That’s a wrap on Taylor Sheridan’s 1923, the second prequel series of the Yellowstone universe.
Naturally, the series finale has garnered some mixed reactions, but in comparison to Yellowstone, the ending has received rave reviews. There’s always a group of fans who are begging for a nice happy ending, and as always, Taylor Sheridan has left them with more than their fair share of outrage, but isn’t that to be expected at this point? It was never gonna be a happy ending…
But make no mistake, 1923, and 1883 for that matter, are cinematic masterpieces compared to the flagship series. While Yellowstone might feel a bit like an entertaining, yet kind of corny, cowboy soap opera, its two prequels are a much grander spectacle (much more expensive to make too). A lot of fans complained about the super slow pace of 1923, and how long it took for Spencer and Alexandra to reach the Dutton Ranch in Montana. And now that it is over, those same fans are complaining about how it ended for Alex, but for my money, it is the best of Yellowstone universe so far.
Another prequel series with the working title 1944 is set to tell the next chapter of the Dutton family story (and hopefully resolve this family tree conundrum), and while that one is still in the planning stages, another show is already in production… but it is a bit further removed from the Dutton story.
Titled The Madison, it is expected to be released late this year, or maybe even in early 2026, and it’s a modern day spinoff series with the following synopsis:
“A New York family’s life unravels after a tragedy, as they process grief while vacationing in rural Montana, exploring human connection amidst profound sorrow.”
The show will star Michelle Pfeiffer, Patrick J. Adams, Elle Chapman, Matthew Fox, Beau Garrett, Ben Schnetzer and Amiah Miller, as well as Kevin Zegers, Rebecca Spence, Alaina Pollack and Danielle Vasinova.
The story centered around a wealthy New York City family, The Clyburns, who leave the city and move to Montana following a family tragedy. The show has been dubbed a “heartfelt study of grief and human connection.”
And while we do not know how this connects to the Yellowstone universe at all, save for the location, it IS considered a Yellowstone spinoff series. Taylor Sheridan is notorious for keeping a very tight lip on his plots, which us part of the reason Kevin Costner left the original show, but could there be a connection between 1923’s Season Finale and The Madison? Hear me out…
What if Elizabeth Dutton, who was pregnant with the late Jack Dutton’s baby at the end of 1923 and set to return to Boston, went on to marry into a wealthy, east coast elite type of family (maybe the Clyburns), and in The Madison tells the story of how that particular line of the Dutton family returned to their roots in Montana’s Madison River Valley, which is relatively close to where the Dutton Ranch would’ve been.
Could that be the connection? Could this spinoff be about Elizabeth Dutton’s lineage in the greater Dutton narrative? Remember how Helen Mirren’s character Cara Dutton said Elizabeth would forget about Jack when she left? Maybe she does forget about Jack, maybe she moves on and starts a new life on the East Coast, but she’ll always be a Dutton at heart, and trouble seems to find the Duttons. So when tragedy strikes her family 100 years later, maybe they decide to go back to the beginning of all the pain, and learn about the kind of heartache their family endured generations ago. And perhaps, there’s a comfort in that. Makes sense, right?
That’s my theory, and I’ve seen a few comments on social media, as well as Reddit, who seem to agree.
Only time will tell…
The post How The ‘1923’ Finale May Be Connected To Taylor Sheridan’s Upcoming Spinoff ‘The Madison’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.