‘This Is Us’ Fans Praise the Show’s Writers for Making Madison More ‘Likeable’
This is Us is about to wrap season 4, and one of the changes fans have been requesting the most for the show was to make Madison more likeable. Thanks to the recent episode called “Clouds,” they got their wish.
Initially, Madison didn’t seem like a major player, even though she had been on the show since the beginning. Now, thanks to an expanded role, and perhaps even fan feedback, the character is coming into her own. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the actress who plays her, Caitlin Thompson, is married to show creator Dan Fogelman.
What happened with Madison in ‘Clouds’?
In “Clouds,” Madison contacted Kate to apologize for sleeping with her husband Kevin. This development had caused some consternation among fans earlier because Fogelman had once tweeted, “Just FYI: Madison is my wife in real life @CaitwithaC And if you thought I was letting her sleep with @justinhartley on national television you’re nuts.”
The audience turned out to be nuts. After Madison made her apologies to Kate, Kate said the timing was terrible because of the problems she was having with Toby and Baby Jack.
However, Madison said she slept with Kevin because he understands her more than other guys. By the same token, Toby should be able to tell Kate his concerns without fear of reprisal. Kate conceded the point and mended fences with Toby.
This has a kind of synergy because, as Distractify points out, Madison was sort of the bridge that brought Toby and Kate together because they were all in the overeaters anonymous group together
How are fans reacting to Madison’s changes?
On Reddit, where fans very thoroughly dissect the show, fans were largely pleased with Madison’s evolution. One wrote, “I don’t normally like Madison’s character, but this won her some points. Kate needs that reminder that she’s being irrational.”
Another said, “I started applauding Madison because I feel like someone who wasn’t just Team Kate (like her family) needed to shake her out of being a perpetual bummer.”
Overall, fans had warmed to Madison to the point that they think the show is setting her up to hook up with Kevin legitimately. One person said, “Controversial Opinion: I’ve always liked Madison. I’d be OK with her being Kevin’s baby mama.”
Not everyone was sold, though, with a dissenter bluntly stating, “My eyes nearly rolled into the back of my head when she talked about feeling a connection …. Way to force a nepotism influenced storyline down our throats. Dan Fogelman must’ve wanted to give his wife a bigger paycheck. Sad and frankly disgusting.”
What’s ahead for the rest of Season 4?
This is Us has been on a brief hiatus but is scheduled to come back March 10, with an episode entitled “New York, New York, New York.” This one focuses on the deepening drama with Rebecca, who has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She asks to go to the city that never sleeps to attend Kevin’s movie premiere.
The finale has fans speculating, among other things, that Cassidy, played by Jennifer Morrison, could return, complicating Kevin’s love life. The New York episode will be followed by an episode ominously titled “After the Fire.”
Previous reports have stated the finale is cryptically titled “Strangers: Part Two.” Fans are waiting on the reveal of Kevin’s pregnant fiancee – will it be Madison or Cassidy? Either choice is sure to inspire a lot of crosstalk – although if it’s not Madison, perhaps that will spare Fogelman some personal grief.
As one fan put it, “If I were a betting person, Madison will become Kevin’s fiancée and child’s mother. Wife? I do not know. We never really know what the show’s writers are planning, but we like to guess. Right?”
