Big Matriarch Energy

So, as we all know, lesbians would line up to watch Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson read a damn phone book together if given the chance. So imagine our collective joy at the news that they’ll be acting, together, on the same damn television show. Like, obviously, even if they’re cast as gritty dueling matriarchs a gritty pioneer-days period piece with a gritty, families-against-families turf wars, I will STILL watch. Like in my head right now Queen of the Seven Kingdoms Cersei Lannister and Queen of Sparta Gorgo are drinking wine together and swapping war stories, and other stuff. Look, it’s good in my head. Really good.

Anyway, in real life, Gillian will star opposite Lena in what can only be described as a Big Matriarch Energy face-off. They’re clearly setting up the two women as heads of their opposing clans in this show set in the rough and tumble (did someone say gritty?) frontiers of 1850s Oregon. Yes, kittens, this is a real-live remake of the “Oregon Trail” game. But, again, grittier. Kidding, it’s not based on the game, just history and Kurt Sutter’s imagination. It’s described as such:

“As a group of diverse, outlier families pursue their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon, a corrupt force of wealth and power, coveting their land, tries to force them out. These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society, unite their tribes to form a family and fight back. In this bloody process, ‘justice’ is stretched beyond the boundaries of the law.”

So, uh, sorta like the Oregon Trail game.

Sutter has previously been known for his acclaimed takes on hyper masculine worlds in “The Shield” (cops), “Sons of Anarchy” (white bikers), and “Mayans M.C.” (Mexican/Mexican-American bikers). So here’s hoping his new series “The Abandons” has a more female bent, and the casting of Lena and Gillian, two Alpha-caliber talents, would hopefully suggest that.

Gillian’s character Constance is described by Variety as:

“The matriarch of the wealthy Van Ness family who inherited her husband’s mining fortune, then doubled it. Despite the town’s inherent bias against women, her money, charm, and ruthlessness created a network of political allies. For her, power, wealth, and lineage trumps all.”

Earlier, Lena’s character Fiona, was described as:

“A strong, devout matriarch who, unable to have her own children, took in four orphans to create her own family. Driven by a higher purpose – and a strong-willed Irish temper – her faith and love for her family trump all.”

Oh, yeah, it’s definitely Constance versus Fiona. The western is coming to Netflix, but given that the writer’s strike (solidarity, union strong!) is ongoing, I doubt we’ll see it anytime soon. Which is fine. Gives us more time to dream about Queens Cersei and Gorgo. Like you can’t tell me Luce wouldn’t happily grab a cocktail and elevator ride with DSI Stella Gibson or (AND) Special Agent Dana Scully. It’s already happening in my head. Like I said, it’s good in there.