Spoilers Ahead
Yet another heavy episode with some improvement! Success.
Episode Summary: Scarlett and Deacon go to Beverly’s house in order to clean it out and mend their issues. While they’re on tour in Atlanta, Juliette brings Maddie up on stage to sing with her, and later Maddie feels she’s ready to take her relationship with Colt to the next level. Rayna works with Layla on a new song. After finally learning the truth about Cadence’s time spent at the hospital, Juliette comes to her senses, but Avery wants a divorce. Markus Keen is trouble, Luke’s taking Will’s song, and Gunnar’s story is such a wreck, there are no words.
Review | Analysis: This week’s episode was a bit lighter, but I’m still finding myself ridiculously sad afterward, and that’s not the kind of show I want to watch. I’m all for drama and angst, but it’s just a bit too much. I find myself constantly wanting certain arcs to play out a certain way and not because I’m displeased with what we’re getting, but because I’m okay with angst if it appears it’s on the way to progress. So far, though I’m 100% thrilled that it appears Juliette’s finally getting her act together. She’s realizing what’s wrong and it seems she’ll finally work at it.
There’s a lot I was able to appreciate about Juliette’s storyline this week, but mostly it was the fact that it came from missing her family. She realized that the drugs are only temporary bliss and the emptiness within can only be fixed with loved ones. It was when no one would return the phone calls that she grew weary even managing to tell her “friend” that she knows Emily and Avery would never do anything behind her back. Thankfully, it was finding Gunnar and him telling her the truth about Cadence that completely sent her over the edge and straight to taking her jet to Nashville. Since it seems she’s finally ready to address what she’s going through, I seriously hope we don’t go backward next week. I hope it doesn’t lead to something worse especially since Avery’s mentioned that he wants a divorce and full custody of Cadence. I love Avery’s relationship with Cadence so very much, but I want to see this family succeed more than anything. Please handle it right, Nashville. Please. Prior to this, however, she and Maddie shared a wonderful moment where she told her to never wish her family away. A truth people only ever learn the hard way, but I thought that taking Maddie up on stage was actually a phenomenal gesture. It gives her exposure and shows her the thrill of performing only I’m not sure if she realized how Rayna would take it. Or she did and didn’t care.
Sometimes it’s hard to remember what being a teenager was like, but considering I was always a little nerd and never interested in partying and all that jazz, it’s not easy for me to understand how people are drawn to that lifestyle. To each their own, though but the important thing to remember about all teenagers is that they’re stubborn. We’ve all been there. It comes with the age. When they want things, they want them right at that moment. They’re not willing to wait or understand why their parents are saying no. I’m not sure if Maddie and Colt went all the way but I truly hope it’s not something she comes to regret later on because she did it whilst high off of adrenaline. We haven’t gotten too many scenes with Rayna and her girls in a while so I’m hoping this ultimately brings them closer again. I’m hoping it allows them to see the importance of family, especially mother/daughter relationships since Scarlett lost hers at a time when they were finally beginning to understand one another. Death is always meant to open our eyes to the world, it’s meant to show us that we need to treasure every moment that we’re on earth along with the people around us.
There comes a time when adults forget how to be adults and in this case, Deacon’s grieving was turning him into a child. And I’m glad Scarlett really let him know how much he’s hurt her by reminding him of the fact that she not only lost someone as well, but she made the most important decision of her life without his help. And thankfully that plus her drunken state got Deacon thinking and he apologized to her. It was amazing to finally get a great moment of comfort with these two because their relationship’s always been one of the best ones in the series. Once again, Charles Esten and Clare Bowen’s delivery of these scenes were outstanding — these actors have been doing an inexplainable job of showcasing truly raw emotions. And they’re doing such a wonderful job, it’s ultimately what’s making the scenes so difficultly heartrending to watch.
Jeff and Layla’s relationship is still the worst thing on television. And while you all know I keep things to myself when I don’t like them, this is too problematic not to point out. That said, I loved the fact that she opened up to Rayna and the two of them wrote an honest, and strong song together. I loved this time they spent because it really proves just how much Rayna cares about her artists individually, and I’ve been waiting for a moment like this since Layla signed onto Highway 65.
Now, can we please sign Will as well so he can get a chance to showcase his talent without another artist taking songs? Thank you. Will’s success is very important and I feel Rayna is the right person to give it to him. She genuinely cares so much about country music and the people who represent it so hopefully, she gives Will a chance as well. And this is especially needed since Markus Keen is such an arrogant diva. What a shame because his voice had potential.
Once again, sorry for the short review. It’s just been very difficult to write about this series this season and judging by the promo next week, if things do well, it’ll be even harder. If there’s anything you’d like us to discuss, let us know in the comments below.