Critic Reviews

Its debut run takes full advantage of everyone's chemistry with each other, not just by focusing on them individually, but by mixing and matching players depending on what the story needs. At the end of season 1, everyone has had a meaningful or fun exchange with everyone, which makes the Clyburns feel more fleshed out as a unit.

Those seeking a fast-paced Western akin to Taylor Sheridan's previous offerings might prefer to fly over "The Madison," but those willing to wade through the show's slow-moving waters will come out the other side with few regrets — and an even deeper appreciation for Michelle Pfeiffer.

It's slow, patient, and methodical, and it's very easy to see how viewers could prematurely slap "boring" on as a defining trait. However, this slow-burn pace is exactly what keeps The Madison an engaging watch.

It’s rock-solid, gripping television with multi-generational appeal.

It’s marvellously escapist stuff.

If you’re looking for a solid tearjerking catharsis, you might find it here.

If all this sounds hopelessly hokey — and there are stretches in "The Madison" where it irredeemably is — then you'll want to do something else with your Saturday night. Otherwise, there's beauty here, some nice performances and a welcome pivot away from the mayhem of "Yellowstone."

We were happy to take in the contemplative pace of The Madison as well as watching Pfeiffer’s performance. But we’re also concerned that Sheridan’s penchant for leaden dialogue and sketchy portrayals of female characters are going to ultimately drag this show down.

It’s rare to see something on TV that’s a mix of Nicholas Sparks, A River Runs Through It, Virgin River, and Green Acres. But the shouting, the lectures, the insults? That’s all Sheridan.

The Madison is likely to go down as an oddity in Sheridan's body of work — a smaller-scale show where he tried something different and got out of his comfort zone. (Who would have ever thought Sheridan would write something set in New York City?) But the thing about experiments is that they don't always work. And The Madison could have spent more time in the lab before being released into the wild.