Taylor Sheridan's The Madison

Photo from thereviewgeek.com

What do Yellowstone, 1923, 1883, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Lioness, Landman, The Road, U.S. Marshalls, The Madison, Wind River, Sicario, Hell or High Water among others have in common?

They're all created, produced or written by Taylor Sheridan.

I've been accused of being a fanboy for a few things in my life - Apple products, Harley Davidson, Veteran's rights, live music, Buddhism, Fender Guitars, Blues Music, Grateful Dead and Jam bands in general.

Based on my television viewing habits, I guess you can add Taylor Sheridan shows to the list. With the exception of Lawmen, we've seen every episode of all of his shows and especially enjoy Landman and Tulsa King.

We've been enjoying The Madison this week. So far, four of the six shows in this mini-series have been aired and it's an unusual story starring Kurt Russell as Preston Clyburn, father, and husband to Stacy Clyburn, played by Michelle Pfeiffer. The Clyburn family is your typical dysfunctional mess. Kurt and Stacy have two adult daughters, Abigal and Paige, and the family was raised in an affluent lifestyle in New York's high society. Abigal is divorced and has two young daughters, Bridgett and Macy. Paige is married and her husband, Russell, is your typical emasculated adult male who is insecure in his manhood and as a result, bullied by Paige.

Bridgett and Macy evoke their "woke" upbringing and spoiled nature throughout the first few episodes of the show, calling adults "racists" and complain about their lives at each turn.

Preston, and to some extent, Stacy, seem to be the only stabilizing voices of sanity in this whining bunch - Preston enjoys fly fishing and spends time with his brother in Montana whenever he can get out of New York. Stacy doesn't share his love for nature and prefers to stay in the city but loves her husband and encourages him to enjoy his time in the rivers.

Preston and his brother are flying to a remote fishing hole in their private plane and are both killed in an accident almost immediately in the first episode. Stacy and the rest of the family fly to Montana to make funeral arrangements for the brothers. When city meets country, the REAL whining starts - the spoiled daughters, son-in-law and granddaughters can't stand the rustic settings of staying in the brother's cabin with an outhouse and lack of luxury they're accustomed to back in New York.

I'm sure you're reading this and thinking to yourself, why is he talking about a soap opera of a television show? Well, because I'm impressed. Impressed by the storyline. Impressed by the beautiful scenery of Montana. Impressed by the fact that the characters in the story are learning that there's more to life than their own selfish habits and shallow living. For Hollywood to take a stand and teach values that are contrary to everything California seems to stand for these days is extraordinary.

This show has been panned by the critics - Rotten Tomatoes 59%, Metacritic: 57%. It's being called underdeveloped and mechanical. Maybe I'm in the minority on this one, but I find the show compelling and thoughtful. It's unlike much of television today and in my mind, that's a good thing.

As the episodes evolve, the family will slowly come around to understanding why Preston loved Montana so much. The people they encounter while dealing with the loss of their father and husband will change them for the better.

There's only six episodes to this season, but Paramount+ has already announced that The Madison has been renewed for another season.