Taylor Sheridan's The Madison Needs To Switch Genres In Season 2

Part of what made The Madison ​​​​​​so compelling was its seemingly contained format. Its premise, the emotional and logistical aftermath of the unexpected death of the Clyburn family patriarch (Kurt Russell), seemed to inherently speak to a finite moment in time, and the six-episode season saw that tumultuous period through to a satisfying stopping point.

Of course, the surviving Clyburns don't yet have it all figured out, but by the end of The Madison season 1, there was a visible light at the end of the tunnel in terms of how the family would begin to put their lives back together. The absence of that clarity was what made season 1 so compelling, as it captured the pain, complexity, and uncertainty that characterize the immediate aftermath of a traumatic loss.

Nonetheless, The Madison will be returning for season 2, and it will be doing so without Matthew Fox, whose character, Paul Clyburn, played a significant role in the flashback sequences that contextualized much of the family's circumstances in Montana.

With the characters entering a new chapter in the processing of their grief, and without a major source of the flashbacks that supported season 1, The Madison will need to make some changes as it heads into season 2, and a tone shift would go a long way towards helping the show transition from a contained story to a long-running series.

Please, The Madison Can't Do Another Whole Season About Grief

The Madison season 1 covered the unique period of time after a tragedy when loved ones' only obligation is to process their loss. The Clyburns were in an unfamiliar place, out of their routine, and completely disoriented by the entire unprecedented experience, which allowed season 1 to capture the all-consuming nature of grief.

By the end of the season, though, regular life had begun to trickle back into their lives. Paige returned to work, and Abigail had a romance with Van, the sheriff. Even Stacy returned to her and Preston's New York City home, and she began seeing and making progress with a therapist.

Of course, none of these endeavors were without their grief-induced obstacles, but the fact that they entered the picture at all marked an emergence from the total, all-consuming grief that dominated the duration of The Madison's first season. Continuing to highlight the characters' progress in season 2 likely will, and should, broaden the scope of the show to be about more than just grief.

Expanding the show to be about the characters and their work, love, and personal lives would give the show much more story material to work with, something that will likely be a necessity with Matthew Fox's exit ahead of The Madison ​​​​​​season 2.

The flashback scenes with the late Preston and Paul Clyburn served to punctuate the show's saddest moments and highlight the clear impact that their absence was having on the family. Were the show to maintain both its thematic focus on grief and its Montana setting, those scenes would be a necessity. Shifting gears towards moving forward would make Fox's on-screen absence more manageable.

The Madison's Comedic Moments Were The Highlights Of Season 1

The Madison was powerful not only due to its raw depiction of grief, but because it made the people experiencing it feel real and human. The fish-out-of-water nature of the wealthy, city-dwelling Clyburns being forced to grieve in a setting so far out of their comfort zone provided ample opportunity to display every facet of their personalities, from their flaws to their most unique and endearing qualities.

The show's comedic, borderline slapstick moments, like Paige being stung by hornets in the outhouse, offered much-needed breathers from the otherwise heavy tone. Even more than that, though, those moments also proved to create memorable points of connection between the characters, as if they, too, needed to be reminded of the life and companionship that was right in front of them.

Not only was Paige's hornet experience funny, but it revealed the surprisingly genuine bond between her and Russell, and the unique dynamic that allows their marriage to work. Their grief posed a formidable challenge, but The Madison's comedy was what elevated the show into not just a commentary on grief, but a character study of how these particular people faced that challenge.

The Madison Should Reinvent Itself As A Comedy-Drama

Going into season 2, The Madison has all the makings of a dark comedy. Beyond the entertaining nature of Paige and Russell's marriage, there was surprising comedy to be found in Stacy's interactions with her new therapist, Dr. Yorn (Will Arnett).

In keeping with the tone of the show, the humor in Stacy's sessions with Dr. Yorn was in their refreshing, unexpected honesty with each other, which, even while inviting viewers to laugh, underscored the raw emotion Stacy was feeling. Though season 1 ended with Stacy returning to Preston's resting place in the Madison River Valley, maintaining her work with Dr. Yorn would be a great addition to season 2.

Similarly, Abigail's budding romance with Van revealed both their playful sides and their deep-seated pain. As the world continues to turn around the Clyburns, and they are forced to rejoin their daily lives, The Madison would do well to lean into its established ability to use comedy as a humanizing moment, to remind viewers that the Clyburns are real people experiencing real emotions.

This is especially important considering how visually majestic The Madison is. Alternating between the breathtaking landscape of the Madison River Valley and the Clyburns' stunning New York City accommodations, it could be easy for the show to other itself, to feel like it's about charmed people living a charmed life whose problems couldn't relate to the average viewer.

Yet at its core, The Madison is about one of the most universal human experiences, and it's clear that the show seeks to speak to the commonality of what the Clyburns are going through despite their generally privileged lives. The imperfect, comedic moments are what make The Madison feel like a real story rather than a fairy tale, and it's what the show should embrace in its second season.