Summary
The ending of The Madison traffics not in surprises but inevitability, though the path home — wherever that might be — takes some winding turns.
I think what I like the most about the ending of The Madison is that it isn’t a typical finale. There are no real surprises or mysteries. It was obvious that Stacy was going to remain in Montana from the moment she got there, so the fact that’s where she ends up shouldn’t shock anyone. But it’s all about the process. The introduction of Will Arnett’s therapist character provides a handy rubric for both Stacy and the audience to understand her grief, and to trace the outlines of a future without her husband in it. That future wends its way back, inevitably, to Montana, but it’s a decision she has to both arrive at and undertake personally.
This isn’t to say that the kids and granddads are totally neglected here. But part of Stacy’s process is understanding that they’re old enough to make their own decisions; they don’t need to be chained to hers. So, inevitably, they take a bit of a back seat, though their personal subplots are still left open to explore in a second season. This was always about Stacy, in the grand scheme of things.
Grief Hurts (Literally)
Part of the arc of the Clyburn sisters in Episode 6 is their attempt to reintegrate into their “normal” lives and the realisation that their time in the mountains — and, of course, the gaping loss of a loved one — has radically reframed their perspective. With Abigail, this manifests as showing her girlfriends a picture of Van and loosely describing their experiences together while rejecting any suggestions of finding a suitor from New York. With Paige, it’s a bit more violent.
This is the only time I’ve liked Paige throughout the entire season, for what that’s worth. But it works because her punching a snooty colleague for saying that Preston deserved his fate is just the payoff to a very visible growth in her mentality. There’s a callousness to the way her boss tells her she’ll be allowed to grieve as long as she wants… when it’s most convenient for the company. The stark differences in approach between people in New York and people in Montana are made all the more evident. The Clyburns may be back “home”, but they aren’t the same people who left it.
The punch doesn’t amount to much. It gives Abi an excuse to call Van — who’s busying himself pulling some idiot Californians over — and ask for advice, but Stacy solves the problem by convincing the “victim” not to press charges. The point is proved.
How Do You Feel?
I can’t express how beneficial Arnett’s Phil Yorn has been to the final two episodes of The Madison. In some ways, his character is just a contrivance, a way to help Stacy understand her feelings in a way that all the staring into the middle distance in the world could never achieve. But his dynamic with Stacy is brilliant, hitting all the right notes of comedy and sincerity.
The finale even includes a Good Will Hunting moment, with the classic “It’s not your fault” scene being replaced with Phil asking Stacy how she feels enough times that she really has to think about it. It’s a great moment for Michelle Pfeiffer, who really sells the outpouring of emotion. The inappropriate hug is sweet. Stacy even invites him to Preston’s memorial, clearly as a support system for herself. Just so long as he stays away from the women in the family.
Preston’s Memorial
The memorial intended to give Preston’s many New York “friends” an opportunity to say goodbye was a sham from the moment it was first suggested, so it’s little surprise that Stacy doesn’t want to be there. But as I said at the top, the ending of The Madison isn’t really about what she does or doesn’t want to do, but about her realising that she can make the decision for herself, and trust in it, without permission from anyone else. And that’s where Phil comes in, yet again.
After briefly meeting Abigail, Stacy asks for Phil to be summoned to her bedroom so that he can help her to navigate the profound reluctance she’s experiencing to show her face and mingle. But he doesn’t do that so much as reassure her that it’s okay for her not to mingle. Whose support does she need? Who needs her support? The kids and grandkids are fine. She doesn’t care about the opinions of anyone present. She doesn’t need to be there, and Phil helps her to understand that, in that case, she shouldn’t be there. So she leaves.
Admittedly, she takes this notion a bit far, jumping in a cab and simply disappearing, quietly and completely enough that Abigail, at a loss, has to file a missing person report. But it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone, least of all Abi, where she is. The Madison ends with the day breaking in Montana, as Cade finds Stacy asleep on a hillside. She’s back there, and she’ll be staying. How anyone else feels about that is their own problem.
