The Madison Cast Exit Derails Season 2 Of Taylor Sheridan’s New Hit Western Series

Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Madison.The Madison has already lost its first main cast member ahead of season 2, and it’s a major blow to Taylor Sheridan’s new Western’s future. After the Dutton family, Montana has a brand new clan with the Clyburns’ arrival. Throughout The Madison‘s six-episode season 1, Stacy (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Preston’s (Kurt Russell) love story was at the center of its storytelling, as his death marked a major shift in their lives.

Currently, neither Paramount+ nor Sheridan has officially made any announcement about the future of the series. It’s worth noting, however, that production for The Madison season 2 supposedly already wrapped production before it even premiered on the streaming service. Between that and the success that it has had since debuting on the platform, not to mention where the series left the family, it makes sense that the Clyburns will return for a sophomore run of the project. That said, when that time comes, it will be missing one major character.

Matthew Fox Is Officially Out As Paul In The Madison

Playing Paul, Preston’s younger brother in The Madison, the Sheridan show marked Matthew Fox’s return to the small screen. The show is the actor’s first TV project since playing Pete Mitchell in Caught. A big part of the show’s set-up involved his story and attachment to the Madison River. While not an official member of the prime Clyburn family, Paul was still an important player in the show, so it’s disappointing to know that Fox is not coming back for The Madison season 2.

The actor himself made the confirmation (via THR), explaining that he he didn’t want to dedicate multiple years of his career working on one show, as he’d “rather pop in and do something interesting.” Despite that, he had nothing but good things to say about Sheridan, calling him a “an exceptional writer.” Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to get him to stay as a main character in The Madison. For him, he didn’t see any need for Paul’s role to continue beyond what was revealed about him in its debut year.

How Losing Paul Is A Major Blow To The Madison Season 2 & Its Future

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Admittedly, the major part of The Madison season 1 was the grief for Stacy and her family after the unexpected death of Preston. However, Sheridan was already planting plot seeds for Paul’s story that could have manifested in season 2 and beyond. For starters, the show established that he, too, was dealing with a lost love, when his wife was killed during a car crash.

Since The Madison has used non-linear storytelling, it could have explored their lives before and after that incident, which would have been an interesting parallel to Paul and Stacy’s narrative. Expanding the show’s storytelling could help solidify the show’s narrative beyond what Stacy’s family is currently going through. Unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen now.

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Besides that, The Madison season 2 could have also further explored the relationship between the brothers. So many of Russell’s scenes in season 1 involved him spending time with Paul. Their bond was a good way to completely establish why Stacy’s husband loved being out in the cabin and how he long wanted for the rest of his family to realize the beauty of the Montana property.

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With Fox not appearing in The Madison season 2, flashbacks can still feature Preston, especially if it focuses on his history with Stacy. But Sheridan and his team would have to be very creative with Montana-set scenes, as they would have to explain why Paul is no longer in them.