The Madison Season 1 Blu-ray Review
“The Madison” is a lackluster Taylor Sheridan series.
In the six episode debut season of creator Taylor Sheridan’s new modern western/drama, the story revolves around the Clyburn family. While Preston Clyburn is visiting his brother Paul in Montana, the two tragically perish in a plane accident. Preston leaves behind a wife (Stacy) and 2 daughters (Abigail and Paige) who reside in New York. In order to take care of the funeral arrangements, Stacy, Abigail, Paige, Russell (Paige’s husband), and Abigail’s 2 daughters (Bridgette and Macy) travel to Paul’s ranch in Montana. Being accustomed to city life, they are woefully unprepared for staying at a remote ranch. Stacy, however, ponders moving to Montana as she grapples with grief. Throughout the season there are storylines involving flashbacks with Preston, Stacy’s friend Liliana, Stacy getting therapy, a neighbor (Cade), and a relationship developing between Abigail and a Deputy Sheriff (Van Davis).
It’s no secret that Taylor Sheridan is one of the most prolific show creators of the past decade having developed hits like “Yellowstone,” “Tulsa King,” “Landman,” and his best work “1883.” With “The Madison,” Sheridan once again dips into modern western territory, but this is more of a soap opera style drama. Sheridan (who penned all six episodes) attempts to break the mold of repeating similar ideas from past shows by crafting a story that focuses on grief, but he once again reiterates all too familiar concepts involving family (and family conflicts), nature, and his love and yearning for rural life while showing his disdain for city life. Instead of creating a thoughtful family story, Sheridan’s clumsy and cliched storytelling mixed with the frequently underdeveloped characters cause “The Madison” to never explore its potential.
The show’s attempts at humor are also often cringe worthy. The fish out of water concept comes off as downright embarrassing as Sheridan seems to relish showing city folk flailing about in the Montana countryside or whining about an outdoor bathroom. For a series about two different worlds and the characters that live within them, this all feels decidedly one-dimensional.
The series is at its best when Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell are on screen. Russell can do no wrong and is always memorable in whatever project he takes on. Pfeiffer seems to relish exploring the character of Stacy in a series setting and elevates the show as a whole.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. How does it look? This is a quality Blu-ray release in which the often picturesque scenery shines in hi-def.
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? An Atmos track seems like overkill here, but it certainly doesn’t disappoint in handling all of the show’s audio.
No extras.
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