S03.E06: Nobody Said It Was Going To Be Easy

[shron17]

Good episode.  I'm glad Rayna is trying to separate her career from Luke's.  To me that proves she's doing all of this for her label and her own music, not for fame and fortune.  If she was just a "fame whore" (LOL whatever that is, because does anyone really need fame?) she'd be content to ride on Luke's coattails and go as far as it would take her.  Instead she's tried to build her career on producing good music and sees her label as an extension of that.  That's why she hasn't in the past campaigned for awards and gone the commercial route--she wants her music to stand on it's own.  I think she got temporarily caught up in the whirlwind of Luke's fame and fortune while she's struggling to find her way in the different music market.

 

Micah seems like a sad little kid, and it's believable to me that he would latch on to Gunnar, probably the first man he's met to show interest in him for quite a while.  Sounds like his mom's been dragging him from place to place for men who have way more interest in her than him for most of his life.

 

While I agree Scarlett and Terry's storyline has a few stereotypes I'm willing to find out where it's going before making an assumption that it's bad writing.  I like the actor, his voice and the song they worked on.  So this storyline can't be any good unless Terry is white, or can't sing, or from some state up north?  Sheesh.

 

I don't have a problem with Teddy not noticing his phone was ringing.  At least he was in the same town as his kids and responded quickly when he realized there was a problem.  Rayna spends a huge amount of time with Luke, but Teddy's not allowed on a date?

 

Going on a date doesn't have to mean accepting an invitation at the last minute and sending your 10yo along with your 14yo and her friends.  Overall I think Teddy's a great dad but that was a totally idiotic and irresponsible decision.  Maddie already had plans and needs supervision herself.  If it was only for an hour or so and somewhat urgent, then okay.  Sure, it's hard being the only parent in town and it sounds like he didn't have a say in the amount of time Rayna's away but that's not an excuse for not making your kids' safety your top priority.  He should have either asked for help or declined due to the short notice.  I think the nanny is as much for Maddie as Daphne so she'll have to check in with someone who can follow up if Teddy isn't available.  And I don't think Deacon should have been involved in the conversation about Maddie's punishment since he isn't in any way legally responsible for her.  Though I don't mind him asking Teddy where he was after Teddy made such a bone-headed move and then lied to save face.

[airwair]

Quite possibly, depending on his mood.

And this makes him a desirable character how?

Teddy has been a good father, I suppose... when you take away the embezzlement that put his family and their welfare at risk, losing all of their mother's money, intentionally screwing his daughter's father's girlfriend (which could have had repercussions for her), his NO MUSIC EVER dictatorship parenting style, his petty personal dick size show down with Deacon, and now his knowingly screwing hookers. Can't wait to see what that will do to the family.

As far as him being in town, sure, he's in town. But I'm also a firm believer in what Deacon says-- he would be right there if Luke wasn't a jackass. (Which Teddy didn't dispute.)

In regards to Deacon acting like "father of the year," he did no such thing. He sat on the couch and minded his own business until he was asked to join the discussion, which he never was. And he seemingly respected that they had no desire to share this conversation with him (even though their daughter could potentially carry his alcoholic gene and there was hard liquor everywhere and maybe he could've had some things to say) and went home.

If Teddy hadn't made the elusive "agreement" the day Maddie was born and raised her under false pretenses knowingly and willingly, I may have more sympathy.

If Deacon had been privy to the knowledge that he had a daughter and screwed up her life and walked out on his role, I would also have more sympathy.

As it stands, I think Deacon is the one getting screwed and pushed out here.

ETA: I also love Teddy's "perspective" of "she didn't rob a bank."

No, she didn't. She just had underage drinking, possibly drug use, and fighting in her home with her little sister wandering about. All while she could potentially become a raging alcoholic herself.

No big deal.

Edited November 1, 2014 by airwair

[Sutton]

My two cents - Airwair -- Great post..

 

1- Teddy gets a free ride because nothing ever is exposed in this series. Nobody is ever held accountable for their mistakes not Rayna,Teddy and now Luke. The only ones they piss on is Deacon and Juliette. (Love that girl, Deacon needs to be more like Juliette hit back.)

 

2 -  Luke holding Deacon hostage forcing him to tour so he can't be back home with Maddie. Deacon asked to be released from his contract, big Luke said NO it's only business. Anyone believe that big a_ s lie.

 

3 -  Deacon - Rayna's smart aleck remark (I guess condescending wasn't the right word since the writers weren't happy it was used) "Nice of you to come" BUT didn't involve him in the conversation. (Deacon needs to get a lawyer, partial custody.) That would piss off both Rayna and Teddy. (although I think Rayna wouldn't mind)

 

4 -  Teddy - What kind of promise did Rayna make with Teddy that she couldn't break after Deacon kept himself sober for 13 yrs. (I have pictures of you naked)

 

5 -  Deacon - Screwed literally by Rayna,Teddy and now Luke. Deacon needs someone to tell him you can't keep letting all of these so call high and mighty people take control, you need to push back hard know matter who gets hurt or my choice run over.

 

6 -  Teddy - "She didn't rob a bank" such a good dad and he was so blase with that remark. "I didn't know she was a prostitute" and "What pictures and how much." Can't wait to hear the explanation on those remarks but then again nobody will hear or know what Teddy has been doing, except Jeff, right person I want to know about my dalliances or who I'm scr_wing....

 

7 -  No Big Deal - It's never a big deal with the high and mighty, rich and famous people. It's only a big deal with the common folks. Ex. Deacon, Juliette anything they do even when it doesn't hurt anyone it's always a big deal.

[RedheadZombie]

And this makes him a desirable character how?

 

In no way does it make him a desirable character.  Unfortunately, this show is filled with ambiguous people.  Rayna - the heroine - is quite possibly the most flawed woman on the show.  Deacon - the hero - is a former abusive alcoholic, who even when sober can be a dry drunk.  For all their flaws, I'm still able to root for them most of the time.  I have always found Teddy to be a weak man.  I think he played the martyr and long-suffering husband while Rayna kept her soul mate and true love, at her side at all times.  Teddy was a shitty husband.  Rayna was a shitty wife.  Deacon was a shitty boyfriend/soul mate.  I'm able to separate those things from their parenting abilities.

 

Deacon is a loving and supportive father to Maddie.  But as someone stated above, his first moment of Maddie rebellion ended with him throwing Rayna under the bus.  Their relationship is so new and delicate that he's handling her with kid gloves and really letting her get away with a lot of bad attitude.  They're still tiptoeing around each other, and he's dealing with a Maddie who's very eager to please.  As things get more settled and they're more secure in their relationship, he's going to start experiencing the true challenges of fatherhood.  Is it his fault that Maddie's paternity was kept from him - no.  Is it his fault that he was an abusive alcoholic with a long-term track record of being unreliable, irresponsible, and reckless, to the point that his soul mate feels she couldn't rely on him at her most vulnerable moment - yes.  Alcoholism is a disease, but AA teaches that you need to own your shit.  Excusing away his behavior and enabling him, and loving him with all her heart could not "cure" his alcoholism.  Finding out the woman he's always been in love with married someone else and is pregnant with Deacon's baby - certainly not going to miraculously turn him sober.  That only happens in romance novels.  So while Maddie has no right to blame Deacon for being unaware of the truth, I think she has the right to be angry that he was in a state that prevented him from being Rayna's husband, and her father.

 

I have had very little sympathy with Rayna since the show began.  But filling in a little of the Deacon/Rayna relationship, and seeing the abuse she endured, has softened me up.  I think she realized she was pregnant after getting involved with Teddy, hoped the baby was Teddy's (because it made everything easier), married Teddy with the goal of ending the insane destructive cycle she'd lived with Deacon, and chose what was best for her and her baby at that time.  I understand every step of that process.  As much as she loved Deacon, and I think it's obvious she loved him to the point of self-destruction, she couldn't put her baby through that.  I think that was Rayna finally putting someone other than herself or Deacon first.  She put Maddie first.  It becomes very messy as years go by and Rayna continues to keep Deacon near and dear.  I don't know when she should have told him - one year after he became sober?  I think at that point she may have felt she owed it to Teddy to keep the secret.  But I have no illusions that Rayna didn't know Deacon would feel betrayed, and she could possibly lose her soul mate.  That was very selfish.  And after Daphne came along, that just cemented their family, and made the charade easier.

 

I am very critical of Teddy in almost everything he's done, but I still love him as Maddie's father.  There aren't a lot of men who willingly raise and love a child that's not their own.  In his heart, Maddie is no different than Daphne - she's his, regardless of DNA.  Of course he was wrong for going along with the lie long term.  I was raised by non-biological parents, and in turn, I raised my cousin's child.  There is a deep insecurity that can occur.  You fear that the person with that bio link is going to usurp your place, and damage your relationship.  To make it worse, Maddie has been taking a lot of her anger out on Teddy.  In retrospect, I think Maddie treated Teddy this way because she was secure in his love, and he was an easy target for her anger.  I think Teddy recognizes that.  As Maddie's relationship with Deacon develops, she's going to become more comfortable with showing that side to Deacon. 

 

I just really need everyone to stop petting and consoling Maddie when she does something wrong.  And if there was any chance she was drinking alcohol, she needs to have a stern lecture on how having a parent (and grandmother?) as an alcoholic, means she cannot treat alcohol the same way as someone without this history.  And I'm still disturbed by the lack of concern all three parents showed for Daphne's safety.  I may be wrong, but I thought Teddy was the only one that touched on that subject.  Both of the Stella sisters are absolutely luminescent while performing, but little Maisy almost glows in everything she does, and I have a huge soft spot for her.

[LotusFlower]

Completely random, but why would Dancing with the Stars give Rayna the green light once she said she'd premiere a new single? That show, and shows like it, only want stars to sing hit songs, songs that are recognizable, not new songs no one knows.

[madam magpie]

I don't think anyone is petting or coddling Maddie, but Rayna especially seems to be missing what's really going on. I'm with Teddy...Maddie threw an unauthorized party; it's not the end of the world. Daphne wasn't in serious danger. She was at her house. I know she was scared, but all she had to do was walk away from the teenagers and go to her room to be perfectly safe. They weren't coming after her. Also, are there no neighbors around or security people at Rayna and Teddy's houses? They are the queen of country and the mayor, for heaven's sake.

Now that Teddy is being nice again, I have no problem with him. Asking Maddie to watch Daphne was a little inconsiderate since he dropped it on her at the last minute, but again, not the end of the world. The real problem here is that life for Maddie and Daphne has been complete upended in the last year, and neither of their primary parents seems to care or be willing to address that. The kids have no stability, no routine, and only one parent who's around. And the parent who has created most of the chaos (their mother) just flits in and out of their lives as it suits her. They both need Rayna to step back from her quest for fame and parent them full-time, not hire a nanny so that she STILL doesn't have to do it. Teddy is already trying and Deacon is bound by contract to Luke. Rayna is the only one actively choosing to shirk her parenting role. This bus she finds herself under is all of her own making, and since she takes no responsibility for it, she leaves Teddy and Deacon to do their best without her. I think both men are doing fine given the circumstances. The fact that Rayna just extended her tour without even really discussing it with the other two parents baffles me, but fits her self-absorption right now.

[RedheadZombie]

@madam magpie, I see your points, but I do think what Maddie did is a big deal.  Those weren't Maddie's friends, they were friends of Luke's entitled asshole son.  There's many a young girl who gets slipped something and attacked, or simply attacked by a drunk/high teen in social situations.  Daphne happens to be a very smart girl, otherwise she could easily have joined in with drinking/drugs/smoking, etc.  That's a very dangerous situation to be in, and with addiction issues in that family, it should not be so easily dismissed.

 

We'll have to agree to disagree about whether or not Maddie is being coddled.  I think she is, as is evidenced by her continuing to act out, even when handled with love and understanding.  Maddie's been shielded from her own bad behavior from the beginning, not only by her three parents, but by Juliette and Scarlett, as well.  I would like her to show some understanding that Daphne's life is reeling as well.  While Maddie now has a third adoring parent, Daphne has essentially lost Deacon as a treasured family friend.  Just one episode of Daphne telling Maddie that the world doesn't revolve around her would satisfy me.  It's not always about you Maddie, except it is.

[airwair]

This is a completely random thought but Lennon Stella just posted a photo of herself on Instagram and for the first time ever I am seeing (whether intentional or not) just how perfectly they casted her.

Jeez.

Anyway, I am absolutely baffled that there wasn't so much of a mention of her drinking.

Scarlett got the "you're half Claybourne" talk, but Maddie gets zilch?

I can only assume they're saving for some other crisis that will happen down the road-- she's in a drunken accident or Talia goes into a drunk coma or something else equally dangerous.

[madam magpie]

@madam magpie, I see your points, but I do think what Maddie did is a big deal. Those weren't Maddie's friends, they were friends of Luke's entitled asshole son. There's many a young girl who gets slipped something and attacked, or simply attacked by a drunk/high teen in social situations. Daphne happens to be a very smart girl, otherwise she could easily have joined in with drinking/drugs/smoking, etc. That's a very dangerous situation to be in, and with addiction issues in that family, it should not be so easily dismissed.

All true, but it's the adults who would know that, not Daphne or even Maddie, really. I can see why the adults would be afraid (which they didn't actually seem to be), but the kids don't have that experience. There absolutely should have been a long conversation with Maddie about why that was dangerous and what could have happened (everything from rape to theft to addiction to drunk driving), and it's valid to say that because they can't trust her to make good decisions now, some freedoms need to change. But that lecture should not have come from Rayna (Deacon is really the only one who can give it free and clear), and hiring a nanny with no discussion or resolution of the real problem these kids are dealing with is ridiculous...and bad parenting, I think. Teddy, Rayna, and Deacon need to work together actively and they all need to be present to do it.

I think Maddie continues to act out because she's hurt, sad, and confused. She needs her parents to be available to her all the time, not just when it's convenient for Rayna. Deacon and Teddy are doing their best, but Teddy is the only one there, and it's Rayna that Maddie needs to reconnect with at this point. Unfortunately Rayna has bailed.

Edited November 2, 2014 by madam magpie

[shron17]

I think Maddie continues to act out because she's hurt, sad, and confused.

 

I think Maddie's acting like a normal 14-year-old girl.  She knows what the rules are but figures none of that bad stuff her parents worry about will happen to her so she ignores the ones that seem unnecessary when it suits her.  By that age kids have heard about the dangers around them ad nauseum.  What she needs is not one more lecture but an adult around to make sure the rules her parents set are followed.  If Teddy can't be bothered, then a nanny will do just fine.  It would be nice if Rayna could be home more but she needs the publicity for her record label and has to use the momentum of a new album--if she waits 6 months no one will care.

[Clemgo3165]

"All true, but it's the adults who would know that, not Daphne or even Maddie, really. I can see why the adults would be afraid (which they didn't actually seem to be), but the kids don't have that experience"

Deacon did tell her that it was dangerous and that it made them worry. Would like to see a talk with Maddie and Deacon about the dangers of playing around with alcohol.

[airwair]

We keep including Deacon in the parental triad, but I think it was made clear that Rayna and Teddy don't consider him when they left him alone downstairs/sent him packing while they had the conversation with Maddie.

I was personally under the impression things were moving forward with him and his role in everything, but I guess I was wrong. He apparently really is just the fun friend who teaches guitar and has sleepovers.

I think Maddie's acting like a normal 14-year-old girl. She knows what the rules are but figures none of that bad stuff her parents worry about will happen to her so she ignores the ones that seem unnecessary when it suits her. By that age kids have heard about the dangers around them ad nauseum. What she needs is not one more lecture but an adult around to make sure the rules her parents set are followed. If Teddy can't be bothered, then a nanny will do just fine. It would be nice if Rayna could be home more but she needs the publicity for her record label and has to use the momentum of a new album--if she waits 6 months no one will care.

The dangers teens typically hear about differ quite a bit from the dangers Maddie faces, and as far as we have seen no one has bothered to talk to her about them.

As I said above, Scarlett got the talk. All I can figure is they're saving Maddie's for a later time. If not, this is a gross misstep on the part of the writers.

Edited November 2, 2014 by airwair

[Clemgo3165]

For some reason, I wasn't that bothered by that. Teddy and Rayna are the custodial parents so it falls to them to make the decisions on punishments. That said, I would have liked to have seen Deacon brought into the loop about their decision before they headed upstairs. It's on him to support those decisions when she's in his care, but he can't do that unless they're all communicating.

I'd love to see him go to court to settle on some kind of formal visitation plan. We've seen them becoming closer this season and he's reprimanded her about her attitude and now about the party, but he has yet to really have to directly punish her for something. With a more formal situation some of that responsibility would naturally fall to him. Maybe when Teddy's hooker pics come out?

[airwair]

I was also thinking Teddy's hooker might play a role in this finally happening.

[RedheadZombie]

If Deacon wants to hire a lawyer to improve his quality time with Maddie, he would be better served hiring one to break his contract with Luke.  That is not Rayna or Teddy's problem or fault.  Although it was inconsiderate of Rayna to fly out Maddie and not fill in Deacon, or give him the opportunity to spend time with her.

 

7 -  No Big Deal - It's never a big deal with the high and mighty, rich and famous people. It's only a big deal with the common folks. Ex. Deacon, Juliette anything they do even when it doesn't hurt anyone it's always a big deal.

 

 

I love Juliette and agree that her character always gets screwed.  But I think that's why I love her.  She's an underdog and you can't keep her down.  Where I disagree is that Juliette is definitely one of the high and mighty, rich and famous.  If she wasn't, her shoplifting incident would have ended a little differently.

 

I care for Deacon, and I love the actor who portrays him.  I do get tired of the "poor Deacon" line.  I don't think he's self-pitying.  I think Deacon sees clearly that he ruined a lot of his chances.  He could easily have been just as rich, famous, successful as Rayna or Luke.  He had a disease, he had a dysfunctional childhood.  But he also caught some pretty good breaks.  He had a legendary working relationship with his love/soul mate.  He was at the top - he sabotaged himself.  He seems to be serious about AA, and that requires him to own his shit and acknowledge his part in the life he's damaged.  Like Juliette, I root for Deacon.  I think he's a good man who's over come a lot of anger and pain.  But like Juliette, he has created most of the disaster that was his life.  Scarlett drives me crazy, but I like her relationship with Deacon.  I think he may carry some guilt that he was so messed up, he didn't see how Scarlett suffered growing up.  And as much as I couldn't stand Scarlett's mom, I thought she had crazy chemistry with Deacon, and helped me to understand the suffering they went through as children.

[hqtextbook]

Wait what happened to Juliette giving the baby up for adoption?? That idea was such a win: the baby would get a shot at happiness, Juliette could go back to being a badass star, this loser version of avery could just be gone... When did she decide to raise it? Im really going to miss her sassy rockstar self when shes bogged down by parenthood...

 

Also, did anyone else notice Taylor swift get that CMA nomination? I guess shes still a country star in fictional nashville...can I move there? 

[madam magpie]

I think Maddie's acting like a normal 14-year-old girl.  She knows what the rules are but figures none of that bad stuff her parents worry about will happen to her so she ignores the ones that seem unnecessary when it suits her.  By that age kids have heard about the dangers around them ad nauseum.  What she needs is not one more lecture but an adult around to make sure the rules her parents set are followed.  If Teddy can't be bothered, then a nanny will do just fine.  It would be nice if Rayna could be home more but she needs the publicity for her record label and has to use the momentum of a new album--if she waits 6 months no one will care.

I was once a fourteen-year-old girl. I never threw unauthorized parties or ditched my little sister to the point where she was so scared she had to call the cops, and neither did anyone I knew. Maddie's behavior is not normal; it's a TV stereotype, but also indicative of a problem much larger than being fourteen (or fifteen). It would be "normal" for Maddie to occasionally find herself in situations that she doesn't know how to handle, but it's not normal to be so starved for attention that you do things that make your mother fly in from wherever she's working to find you a nanny. If Teddy is going to be the primary parent while Deacon and Rayna are touring, he probably does need help. Even if Rayna were home, they might need some help since all these people have jobs. That's not the issue. The issue is that Maddie is struggling, and her parents aren't doing anything helpful about it. They toss her some lines, hire a nanny, tell her to shape up, etc. The kid needs counseling and her parents at home helping to direct her life and stop the chaos. And she needs to trust her mother again. That is not going to happen if her mother is unavailable to her. She doesn't need ANOTHER adult telling her what to do while she rarely sees her parents. I have also worked as a nanny. Nannies aren't substitutes for the parents. Kids need parents who are present. Rayna and Deacon are not...for different reasons, but still, they're not there. That's a huge problem for these kids.

If no one cares about Rayna's record in six months, she must have a pretty lousy record. I just got back from a packed Patty Griffin show where she was touring for an album she released last year. Then again, it wasn't an arena so Rayna would probably consider it substandard. Then again, Rayna's got nothing on Patty Griffin.

I don't think Deacon was in the same city as Rayna when she flew the kids in. I can't swear to that because it's hard for me figure out who is where half the time, but I think Rayna flew the kids to where she was and Luke met them there. If that's the case, I actually don't think Rayna did anything wrong as related to Deacon there. Daphne was upset because she missed her mother so Rayna flew her in for a day or something. That's all right. Ignoring the child for a commercial was lame, but that's got nothing to do with Deacon. I do wish Rayna would talk to Luke about letting Deacon out of his contract. It's not Rayna's fault that Deacon and Luke have a contract, but theoretically she should have some pull with her own fiance. And if she's determined to do this ridiculous tour, at least she could care enough to realize that having the dads at home would help Maddie. And Deacon doesn't want to be there anyway. There's no reason he couldn't help Teddy with the kids.

[RedheadZombie]

madam magpie, I agree with you completely on your last post.  I always got the impression that Tandy was a very hands on aunt, and probably helped Teddy a bit while Rayna was out of town.  If true, that's another loss they just experienced, a shakeup of their foundation.

[shron17]

I was once a fourteen-year-old girl. I never threw unauthorized parties or ditched my little sister to the point where she was so scared she had to call the cops, and neither did anyone I knew. Maddie's behavior is not normal; it's a TV stereotype, but also indicative of a problem much larger than being fourteen (or fifteen).

 

In my opinion, Maddie didn't intend to throw an unauthorized party either.  She made a bad judgement call by inviting her stepbrother to be and his friends who she didn't know back to her house so she could spend more time with people her own age.  Completely normal.  A nanny isn't one more person telling her what to do but someone to make sure she follows the rules that she thinks don't apply to her because she's now old enough to make her own decisions.  Also completely normal, though you may have to ask a parent rather than another teen.  Many seem to see Rayna as the ultimate bad mother, but I think she's a woman struggling to build a new record label while being there as best she can for her kids at the same time.  There's no way a negligent parent would have flown in to deal with Maddie and Daphne after what happened at the house; she would have the parent at home deal with it.  She talks to them both on the phone a lot and flew them in so she could see them while they made the commercial.  And it wasn't "lame" to go ahead and fulfill that obligation in between spending time with her girls.

 

And Deacon doesn't want to be there anyway. There's no reason he couldn't help Teddy with the kids.

 

I was thinking too that the perfect solution would be for Deacon to come back and help with the kids. But no one knows enough about the different situations to put it all together.  Still, Deacon's decided to make the best of being on tour and maybe it's a good place to work on his music and get more exposure.  I'd love it if he started writing and performing so much great stuff and show off all the talent he has, tons more than Luke Wheeler.  Which would also probably get him out of his contract.

Edited November 2, 2014 by shron17

[Bubbles]

As far as Rayna talking to Luke about letting Deacon out of his contract goes, it's not clear that she actually knows that Deacon wants out and Luke won't let him go. She's barely spoken to Deacon since she turned down his proposal, and I doubt Luke tells her much about how he's getting along with Deacon on the road. Unless Deacon asks for her help with the situation, I don't think it's her place to make assumptions about how he feels or what he wants and advocate on his behalf.

[airwair]

In my opinion, Maddie didn't intend to throw an unauthorized party either. She made a bad judgement call by inviting her stepbrother to be and his friends who she didn't know back to her house so she could spend more time with people her own age. Completely normal. A nanny isn't one more person telling her what to do but someone to make sure she follows the rules that she thinks don't apply to her because she's now old enough to make her own decisions. Also completely normal, though you may have to ask a parent rather than another teen. Many seem to see Rayna as the ultimate bad mother, but I think she's a woman struggling to build a new record label while being there as best she can for her kids at the same time. There's no way a negligent parent would have flown in to deal with Maddie and Daphne after what happened at the house; she would have the parent at home deal with it. She talks to them both on the phone a lot and flew them in so she could see them while they made the commercial. And it wasn't "lame" to go ahead and fulfill that obligation in between spending time with her girls.

Is it also completely normal to make out with said future step brother? Not so much, so if nothing else that's the dead giveaway that Maddie is acting out for reasons far deeper than just pushing her boundaries and being a brat.

[shron17]

Is it also completely normal to make out with said future step brother?

 

 

Well, it is pretty normal for a 14-year-old girl to kiss a cute boy who's listening to her and promising to be there for her, so I'd have to say yes.  They aren't related by blood, and their parents aren't even married yet.  Sure, Maddie is sad and lonely but If you're saying she kissed Colt because of deep-seated psychological issues I think that's a bit of a stretch.  Now if he returns her feelings and they want to date or whatever, I hope Maddie talks to Rayna or Teddy about it first, but that remains to be seen.

Edited November 2, 2014 by shron17

[airwair]

I just think it's incredibly inappropriate to kiss the son of your future stepfather. It's certainly not the norm. The topic was the butt of a pretty big joke in the Brady Bunch movie-- but hey, technically Woody Allen wasn't blood related to Mia Farrow's adopted daughter either so it's okay.

[madam magpie]

I don't see why the only options are "perfectly normal" or "deep-seated psychological issues." Maddie is very, very sad. She's not schizophrenic or suffering severe neglect or unloved or clinically depressed or starving. She's also not well-adjusted and happy. She's sad and confused and lost. Being fifteen is hard enough when your life is structured and stable. Maddie's life is chaos. Sure, a nanny can provide some supervision and order. But a nanny is not her mother or father and should not be hired as a substitute for a parent. Rayna clearly loves her kids, but she's allowed her love of fame and success to usurp that right now. Is she the worst parent who ever lived? Of course not. Is she mother of the year? Of course not. Rayna is making choices that are hurting people, Maddie and Daphne especially. It's legit to criticize her for that.

And for what it's worth, I don't know anyone who threw an accidental unauthorized party either. That's a cliche, and it's not normal, no. Well-adjusted, happy kids make mistakes and can be sassy, but they aren't inherently destructive.

Edited November 2, 2014 by madam magpie

[airwair]

I don't think Maddie has deep-seated issues and I agree that she is very sad, very lonely, and in a lot of pain. It's causing her to act out heavily and suddenly and cross a lot of lines that she perhaps normally wouldn't cross.

That said, not only would having her parents around do wonders, the girl (and Daphne) could probably benefit from a ton of therapy.

[shron17]

 

I don't see why the only options are "perfectly normal" or "deep-seated psychological issues."

 

I don't think those are the only options.  But based on both reading and experience with teenage girls, perfectly normal often doesn't mean happy and well-adjusted.  While Maddie does have a few more issues than some girls she also had the advantage of a stable and loving childhood and now has 3 parents to support and love her whether in person or long-distance.  The extra supervision a nanny can provide isn't a substitute for a parent, of course, but many teens do act out in the same ways and more supervision can prevent a whole host of trouble they could get themselves into  E.g. if Teddy had been home Maddie couldn't have brought the kids home and wouldn't have kissed Colt.

[madam magpie]

I think we're talking about two different things. "Normal" means different things to different people. It's incredibly common for teenage girls (and boys) to have trouble in adolescence. Some of that just comes from the fact that it's a confusing, scary time both physically and emotionally. Some of it comes from the desire to test boundaries and solidify a sense of self separate from the parent. And yes, happy, well-adjusted kids can have these troubles. But it's not common for happy, well-adjusted kids to be destructive. When a teenager is destructive, there's something else going on. Having a bunch of kids you don't know over for drinking, going to barn parties full of drunk people and boys who want to grope you, dragging your little sister along to any of these events, posting videos airing your family secrets, these are destructive. Something is going wrong with Maddie. Given the things she's said, it's clear to me that she's sad, confused, lonely, and feeling abandoned. None of that is just common, normal growing-up, and a nanny won't address it. My expectation is that Maddie will continue to act out against the nanny, because she's not acting out because she has no supervision; she's doing it because she wants her mother to pay attention to her. Every time Maddie does something wrong, Rayna coming running. When Maddie doesn't do anything wrong, Rayna leaves. What Rayna does as a result of that is up to her. I'd like her to stop chasing money and fame she doesn't need and give Maddie the attention she does need. Others don't, that's fine. But yes, I judge Rayna negatively as a result of her choice to contine this status quo. And she's a very different woman from the one who saw all this clearly last season and cancelled her tour with Juliette.

Edited November 2, 2014 by madam magpie

[smiley13]

My biggest problem with the Maddie stuff is that she is a 14 year old child.  If she was 16 or 17, the making out and drinking would be a little different, but 14 is still so very young.  I guess they are playing into the stereotype of the children of stars growing up too fast.  I am not sure what age Luke's son is supposed to be, but he does seem older than Maddie.  Her kissing her step brother to be is just creepy.

[madam magpie]

Actually, middle school (12-ish to 15-ish) is where many kids begin their crash. By the time they're in high school, things often get easier.

[slayer2]

All I got from this episode is that Gunnar's baby mama is Rayna-lite. Avery is still a worthless POS and everybody still ignores poor Daphne. I'm losing interest show.

Suggestion: Gunnar files for visitation and bars Rayna-lite from leaving the state. Juliette dumps Avery, says he can be a part of the baby's life only if he cleans up his act and quits scaring the shit out of people with his drunken ranting and raving and Daphne and Deacon form a bond over having the most selfish assholes in their lives with no hope of ever kicking them out.

[smiley13]

Actually, middle school (12-ish to 15-ish) is where many kids begin their crash. By the time they're in high school, things often get easier.

I have a 16 year old, but due to hands on parenting, none of that has occurred.  Middle schoolers should not be drinking if they have parents who pay them any attention.   The fact that they ignore Maddie's mental issues is absurd.  We are in Season Three and what has gone on in this child's life would screw anyone up.

 

She has seen Deacon go off the rails with his drinking, and her cousin Scarlett's breakdown, so you would think she would be a bit more careful.

[madam magpie]

She has seen Deacon go off the rails with his drinking, and her cousin Scarlett's breakdown, so you would think she would be a bit more careful.

You would think...and yet children of addicts are notorious for having addiction issues themselves. Johnny Cash's son John Carter made a great comment about this in his book about his parents.

[Soup333]

I rewatched the episode in Season 1 where Maddie got upset because Rayna wouldn't let her go to the mall and says, "You're such a bitch sometimes." Rayna and Teddy's divorce was still fresh at this point and Maddie went on to say, "No wonder Dad left." To me, this is a sure sign that she was confused and hurt by all the changes going on in her life. It's been a whirlwind since then with finding out about Deacon, her father's marriage, her stepmother's murder, her grandfather's imprisonment and death, Tandy leaving, her mother's engagement, new step-siblings, Teddy's intolerance of her desire to spend time with and play music with Deacon, the tabloids saying she's Rayna's Plain Jane daughter, regular peer pressure...etc. No wonder she's acting out. No wonder Daphne has started acting out.

 

I'm not knocking Rayna for doing her thing with Highway 65, but a year is a hell of a long time in a child's life. And how much attention would she be able to give the girls after her marriage to Luke "they'll get used to it" Wheeler? He was more concerned about his own feelings than Maddie's when Rayna suggested changing the wedding date. 

[airwair]

You would think...and yet children of addicts are notorious for having addiction issues themselves. Johnny Cash's son John Carter made a great comment about this in his book about his parents.

Funny you mention him... he was arrested just a few days ago for being drunk and stripping down to his underwear in an airport.

All goes back to what I mentioned about them having a conversation with her about her specific dangers given her family history.

I'm really baffled we haven't seen that from Deacon, or anyone else. I get Teddy likes to live in a dreamland where he is her father through and through but it's not the case. He and Rayna or Deacon need to tell Maddie what's up before she really screws herself.

[madam magpie]

Aw, John Carter! :( He seems like a lovely guy, but yeah, addiction is a bitch.

I'm also surprised no one has said a word to Maddie about addiction. For a woman who's so worried about addiction that she needs a clean slate from Deacon, you'd think Rayna would be on some kind of mission with Maddie. Then again, maybe she's too busy to notice that too.

Edited November 2, 2014 by madam magpie

[smiley13]

Let's see there are three women who are at loose ends right now who could be the nanny, wonder if they will use any of them or bring on yet another un-needed character?  None of Gunnar's Angels are doing much these days.  Yes, Scarlett is song writing, but she could do that while the girls are at school.  Zoey just got fired and Kiley is just at the diner, 

[airwair]

My money is on Scarlett or the hooker.

[madam magpie]

I think it'll be a random new person.

[MusicCityFan]

I think that Avery still loves Juliette. He did drive all night from Nashville to Cincinnati the minute he heard that she was in the hospital.

He said that he forgives her but he doesn't trust her but he still wants to father his child. Poor guy, he was extremely hurt and has said nasty things to Juliette out of that hurt. I think that it will take a while but they will be a couple again. I just hope that he doesn't have to deliver their baby in the woods or some such soap trope.

 

I hope that the song that they co-wrote becomes the song of the year. I do understand the lack of CMA nominations though, Juliette has lost her Christian southern fans.

 

On a shallow note, I wonder why Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks never got a smash name. Didn't they get together when Garth was "that guy".  Who knows, maybe Rayna will get a cooking show on the FN.

Lilybee, I agree with you about Avery. I don't like how they've written these first few episodes of S3 (almost all of the plotlines disappoint me, but especially Avery and Rayna),  but I do think JJackson has played it pretty well.  Think he's playing Avery as a guy who loves her so much that it hurts and so he's lashing out at her and others around him. I do wish though there'd be a scene for Avery where he apologizes to his friends and sort of admits the mistakes he's made. Both Jonathan and Hayden can cry convincingly at the drop of a hat- they're perfect for each other.

 

For the CMA awards show episode that's coming, I hope Avery and Juliette decide NOT to go then wind up winning. I know this is only a TV show, but I do think their song, "Don't put dirt.."  is far better than the other  Nashville songs nominated. It really is a great anthem. I recall in S1- there was also an end of the year awards (I think there are 2 in country, yes? The one in Nov is CMA- the one in May, I think, is Academy of Country music?)  In the S1 awards show, I seem to recall Juliette campaigning like crazy for one of the awards. How ironic now that it's going to be Rayna doing all the desperate campaigning this time. I 'd be very surprised if either Rayna or Luke win Entertainer of the Year. That's the most prestigious one, isn't it? I don't think in real life a woman has ever won that award.

 

I'd go for Garsha as the Garth/Trisha name. Do either of them make music anymore? I like their music a lot better than the Fla/GA lines and Luke Bryan of these days...

[airwair]

Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Reba McIntyre, Shania Twain, The Dixie Chicks, and Taylor Swift have all won Entertainer of the Year.

[Sutton]

My money on Entertainer of the Year, Rayna Jaymes that would put the biggest wedge between her and Luke and I want to see that. He will be so pissed that all that anger he's been holding in will come busting out full force.

 

Airwair - Scarlett or the hooker to be the nanny can't quite make up my mind, but I go for Scarlett. Hooker might be a bit to old but then againTeddy will be her reference.

[pitchy]

I've seen the Lifetime movies - nanny's are always young and attractive.  And the Dad always ends up in bed with the nanny or marrying her.  If Luke lasts past Thanksgiving, he'll be bedding her.

 

 

Well, at least that is soap-writing based on what can actually happen in life too often and we'd not know about most of them, but then we have two very varied guys who did this to much public knowledge -- Schwarznegger and Robin Williams (who married his).  So it makes sense at least, for a sudsy serial.

 

   I am most  (un)amused by Jonathan Jackson bringing his weepy, whiny, yelling, blaming "Lucky Spencer" to Nashville.  I think that for two years running his eyes were never free of water nor the script free of his boozed or drugged wailing.  Maybe the writers like to capitalize on the talent for doing that.  My greatest hope is that he and they just stop this. 

[Kathemy]

I think it'll be a random new person.

Of course it will be. I mean, Nashville surely hasn't got enough recurrings :)

[Linderhill]

 

Exceptions, Mark Harmon and maybe Charlie Sheen (before he was canned) because their series are still on air over 10 years plus.

And Timothy Olyphant who actually does have production input on Justified.  

 

I can't add much to what has been said by all of the other posters, just my 2 cents worth.  They really need to stop adding my characters.  Enough already.  I'd a previous post composed about Rayna suddenly not knowing how to juggle fame and family but it got eaten and since then other posters have said what I'd planned to. I do wish the PTB would decide what the heck they're doing with Teddy.  I've always loved Eric Close and this is the worst roll he's had that I can remember.  I have a huge problem believing that this guy would have trouble finding female companionship either because of his job or otherwise.  Ms. Pigblood was a laughable plot point.

 

 

Scarlett or the hooker to be the nanny can't quite make up my mind, but I go for Scarlett. Hooker might be a bit to old but then againTeddy will be her reference.

I forgot to mention this.  My first thought when I saw Teddy calling Natasha (isn't that the name?) was that he was going to offer the nanny job to her.  wouldn't that be a soap opera move?

Edited November 3, 2014 by Linderhill

[romantic idiot]

Many seem to see Rayna as the ultimate bad mother, but I think she's a woman struggling to build a new record label while being there as best she can for her kids at the same time.  There's no way a negligent parent would have flown in to deal with Maddie and Daphne after what happened at the house; she would have the parent at home deal with it.  She talks to them both on the phone a lot and flew them in so she could see them while they made the commercial.  And it wasn't "lame" to go ahead and fulfill that obligation in between spending time with her girls.

This. I don't believe women need to sublimate their careers and themselves to be good mothers (and the expectation to do so is a major reason why I'm choosing not to have children). And, for me, settling for a mediocre career is sublimating oneself. Rayna wants to run a successful country label, and with Scarlett and Juliette flaming out, Rayna James is the only bankable artist H65 has, so of course the touring and publicity is essential. And it is not like she left the kids alone, she left them with the one who has always looked after them. i can't help wondering if the criticism of Rayna's parenting would be as strong if the roles were reversed. If Rayna had been the stay-at-home mother with Teddy touring, and if Rayna had gone for a date at the last minute - she's be crucified, and there would have been songs of praise for his dropping everything and coming back to see them. I realise that Luke's parenting is not well regarded here, but I also wonder how much of it is the general dislike for Luke in general. 

 

I also agree with Rayna when she made the same point this epsode - she doesn't want to teach her two daughters that they can't have it all, or at least that they shouldn't aspire to have it all. 

 

What the children need is stability and supervision, and a good nanny can provide that, especially since I don't think either of the daughters are insecure in their parents' love. 

 

As far as Rayna talking to Luke about letting Deacon out of his contract goes, it's not clear that she actually knows that Deacon wants out and Luke won't let him go. 

Luke's getting a lot of flak for Deacon being away, but I think it's just as much Deacon's fault for agreeing and signing on to tour in the first place. Deacon was perfectly okay with touring and leaving Maddy alone when Luke and Rayna weren't engaged. His only objection really is being around Luke now - not being around Maddy is secondary. And I also get tired of Deacon blaming others for his mistakes / choices. He fell off the wagon because Rayna lied to him, he's stuck touring with Luke because Luke won't let him go...I'll also say that since he made a commitment to Luke, he really should just suck it up and stick it out. I'm tired of all the whining in that regard. 

 

Well, it is pretty normal for a 14-year-old girl to kiss a cute boy who's listening to her and promising to be there for her, so I'd have to say yes.  They aren't related by blood, and their parents aren't even married yet.  Sure, Maddie is sad and lonely but If you're saying she kissed Colt because of deep-seated psychological issues I think that's a bit of a stretch.  Now if he returns her feelings and they want to date or whatever, I hope Maddie talks to Rayna or Teddy about it first, but that remains to be seen.

This so much. He's cute and cool and paid attention to her. I don't think they are looking at each other remotely like brother and sister right now, and i wouldn't expect them to. 

 

I don't think those are the only options.  But based on both reading and experience with teenage girls, perfectly normal often doesn't mean happy and well-adjusted.  While Maddie does have a few more issues than some girls she also had the advantage of a stable and loving childhood and now has 3 parents to support and love her whether in person or long-distance.  The extra supervision a nanny can provide isn't a substitute for a parent, of course, but many teens do act out in the same ways and more supervision can prevent a whole host of trouble they could get themselves into  E.g. if Teddy had been home Maddie couldn't have brought the kids home and wouldn't have kissed Colt.

Agreed. Honestly even well adjusted teenagers (based on my experience as a very studious teenager) push the boundaries and get up to a lot of shenanigans. Since Maddy has been proving amply that she isn't ready to supervise herself and make good choices yet, she needs an adult to keep a closer eye. I'll also say it is necessary because Maddy and Daphne have been very sheltered so far and they aren't ready to face the real world yet (though Maddy definitely thinks she is). 

 

I'm also surprised no one has said a word to Maddie about addiction. For a woman who's so worried about addiction that she needs a clean slate from Deacon, you'd think Rayna would be on some kind of mission with Maddie. Then again, maybe she's too busy to notice that too.

 

I'm thinking 14 is a little too young to burden Maddy with the "always watch yourself, you might get addicted talk'. For one, I don't think it's going to really sink in at 14. She definitely doesn't seem to mature something serious like that in any way. For now, a good nanny to supervise (by good i mean good, not like Juliette's mom's sober partner or whoever he was) should be sufficient in restricting her access till she is grown up enough to have that very depressing talk. 

 

Re: Rayna being condescending to Deacon, I didn't see it that way, but I'm not surprised at Teddy and her not including Deacon in the disciplining. Apart from Teddy's issues, Deacon's time with Maddy has still been in the nature of a godfather, fun uncle. He's still in my parenting bad judgement book (along with the rest) for telling Maddy about his proposal to Rayna, so it's not like he's the greatest dad either. 

[slade3]

I saw the actor on The View, and was shocked that I found him to be everything Luke is not.  He was sexy, charming, and utterly irresistible.

I saw Will Chase coming out of a gym in NYC over the summer and he was gorgeous. I did a double take, which I'm sure he noticed. I posted here or at TWoP afterward, expressing my disappointment that his real life sexiness doesn't translate on TV for me. I suspect the show runners also think he's sexy, but have no idea how he comes off to viewers. 

 

I agree with the comment upthread that Nashville made a mistake breaking up key relationships and has no idea what to do with the protagonists now. I want to say this happens a lot on TV, but the only show I can think of right now is Men in Trees with Anne Heche and James Tupper. I loved that show during its first season. It wasn't great, but the characters/actors were wonderful and it was just really lovable. For some strange reason, the writers decided to bring in Justine Bateman to play James Tupper's estranged wife and season 2 became two different shows with James Tupper and Justine Bateman in one show about an estranged couple living together, and Anne Heche in a show about quirky people in a small town in Alaska. It destroyed everything, including many viewers' desire to see the Anne Heche character with the James Tupper character.

 

I feel as if writers try to keep couples apart (Deacon/Rayna, Avery/Juliette, Gunnar/Scarlett) to keep the drama fresh, but because they still want sex and relationship angst, they bring in new love interests. The problem is viewers who are invested in the original relationships don't want to see the characters with new faces. We just want to see the main relationships grow (even if romance is out of the question) or find closure. The problem with Nashville is none of our core characters have ever really resolved anything with each other, which makes for unsatisfying viewing.

 

I'm sad the show lost T Bone Burnett to other projects because the music is lacking.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

He's cute and cool and paid attention to her. I don't think they are looking at each other remotely like brother and sister right now, and i wouldn't expect them to.

Plus he initially didn't like her so for a teenage girl, that's a bonus.

[Clemgo3165]

 

This. I don't believe women need to sublimate their careers and themselves to be good mothers (and the expectation to do so is a major reason why I'm choosing not to have children). And, for me, settling for a mediocre career is sublimating oneself. Rayna wants to run a successful country label, and with Scarlett and Juliette flaming out, Rayna James is the only bankable artist H65 has, so of course the touring and publicity is essential. And it is not like she left the kids alone, she left them with the one who has always looked after them. i can't help wondering if the criticism of Rayna's parenting would be as strong if the roles were reversed. If Rayna had been the stay-at-home mother with Teddy touring, and if Rayna had gone for a date at the last minute - she's be crucified, and there would have been songs of praise for his dropping everything and coming back to see them. I realise that Luke's parenting is not well regarded here, but I also wonder how much of it is the general dislike for Luke in general.

 

Rayna has had a tremendous career, has toured before and done publicity for her work while getting back to Nashville regularly to be with her girls, all without sublimating herself or her career. Even while she was still married to Teddy and he wasn't the Mayor of a large city. The difference for me this time is that she's decided to take virtually an entire year away from her family at a time when her children desperately need her. Touring has to be done in other cities, yes, but it can be scheduled in a way that allows the performer to be at home once a week or so, she can have the girls out to a venue and have the focus on them until showtime (as she did in the 1st season), and publicity does not have to be done on site, it can be done from a studio in Nashville while the girls are in school, you can even film commercials there. For me, it's not that she's trying to have this hugely successful career, but that we're seeing her going about it in a way that really puts a burden on her family, one that wasn't there before.  

 

For me, Luke's parenting is not well regarded because we've only seen him actually parenting once, after the release of the video. The rest of the time we've seen him buying expensive gifts for the kids and not really having much of a relationship with his daughter. And he stayed at Rayna's after this incident rather than going to his ex-wife's house to deal with Colt. He could very easily have come back after he'd had a chat with his son.

 

 

I'm thinking 14 is a little too young to burden Maddy with the "always watch yourself, you might get addicted talk'. For one, I don't think it's going to really sink in at 14. She definitely doesn't seem to mature something serious like that in any way. For now, a good nanny to supervise (by good i mean good, not like Juliette's mom's sober partner or whoever he was) should be sufficient in restricting her access till she is grown up enough to have that very depressing talk.

 

I'm going to disagree with this. I think now is exactly the time to have this conversation. It can be edited in a way that a 14-year-old would be able to take in, but given that she was caught with alcohol in the house this week, it seems like the perfect time to identify the risks of using/abusing alcohol and how they might be more extreme for her given her family history. She'd be better off having that depressing talk now rather than when she's regularly attending AA meetings. 

[Midru]

Piggybacking at random on above discussions...

 

Maddie really needs to be bitch-slapped. Twice in a row she has disobeyed her parents to hang with older teens drinking alcohol. She was definitely drinking at the last party. And this time she dragged little Daphne into it. In addition to all the other good points made, the one that would freak me out is she is not even 15, sneaking out with older boys and drinking. She looks older than she is and already tried to kiss Colt. So Maddie could be pregnant in the ninth grade if she is not careful, or raped, or accidentally drinks antifreeze and dies. 

 

Connie Britton is the only actress who is a producer; and Rayna is the only character who never has to own her sh*t. Coincidence? Doubt it. And I agree with MM and others who believe she will never be called to account, and that the writers have a gigantic blind spot about it. In fact, the blind spot is so huge it's more like macular degeneration- medical joke, sorry. 

 

Micah, the baby mama, I don't even want to know them. Same with the dancer guy. The nanny is such a stupid idea. Plus we haven't met Sage yet.I did a quick count in my head and came up with 21 or 22 characters. Too freaking many for me to keep track of. A symptom of this show's inability to focus. Wait but I do like Pam, and the hooker with the lit degree kind of intrigues me. Does she sing? 

Edited November 3, 2014 by Midru

[madam magpie]

And, for me, settling for a mediocre career is sublimating oneself. Rayna wants to run a successful country label, and with Scarlett and Juliette flaming out, Rayna James is the only bankable artist H65 has, so of course the touring and publicity is essential.

Do you really think Rayna has had or is having a mediocre career?? I suspect that there are tons of musicians in Nashville who would kill to find a quarter of the success she has. But it all comes down to one's definition of success. If superstar status and arena shows and fame are the definitions, then yes, Rayna needs to put her family's needs aside to achieve that.

Actually what Rayna said initially was that she wanted to run a label as a place that allowed creative expression, nurtured new artists, and wasn't a vanity project. So far, she's not nurturing any new artists and she's the only active performer, which is the definition of a vanity label.

I'm going to disagree with this. I think now is exactly the time to have this conversation. It can be edited in a way that a 14-year-old would be able to take in, but given that she was caught with alcohol in the house this week, it seems like the perfect time to identify the risks of using/abusing alcohol and how they might be more extreme for her given her family history. She'd be better off having that depressing talk now rather than when she's regularly attending AA meetings.

Yeah, I totally disagree too. My father, uncle, great uncle, and grandfather were all alcoholics. Drinking wasn't even done in my house when I was a kid, and my mother barely drank wine in front of me at dinner out. From the time I was ten or so, I knew what alcoholism was and how dangerous it was; my great uncle even used to take me to the family days and ice cream parties at his AA meetings, where the sober guys constantly warned me about addiction. It wasn't presented as terrifying, just as real, the same way I was taught not to take candy from strangers or to look both ways when crossing the street. As a result, I never became an addict, even when I could sort of feel myself wanting to. I know it's a popular approach, but hiding the truth from children is a huge mistake. Kids can understand a lot, and at fifteen, Maddie is completely capable of processing and understanding what it means to be the child of an alcholic. No one is doing her any favors by keeping that information from her.

I agree with the comment upthread that Nashville made a mistake breaking up key relationships and has no idea what to do with the protagonists now.

This is a huge problem, I agree. And at first, I thought it was felt in the disjointed, enormous cast. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that the size of the cast isn't really what matters; it's the number of settings/situations. I love The Newsroom, for instance, and it has a huge cast: just off the top of my head, I can think of fourteen important main and secondary characters. But most of the action takes place in one setting: the newsroom. So all the characters are interacting with each other almost all the time. The couple of times they've sent someone off on a storyline that's disconnected from the group, it has felt...disconnected from the group. Friday Night Lights also had a huge cast, but again, there were one or two settings (the school and the football field/games), and when they had three main settings (two schools and the football field/games) in season...four, I think it was...that caused problems because there were suddenly two different, somewhat disconnected groups for the audience to care about. In this past episode of Nashville, I count nine settings! And there are four or five unrelated storylines in each episode. That's insane storytelling and is bound to give the audience whiplash.

I saw Will Chase coming out of a gym in NYC over the summer and he was gorgeous.

Seriously?? But he comes off as so smarmy! And did on Smash too! Maybe this just proves he a brilliant actor... Edited November 3, 2014 by madam magpie