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The Madison artfully transitions between somber funerals and poignant flashbacks, relocating from the vast landscapes of Montana to the bustling streets of New York City and back again. The series introduces Michelle Pfeiffer in the role of a matriarch whose affluent family is shattered by misfortune. This character perfectly fits the mold of the complex leads that series creator-writer Taylor Sheridan is known to craft. Originally conceived as a spin-off from Yellowstone, the series emerged amid the contractual drama involving star Kevin Costner, ultimately evolving into a standalone story unlinked to the Dutton saga.
Structured into two sets of three episodes each, and swiftly renewed for a second season, The Madison kicks off with a startling plane crash. This event transports a New York City family to the expansive reaches of Montana, challenging them with unexpected encounters with fly fishing, rustic amenities, and neighborly hospitality. But what twists did The Madison deliver in its finale? What fate befell Kurt Russell’s character? And did Michelle Pfeiffer’s Stacy Clyburn remain in the Big Apple, or did she find her place in the serene Madison Valley? We’ve got the scoop from Decider.
***Warning: Spoilers for The Madison ahead!***
First: Did Taylor Sheridan Really Start The Madison By Killing Off Kurt Russell And Matthew Fox?
In the premiere episode, Kurt Russell and Matthew Fox take on the roles of Preston and Paul Clyburn, brothers who savor their time fly fishing for Yellowstone cutthroat trout in the pristine waters of the Madison River. Paul has settled permanently on their shared riverside property. Although Preston relishes the freedom and natural beauty of Montana, his life is rooted in New York City with his wife, Stacy, portrayed by Pfeiffer, to whom he has been married for 39 years. Stacy cherishes Preston as her life’s anchor, yet she’s never embraced the rugged life out west.
Their lives take a tragic turn when a forestry officer in Idaho delivers grim news: Preston and Paul have perished in a plane crash during a fierce storm. Overwhelmed with grief, Stacy gathers her daughters—Abby (played by Beau Garrett), who grapples with divorce and raising two young girls, and Paige (Elle Chapman), who is married to Russell (Patrick J. Grant)—for a private flight from their opulent New York existence to the sprawling landscapes of Montana. Within the confines of her late husband’s cabin, Stacy discovers a journal she never knew he kept, unveiling how deeply the place had touched his heart.
Sounds like Stacy’s fam were fish out of water in Montana.
For sure. Paige and Russell leave their common sense in SoHo, and are repeatedly stung by hornets. Abby tries to expand the food horizons of her daughters Bridgette (Amiah Miller) and Macy (Alaina Pollack), but they poo-poo elk sausage for breakfast and declare the local favorite of “Indian tacos” as racist. And with the journey west only causing outbreaks of bickering and even physical fighting, Stacy is dismayed to learn that Preston’s untimely death has only drawn out her family’s longstanding differences.
Wow. Was there an adjustment period?
Well, Stacy herself begins a pretty intensive “back to the land” movement. The Madison frequently features her in flashback conversations with Preston – which are a great showcase for Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell’s chemistry – and we learn a lot about their life together. But in Montana, with every page of Preston’s journal she reads, this New York City lady becomes more enamored of her husband’s way of Out West thinking. She screws down his greasy Simms fishing cap on her expensive salon blowout, locates all of the beautiful spots from where he sent her photos, and not only decides to bury Preston’s body on the Madison River land, but that she will stay there, too.
And Stacy isn’t the only one enjoying some local seasoning. The sparks are immediate when Abby meets Madison County sheriff’s deputy Van Davis (Ben Schnetzer), and they choose a “kiss first, details later” approach to their New York-meets-Montana meet-cute moment.
So was Preston’s Montana funeral full of private jets and rich guests from Back East?
No way. It’s just Stacy and her family, Deputy Van, Stacy’s neighbors at the riverside camp, Cade Harris (Kevin Zegers) and his wife Kestrel (Danielle Vasinova), and a whole lot of empty space, none of which can hold Stacy’s heartbreak or her giant sense of disillusionment over what Preston’s death has displaced. She barely makes it through the ceremony before declaring that the entire family will fly back to New York City.
OK, what is The Madison Ending Explained? Does it happen in Montana or New York City?
Here’s what’s up. Stacy accepted what Preston loved about the Madison Valley, and allowed the place into her heart, something she could never do when he was living. But she still felt like the family could find their closure in New York City. Stacy goes to see a slick therapist – Will Arnett as Dr. Phil Yorn – and both Paige and Abby re-enter their lives, to varying degrees of success. While they grieve, they can’t seem to process their father’s death without creating more trouble for themselves.
When Stacy’s friend Liliana (Rebecca Spence) plans a memorial service at the Clyburns’ lush white marble townhome, it’s exactly what Stacy did not want. She can’t bear the crush of disingenuous well-wishers when all she’s thinking about is the loss that ripped her apart. With some encouragement from her therapist – “Give it,” Yorn says; as in permission to herself – she leaves her phone and family, hops in a Yellow Taxi, and high-tails it alone back to the Madison Valley.
Cade Harris, her cowboy neighbor out there, isn’t sure what to think when he discovers her stretched across Preston’s grave. But while she’s still wearing her outfit from the memorial service in New York, it seems like Stacy’s return has made her ready to become a Montanan. Back east, Abby’s filing a missing-persons report on her mother. But out west, Stacy Clyburn is no longer a visitor. There, she feels closest to her center.
Like we said, The Madison has already been renewed for Season 2. And honestly, its six-episode first season felt more like a prelude. Now that we’ve officially met Taylor Sheridan’s latest TV family, we’re interested in what they will do next, now that their New York horizons have been Big Sky expanded.
Johnny Loftus (@johnnyloftus.bsky.social) is a Chicago-based writer. A veteran of the alternative weekly trenches, his work has also appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, The All Music Guide, and The Village Voice.