
Set in 1854 Washington Territory, the seven-part series centers on a bitter rivalry between two powerful women and their families. Constance Van Ness, a shrewd businesswoman, relentlessly tries to take over rancher Fiona Nolan’s land to expand her silver mining operation. The series explores the sacrifices and consequences of both motherhood and pursuing one’s ambitions through the contrasting characters of the refined Constance and the outspoken Fiona. This focus on female leads marks a departure for creator Kurt Sutter, known for his earlier, male-driven shows. Sutter previously made a name for himself with gritty dramas like The Shield and Sons of Anarchy, which blended intense violence with emotional storylines and explored the complexities of masculinity. While those shows often involved crime and punishment, they were fundamentally melodramas about the struggles of men trying to maintain power, and Sutter wasn’t afraid to combine dramatic, larger-than-life moments with intimate, sometimes shocking, personal scenes.