S03.E05: Road Happy

[Cranberry]

Juliette frets over hiding her pregnancy before filming a sex scene with movie star Noah West. Rayna flies her kids to meet her on tour, but learns that her increased fame now that she’s engaged to Luke is making Daphne feel entitled, while Maddie is simply miserable. Kiley tells Gunnar she’s leaving town, Will starts making careless mistakes in his personal life, and Scarlett is inspired by a homeless man she meets while songwriting.

 

[RachelKM]

 

and Scarlett is inspired by a homeless man she meets while songwriting.

How's that write something "fun" thing going for you Scarlett?

[hqtextbook]

Oh wow. There is no way Juliette composed that text right? These two are a complete disaster; I hope they go forward with this adoption plan. Although now that Avery's yelling to the whole world about this pregnancy....

[Quiche]

WOW!  Good episode.  

 

I like Derek better than Avery.  He seems nice so far.  Avery can go blow smoke out of his butt.

 

What was Luke doing throwing a hizzy fit over Will's bruises.  Aren't guys in cowboy hats suppose to lead rough and tough lives?  

 

Great ending scene with Zoe taking over for Juliette.  

 

Jeff is such a sleaze - but I am fascinated.

 

Rayna is over the top.  There is a price to be paid for fame.  Suck it up and deal with it.  Her call to Teddy was way out of line.  

Edited October 23, 2014 by Quiche

[NYGirl]

Wow that was some episode.  I don't even know where to start.

 

Who sent the text to Avery?  Rayna dear you can't have it both ways.  Will is self destructing and so is Layla. 

 

More importantly I can't believe the ending with Zoey taking over... wow.

[CofCinci]

I don't trust Juliette's costar. What's the game he's running?

Why is Will pulling Kevin Spaceys in the park? Call Brent!

Did the actress who plays Scarlett have work done on her face? It looked different in the "Magical Negro" scenes.

[Midru]

Just as a viewer and not analyzing anything I loved this episode and enjoyed almost everything that happened. 

 

Yay, Daphne finally gets a few scenes! I loved when she said, "Actually, I prefer chocolate milk." The first words of a future diva?

 

Loved Scarlett with the homeless guy. He sang the song better I thought. Was that really the only new song of the episode? What's happening to the music?

 

Really, now Gunnar has a baby, too? Or 9 and a half year old? Whatever. That's one thing I didn't like.

 

Uh, yeah, Rayna, when you plan to tour for an entire year ya just might miss a couple things that happen at home. Not that anyone could anticipate that...

[jschoolgirl]

But hasn't Rayna toured before? I know this is a year, but it's not like she's a rookie.

Whoe is the woman who asks Scarlet about her writing? Is Scarlet under contract to her in some way?

[Midru]

Back in season 1, Scarlett and Gunnar got a deal with a Nashville music publishing house. It looks like she has returned back there and wrote 10 songs in the last 3 weeks. So they are paving the way for some kind of comeback for her. Anyone want her to perform again? Not me.

[Irlandesa]

Who sent the text to Avery? 

Juliette sent it to Avery.  Emily kept pestering her that Avery had a right to know about the baby and Juliette gave in during a moment of weakness.  Then she ignored Avery.  Heh.  One of my favorite things is was Gleen standing up for Juliette by pointing out that her baby didn't need to grow up in the chaos she did.  I'm glad someone said it.

 

The ending scene with Zoey singing didn't ring true to me. I just don't think the audience would be as excited to keep going with her if the star went off the stage. 

 

I loved Teddy's daddy day.  I thought that was a realistic scene that there will be things Rayna will miss but I can't imagine this is the first time she has missed something important.  She hasn't even been on the road that long.  But that woman at the end?  Is so a prostitute.  Jeff is setting him up to try to get him to sign the girls.

[panthergirl13]

Hoo boy, the only thing that Zoe replacing Juliette proved is that ZOE IS NO JULIETTE (and that actress is no Hayden Panettiere). Really highlighted the difference between having "it" and not.

 

Was Will dressed like a sailor when he was walking, er "cruising", through the park? Talk about dragging out your tired TV tropes. Jeez, show. 

[dbell1]

If Rayna is pissed about highlights and ear piercings, just wait until cool dad Teddy takes them for matching tattoos.

I laughed when Juliette sent Avery the text. She's tried to tell him lots of times about the baby and he kept yelling at her.

Poor Teddy must be this year's rehab character. He's gone from wife bankrupting embezzeler to slimy politician to cheating spouse to letting Lamar die to super Mayor.

Will needs to come out before it (or Layla) kills him. I'm calling for a murder suicide for those two.

And I have no soul since I laughed when Jeff told Layla that she had no feelings or thoughts or something.

Last thought, Derek DiCaprio doesn't bother me as much as I thought he would.

[airwair]

I cracked up a lot at cutter Layla. WTF?

And I absolutely adored Rayna getting bitched out by Daphne and Teddy. Yes, she's been on the road before but never for a year straight and never so obsessively. She has also never had a boat sized cowboy hat on her shoulder convincing her it's a good idea when she shows hesitation.

That said, she chose this nonsense. Now she can reap the heartache.

[ramble]

Yeah I didn't buy that the audience accepting Zoe singing for a moment. Massive eye roll.

I had a brief moment of concern when Maddie said something about seeing Luke's son later. Please oh please oh please don't go there show.

I had to watch this live & I missed my ability to fast forward greatly. Rayna was on my screen far too much for my preference. Her storyline & anything that spins off it just drags. I won't watch this without the FF button again.

[missbonnie]

I liked the episode and I didn't. It just seems like everyone is miserable. Blah.

[Abstract]

For once, I'm going to say well-played, Nashville writers. Last week I couldn't imagine Jeff manipulating Teddy into letting him sign the girls. But boy, does Jeff know the right buttons to push.

I called some combination of Will/Layla murder a couple of weeks ago. Now I'm just wondering if it will be November sweeps or February.

I hate the new Juliette/Avery/whoever triangle already. And Gunnar's new "I'm the daddy" storyline. And the homeless guy routine. Hopefully that doesn't repeat.

Scarlett's songs all sound alike to me. They're all angsty. Maybe Layla can sing them and have a meltdown on stage.

Eta:

I had a brief moment of concern when Maddie said something about seeing Luke's son later. Please oh please oh please don't go there show.

I just kind of assumed they will go there, figured that's the whole point of writing Luke with a teen son.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Abstract

[pivot]

Thank God for the fast-forward button. This show would be unbearable without it. The only storyline I can stomach now is Juliette's. Anything to do with Rayna is overwrought and painful. And I can't believe I thought Connie Britton could act. She must have been playing herself on FNL becaue she is horrendous here. Hayden, OTOH, is a revelation. She truly is great.

The storyline with the gay singer seems so early 1990s. Even the country music industry can't be that backwards in 2014.

[Cranberry]

Did the actress who plays Scarlett have work done on her face? It looked different in the "Magical Negro" scenes.

 

Because we've received a report about this, I wanted to point out that this poster is referring to the "Magical Negro" trope and is implying that it's a bad thing. You can read about the trope on Wikipedia or TVTropes (but beware, once you get sucked into the TVTropes black hole, you may not emerge for hours!). 

[izabella]

And I have no soul since I laughed when Jeff told Layla that she had no feelings or thoughts or something.

 

I can't remember exactly what he said about her having to have feelings in order to write heartfelt songs, but I thought his sarcasm was the best line of the night.  And the blank look on her face just proved his point.  I was totally not buying her pills/broken mirrors angst.

[airwair]

It is very 2014, sadly. Chely Wright is basically the only country artist to ever come out and unfortunately her career is all but dead.

The south may be growing and changing, but it's still the south and it's still got the Bible Belt--and these people are some of country's biggest demographics.

source: born and bred Tennessean. Shares a hometown with Kenny Chesney, where the rumors run rampant.

[Artsda]

Will is just stupid, he's beyond careless. He has like multiple personality disorder. He wants to get caught at this point.

[madam magpie]

I'm with Daphne: Rayna, you do suck.

Will would be absolutely clobbered in country music for being gay. That's the one detail this show has gotten absolutely correct.

Still don't like Pam.

Here comes the sex and drinking for Maddie, I guess. Shocker.

Oh, Teddy. You're so stupid.

Edited October 23, 2014 by madam magpie

[Quiche]

Some further thoughts, Rayna was remiss in not seeing if Maddie would like to spend time with Deacon.  Bad mistake.  Maddie would resent the situation less if she could do something with her father.  Probably Rayna doesn't want to mess up the family time with Luke.  But what that is actually doing is forcing Maddie.  

 

Will has been using lots of people.  He doesn't have to be a Country Music Star if it means destroying and hurting other people.  And yes, I do mean Layla.  I like her.  She has been used by both Will and Jeff, and I'm glad she's sticking it to them.  

 

Unpopular opinion:  Deacon and Pam seemed tres sympatico - both companionable and compatible.  He will never have that with Rayna.  

[Soup333]

Will's reality show must only tape when Layla is with him? Even still, not the smartest move going to the park like that. I have sympathy for Will, but he's been too cautious in the past for me to believe he was just that horny.

Layla though, who cares. I was hoping she would take some pills or cut her wrists or drown in her own tears.

I do believe that Teddy is so attention and sex-starved that he didn't think to question his new best friend or his new lady friend. Total set-up.

I'm glad to see Rayna realizing that her shit does, in fact, stink. She was out of line to go off on Teddy like that. While she's on tour he is the only reliable parent those girls have. Sucks to miss out on stuff, but this isn't her first tour. Don't act brand new, Miss James.

I wish the waitress's kid would have been the brother's instead of Gunner's, although anything that hastens the end of his relationship with Zoey is a plus.

I want to believe that Zoey was trying to step up for Juliette since she knows the situation, but let's be real, she probably hopes that'll be her big break. Again, I'm all for it if it takes her away. As a member of ZAG, she's cool but she ain't no Juliette Barnes.

Speaking of, Juliette needs to slow down. I can't even imagine how tired she must be. Those first few weeks (months!) of pregnancy feel like running in water. I can't imagine how she's been doing it with her schedule.

Avery. I want to have sympathy for him because he was good for and to Juliette when they were together. I'm sure the unexpected text threw him for a loop. But if he's going to punk out with all that "maybe it's better for the baby" bullshit, fuck him.

I liked the song Scarlett was working on, but when I recognized the pizza man's voice (watched Forrest Gump waay too many times), I knew she'd end up going outside to talk to him.

[ProneToCheerfulnes]

 

Rayna is over the top.  There is a price to be paid for fame.  Suck it up and deal with it.  Her call to Teddy was way out of line.  

 Was she ever!  As if the entire series didn't open with Rayna having been on the road for a good long while while Teddy stayed home and raised the girls.  Then again, Rayna is always a hypocrite when it comes to the men in her life- and I commend the writers for the consistency of her portrayal!

[Quiche]

I'm glad to see Rayna realizing that her shit does, in fact, stink. She was out of line to go off on Teddy like that. While she's on tour he is the only reliable parent those girls have. Sucks to miss out on stuff, but this isn't her first tour. Don't act brand new, Miss James.

Why is Rayna on tour so much? She increased her concert dates and appearances. The reason why she did that is because after 1 week her new album was no longer #1. According to Rayna, all her albums go platinum. Now, I forget. Was this her last album that she owed Edgehill or her first album for her new record company? Either way, Rayna is on tour because she must be #1. But not all the country singers can be #1. They still make a living. Rayna's priority is her career, and not her daughters. Which is fine. But don't pretend otherwise and blame other people.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Quiche

[ProneToCheerfulnes]

I don't trust Juliette's costar. What's the game he's running?

Why is Will pulling Kevin Spaceys in the park? Call Brent!

Did the actress who plays Scarlett have work done on her face? It looked different in the "Magical Negro" scenes.

All of this!   Derek Hough's character is acting way too cool.

 

And  the writing for Will makes him seem like he has a progressive sex disorder.  Did having regular sex with the hot trainer cause him to lose all impulse control, to the point that he is now cruising parks because he Must. Have. Sex!     

 

Scarlett has lost a lot of weight.  Her cheekbones are super pronounced this year, and not in the cute full faced way they were before.

[Brookside]

Why couldn't Raina have arranged the tour so that it was, for example, 3 weeks on and 1 week off.  That way she'd have a full week with the girls (a week when she could commit to no business unless the girls were at school).  She's the boss of the company isn't she?

[jjj]

So. that scene with Layla was cutting and is not foreshadowing that she will next be found in a pile on the tile floor?  I could not figure out why they did not go back to that scene.

 

The AMAZING camerapeople and editors did a great job of never quite showing us the full Juliette in the concert scene.  Pan in, and CUT AWAY!  Pan in, and DANCERS JUMP UP AROUND HER!  Zoom in, and NOW WE SEE HER FROM BEHIND!

[GaT]

So both Gunnar & Avery are going to be fathers? That seems a little redundant to me, no way is Juliette going to deliver a baby, there's a miscarriage coming up.

 

Rayna, get over yourself, either you tour, or you're home with your kids. Make up up mind & STFU.

 

So Jeff's plan is to become BFFs with Teddy & then convince him to let him sign the girls? Yeah, that's a good idea.

 

Please die Layla, please.

[Big Bad Wolf]

Rayna really does think everything should revolve around her, doesn't she? Perish the thought people might actually carry on living their lives when she's not around to have an opinion about it.

 

So both Gunnar & Avery are going to be fathers? That seems a little redundant to me, no way is Juliette going to deliver a baby, there's a miscarriage coming up.

 

So Jeff's plan is to become BFFs with Teddy & then convince him to let him sign the girls? Yeah, that's a good idea.

 

Re. Juliette's baby, as the whole reason for the storyline is HP's IRL pregnancy, I'm pretty sure Juliette has to go to full term.

 

I think Jeff's plan is more like to find a way to blackmail Teddy into letting him sign the girls. As a poster said above, I'm pretty sure the new woman Teddy's new 'BFF' has set him up with is a professional.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Big Bad Wolf

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Oh, Jeff, you sneaky bastard. Once again he is playing on Teddy's insecurity about not being the cool parent while also trying to wheedle information from him about which artists Maddie and Daphne will want to work with AND setting him up with a hooker. Jeff is an ass, but I guess at least no one can accuse him of not making an effort.

 

While I agree that Rayna is going to miss things while she's on tour, Teddy's beauty day happened purely out of his jealousy/insecurity because the girls said they had such a good time with Rayna. I have no doubt that his decision to let Daphne get her ears pierced with him instead of Rayna was totally out of spite.

 

Will is so out of his depth. Cruising the park at night was a completely boneheaded idea. Now those guys have his wallet so they can call the tabloids and out him. Great. He also could have avoided that entire fight/breakup with the trainer if he had handled it differently. All he had to say was that he was told by Luke and the record label/tour management people that it's standard for all tour employees to sign non-disclosure agreements and then apologize for not knowing that when he initially hired him. But instead he said it was what celebrities did which is what led to the whole boyfriend discussion, which is what set off the trainer.

 

I didn't buy Layla's pills and mirror smashing.

[Midru]

I agree that Teddy's new girl is a ho. For some reason it cracked me up that she was obviously a high class ho, with all her literary references. I have to admit I think Jeff using Teddy's vulnerability with the girls is pretty brilliant. First thing they've done right with that character. Good job! (ETA I still think trying to sign the girls is ridiculous)

 

For Scarlett's Magic Negro, I see him getting a songwriting credit on her new depressing song, which goes to number one, then using the money to escape poverty. 

 

 

I'm glad to see Rayna realizing that her shit does, in fact, stink.

 

It seems to me that she still doesn't see it. After Daphne called her out, she had that heart to heart with her, acted kind of sorry, and then turned around and attacked Teddy. I am glad she's finally getting called on it once in a while, at least. But I really think Connie Britton being executive producer has corrupted the way her character gets written. 

 

And how badly is Juliette going to torch Zooey for having the nerve to save her show? 

 

Speaking of Juliette, here is an awesome link to every time she has ever cried: http://www.vulture.com/2014/10/hayden-panettiere-nashville-cry.html

Edited October 23, 2014 by Midru

[DeLurker]

Daphne finally gets more than one line and they turn her into a entitled brat in training? That blows.

Avery's chat with Gunnar would have been tolerable if he acknowledged his colossal assyness after calling Juliette to bail him out of jail.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I liked Zoe when she initially showed up because I wanted Scarlett to have a female friend instead of just Avery and Gunnar. But I am officially tired of her. Between her ridiculous jealousy the last few weeks and this week's whining about how she was invisible onstage, I am sick of her. Girl, you got hired as a backup singer. Your job is to stand in the back swaying in time with a few other girls while you sing harmonies. Did you really think that Juliette Barnes was about to let her backup singers upstage her on a nightly basis? Know your place. You are not the star of this show. You are a backup singer and this is your first job as a singer. Take it down a notch.

[TeeVee329]

I agree that Will being gay would be a major, career-skidding deal today.  But what's retro is the presentation of Will's being gay as a sex-based compulsion that drives him to cruise parks and that he has no emotional attachments to any of these men he's gotten involved with (which I'm starting to suspect is why they backed off the story with Brent) with every trope attached - attempted suicide, gay bashing, etc.  What's next, an HIV scare?

 

And I don't understand why they positioned Deacon as someone Will could talk to when they haven't bothered letting Will talk to Gunnar all season.

Edited October 23, 2014 by TeeVee329

[CofCinci]

Did you really think that Juliette Barnes was about to let her backup singers upstage her on a nightly basis?

Before Juliette went unconscious, she shot vicious eye daggers towards Zoe. Her career as a background singer is over.

[Ellaria]

Lots of bad choices made in this episode.

 

Jeff continues his arc as the mustache-twirling villain. Rather than actually run a music business, he is has an elaborate plan of revenge on an artist and rival: blackmail her ex-husband (who also happens to be the mayor) into letting her daughters sign with his label. To what end? Mario Van Peebles needs to re-appear and give him another verbal smackdown.

 

Once again, these writers have no idea of what to do with Teddy. He obviously has no duties as mayor so Jeff becomes his new BFF. Of course, Teddy is so lonely that he can't see the set-up coming. I guess we are never going to re-visit the "I will watch while Lamar dies scene."

 

The scenes between Rayna and her daughters are so forced. Daphne shows up - Daphne is a brat (!) - Rayna looks concerned - Daphne reappears and is no longer a brat - Maddie has teenage angst - Rayna looks concerned. Rayna never considered that the family photo with Luke/son was a bad idea - really?

 

Zoe taking Juliette's place is too stupid to discuss. Zoe needs to disappear...and she can take Layla with her. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Rayna never considered that the family photo with Luke/son was a bad idea - really?

Rayna is engaged to Luke so as far as she is concerned, they are a family now (plus Sage who is off at dance camp - ha!). No reason they shouldn't take pictures of them when they are together. A friend of mine who has one kid was dating a guy who had three kids. Even before they got engaged, they considered the six of them a family and they posted pictures of various iterations of themselves and the kids all the time on facebook with captions about how much they loved their family, so I don't see anything wrong with what Rayna did as long as everyone in the picture was okay with it being posted. She can't spend the rest of her life worrying about hurting Deacon's feelings.

 

Rayna was remiss in not seeing if Maddie would like to spend time with Deacon.  Bad mistake.  Maddie would resent the situation less if she could do something with her father.  Probably Rayna doesn't want to mess up the family time with Luke.  But what that is actually doing is forcing Maddie.

While I totally understand Maddie wanting to spend time with Deacon, that is a separate issue from spending time with her mom and future stepfather. Rayna arranged that last minute trip because Daphne asked to spend time with her. There is nothing wrong with Rayna expecting Maddie and Daphne to spend some time with her and Luke. Maddie doesn't get to skip out on all family events just because Deacon is her biological father. Ever since Deacon and Maddie found out that she is his daughter, Rayna has not tried to stop them from spending time together. If anything she has encouraged it, so I don't think she would have any problem with Maddie spending some time with him on one of his days off, but I don't think that her response to Daphne wanting to spend time with her should have been to call Deacon to ask if she could ship Maddie off to him for a day. It is too easy for Maddie to use Deacon as an escape from her regular family life. Like it or not (and obviously she is leaning towards not since she insisted that Sage is Colt's sister, not hers), the Wheelers are going to be her family. As for forcing Maddie to spend time with them, that's true of most teenagers. They would rather hang out with their friends than their families, especially in public, but they still have to spend family time together, much to their chagrin.

 

the presentation of Will's being gay as a sex-based compulsion that drives him to cruise parks and that he has no emotional attachments to any of these men he's gotten involved with

My interpretation was that Will did like his trainer and have some emotional attachment to him (as well as Brett) but he told the trainer it was only physical because he knows that there is no future for him with another man if he wants to have a career as a country singer. As he told the trainer, it's easier to tell himself that what he does with men is all physical than to admit he has feelings for a man. I don't think he was cruising the park solely to have some kind of sexual release (because he could definitely, ahem, handle that himself in the privacy of his hotel room). Like Layla, he is frustrated and acting out in a self destructive way.

 

I have no soul since I laughed when Jeff told Layla that she had no feelings or thoughts or something.

Usually Jeff is to one note for me, but that made me laugh too.

 

I had a brief moment of concern when Maddie said something about seeing Luke's son later. Please oh please oh please don't go there show.

I already saw this exact storyline on Nurse Jackie (rebellious teenage daughter dates her mom's boyfriend's son) and I have no desire to see it again. Ugh.

 

I also haaaaaaaate Gunnar suddenly having a secret kid he didn't know about. Maybe he and Deacon can bond over that.

 

Avery kind of cracked me up with his selfish cluelessness (or clueless selfishness) when he told Gunnar, "I know you're still mad at me but could you just get over it because I really need to talk to someone." I'm glad that Glenn pointed out what a mess Avery is and told him that he would not allow someone like that around Juliette and the baby. Hopefully that was the wakeup call for him to get his shit together. Even if he decides he wants nothing to do with the kid, at least he can pull himself together. I did feel bad for him when he said he thought when he had a kid he would have a wife and a house and then he said he didn't have a house like Gunnar's. Lots of people don't have a house like that, so of all the things to feel bad about, that's not on the list.

[MizStaken]

I figured Will would either get arrested or beat up, beat up is probably the better option. I was surprised how quick he was our trolling for dick and he wasn't even subtle about it. Does he not realize that someone could recognize him? He really needs to call Brent. But I am guessing that actor must be out considering he's disappeared and he's supposed to be Layla's manager.

Glad that Deacon was so cool with things. I imagine that as long as he's been in the music industry, Will is not the first closet case he's dealt with.

Juliette does need to slow down a bit, her body is telling her things and she's not listening.

Could care less about Rayna and her family drama, you've made your bed now go wallow in it and quit bitching.

Knew Gunnar was a daddy as soon as the kid appeared. Think it's really a crappy thing for women to do by springing a kid on a guy years down the road.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

As soon as Will took his hat off in the woods, I thought the guy would recognize him and say, "Hey, aren't you Will Lexington?"

[romantic idiot]

Agreed that Will is definitely asking to be caught, at this stage. The problem is I'm bored. I was interested in the Will / Brent story. What he's going through now is such a cliche I'm just rolling my eyes at it. 

 

Daphne finally gets more than one line and they turn her into a entitled brat in training? That blows.

 

I get that they were trying to show that Daphne is an entitled brat, but I'm having difficulty buying that. I mean, why is it so bratty of her to say that she preferred chocolate milk to plain milk? The flight attendant's job is serve her right? And while Cole was rude, she wasn't. She just said that she'd prefer chocolate milk. i know this is supposed to be bratty of Daphne and we'll see it more down the line, but this particular incident wouldn't ping my radar except for the narrative music and reactions. 

[Linderhill]

I'm trying to figure out why Rayna is all of a sudden so paranoid about the media.  The woman has been a country star for how many years?   I can't believe that she's never been stalked by the press before?  Even if she'd always shielded her family from them, the press would try even harder to get photos, especially after the past year.  Marriage breaking up, touring with her "rival" getting involved with her producer and her lead guitarist/ex-flame and then almost dying in a car wreck, the news coming out that her teenage daughter was fathered by her lead guitarist, rich father gets arrested and then dies, not to mention the silly romance/engagement with "superstar" Luke Wheeler.  This isn't even keeping in mind that she was married to the mayor and that his wife was murdered.  Why would the press ever ignore any of this?  Why, all of a sudden is the press a big issue?

 

And now, suddenly she's realizing that she might miss something with her daughters if she's on tour?  silly woman.  

[TeeVee329]

Agreed that Will is definitely asking to be caught, at this stage. The problem is I'm bored. I was interested in the Will / Brent story. What he's going through now is such a cliche I'm just rolling my eyes at it.

 

I am a broken record on this subject, but I feel like there was so much potential there with Will/Brent.  And I really think they veered away from it because the show fell in love with Layla/Aubrey Peeples and wanted a Will/Layla story, not a Will/Brent story.

[Irlandesa]

For once, I'm going to say well-played, Nashville writers. Last week I couldn't imagine Jeff manipulating Teddy into letting him sign the girls. But boy, does Jeff know the right buttons to push.

He does know the right buttons to push but I'm still going to call BS if the show has Teddy sign the girls to Edgehill.  I still don't think Teddy would do something that would negatively affect their future that much...even if he were being blackmailed.  While not perfect, fatherhood is the one area where he actually has been shown trying to do what he thinks is right.  He may be wrong at times but sacrificing his children just doesn't seem like something I'd buy from the character they've established.

 

It is very 2014, sadly. Chely Wright is basically the only country artist to ever come out and unfortunately her career is all but dead.

Sadly true.  Although wasn't her career over before she came out?

 

While I agree that Rayna is going to miss things while she's on tour, Teddy's beauty day happened purely out of his jealousy/insecurity because the girls said they had such a good time with Rayna. I have no doubt that his decision to let Daphne get her ears pierced with him instead of Rayna was totally out of spite.

 

Now those guys have his wallet so they can call the tabloids and out him.

I agree that Teddy may have felt a little jealous/left out because he wasn't the "fun" parent but I don't think that means there was spite in letting Maddie and Daphne do their spa day.  He has been the "enforcer" for a while, was tired of it and wanted to have a fun day with his daughters.  I don't think that had anything to do with Rayna and everything do to his daughters.  From their phone conversation, it sounds like he and Rayna had agreed to an age when Daphne could pierce her ears and she was old enough.  And at Maddie's age, highlights aren't a huge deal. He didn't dictate the activities so Rayna would miss the moments.  He told the girls they could do anything they wanted.  They could have chosen dinner and a movie. Instead they got to do traditionally 'girlie' things that they'd otherwise miss out on because their mother is on tour.

 

And it's possible the thieves will call the tabloids but I don't know that they'd want to risk opening themselves up to scruting considering they committeed a crime.

[Primetimer]

Avery finds out his boys can swim. But he's not the only one.

Read the story

[CofCinci]

Sadly true. Although wasn't her career over before she came out?

Yes. Then, she tried to use her coming out as a promotional tool and it rang as insincere to many.

P.S. I'm sorry if my use of "Magical Negro" offended anyone. It's an actual trope/device used in fiction.

[Big Bad Wolf]

Before Juliette went unconscious, she shot vicious eye daggers towards Zoe. Her career as a background singer is over.

 

Under normal circumstances (i.e. not having blurted out that she was pregnant and been overheard) Juliette would have fired Zoey for finding her pawing through her dresses. And I would have supported her in that decision 100%.

[kia112]

The ending scene with Zoey singing didn't ring true to me. I just don't think the audience would be as excited to keep going with her if the star went off the stage.

 

I've been to many, many concerts where the star left the stage and let the backup singers complete the song.  Usually it was because the star needed to change costumes or some stage trick needed to be set up, but no one rioted.  If Zoey finished the entire show and no one cared, that would be one thing.  But one song?  Nah.  It happens.

[politichick]

He does know the right buttons to push but I'm still going to call BS if the show has Teddy sign the girls to Edgehill.  I still don't think Teddy would do something that would negatively affect their future that much...even if he were being blackmailed.  While not perfect, fatherhood is the one area where he actually has been shown trying to do what he thinks is right.  He may be wrong at times but sacrificing his children just doesn't seem like something I'd buy from the character they've established.

 

Sadly true.  Although wasn't her career over before she came out?

 

I agree that Teddy may have felt a little jealous/left out because he wasn't the "fun" parent but I don't think that means there was spite in letting Maddie and Daphne do their spa day.  He has been the "enforcer" for a while, was tired of it and wanted to have a fun day with his daughters.  I don't think that had anything to do with Rayna and everything do to his daughters.  From their phone conversation, it sounds like he and Rayna had agreed to an age when Daphne could pierce her ears and she was old enough.  And at Maddie's age, highlights aren't a huge deal. He didn't dictate the activities so Rayna would miss the moments.  He told the girls they could do anything they wanted.  They could have chosen dinner and a movie. Instead they got to do traditionally 'girlie' things that they'd otherwise miss out on because their mother is on tour.

 

And it's possible the thieves will call the tabloids but I don't know that they'd want to risk opening themselves up to scruting considering they committeed a crime.

Hmmm, I think the spa thing was nice of Teddy, but I definitely think he should have spoken to Rayna before allowing Daphne to get  her ears pierced. That is something that traditionally is between mothers and daughters and yeah, i know Teddy's an involved/active parent, but  I also think he was totally trying to compete with Ruke for a cool parent award. He probably should have talked to her about the highlights, too, but I can give that a pass. Pierced ears is a rite of passage. 

 

He's such a sucker. Doesn't he know of the rivalry between Rayna and Jeff, who is totally setting him up?

 

Not sure about Maybe Shady Sadie, either, or Juliette's screen partner.

 

Zooey "filling in" for Juliette, too, also didn't ring true. It will be interesting to see how Juliette responds to that. Not looking forward to Zooey freaking out over Mika as she's bound to do. Wish she'd just go away. And the other ex-girlfriend and her kid.

 

Maybe Maddie and Luke's son getting "close" will knock some sense into Rayna so she can start moving her way back to Deacon.

 

Will. Thank goodness Deacon is so observant and cool because dude needs help. He's begging for help.