Is ‘The Madison’ Part of the ‘Yellowstone’ Universe?

You probably know “The Madison” premieres this weekend on Paramount+.

It’s one of the best shows Taylor Sheridan has ever made, following a grieving wife (Michelle Pfeiffer) as she takes her family on a pilgrimage to her husband’s (Kurt Russell) Montana cabin. It’s full of emotion and heart, along with some really strong comedy (built on the family’s transition from posh Manhattanites to country folk). Also, Will Arnett shows up in a surprisingly dramatic role as her new therapist, which is very good indeed.

But one thing has plagued “The Madison” — and that is its connection to “Yellowstone.”

To explain: when the project was announced, it was meant to be a proper “Yellowstone” follow-up. Originally, the show was called “2024,” in keeping with the tradition of “1883” and “1923” and rumored to star Matthew McConaughey, who was “expected to be joined by a handful of original ‘Yellowstone’ cast members,” according to initial reports. But after that… nothing. The show was veiled in secrecy and shot in 2024, around the time that “Yellowstone” was wrapping up its run.

Other “Yellowstone” spinoffs still trudged through development – “Marshals,” starring Luke Grimes, debuted on CBS earlier this month, while the Rip-and-Beth series “The Dutton Ranch” is scheduled to premiere later this year. And then there is “6666,” about the real-life ranch in Texas that often intersected with “Yellowstone” (and is currently owned by Sheridan) and “1944,” the next chapter in the prequel series.

But the question remains – is “The Madison” a part of the “Yellowstone” universe? Read on to find out.

Is there anything in the first season of “The Madison” to suggest that it is part of the larger “Yellowstone” universe?

No. There is nothing. Besides being set in the same rough geographical area in Montana, there is nothing to connect “The Madison” to “Yellowstone.” Characters from the mainline show don’t appear, as they do in “Marshals,” and there are no references to events or specific locations from “Yellowstone” in “The Madison.” For all intents and purposes, they are fully church-and-state. On the Wikipedia page for the “Yellowstone” franchise, “The Madison” is noticeably absent.

So why all the secrecy?

No clue.

Is that the end of the story?

Not really.

Why not?

Because members of “The Madison” cast still think it will crossover and describe the show as part of the “Yellowstone” franchise.

Do tell.

When we spoke to Pfeiffer earlier this week, she said, “For whatever reason, they decided to carry on ‘Yellowstone’ for another season and so this became its own show. It’s within the ‘Yellowstone’ universe, but it’s its own show.”

And Russell said that he would bet that the show, in future seasons, would crossover with “Yellowstone” (they’ve already filmed the first two seasons and, so far, nothing yet).

“I’m not going to bet a lot of money, but I’ll put my quarter down,” he said. “It’ll be interesting to see if somewhere down the road [it connects].”