect their families, both economically and from a security point of view, [and] keep them safe and fed. Obviously, they have different resources and different positions in the world, but the way they approach the world is so clearly starkly contrasting in a fascinating way. They never intersect.”

What happens at the end of Abandons?

The tension from the whole season culminates in a standoff between Fiona and Constance in the attic of the Van Ness home while the building goes up in flames. However, while both mothers have endured tremendous pain, the show is careful to never tell you one is more right than the other.

According to Chris, the show provides “a really interesting conversation that goes on between public responsibility and private rights.” Constance has “a pretty strong argument that the good of the whole of the community requires some compromise over the land that the Abandons sit on,” but Fiona “stands up for people for whom no one else would take a stand…She’s created a family out of nothing and taken care of people who needed to be taken care of. She’s defending her right to something that she actually owns. And in that sense, in a very American way, she’s a hero.”

The final image of the season sees one woman leave the smoking remains of the estate — does that mean we lost one of the moms? And whose survival will impact the town around them? “I’m not going to answer that question…I have a feeling about how it ought to go, but I don’t want to, in any way, tip my hand," Chris continues. “Clearly, one person survives, maybe two people survive, [but] which one that is, and whether it’s one or two — all of those things are up in the air. And that’s the fun.”

Is there a season 2 of The Abandons?

We don't have any news on The Abandons season 2 quite yet, but we'll keep you updated.

How many episodes are in The Abandons?

The Abandons has 7 episodes total, and they're all streaming on Netflix now. Here's the full breakdown:

• Season 1, Episode 1 "Orphans" premiered on Netflix December 4, 2025
• Season 1, Episode 2 "The Hunt" premiered on Netflix December 4, 2025
• Season 1, Episode 3 "Triage" premiered on Netflix December 4, 2025
• Season 1, Episode 4 "Motherly Purpose" premiered on Netflix December 4, 2025
• Season 1, Episode 5 "The Joaquins" premiered on Netflix December 4, 2025
• Season 1, Episode 6 "Piety and Rage" premiered on Netflix December 4, 2025
• Season 1, Episode 7 "This Was Meant to be My Peace" premiered on Netflix December 4, 2025

Who's in The Abandons cast?

The Abandons cast includes:

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