Fans have devised a theory surrounding Michelle Pfeiffer’s new character in The Madison, which convincingly ties her to a member of 1923‘s cast. 

Taylor Sheridan’s landmark Yellowstone TV show ended in December 2024 with its fifth and final season. That said, John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) Yellowstone universe will continue expanding with several upcoming spinoffs.

Michelle Pfeiffer in Murder on the Orient Express

Still, one of Sheridan’s upcoming Yellowstone spinoffs has no apparent ties to the Dutton family, leaving fans to speculate about how The Madison, and Michelle Pfeiffer as its lead, Stacy Clyburn, weave into Yellowstone‘s tapestry. With Sheridan’s track record, The Madison will likely link back to Yellowstone, and the most probable theory for that emerges in 1923‘s ending.

Elizabeth Strafford Could Be Stacy Clyburn’s Grandmother Or Great-Grandmother

There’s an unresolved plot point in the finale of 1923 season 2, and fans believe it links Pfeiffer’s Yellowstone character to John Dutton’s family.

At the end of 1923, Jack Dutton’s (Darren Mann) sweetheart, Elizabeth Strafford (Michelle Randolph), leaves the Yellowstone Ranch after Jack’s death, finally parting with the Montana wilderness that she detested.

Many now believe that Elizabeth’s departure sets up The Madison. What we know about the story so far is that Stacy and her family, the McIntoshes, relocate from New York City to Montana after a significant family death.

While Stacy appears to have no ties to the Dutton family tree, Elizabeth’s unfinished story could be the missing link.

Taylor Sheridan as Travis Wheatley in Yellowstone

Fans have speculated that Stacy could be Elizabeth Strafford’s grandchild, since she will emerge from a city in the East and gravitate toward Montana. While Stacy and her family don’t carry the Dutton surname, Jack’s sweetheart would have likely taken her second partner’s name, establishing a new lineage. That said, she is still pregnant with Jack Dutton’s baby at the end of 1923.

When Elizabeth departs the Yellowstone Ranch at the end of 1923, we have no idea where she is going or how her story will unfold, despite Cara Dutton’s (Helen Mirren) predictions. Therefore, Sheridan could have saved the continuation of Liz’s story for another Yellowstone show, and The Madison’s subverted premise could be setting the stage for that.

Michelle Pfeiffer Would Be The Perfect Actor To Play Michelle Randolph’s Yellowstone Descendant

Michelle Randolph & Michelle Pfeiffer Share Key Characteristics

Beyond the potential narrative connections between Elizabeth Strafford and Stacy Clyburn, there’s another similarity that’s impossible to ignore.

When looking at the actors side by side, Michelle Pfeiffer would be the perfect actor to play Michelle Randolph’s Yellowstone descendant, as they plausibly resemble relatives.

Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner in Yellowstone

Sheridan pays special attention to detail when casting his shows, especially his Yellowstone productions. For instance, Josh Lucas’ younger John Dutton is the spitting image of Kevin Costner. The same could be said about the younger and older actors of other Yellowstone characters, whose resemblance allows fans to blend the different narratives and connections of the stories seamlessly.

The Madison Fan Theory Justifies Its Position In The Yellowstone Universe

The Madison’s Role Is Currently Unclear

The Dutton family posing in a cabin in Yellowstone

If the link between Elizabeth and Stacy materialized, it would fully justify The Madison‘s place in Yellowstone. As they are, with no connections to John Dutton or his family, the Clyburn family is an enigma in the neo-Western franchise, their Eastern roots entirely defying what we’ve come to expect from Yellowstone‘s characters.

It would mean Stacy and her family aren’t some random New York family moving to Montana.

If Stacy and her family are connected to Elizabeth, that makes The Madison‘s place in the Yellowstone universe click. It would mean Stacy and her family aren’t some random New York family moving to Montana.

They could be the distant kin of James and John Dutton I, their story thus deeply rooted in the history of Yellowstone‘s Dutton family tree.