At this point, viewers probably think they know what to expect of a series penned by actor-turned-screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. Well, at least those where the men wear cowboy hats and denim, and cross the rugged landscape of Montana by horseback. The likes of Yellowstone, and its two prequels, 1883 and 1923, centre on manly men doing manly things like protecting what is theirs, whatever it takes, and whatever the threat – whether it be the forces of nature, or the drives of similar men, and the typically steel-willed women at their sides.
All of this means that Sheridan’s new series The Madison absolutely delivers on its promise of being the “most intimate series yet” from the creator. Despite also being set (mostly) in Big Sky Country, this drama is a very different beast. Ranching wars are completely absent, and the biggest territorial disputes are over the best spot when trout fishing. At the same time, the machismo element has also largely been stamped out, by switching to a predominantly female cast. In short, while events take place against a macro backdrop, the story told is a micro one.
Originally conceived as a Yellowstone spinoff, six-part The Madison has arrived on home screens as a standalone series, separate from the Dutton family saga. Instead, the show centres on the Clyburn clan from New York City, headed up by sixty-something Stacy (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Preston (Kurt Russell). Still directing a lot of cash to their adult daughters Abby (Beau Garrett) and Paige (Elle Chapman), the Clyburns are absolutely the One Percent, living in a vast penthouse with a driver on call, and a casual attitude to chartering a private jet if needed.
Country lad Preston has an escape, though. Far away from the bustle of Madison Avenue, he and his brother Paul (Matthew Fox) own land on the Madison River in southwest Montana, and have built cabins right on the waterway to enjoy the tranquillity of nature two hours’ drive from the nearest town. When disaster strikes, the Clyburn women, with Paige’s husband Russell (Patrick J. Adams), and Abby’s daughters Bridgette (Amiah Miller) and Macy (Alaina Pollack), in tow, rush to Montana. Despite Preston owning the property for two decades, it’s the blonde posse’s first ever visit, because of its lack of utilities and conveniences. Top of the off-putting list is a lone outhouse on the property.
The Madison really isn’t kind to its soft “city mice.” There’s comic relief in their encounter with a hornets’ nest, and you can explain away packing inappropriate shoes in the midst of a crisis, but the series is unveiled in its criticism of the younger Clyburns’ bratty behaviour. Much to Stacy’s disgust, her granddaughters respond to a bereavement offering of “Indian tacos” from a ranch neighbour with a blurted, “You can’t say that; it’s racist,” and turn their noses up at home-harvested and prepared grains because of its gluten content.
Much of the family is also stupid despite their private school education. “What’s a pharaoh?” “What’s a pugilist?” And these questions aren’t just asked by children. Meanwhile, Abby may be considerably more intelligent than Paige, but unlike her younger sister, she has no professional drive, or ambitions in any regard. And with a similarly wishy-washy ex-husband, she’s relying on her parents to foot the bill entirely for her and her children’s lifestyle.
So, yes, The Madison is absolutely back-to-basics country life propaganda, with a conservative values leaning. The locals that the Clyburns meet appear as kind, warm and leading much more fulfilling – if simple – lives than their big city brethren. To the latter, a memorial service is just another cocktail party. In selling the fantasy to viewers, The Madison is broad strokes stuff across the board, from a reliance on character clichés to dreamy cinematography designed to capture the humbling scale and soul-soothing pace of Montana existence, set to a soaring score on repeat. It’s no coincidence that Preston’s favourite film is A River Runs Through It.
The result is good-looking escapism, with a good-looking cast of lean, long-haired women and hunky, perpetually polite mountain men. The flip side, though, is that such a creative approach doesn’t make The Madison worth watching unless all you want is an undemanding Sunday afternoon binge. Where The Madison successfully sinks a hook, catching and reeling in viewers, is with its tackling of grief.
The Madison is far more compelling when it explores the emotional impact of loss. As Stacy herself notes, the Clyburns are a family that has led a blessed life, and is therefore wholly unprepared for the emotional wallop of a life-altering tragedy.
Characters tantrum and fight and sob, as can be expected, but Pfeiffer takes it to the next level of credibility, aided by some very astute and articulate dialogue. Actual sorrow is messy, muddled with feelings of crushing loneliness, despair and anger at the unfairness of the situation, which often vents as lashing out at all in the vicinity. Pfeiffer runs the gamut as Stacy is triggered by the most mundane moments of admin post death (rarely seen on screen in this detail), and the hole opened by a person’s absence in a domestic space. It’s arguably her most powerful work in years.
Stacy may be the anchor matriarch of the Clyburn family, but Pfeiffer moors the whole series, with her old Tequila Sunrise co-star Russell countering Stacy’s sharpness with warmth and broad-smiled support. A further shout-out must go to Will Arnett as Stacy’s therapist, who appears in later episodes to continue the conversation about mourning with welcome calmness and insight.
All this said, it’s a good thing that The Madison has already been greenlit for a second season because the first batch of episodes – an easy-to-watch six – serve more as a leisurely setup to the show’s official synopsis. A lot is left unresolved, with more problems clearly on the horizon for the fractured Clyburn family. In summary, come for the beautiful vistas and pretty people; stay for the emotional rawness.
Season 1 of The Madison is screening on M-Net (DStv Channel 101) from 16 March. Catch episodes on Mondays at 9pm, express from the US.
This review is based on the full first season of The Madison.