Taylor Sheridan returns with his latest highly anticipated show this spring, which will bring a welcome change of pace for the prolific creator. After making a name for himself as the writer of movies like Sicario and Hell or High Water, Sheridan became one of the most successful names in television with Yellowstone. Though that show wrapped its five-season run in 2024, Sheridan hasn't slowed down at all.
Sheridan has expanded the Yellowstone universe with several prequels and spinoffs, while also developing new hit shows like Lioness and Landman. The Madison is Sheridan's latest series, premiering on Paramount+, and while it has elements similar to Sheridan's other stories, it will have one big difference at its core.
Sheridan is ditching the "unstoppable" protagonist in The Madison
Taylor Sheridan has excelled at making complex and interesting protagonists in his shows. However, in each series, he has also stuck to a very clear archetype of the alpha personality, creating main characters who are seemingly unstoppable in the face of issues and whose egos remain untarnished throughout the entire story.
This archetype began with John Dutton (Kevin Costner) in Yellowstone, while also being mirrored in other prominent characters in that series, including Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes), Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser). It can also be found in Sheridan's other protagonists, like 1883's James Dutton (Tim McGraw), 1923's Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar), Lioness' Joe McNamara (Zoe Saldana), and Landman's Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton).
However, the storyline of The Madison suggests that Sheridan will have to abandon his typical approach to a main character. The series will star Michelle Pfeiffer as Stacy Clyburn, the matriarch of a wealthy family in New York City who relocates to Montana in the wake of a tragedy. This immediately sets Stacy up to be a fish out of water, dealing with a monumental change in her life and trying to find her footing.
As fun as it is to see Sheridan's "tough guy" protagonists win every argument and land every punch, it could be a lot more interesting for Sheridan to deal with a more damaged character who will struggle their way through the story. Sheridan's other heroes may have met adversity and suffered at times, but they never lost the stoic hero vibe. Stacy could be a character who is lost and in search of that kind of stability.
The Madison is essential for stretching Sherdian's storytelling
The Madison's more vulnerable main character not only feels like a nice change of pace from Taylor Sheridan's other shows, but also comes at a time that feels necessary for him to show us something different. There is no denying the incredible success Sheridan has had on television, but there is a feeling that audiences are not quite as enthusiastic as before.
Yellowstone's final season faced a lot of difficulties in production with the exit of Kevin Costner, but the final episodes also faced considerable backlash for the sloppy writing. Likewise, Landman season 2 was not as well-received as the first season, with many fans expressing frustration with certain unnecessary storylines. Sheridan's typical main character tropes could be a direct cause of this waning interest.
When it comes to Sheridan's main characters, he seems unwilling to see them look bad. It is not uncommon for shows to feature characters who are the smartest or strongest people in the room, like Walter White in Breaking Bad or Tony Soprano in The Sopranos. However, those shows also allowed these characters to look weak or foolish, and to make big mistakes that lead to interesting new developments.
The likes of John Dutton walk into every situation with the audience already knowing that they are going to win that fight, because we don't know what it looks like when they are the losers. Spencer Dutton became a superhero-like character by the end of 1923, effortlessly overcoming each new threat. Tommy in Landman spends the majority of his screen time lecturing other characters about how the world really is.
These characters might remain endearing and thrilling to the viewers, but eventually, the story around them begins to suffer as there is no real conflict or threat to come, only minor inconveniences. The Madison can give Sheridan the chance to step away from that stagnation and tell a story where he doesn't need the main character to be in control all the time. It could end up improving all his other shows as well.
Watch The Madison on Paramount+ starting on March 14.