Is Taylor Sheridan's The Madison Connected To Yellowstone?

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This article contains spoilers for "The Madison."

"The Madison" is the latest Taylor Sheridan series to explore heartache and tragedy in Montana. However, don't go into it expecting to see the surviving members of the Dutton family tree. Despite being conceived as one of several planned "Yellowstone" spin-offs, "The Madison" is seemingly unrelated to the franchise. What's more, the show marks somewhat of a departure from "Yellowstone," as it isn't about a criminal family fighting for their land.

"The Madison" tells the story of Stacy Clyburn (Michelle Pfeiffer), a wealthy New Yorker who visits Montana with her family to mourn the death of her husband, Preston (Kurt Russell). Preston passes away under heartbreaking circumstances in episode 1, so Stacy sets out to honor his memory by getting to know the state he loved.

Even though the shows aren't unconnected from a story perspective, they still share some things in common. As previously mentioned, "The Madison" is all about grief — a theme that's quite prevalent on "Yellowstone." Both shows are also about family, but the Clyburns aren't dysfunctional killers like the Duttons. That said, the Montana setting is their main similarity, but the creators of "The Madison" believe it's very different from "Yellowstone" in that regard, too.

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Christina Alexandra Voros has been directing and producing Taylor Sheridan projects for years, and she has shared some interesting insights about "The Madison." In an interview with Variety, Voros explained the differences between "Yellowstone" and the Michelle Pfeiffer-starring series, emphasizing that they are totally different shows about Montana. In her own words:

"It's such a different story. The common ground is the landscape. We are in Montana, but it is seen through a completely different lens, so it feels like another facet of this cut stone that has been polished. There are parallels in the scope of landscape and a human being's place in that space, but it's coming at it from a completely different point of view."

So far, "The Madison" is more sentimental than Sheridan's previous work, so the "Yellowstone" naysayers might actually enjoy it. Be that as it may, "Yellowstone" fans will appreciate all of the Montana worship on display, as both series depict the state as the most beautiful place on Earth. It remains to be seen if there will be any "Yellowstone" Easter eggs on "The Madison" down the line, but for now, it's a completely different kind of story.

"The Madison" is currently streaming on Paramount+.