In 1854, in Angel’s Ridge, in the Washington Territory, the widowed Constance Van Ness arrives in town with the posture of someone who expects obedience. She asks her son, Willem, to tend to the horses, though it’s clear he wants more than that.

Local mining profits are down 27%, and Cornelius Vanderbilt, the main investor, is pressing Constance for results. Her response is direct: she demands action from the mayor. For the Van Ness family, exploiting the silver in Jasper Valley is the fastest way to reverse their losses. The four families living there have received what are described as “generous offers” to leave the land, and the mayor believes reason will prevail.

Within minutes, The Abandons establishes the core of its drama: greed, desperation, and arrogance. As Constance argues, relying on the “common sense of ordinary people” is arbitrary. Without mining expansion, Angel’s Ridge will collapse again. In other words, anything is justified if it forces those families out.

The retaliation comes swiftly. A fire destroys what little the families own. The ranch is bitterly named The Abandons. They do what they can to save their cattle. From a distance, Constance Van Ness watches the flames consume everything.

The residents lament that for a year now, every misfortune has been tied to the Van Ness family. Their leader responds with prayer: they must pray harder. Still, they know their only chance lies in standing together. Even so, they file a complaint with the sheriff, already aware of how ineffective that may be.

Meanwhile, Willem Van Ness is obsessed with Dahlia Taler. Trisha Van Ness attempts to “help,” but the timing could not be worse. Willem pressures Dahlia over the horses while she is still reeling from the assault the night before. When she insinuates that the Van Ness family was behind the fire, Willem explodes. She calls him stupid. He drowns the humiliation in alcohol — something his mother not only tolerates but seems to quietly encourage.

Among the farmers, efforts to unite are sincere but fragile. Fear outweighs trust.

Drunk and unstable, Willem refuses to return home and instead goes to The Abandons to confront Dahlia. She does not immediately sense the danger. When he demands an apology, she responds coldly. Willem turns violent and rapes her. Friends intervene, but in shock and rage, Dahlia stabs Willem in the back.

His wounds prove fatal. Panic spreads. Mrs. Nolan suggests caring for him through the night and calling the sheriff in the morning.

Back at the Van Ness house, Willem’s absence is noticed.

Alone with Dahlia and Willem, Nolan sends everyone else away. She decides to tend to him herself — and tells Dahlia how her husband died: drunk, after beating her. She killed him. As she recounts the story, Nolan kills Willem.

Constance begins searching for her son. Questioning Tess, she quickly understands that Willem went to The Abandons. She demands to speak to Dahlia.

Willem’s body is hidden. Nolan tries to shield Dahlia, claiming the girl is unwell, but she knows Constance will not leave easily. Dahlia lies, insisting Willem never came there. Asked about the wound on her face, her family preemptively supports the lie — a workplace accident, a bucket that fell.

Constance does not appear convinced. When Nolan expresses sympathy and says she understands a mother’s grief, Constance responds with cold cruelty, insinuating that it is easy for a sterile woman to adopt “strays.” The exchange is sharp and devastating — a verbal duel in which Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson do exactly what one expects them to do.

Later that day, Walter’s dog lunges at Constance, snarling and refusing to back down. Constance recoils in visible disgust and fury, her expression revealing how deeply she despises everything that lives on that land, not just the people, but the animals as well. It is a brief but telling moment, reinforcing her sense of superiority and her revulsion toward the valley and those who occupy it.

Constance accuses Nolan of influencing the others to reject the land offers and demands a meeting with everyone in the valley. They must collectively decide how to deal with the growing threat posed by the Van Ness family. Walter refuses to get involved. Nolan promises Dahlia that, if necessary, she will claim sole responsibility for Willem’s death. For now, the secret must be kept.

With no leads, Constance hires Xavier Roache to locate her son.

In parallel, Trisha Van Ness flirts with Elias Taler in a bar. A near Romeo and Juliet moment unfolds until Garret takes offense at their closeness, turning the encounter into a brawl. It only ends when Constance arrives and shuts everything down.

Nolan confronts Garret: while they are hiding the corpse of a Van Ness rotting in the barn, he goes and starts a fight with the dead man’s family. Garret admits his mistake and apologizes to Dahlia for failing to protect her and prevent the assault.

News of Willem’s death spreads, terrifying the families of the valley. They were already vulnerable without breaking the law; now they have given the Van Ness family a concrete justification to destroy them. Nolan states the obvious: the Van Ness family has been burning everything down regardless. A vote is held — confess or conceal the crime. The tie is broken when Walter, in tears, says that Constance killed his last living connection. He wants revenge. The pact of silence is sealed.

At the burial of Walter’s dog, the grave is dug deeper than usual.

Beneath it lies Willem Van Ness.