Spoilers Ahead
Woah.
Episode Summary: Juliette’s spiral leads to a dangerous place where Jeff pays the price. Scarlett and Deacon spend their last night celebrating Beverly at the local bar she’d always play in. Rayna produces Markus’ album. Maddie’s still rebelling. Daphne finally comes clean about what she heard in the bathroom. Avery’s tossing between forgiving Juliette and letting her go for good.
Review | Analysis: When I said we should get rid of Jeff Fordham, this is not what I meant. Much like all the episodes prior to this, tonight’s was once again a heavy one I’m having a difficult time trying to analyze. And ultimately, what’s frustrating me, even more, is the fact that it seems while one storyline will improve, another will fall dramatically. I can handle angst, in fact, I prefer it a lot of times, it’s fun, but this season of Nashville has just been too depressing to even think about. That said, my deepest apologies once more, as this review will be a lot shorter than it usually is.
My favorite part of this entire episode has been the conversation with Daphne and Rayna. Momma Rayna is without a doubt the number one reason why I chose to review this show. I’m always so in awe of how deeply and beautifully she not only understands her daughters, but Juliette, Scarlett, and now Layla too. These are the kind of scenes that I find most inspiring because women taking care of one another makes such a gorgeous statement. That said, this particular scene’s been a long time coming. For so long Daphne’s felt out of place — whether or not she’s said anything, it’s always been clear that her attachment to Teddy was due to the fact that the whole Deacon/Rayna/Maddie situation made her feel like an outsider.
The advice Rayna gives is everything. And frankly, something we could all personally take away from.
“People … they’re always gonna be negative, but that can’t ever take away from what you do and how you feel about it.”
This is legitimately the best advice you can give — the hardest to follow, but the best. There’s always going to be someone that disapproves of what you’re doing and it’s amazing how quick humans are to listen to negative feedback rather than positive. Almost as though those who are saying good things are lying and those who are saying bad things are telling the truth. Strange and unfortunate how the mind operates in situations like these.
Daphne and Maddie are so gifted (kudos to the Stella sisters), and it’s unfortunate that Daphne has to go around feeling like she should be ashamed of herself. I’m so pleased with the fact that we finally got to confront her feelings and remind her that loving something so much is what can never be taken from you. Your love cannot be altered. And while I keep trying to remember that Maddie’s a teenager — I’m hoping her behavior gets better. I hope she takes the time to really understand that her mom’s not out to get her, and she needs to make sure to pay attention to her little sister’s feelings as she’ll always be the closest person to her.
One of the things that sucks most about this storyline is probably how real it all feels. And it’s entirely due to the fact that Hayden Panettiere is doing such a fantastic job showcasing how lost Juliette really is. I don’t recall a time on television when I was as antsy as the moment she was up on the roof. Or a drug/alcohol abuse storyline that genuinely made me uncomfortable and sad. However, I did feel the entire storyline with the fan was taking it a bit too far. It was unnecessary. It’s not something she could bounce back from easily. And honestly which fan would be okay with lying on public television like that? This will undoubtedly come back to bite her in the future, and I hope before that happens, she confesses to her behavior herself. I admire Panettiere so much for speaking up and getting help herself — the reality is that more women need to learn about postpartum depression. And what’s so upsetting about what’s happening in Nashville is that we’re learning the extreme side, and it’s taking a bit too long to reach a conclusion. I would be okay with it taking longer if it was the actual process of her recovery. Watching people stand back and just yell at her isn’t going to help. Not to mention, it’s so sad to see how much Avery still cares, but at the same time, he’s afraid of getting too close again. Please someone just fix this.
I’m so sad Will and Kevin parted ways and to constantly see Will broken over the fact that he regrets speaking up is heartbreaking. I’m trying to wait patiently for the day Rayna signs him into Highway 65, but at the same time, my patience is wearing very thin. Someone be wise enough to see that a person’s sexuality isn’t something that should be judged like this. He deserves a chance just as much as anybody else.
And finally, I loved the fact that Scarlett got to hear how proud her mother was of her. Beverly may not have been good at showing affection, but it doesn’t mean she didn’t love her daughter more than anything. Watching Scarlett perform in honor of her mother was so moving. There aren’t many things as poignant as tributes to those who’ve passed and when it’s done like this, it’s too beautiful for words. It’s the ultimate form of closure and showcase of heartfelt adoration. Scarlett can now move forward knowing that in her music, she’ll always honor and carry her mother with her.
It was incredibly thoughtful of Deacon to buy the bar and rename it The Beverly, but at the same time, it calls for trouble. An alcoholic with a bar? It’s possible, but temptations may be far too difficult and truth be told I’m too nervous about what’s to come.
That final twist was something I could’ve never imagined. I’ve always made my feelings about Jeff very clear and for the first time, I wasn’t actually cringing during a Jeff/Layla scene. For a moment there it actually seemed as though his relationship with her was something he really cared for and to think of what Layla will go through when she learns what happened to him is daunting.
What are your thoughts on this week’s episode? Once again I’m truly so sorry I can’t offer a review the way I used to. It’s been so difficult to watch Nashville lately and it’s not easy to write for scenes that are just too sad. I hope you will all understand.