THE first three episodes of The Madison have arrived on DStv Stream, Express from the US. Episodes one and two will air tonight at 9pm and 10pm on M-Net, with the rest of the episodes weekly at 9pm until 12 April. Episodes four and five will be on DStv Stream on 22 March, and episode six on 23 March. The series is set to be available to binge on Showmax towards the end of April.
Starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell as Stacy and Preston Clyburn, The Madison is a “heartfelt study of grief and human connection following a New York City family who move to the Madison River Valley of Central Montana to recover, following a tragedy that shatters the family”. It comes from Yellowstone and Landman creator Taylor Sheridan, who it must also be remembered, created Tulsa King, lest you wish to place him in a box. Because The Madison is nothing like Yellowstone and its spinoffs – other than lots of beautiful scenic shots of Montana.
It opens with Preston and his brother Paul trout fishing in a river. Oh how pretty, you think. Very A River Runs Through It. This is deliberate; the movie is referenced soon afterwards (Preston’s favourite movie) and the pilot is dedicated to Robert Redford. Lovely movie but these should all be red flags as to how overly sentimental and heavy-handed The Madison is.
The story mainly takes place in the wilds of Montana in cabins that have wifi but no indoor toilet (a theme which continues throughout), but also in New York City, most likely chosen as the most extreme opposite. Perhaps it’s important to mention the family is stupid rich, so there’s no excuse for the loo. It’s to Montana the family locates to after a tragedy, where apparently they will grieve and see the rural life in a new light.
You’ll also be hard pressed to like any of the characters. Patrick J Adams as Preston and Stacy’s son-in-law Russell is a spineless wimp. He’s married to Paige (Elle Chapman) who is a spoiled princess. Her sister Abby (Beau Garrett) has been divorced for two dry years which is maybe why she makes a ridiculously and desperately fast move on the handsome sheriff (Ben Schnetzer, above). She has two daughters, medium size, who seem to adapt the best but they are not immune to the political correctness that has been instilled in them in the big city which has yet to make a lick of difference in the remote hills of Montana. Preston’s brother Paul is played by Matthew Fox, whose career Buzzfeed has been trashing for more than a year, and honestly, who cares. This is not a revival for him; his role is small and peripheral.
I really wanted to like Michelle Pfeiffer (she and Russell both play years younger than their real ages, why?) even if I hated the others, but couldn’t rise above ambivalence. She has a beautiful NYC rich white lady flowing wardrobe of stylish neutrals and mysteriously morphs into Fishing Barbie overnight while at the cabin. She catches a fish on her first cast. Maybe with six episodes everything had to be accelerated, and as a result, predictable. The entire story takes place over *checks notes* a week.
The Madison is corny and cheesy but by all means watch if this sounds like something you’d enjoy. The good news and bad news is that a second season has already been filmed. The confidence is staggering.
