Taylor Sheridan’s The Madison Doubles Down on Landman’s Most Controversial Plotline

Taylor Sheridan is basically running a TV-series assembly line these days. If you blink, you’ll probably miss a new neo-Western popping up on Paramount+. Seriously, it’s hard to keep track—let alone tell all these ranch family dramas apart. The latest? 'The Madison.' This thing started out as a kind of sequel to 'Yellowstone' but, somewhere along the way, got promoted to “standalone.” Still, if you’ve seen Sheridan’s other work, you might get some déjà vu—especially when it comes to the storylines he likes to double down on. And yes, controversy seems to be baked right in.

Critics vs. Fans: The Numbers Don’t Lie (But They Do Argue)

Let’s talk about reception. 'The Madison' isn’t off to a glowing start with critics. Rotten Tomatoes slapped it with a 59%—which, honestly, is about as middling as you’d expect for a show that’s not exactly rewriting the genre playbook. But fans? They’re happy enough, with a 75% score on the RT’s Popcornmeter and a solid 8/10 at IMDb. Heads up, though: this isn’t easy viewing. Sheridan apparently wants you to marinate in grief and family dysfunction. You’ll need some emotional stamina to get through it—and there’s at least one character who makes the whole thing an even tougher watch.

Recycling Drama: That Plotline from 'Landman'

Sheridan’s not shy about stirring the pot. If you caught 'Landman,' you might remember one of its most talked-about moments—not exactly for the writing, but for the backlash that followed. Season 2, penultimate episode: Ainsley, the Norris family’s teenage daughter, heads off to a cheerleading camp. Her assigned roommate? Paigyn—a non-binary, vegan, animal rights activist, who also objects to music (meditation only, please). Plus, Paigyn insists everyone get their name right: it’s 'Pagan,' as in the religion, not 'Pay-gin.'

In classic Sheridan fashion, this character is stacked with, let’s say, every trait that certain cable news panels love to rage about. Naturally, Ainsley isn’t thrilled, mocks Paigyn for their pronouns, and even calls her mom to rescue her from the horror of sharing a room with a vegan. Mom shows up, doubles down on the ridicule, and whisks Ainsley away.

People had thoughts—mainly that Sheridan was going out of his way to poke a particular political bear and paint "liberals" as cringey caricatures. But then, in the finale, he goes for last-minute redemption: Ainsley and Paigyn come to some kind of truce. Kind of.

The Madison’s Paige: If Ainsley and Paigyn Had a Baby

Here’s where it gets weirdly meta: In 'The Madison,' Sheridan basically builds a new character out of old parts. The show’s about the Clyburns, a recently bereaved NYC family who relocate to rural Montana for a fresh start (translation: more grief, more emotional landmines). Remember Ainsley? Well now you get Paige—another privileged daughter, but this time, she’s glued to the liberal side of things.

Paige makes her debut getting mugged in broad daylight on Fifth Ave—your archetypal New York trauma. Later, police ask her for details about the mugger, and when they ask about the suspect’s race, she refuses to answer, insisting it’s racist even to describe him. She spends the rest of the episode missing her old city life, even as her family whines about how unsafe NYC has gotten. Spoiler: She’s miserable in Montana, too.

The character is basically written to be disliked—reluctant rancher, entitled city transplant, and unrelenting about her politics. She’s got Ainsley’s attitude and Paigyn’s causes, and—intentionally or not—the message seems to be that both ends of the spectrum are equally exhausting. Also: Paige/Paigyn? Sheridan doesn’t do subtle with his naming.

The rest of the Clyburn family doesn’t have much patience for Paige, which is basically Sheridan letting the audience know where you’re supposed to stand. And, credit where it’s due: the guy isn’t scared of building storylines that piss people off.

So, Will 'The Madison' Get Its Act Together?

Right now, it feels like Sheridan is having a little too much fun pressing the same hot buttons over and over. The Madison has all the ingredients—big family, big grief, big culture clash—but it needs a little less autopilot and a little more nuance. Season 2 has plenty to fix, but if there’s one thing Sheridan knows, it’s how to keep people watching, even if they’re watching through gritted teeth.

Key Cast

• Paige: The Clyburns’ daughter, basically a mashup of every Sheridan archetype with a social-media update.
• The Clyburn Family: A tightly wound group of New York transplants looking for hope—and not really finding it—in Montana.
• Supporting cast: Usual Sheridan fare: cowboys, hard-nosed matriarchs, and local weirdos.