Spoilers for Season 1 of The Madison are ahead! If you are not caught up, you can stream all six episodes with a Paramount+ subscription.
I don’t know about you, but when Season 1 of The Madison ended on the 2026 TV schedule, I was thinking about Abby and Van. After it was confirmed that Stacy was fine and back in Montana, I immediately started wondering about her daughter and the cop she started falling for. Now that we know Season 2 is well on its way, I’m thinking about what’s next for them and, more specifically, how Abby’s kids feel about their mom’s budding romance with Van.
How Abby’s Kids Feel About Her Relationship With Van
The Madison is full of memorable family moments between characters like Beau Garrett’s Paige and Elle Chapman’s Abby, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Stacy and Patrick J. Adams’ Russell and more. However, the romance was what was always at the top of my mind. Yes, that means Stacy and Preston. However, I was even more invested in Abby and Van. Their budding romance was delightful, and as we wait for Season 2, I’m wondering if they can find a way to be together.
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Thinking about that, I started wondering about their kids and how they feel about this potential relationship. That’s because, if Abby and Van move forward together, their children are sure to have strong feelings about them. So, I asked Amiah Miller, who plays Abby’s older daughter Bridgett, how her character feels about her mom’s romance. In response, she said:
I feel like she’s excited for her mom, and I think she’s slowly falling in love with Montana as well. So, the idea isn’t super crazy of her mom falling in love with a Montana cop. I mean, Bridgett, when she sees them kissing, she’s excited for her mom. And I think she’s a really sweet girl. She just wants the best for Abby.
In the show, when Abby and Van kiss for the first time, her daughters do seem over the moon about it. However, as the show goes on, the couple faces an impasse as they realize they don’t necessarily want the same things in life.
But it seems like that could change, and Abby, specifically, could find a home in Montana. Especially since The Madison ended with her mom back on their land, it seems inevitable that she’ll go back. Plus, her kids like it there, and they like Van too, as Alaina Pollack, who plays her younger daughter Macy, told me:
Honestly, I think she’s just excited. I mean, it’s sweet, and, you know, [her mom’s] divorced, and so I think finding someone that she likes is really exciting for Macy.
So, clearly, the kids want them to be together. In fact, they’re cheering their mom on. However, can Abby and Van figure out how to make it work?
What The Madison’s Van Actor Thinks About His Character’s Chances With Abby
Well, I asked Ben Schnetzer, who plays Van, that question. During my interview with him, we spoke about his odds with Abby and if they’re star-crossed lovers. Speaking about the situation the two characters are in, and what could happen next, he said:
I think any kind of doomed or star-crossed lover situation is only engaging if there is a sliver of a way that it can work. And I think in this, there certainly is – it’s going to take some sacrifice.
Thankfully, that sacrifice won’t be at the expense of the children, seeing as they support this relationship and are falling in love with Montana. I think the sacrifice will have more to do with how willing these two are to change their own lives for each other.
While that’s quite the hurdle to get over, Schnetzer said there’s still a “spark” worth exploring:
It’s these are two people who have kind of, through very unlikely circumstances, found a connection and found a counterpoint in each other. And they couldn’t be from more different worlds, but yeah, there’s a spark there, and whether they see it through remains to be seen.
So, with that spark still very much there, and with the support of their families, Abby and Van could be headed in a great direction.
I think the thing that’s getting in their way is themselves. So, can they work all that out together? Well, we’ll find out when The Madison returns for Season 2.
