The Madison (2026) s01e03 Episode Script

1
Did they sting you?
Is it bad?
I'm sorry.
People are pretty worried
y'all are gonna starve in there.
You put this on top,
you make Indian tacos.
You can't call it that.
It's racist.
Girls, when someone
is trying to help you,
it's not your place
to correct him.
Someone should.
What spoiled little bitches
we've raised.
They are not your children.
You do not have the right
to speak to them that way.
I am not talking about them,
I am talking about you!
And your sister.
We are not on vacation!
My husband is dead!
Your father is dead!
Build a cabin
where the tents are,
and then another one with
a kitchen, place to gather.
I want to bury him here.
This is my home now.
I die here, too.
Do you know what happened
when he died?
The whole family died with him.
Every time you leave town,
these girls invent a crisis,
I swear to God.
Well, it's not
every time I leave town.
It's every time
I go on vacation.
If I was at a shareholder
meeting in Boston,
everything would be just fine.
Well, it's not fine,
and you're not here.
Wait a minute. Hang on.
- It's snowing.
- Snowing?
- In June?
- In June.
What do the fish
think about that?
Eh, the river's
too high to fish anyway.
Well, then why are you
Oh, no, never mind.
I remember.
Cabins don't maintain
themselves.
They sure don't.
I can't get you
to change the curtains here,
but you'll fly a thousand miles
to re-stain a deck.
Well, you can change
the curtains anytime you want.
What you can't get me to do
is have an opinion about them.
Yeah, it's difficult
to have an argument
when you're proving
my point, honey.
I didn't know we were arguing.
It's been so pleasant.
Can we get back
to the crisis, please?
We can talk about
whatever you want.
So, I had lunch
with Abigail today.
Oh, using her full name.
Yeah. She informed me
that she and Dallas
are getting a divorce.
Well, I'm surprised
it lasted as long as it did.
It was doomed from the start.
Well, actually, Dallas was
doomed from the start.
Anyone who names their child
after a city,
especially a city
they've never been to
You haven't heard the best part.
Dallas is staying
in the apartment
and asking for spousal support.
Oh, yeah, well,
best of luck with that,
Dallas.
All right, where's Abby staying?
Well, she would like
to speak to you about that.
I think it's time
that we let her figure
things out for herself.
Honey, I'm afraid
that time has passed.
We throw her out
to sink or swim,
we're just drowning
her kids with her.
I don't know. Just thinking
about when we were young and
crammed into a shoebox
of an apartment
with no furniture,
rationing ramen noodles.
Ah, the good old days.
Yeah, they were. I mean,
what would you trade them for?
Apartment with heat
might've been nice.
No, I mean it.
I mean, if you had had
parents that you could run to
every time life got hard,
would you be the man
you are today?
Probably not,
but Abby isn't a man.
Wh Whoa, wait,
what's that supposed to mean?
Easy, I'm not
picking a fight here.
Yeah, well,
you let me decide that.
Paige could handle it.
She'd find a way.
But Abby just doesn't have it
in her, honey. She's a dreamer.
Big dreams with absolutely
no drive to see 'em through.
And if we had remained poor,
that would not have changed.
So, I don't
What are you saying?
She gets to remain a child
for the rest of her life?
She remains our responsibility
because she does not have
the belief
to be responsible for herself.
She never has.
No, the word you mean
is "discipline."
No, honey. I mean "belief."
You got to have that first.
How can you have discipline
about realizing a dream
you don't believe
you're capable of achieving?
We can love her
all we want, honey.
We will never
make her love herself.
You are ruining my plan
to blame this on us.
Yeah, don't be too hard
on her, honey.
She's hard enough on herself,
and that's her problem.
She's the only one
who can fix it.
That's in
that's incredible.
Sausage or pancakes?
- Both.
- Both.
Since when did my girls
develop an appetite?
- Do you want breakfast?
- What are my options?
Elk sausage or pancakes.
Oh, God.
It's quite the quandary.
Embrace your inner carnivore
or face the gluten monster.
I don't know when you became
Miss Little House
on the Prairie,
you juice-fasting
fucking hypocrite.
Hey. Are you out of your mind?
Do not talk like that
around my girls.
Oh, your girls.
Like you own them.
Babe, you got to try
this baking soda stuff.
Look at my
I'm gonna go for a walk.
Take my girls, would you?
Can we go after breakfast?
You can go now.
Come on.
Ooh, I'm in for it now.
What are you gonna do, Abby?
Are you gonna
bend me over your
Don't you ever
talk like that around my g Ah!
Don't you ever fucking touch me!
You girls want to see a tantrum?
'Cause, boy, are you going to.
I can see that we've all
completely forgotten
why we're here.
Or maybe it's just that
I did such a terrible job
as a mother
that I instilled in you
absolutely no love or respect
for each other or for
anyone else, for that matter.
This is not your house.
This is my house.
And unlike my other house
you make a mess in this one,
you will clean it the fuck up.
Cade? Stacy.
I'm sorry to bother you,
but I need to pick up
Paul's truck
at the sheriff's, and, um,
I was wondering
Are you sure?
Thank you.
I have to say,
it is refreshing to see you two
passionate about something,
even if it is hating each other.
Now, if I could just
get you to show
half this much emotion
over losing your father.
I'll sweep. You want to mop?
Yeah.
Start with the table and dishes?
Everything okay?
No,
Russell, I wouldn't say so.
What happened?
Oh, a lot of emotions, Russell.
They have no idea
where to put them.
I'd give them some space
so they don't try
to put them on you.
Yes, I've, uh,
I've experienced that.
It's not pleasant.
There you go.
Wow.
Right?
A real-life man cave.
How do they get
all of this stuff up ladders?
Isn't this cool?
I don't know if
we should be up here, girls.
I don't know how stable
the floor is.
It's stable enough
for a pool table.
- Well
- What's this?
Uh, well, that's, uh, like
an antique computer game,
sort of.
From, like, the Old West?
From
Well, not from the new West,
that's for sure.
Thank you.
Hmm. Maybe they should've
beat the shit out of each other
years ago.
Abby, I want you
to come with me.
Paige, you keep an eye
on the girls, a close eye.
Yes, ma'am.
Grab that card your girls made
for the neighbors.
Oh, God.
Thank you for doing this.
Of course. Uh, excuse the mess.
It's a work truck.
No, we're no stranger to messes.
Then you'll be right at home.
Oh, sorry.
Come on.
Yeah.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
I have something for you
from my girls to say thank you.
Oh, don't thank me.
I-I didn't do anything.
But my wife
will be tickled pink.
We can drop it off
if you got time?
We have time.
- Hey, darling.
- Hey, mama.
Hope y'all are gonna
put him to work.
This one's like a cow dog.
Obeys much better
when he's tired.
We'll see
what we can come up with.
My girls made this for you.
It's silly, but they wanted
to thank you for the food.
Well, nothing silly
about it at all. Thank you.
How'd you like
those Indian tacos?
Those are usually
the hit of the picnic.
We are saving those for last.
That's what we do.
Cade says we got a daughter
same age as yours.
Love to get 'em together.
Uh, yeah, I mean, I don't know
how long we're gonna stay,
- but we should
- That would be great.
How's the school here?
Like the old days,
they're all crammed in one room.
It's great for the young ones
'cause the older kids help 'em.
And it's great
for the older ones
- 'cause they learn how to help.
- Mm-hmm.
I'll be back before supper.
No rush. I ain't going nowhere.
Bye.
Love you.
So how'd you two meet?
A rodeo.
I was riding broncs
'cause I'm stupid,
and she was running barrel
'cause she's wilder
than a rabid hare.
I have no idea
what he just said.
I think he's saying
they were made for each other.
Yes, ma'am.
That's what I was saying.
Sorry.
Oh. That's okay.
Howdy, amigo.
You still got that yellow
with the three socks?
No, I got him.
I ain't sure you want him.
He's, he's fine outside,
but he's a dancing sucker
in the box.
He-he don't like them arenas.
- Can I come try him?
- Yeah, anytime you want.
I'll come over this weekend.
And don't bring beer.
My wife will kill us both.
I make no promises.
May I ask you something?
Yes, ma'am.
What in the world
were you two talking about?
A horse.
A dancing horse?
That he is.
Okay.
I just need to make a copy
of the death certificate.
Okay.
The funeral home
should have prepared
Oh. Um
Oh, sorry.
Uh, this one's the wrong one.
We moved it out front for you.
Thank you.
We're praying for you,
Mrs. Clyburn.
Praying? For what?
For peace.
It's not working.
You want me to tell him to go?
We got it from here,
but thank you.
Y'all know the way?
Just pull it up on my phone.
That sounds like a no.
Uh, why don't you follow me?
Okay.
Boy, they sure make men
different out here, don't they?
Your father's
the only real man you ever met,
so I'm not sure you have the
data to make that comparison.
Okay, you know what?
This tough love shit
is 20 years too late.
Isn't that the truth?
Is that why
you asked me to come?
You didn't get it out
of your system this morning?
Okay, you know what?
Fine, Mom.
Pull over,
give me your best shot.
What is your plan?
- My plan?
- Yeah.
In New York, for the future.
I don't know,
co-parent my daughters?
You're doing that anywhere.
Work on myself?
Honey, what does that mean?
I don't know.
Try and find happiness.
Find someone who makes me happy.
I don't know. Start dating?
- I don't know, I'll try to
- You have no idea.
No.
You should stay with me.
No. I am not moving
to the Upper East Side
where everyone is married and
- No, no, no, I mean here.
- Here?
I told you what I'm doing.
- Mom.
- Abby,
you have never been challenged
in your life.
- Mom.
- This would be a challenge.
Mom, stop. Stop.
And challenge
is exactly what you need.
You are not moving to Montana
with no running water.
We have running water.
We have no sewage.
How can you live here?
You have no friends.
The grocery store
is an hour away,
and what are you gonna do
in the winter?
Are you gonna chop wood?
I know you are hurting.
We are all hurting.
I don't know how to move on
from a failed marriage.
I can't fathom moving on
from a perfect one,
but this is not moving on.
This is hiding.
You have countless friends
in New York.
Your family is there.
All of the charities
that you worked so hard
The debate about
what I will do is over.
This is a debate
about what you will do
and what I will do as a result.
I will sell your house,
which is my house,
and as executor of the trust,
I will cease
all payments to you.
You want to live in New York?
You make it work.
And what about my children?
Pick a boarding school.
I'll pay for that.
Yeah, and their father
needs to be
- a part of this decision.
- Oh, no, no, no.
I am selling his house, too.
There are no more free rides
for anyone.
Your options are:
stay here with me
or you figure out
your life on your own.
What the fuck did I do
to make you hate me
so much, Mom?
Abby, you don't understand that
this is the most love
I have ever shown you.
Let me out of this car.
I want out of this fucking car.
I want out of this fucking car!
What the fuck?
What the fuck?!
Fuck.
Hey, bud, you busy?
Yeah, I got some
lost cargo on 89.
You mind running it up
to the house?
Thanks, amigo. Yeah.
A big one.
There is a greenroom for him
just outside the theater,
and the screening ends at 8:52,
and then we'll escort him out
for the Q and A,
which is scheduled
for 25 minutes.
If he wants
to do photos, he can.
Um, and then we'll get him
over to the Soho House
for the reception.
No, I won't.
I've had a,
a death in the family.
Thank you.
- Hey, you hit it.
- Come on.
Is it cold?
It feels great.
Ooh, it's cold.
Relief, thank God.
All right, come on.
Go ahead.
Maybe three.
Oh, God.
That sure is a permanent
solution to a temporary problem.
I'm
I'm not I'm not
You know I got some experience
with that solution?
My father chose it.
Thing about suicide no one
talks about is that it's
contagious, you know?
Lost a brother and an uncle
before it was through with us.
I would never. I just
My girls
would never survive without me.
They barely survive now.
Those things come in real handy
when you, uh, surprise a bear,
but that's about
all they're good for.
Yeah.
How would you feel about me
hanging on to that
until a grizzly
makes you real angry?
Okay.
When my father died, the
thing that surprised me the most
was all the damn paperwork.
The paperwork has-has got to be
somebody else's job.
Yeah.
Your job is just to miss him.
Yeah.
I'll follow you this time.
You stay on 287
till you get to your road.
Okay.
Thank you.
But I just
Um
Hi, honey. Hold on just one
second, okay? I'm going outside.
Are you okay? I have been
calling and texting, and I
Are you my friend?
Am I?
Stacy, of course.
Think real hard
before you answer.
Stacy, you are my best friend.
Get on a plane. I need you.
You text me the address,
and I will be there
first thing in the morning.
No.
Is there any way someone could
bring the rental car to me?
I will drive them back.
Okay, you know what?
How about I pay
for two rental cars,
and one person follows
the other person to me?
You know what?
Let's try this again.
How about?
Uh, one second.
This ain't very safe.
You don't say.
Also ain't very legal.
Would you mind arresting me?
Is there any way
that you can bring a rental car
to the police station?
Is that possible?
Uh, I got an idea
that's a little less traumatic.
How about I give you a ride?
- You'd do that?
- Yes, ma'am.
In the back?
Only if you start
making trouble.
I have all of today's trouble
out of my system.
That's good news for both of us.
Thanks.
You're out by the Mason Ranch?
Am I?
Where Cade works?
Oh. Yes, Cade.
Cade the cowboy.
He is that.
Everybody knows everybody
here, huh?
Well, ain't much
of an accomplishment.
Oh, man.
I'm sorry.
If it's any consolation,
you are seeing me
at the lowest point in my life.
Don't get to meet many
at their best moments, ma'am.
That just ain't the job.
I'll tell you this,
if I had a loved one pass
in New York City
I'd be a lot more lost
than you.
Do you have any music
in this thing?
Music is the one thing
it don't have.
But I can turn the sirens on,
drive like a bat out of hell
if it'll make you feel better.
It's worth a shot.
Boy, people just get right out
of the way, don't they?
Yeah, sirens have that effect.
I don't think I have the moral
compass for this kind of power.
What's your name?
Abby.
You're all right, Abby.
Hey, we could, uh, try the, um,
Indigenous tacos.
What do you think?
Did we eat all the lasagna?
Yeah. Lasagna is down.
What's in the freezer?
Um
Everything in the freezer
has hooves.
All right,
let's try the taco things.
Where's Mom?
Uh
There's a light on in her cabin.
I'll be back.
Take bear spray.
If there was a bear,
I think I would see it.
Hey, it's Abby. Leave a message.
Mom.
You didn't tell us
you were back.
I'm gonna have to go back out
and find your sister.
She's at the neighbors'.
What neighbors?
The cowboy.
That doesn't make any sense.
The cowboy followed me here.
That's where she is.
We're making dinner.
Are you hungry?
How did she manage that?
I heard "handsome"
and I heard "uniform."
What's for dinner?
The tacos.
We dare not speak their name.
I cannot wait for those girls
to meet the woman who made them.
We swam in the river today.
Oh, yeah? How was that?
Felt great on my hoo-ha.
And then Russell made me
this baking soda bandage.
There's no telling the yeast
infection I'm in store for,
but the swelling is sure down.
My vagina is
almost back to normal.
Jesus.
I got to say, Paige,
not the answer I was expecting.
What are you doing, girls?
Found this in our cabin.
Internet stopped working.
So, why'd you
throw Mom out of your truck?
- For beating Paige's ass?
- Hey.
Number one, it was a draw.
Number two, nice language.
I didn't. Your mother asked
to get out of the truck.
Not what she said.
Well, her relationship
with the truth remains the same.
Okay, I think this is ready.
Tony
don't rope the dog.
And what are you doing?
- Making a spear.
- Hey,
a little help here?
Hey, boys!
- Here you go, darling.
- Oh, thank you.
- Here you go.
- Thank you.
Don't got to ask them twice.
Thanks, mama.
You're welcome.
Swap leads into the turn, Kayla.
Looks like
you're about out of horse.
Let's
get her washed up and fed.
Oof.
Well, don't mind us
while we herd wild children.
- Oh, my God.
- Spade, uh-uh.
Let that snake go.
He's not bothering you.
Are there more
of those things around?
Oh, you want as many
of those around as you can get.
Why is that?
Keep the rodents away.
If you ain't got rodents,
you ain't got rattlesnakes.
- Good to know.
- Mm.
Uh, looks like they're
Should we go?
Oh, they'll get those kids
put down, be right back out.
Oh, thanks. You have kids?
Two boys.
How old?
Fourteen and 11.
I was the scourge of New York
when I got pregnant at 20.
Oh. You fit right in here.
Where's your wife?
Oh, she died.
- I'm sorry.
- No, it was, uh,
it was a few years ago.
Cancer?
An ATV flipped over on her.
She was running it up a hill
she had no business being on,
but you couldn't tell her no.
She was wild as fire.
- What about you?
- Mm.
My ex-husband is
very much alive.
I only wish he were dead.
You don't wish that.
I'm just I'm kidding, I'm
I shouldn't have said that.
I was
He a good father?
That's an interesting question.
Well, pretty important one.
He's half the deal.
Just interesting
you thought to ask it.
What's interesting is
you haven't answered.
Hope he is. For your kids' sake.
It's getting late.
Want me to take you home?
Oh, I would like that very much,
but for now I will settle
for the ranch next door.
Well, ranch next door it is.
Thanks.
What?
What what?
What are you?
Well, you want to go back,
right?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- But you're not walking.
- I'm waiting for you.
Oh. You want me to move first.
And then I walk with you.
That's how it works.
Okay. Yeah. Just
Still figuring out
the rules here, so
They ain't too hard
to figure out.
Yeah.
- Thanks.
- You bet.
Oh, thanks.
How long are you in the valley?
That is the question,
and I have no answer.
Oh. Here's another one.
When are y'all coming back?
Another question with no answer.
Why?
Why do you ask?
I know you're dealing
with a lot,
and this, this ain't the time
Good timing is not something
I was blessed with.
Got to take my shots
when they come.
I'm trying to decipher that.
There's not much to decipher.
The answer is yes.
I ain't asked a question yet.
Answer's still yes.
Okay.
This is when
the country boy thing
needs a little kick in the ass.
Do you have a pen?
- Uh, yeah.
- Something to write on?
Right, okay, so I'll, uh
Great.
Nope, I'm gonna, I'm gonna
need one more of those.
Oh, my God.
Okay.
You better go,
or I'm gonna drag you
into a horse stall.
That's not the threat
to make me leave.
Um
I am gonna go thank you
do damage control
on my daughters.
After we plot out a cemetery
and plan a funeral,
I am pretty free,
so give me a call.
I'll do it.
Oh, my God,
he's fucking beautiful.
I don't know
about beautiful. He's fit.
He's in shape, but that's, like,
the job, you know, so, please.
He's so cute, Mom.
- Really?
- Yeah.
You just found him
on the street?
- Well, actually, he found me.
- It was steamy.
What are you guys doing?
Sexy man.
That doesn't hurt?
Harder.
Your threshold for pain
should be studied.
Walk 30 blocks
in four-inch heels,
then tell me it's
the foot massage that hurts.
I'm gonna take your word for it.
So, the judge didn't award
spousal support
or child support.
Why would he?
They're both unemployed.
Says each parent
is responsible for expenses
when they have the girls.
And they need to split tuition.
Or, I don't know,
place them in public school.
That's not happening.
Well, maybe it should happen.
In the Village?
Come on, honey. Look,
this is a win because the court
isn't dictating what we do.
We're just gonna have
to cover the gap
when the girls are with him.
He hasn't worked
a day in his life.
If we don't help,
he'll tuck tail and go.
Who knows?
Where do
35-year-old adolescents go?
Oh, Los Angeles.
Try to become a fucking actor.
Then we're just robbing
their children.
He's a nice guy.
He's a dilettante with
zero ambition, but he's nice.
That's partly our fault.
We did. We
we enabled it.
You're enabling it now.
If we're always around
to pick her up,
she's never gonna learn
to stand on her own.
For God's sake,
she's 33 years old.
We need to let her fall down.
Honey, I-I can't do that.
She may be the oldest,
but she's still my baby.
And I can't.
I can't take that risk.
Picking her up when she falls
is my job.
Told you, honey.