S03.E07: I'm Coming Home To You

[RedheadZombie]

I've never given Luke a chance.  I immediately pegged him as Toby Keith - whom I cannot stand.

[airwair]

Tim and Faith have sold Barbie dolls fashioned after themselves.

[Sutton]

Does anyone have any idea who's the Country music artist likeness Callie has protrayed in this series Nashville. What Country Music artist woman, man or couple on who's life it might be????? I read once that Connie was on a flight and Reba came over to her and said so you're doing my life.. Has there been a hint of who it might be??

[madam magpie]

Tim and Faith have sold Barbie dolls fashioned after themselves.

I want a Barbie fashioned after myself!

[airwair]

I want a Barbie fashioned after myself!

Me too. I guess we don't fit Callie's version of successful since Mattell hasn't come calling... but at least Tim and Faith do!

#ruketeddybears

[Midru]

I hear a 3D printer can make you into your own doll for a price...

 

One thing I was really happy about was I liked all the new music except Rayna's song. Four new songs I think. More would be better. Don't the writers realize that more music means less words they have to write? I am thinking they could do the entire show like those song montages they have about once an episode.

 

Gunnar and Emily would be perfect, except there are about three other women in the way and Scarlett is endgame. If it was Teddy, then maybe she could be the new nanny. 

 

Or Zoey could be the nanny. As you guys said above, the poor chick is just a plot device. First for Scarlett, then adding Gunnar and Juliette. Might as well make her the nanny. That way they could start the inevitable endgame pairing of Micah and Daphne!

Edited November 17, 2014 by Midru

[Sandman]

Do Scarlett and Gunnar really make sense as an endgame couple? I barely see these two as a functional pair, let alone a couple with a fairytale ending coming their way.

[LadyMustang65]

I'm kind of surprised at the perception of Rayna here. Maybe I'm the one that's out in left field, but I have no problem with what's going on with her right now. I don't see her as a 'famewhore' or as being in it for the money. Yes, Rayna has money now from her dad's estate. That would take care of her personal living expenses. But that is not going to keep H65 running. And getting a business up off the ground is no easy feat. It takes a lot of work and time and effort, and if you're going to be successful, you're going to need to put it first for a while. Right now Rayna is H65. Juliette is out of commission at the moment, Scarlett wigged out and asked to be let out of her contract, and Sadie (I think that's her name) hasn't been around long enough to be contributing that much at the moment. So it's all on Rayna right now, and she's got a lot of people depending on her for their livelihood. Not just Juliette and Sadie and Bucky but all the people who work at H65. There will be a whole bunch of them necessary to get this label up and viable. And they all depend on Rayna coming through. Awards for her will bring recognition to her label. TV appearances for her bring name recognition to her label. The cover of RS is a big deal, and as Bucky pointed out, very few country artists get that opportunity. The more Rayna James gets out there, the better it is for H65. As Rayna mentioned in an earlier episode, she made Edgehill, and now she needs to do that same thing for her own label. This is not for the faint of heart. Rayna wants to make her label a place that nurtures up and coming artists, but in order to be able to do that, H65 has to be a viable label in the first place. And that's all on Rayna's shoulders. That's a lot to undertake. And I don't think it's unrealistic or selfish for her to expect her family to be supportive of her. It seems pretty well established that Rayna has been a hands-on mother for most of her kids' lives, but she had the luxury because of the situation. Someone else had all the responsibility that she now carries. Her kids aren't babies any more. They are old enough (or should be) to be able to understand the importance of what she's doing and to be able to give her some help, even if that help is simply not being a moody brat.

And I am not ready to assume that she did not call Deacon on her way to talk to the reporter. Just because we didn't see the conversation doesn't mean it didn't happen. The way they shot it had much more dramatic impact than if we'd seen her talk to Deacon and get his okay. But even if she didn't, I'll be absolutely amazed and flabbergasted if Deacon says anything other than, "right call Rayna" when he finds out. Deacon appears to truly love Maddie and want to be a good father to her. That would include having their story come out to protect her from a stupid kid mistake. And I can certainly understand Rayna being upset at having to reveal parts of her life that she would prefer be kept hidden. She did it to protect Maddie - and the fallout would not have been pretty at all - but that doesn't mean she likes it or feels good about it. And Maddie needed to know that what she did was stupid and irresponsible. Actions have consequences, and after the party incident, you'd think she'd be smarter by now.

My biggest question was where was the nanny? Or Teddy? After going through this whole thing about having to get a nanny, why wer Maddie and Cole alone in the house together anyway with apparently all the adults gone? That didn't make much sense to me.

[shron17]

Rayna wants to make her label a place that nurtures up and coming artists, but in order to be able to do that, H65 has to be a viable label in the first place. And that's all on Rayna's shoulders. That's a lot to undertake. And I don't think it's unrealistic or selfish for her to expect her family to be supportive of her.

 

 

I agree completely and am more than happy to hang out with you in left field.  Rayna's actions have changed because her circumstances have changed, not because she's with Luke or is being written differently.  Whether she turned down both proposals or accepted Deacon's, I think she would be doing exactly the same things to get as much publicity she can for her label. The plan was to use the momentum from releasing her album and go as far she could with it.  If not, she would have stayed with Edgehill and taken a well deserved break while Jeff released her greatest hits album.  Luke thought starting her own label was a bad idea from the moment she mentioned it and I'm not surprised his patience is wearing thin.  He's just shallow enough to support her as long it's convenient for him.

[Sutton]

 

Luke thought starting her own label was a bad idea from the moment she mentioned it and I'm not surprised his patience is wearing thin. He's just shallow enough to support her as long it's convenient for him.

Shallow is the word for LW because he wants to be the country artist who's more popular than Rayna. He wants to win most of the Crystal Trophies at the CMA's but I think he has another thing coming when Rayna wins most of the CMA awards. I hope she wins the most prestiges one of all and that's "Entertainer of the Year."

[shron17]

I have a hard time believing Ruke's weekend wouldn't have been all about Luke if he'd been offered the Rolling Stones cover. His sexism has been hinted at, but it reached a point for me in this episode.

 

I hope she wins the most prestiges one of all and that's "Entertainer of the Year."

 

I agree Luke's macho persona comes across as sexist.  And it really came out in that song he wrote for her.  I'd love to see him freak out over Rayna's successes and for his women fans to turn on him, but I'm probably dreaming.

[jjj]

Yes, Rayna has money now from her dad's estate. That would take care of her personal living expenses. But that is not going to keep H65 running.

 

I disagree -- her father was quite wealthy, and she could plow an immense amount of money into her label and never feel the difference.  They really skated over the massive inheritance. 

[Madding crowd]

I'm a Rayna fan and I agree that it takes a lot of work to be a country star and to run a record label, whether or not you have money. Rayna's girls are on almost every episode and it is clear she flies home to see them in between concerts, so I don't see her as being neglectful or a sociopath. I am also uneasy with the idea that the mother should always be the one to quit her job-why can't Teddy step down from being mayor?

 

Maddie and Daphne are in school all day, so if they come home to a nanny for a few hours until one of their parents is home, I think they would be fine. That is how most of the country lives anyway, with both parents working. I think having a working mother is an inspiration for both girls and I also think Maddie is just doing typical teenage things, which she would do even if Rayna was at home doing housework all day.

 

The show is about Rayna and Juliette, and I wouldn't be interested in watching them or any of the other characters as stay at home parents with no outside life. 

[shron17]

I disagree -- her father was quite wealthy, and she could plow an immense amount of money into her label and never feel the difference.

 

 

The point is that you need more than just money to build a successful label.  You need people who want to buy and support and listen to the music you're producing and the only way to get that is to put your music out there, in person and to take advantage of every bit of publicity you can find.  Rayna is building the foundation of her label with her own fame, so that she can pass that opportunity along to the others she signs.

[LadyMustang65]

I agree that Lamar was quite wealthy, but we never knew how much he was worth, and I think people may be over-estimating there.  First off, any and all of his business and personal debts would have to have been paid out of the estate.  Then Rayna got half of that at best - less if Lamar left money to different charities or friends or anything else.  If memory serves, Rayna borrowed $22 million against her home, which if she was smart, she would have paid off immediately.  Likewise her other creditors, as I believe she also had other investors.  So unless we think Lamar was worth billions, which I don't think we've seen any indication he was that wealthy, Rayna's inheritance is probably not as massive as some think.  Probably enough to keep her and her kids in their current lifestyle, but not enough to keep H65 afloat for long.

 

And as Shron pointed out above, it takes more than money to build a successful label.  If all Rayna did was plow her own money into H65, it would be nothing but a vanity project for her and would not be long for this world.

[madam magpie]

Until Lamar' s assets were frozen, he was planning to write Rayna a check for the $20 million she needed to start the company, and he agreed like it was no hardship at all. My impression is that he was incredibly wealthy.

[LadyMustang65]

I've been trying to figure out how I feel about Luke. Generally, I've liked him just fine, although there were times he came across a bit sketchy. This is what I finally came up with regarding him - I think Luke is extremely competitive, and he views Rayna as a prize. We know he was interested in her way back in the day, but he lost out to first Deacon and then Teddy. Now he has won the prize, but it’s not turning out the way he expected. He still has to share her with Deacon and Teddy and H65 and all kinds of other people. And she’s now competition for him in the music arena as well as his prize. And I think he just doesn’t know how to handle that. It’s like on one level he understands the demands and is okay (for the most part – Deacon excepted I think) with sharing her, but when it’s what he views as *his* time with her, then he doesn’t want to share. That’s not necessarily wrong, but it’s unrealistic at this time in her life. I don’t know if it’s “shallow” exactly, but I think Shron is right that he wants the relationship more on his terms. He’s supportive as long as it’s convenient, but when it starts to get inconvenient, then he’s not quite so understanding and supportive. Overall, though, at least what we’ve seen so far, I think he’s trying to be a good guy, but he’s never had to deal with this kind of a situation before, and he’s still working his way through it. My opinion may change as things move forward, but right now I’m thinking he’s mostly a good guy, if a bit spoiled and used to having things the way he wants them.

[LadyMustang65]

My impression is that he was incredibly wealthy as well. But again, let's say that after his debts and obligations were paid, he had an estate of $100 million. To me that's incredibly wealthy. Rayna gets half. She herself has debts and obligations that are probably close to at least $30 million (she mortgaged her house for $22 million?). So if she's smart and pays those off, as she should, then she's left with $20 million. That's a lot of money, but it's not going to keep her lifestyle up as well as pay H65's bills for long. And even if it did - or heck even if Lamar left her $100 million - just shoveling money into H65 is not going to make it a viable company. Money alone is not going to create demand for the product they sell, and without demand, the company does not survive. Rayna IS Highway 65 right now, and at the moment it lives or dies on her success. Rayna knows that, and I believe she is sincere in her desire to make it a place that nurtures young artists and is doing everything in her power to make H65 a success.

[madam magpie]

Except that she's been making lots of bad business moves. She spent an entire season talking about needing more artists but not actually scouting any. She just moved the company into a huge fancy office. Not to mention that arena touring is a HUGE upfront expense; a smaller club tour would have been more initial ROI because she'd have had to shell out a lot less at the outset. It would have also played nicely to her core audience. No one is saying Rayna should sit home and do nothing. We're saying that money is no longer a factor and that she lacks creative thought in business and is willing to sacrifice her children's emotional health and her own self-proclaimed priorities as a result. If she's got $20 million in liquid assets and no debt, yes, I believe that's plenty to run her business for awhile. She's also likely still making royalties for all of her previous hits. I'm sure she'll learn the lesson in the end on some level, but it's gotten incredibly tedious and boring to watch...for me. Other people clearly enjoy it still.

Edited November 18, 2014 by madam magpie

[SunnyBeBe]

Rayna really needs to strike while the iron is hot.  She's at an age that she is fortunate to sell out concerts and get promotional gigs.  Most country female artists start to lose their popularity when they reach Rayna's age.  It happens to the great ones like Martina, Reba and Loretta.  How long can Rayna hang on?  I can understand why she wanted that Rolling Stones cover so bad.  Of course, she should know Maddie by now.  She's a very willful child, who needs a lot of supervision.  I'm not sure when they will finally get that into their heads. Maddie is not trustworthy.  Accept it and get real.   I'm still wondering if they will hire Zoey to be their nanny.

[LadyMustang65]

What you see as bad decisions, M. magpie, I see as good, smart business decisions, not to mention necessary ones. SunnyBeBe is right - if Rayna can still fill a stadium, she needs to be doing just that. Just because we don't see her scouting new talent doesn't mean it's not happening. She knew who Sadie was and got her signed, and she'll meet up with a lot of new artists on the road. And I disagree that she's sacrificing her children's emotional health. She talks to them every single day, often via Skype. She comes home every free day she's got as well as brings them to visit her from time to time. She is more available to her kids than some stay-at-home moms I know. Her children are not babies or toddlers any more. They are old enough to understand that this is important and why. It's a bit of an adjustment for them, but they're not being abused or neglected in any way. I empathize with the problems Rayna faces, and I want to see her succeed. What she's doing is very hard and very risky, but the rewards if she succeeds are great - not just for her but for her kids, too. She doesn't want them in the music business now, but a few years from now, if they still want it, I have no doubt there will be a home for them at H65 where they will be nurtured and protected and encouraged - not used up and spit out. H65 can be a legacy that gets passed down to her children at some point, if they want, or sold to secure their futures. She's going to make some mistakes along the way, and there's going to be pain and doubt, but I'm enjoying watching H65 grow and hoping that soon they'll settle down some of the melodrama and show us H65 taking shape and becoming a real contender in Nashville. I don't know if that's the direction they plan to go, but I can dream. :)

[shron17]

Not to mention that arena touring is a HUGE upfront expense; a smaller club tour would have been more initial ROI because she'd have had to shell out a lot less at the outset. It would have also played nicely to her core audience.No one is saying Rayna should sit home and do nothing. We're saying that money is no longer a factor and that she lacks creative thought in business and is willing to sacrifice her children's emotional health and her own self-proclaimed priorities as a result.

 

Not understanding how you don't see arena touring as Rayna's "core" audience since from the pilot it sounds as though she's been selling out arenas since Maddie was small.  Starting a label that can compete with Edgehill while encouraging its artists to flourish rather than exploiting their talent for profit has been high on Rayna's list of self-proclaimed priorities since early season 2.  

 

I'm sure she'll learn the lesson in the end on some level, but it's gotten incredibly tedious and boring to watch...for me.  Other people clearly enjoy it still.

 

I would find this tedious to watch as well.  I'm glad this is the show I'm seeing on my screen:

 

H65 can be a legacy that gets passed down to her children at some point, if they want, or sold to secure their futures. She's going to make some mistakes along the way, and there's going to be pain and doubt, but I'm enjoying watching H65 grow and hoping that soon they'll settle down some of the melodrama and show us H65 taking shape and becoming a real contender in Nashville.

 

Different people like different aspects of the story--some would like it to revolve around Juliette which would only frustrate me.  Thanks for the great description of my favorite part of the show.

Edited November 18, 2014 by shron17

[madam magpie]

I hear you, LadyMustang. Like I said, some people like me find it boring and tedious to watch; others don't.

I don't understand why the comparison to a stay-at-home mom keeps coming up, though. I haven't seen anyone saying Rayna should quit her job and stay home.

Shron: By "core audience," I mean the people who will buy a Rayna James album no matter what. Martina McBride also once sold out arenas. This past year, she did a smaller club tour that played to her core audience: the ones who want to hear her sing and revel in that, not the loud stadium crowd. A stadium crowd is no one's "core audience"; it's generally people who like loud, raucous affairs and enjoy the stadium experience. Or it's people going to see Paul McCartney or The Rolling Stones. I don't think Rayna's that big, though I'm sure McCartney and Stones fans would love to see those guys play a small club.

I'll say too that the show has never made me believe Rayna could sell out a stadium. She doesn't give off that vibe or seem to have that appeal or play that kind of music, which is definitely part of the incongruity for me.

[Sutton]

Ladymustang65 - I have to disagree with you on your comment "Her children are not babies or toddlers anymore." When they were that age that was the easiest time. IMO because Teddy was there 24/7, that was the agreement they made because Teddy had lost most of her money on crappy investment. She had no choice when she made the statement "If we want to continue this life style I need to go to work." Young children and teenages need (again IMO) more supervision because of what can happen when they make stupid decisions like Maddie did. 1) agreeing to have a party with kids she didn't know 2) there was drinking at that party 3) not watching her younger sister who was scared on what these strange kids were doing to their house. 4) kind of making out with her soon to be step-brother. Where was Teddy? Out on a date with a hooker which he didn't know at the time that she was but he didn't make sure before he left that the girls were going to be safe (teenager Teddy.) I don't blame Rayna totally but she has not been the hands on mother she was previously, girls her first priority. Caught up in LW's public eminence of fame (which he wants to be top dog in country music) is catching up with her and it's taking a toll on her daughters.

[shron17]

By "core audience," I mean the people who will buy a Rayna James album no matter what.

 

 

If Rayna were only selling her own records this sounds like a good business decision.  Since she's starting a label with more artists and a wider variety of music it makes sense to reach as many people as possible and have the ability to showcase her own artists whenever possible. 

[madam magpie]

If Rayna were only selling her own records this sounds like a good business decision.  Since she's starting a label with more artists and a wider variety of music it makes sense to reach as many people as possible and have the ability to showcase her own artists whenever possible. 

 

Sure, except she doesn't concentrate on finding artists and has only Juliette (whom she told to go write more or take some time off) and Sadie (no idea what she's doing). Rayna specifically said she didn't want a vanity lable. Maybe she's changed her mind, maybe not. I have no idea. But what she's doing now is promoting a vanity label. I'd love to see Rayna being a badass businesswoman and building a company, but I don't see that. What I see is an artist with a ton of clout trying to promote her own album like she's new to a business she's been in for 20+ years. Rayna should be a lot more savvy and capable than she is...or I should say, for me to admire her business sense and skills, she needs to be a lot more savvy and capable than she is. I don't see that what she's sacrificing is needed and I don't buy her as a huge star or a businesswoman. She seems like a novice to me, someone who's making rookie mistakes and who lacks a clear vision for what she claims she's trying to do.

Edited November 18, 2014 by madam magpie

[LadyMustang65]

We see things exactly opposite. Rayna can't concentrate on finding new artists until H65 is a viable label, and right now she is the main attraction. If she isn't out there touring, selling records, etc., then nobody knows who or what H65 is or cares. The label will grow through record sales, and Rayna's got to ride her new album as far as she can. Hopefully by the time that runs out of steam, Juliette will be ready to go back out there with some new material as will Sadie and maybe a few others. If Rayna just sat back and spent her time looking for new artists, then she would indeed be just a vanity label - H65 would exist solely so that she could say she started a record company, but it would never go anywhere. New artists would only be willing to sign with her if they couldn't get a deal with a "real" record label. You want her to run before she walks, and it just doesn't work like that. Rayna being out on tour, making appearances, selling records is also selling H65 and building its name. Her staying in the office, doing an occasional small venue concert, looking for new talent would have H65 closing its doors before it ever had a chance to get off the ground. That's her payoff for doing all the hard work now - that one day she will be able to do that while others make the name for the label. But she has to do the work and put in the time first. And she is a novice! Rayna has never run a business before. Others have done all that work while she was able to concentrate on her music. Now she has to do both. She'll learn as she goes, and that's part of the fun. It would be totally fantasy to see her start a company and be a 'badass business woman' right off the bat when she's never done it before. Tandy had run their father's company, and even she wasn't able to get it right right off the bat. That's realistic. It's hard work to start a business, and most of them fail within the first few years. And that's even with people who have done it before.

[LadyMustang65]

Sutton - I don't think this has anything to do with Luke at all. Rayna would be or should be doing the same things even without him in the picture because it's what she needs to do to get her record company off the ground and in it for the long haul so that it can be what she wants it to be. No, her girls are not her first priority any more, but neither is she ignoring them. She talks with them every day and sees them as often as she can, either by coming home or by flying them to her. The girls miss her, but she misses them as well. Rayna was counting on Teddy to be the supervising parent while she was gone, but he failed at that, so they got a nanny for the girls. Not to take her place but to provide the supervision they need. That's an appropriate response, I think. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and make a change when the opportunity presents itself, because if you pass it by, it may never come again. The time was now to do this - while she is still a big draw and can be the face of Highway 65. If she waited a few more years until the girls were in college, there's a good chance her star would be waning, and H65 would not have a chance at life. Rayna is not a perfect woman - but she is doing the best she can with the hand she's been given. She'll make mistakes along the way, and she'll learn from them. I just don't think she should have to put her dreams on hold - or even give them up entirely - just because she's got kids. The only family will learn and grow along the way.

[madam magpie]

If Rayna just sat back and spent her time looking for new artists, then she would indeed be just a vanity label - H65 would exist solely so that she could say she started a record company, but it would never go anywhere.

 

That's not what a vanity label is. A vanity label is an actual music industry thing. It's typically a situation where a record company gives an established artist a label so that the artist can have more creative control over his or her own music and/or promote people he/she likes without bearing the full brunt of the costs associated with owning the label outright: promotion, distribution, etc. Many times, the artist is the only person on the label; that way, the artist gets a lot of the perks of going out on his/her own, without much of the risk, but really it's a "vanity" project. Rayna specifically said back in season one (I think, or maybe early season two) that what she wanted was a label where young musicians could make the kind of music they wanted without the heavy hammer of an industry label, sort of an indie label. She needed to buy out Highway 65 (which started as a vanity label under Edgehill) to create that space and to take creative control over her own music. She also said she didn't want to be its only artist. Initially, Lamar was going to give her the money to do it, but then his assets were frozen and she had to borrow against everything. For awhile, that was a huge financial stress because she had no liquid assets, no money coming in (from the label; she still had her own royalties, etc., but she shared that with Edgehill), and no artists. Instead of scouting artists, though, she put ALL her energy into Scarlet (huge mistake; you never want your business to ride on one product). Then she got Juliette, with whom she fought and who has done virtually nothing. Then she got Sadie, and I have no idea what's happening there. In the meantime, Rayna's own album dropped, and she put ALL her energy into that, banking on her status and stature to pull the label through. It looks like that's going to work in the end, so good for her. But in the meantime, her kid is falling apart, her other kid is sad, her relationship is a constant stress, she decided to get married on a whim, she blew off her best friend and writing partner, she made no childcare arrangements with her ex-husband, she agreed to an in-depth magazine cover story with no boundaries, and she decided that the only way to succeed was to launch a year-long tour during which her family began to crumble. No matter that she inherited a crap ton of money along the way and so has the resources to reevaluate her decisions. Yes, she CAN do the things she's doing. But it's not very smart and doesn't scream "Rayna is a good business person" to me. It screams "Rayna is caught up in fame and blinded by fear of failure and so is unwilling or unable to take any control or think in a creative way." That bores me because, except for the "caught up in fame" part, Rayna has been blinded by fear and unwilling or unable to take any control or think in a creative way since the beginning of this series. I'd like her to evolve as a character. Not to mention that now she's also thoughtless and sometimes even outright mean to people she claims to love, hasn't owned up to any of her own personal mistakes, and needs to be knocked down off...what did that song say back in season one?...her high heels. I don't want her to walk or run; I want her get some savvy and stop acting like someone who lacks smarts. The woman who can't hack it in business is a terrible cliche. All Rayna has to do to turn all this around is to take a step back, look at it, and stop for a moment. I'd like her to be smart enough to recognize that.

 

Rayna's a novice when it comes to running a label, and I'd expect her to make mistakes there, though nothing as glaring as putting all her eggs in Scarlet's basket. But when it comes to things like dealing with the press, she should know what she's doing. That she brought a reporter from a publication as huge as Rolling Stone into her home with no parameters set up to leave out her kids or have a say over what they could and couldn't participate in was just stupid.

Edited November 18, 2014 by madam magpie

[Sutton]

 

The only family will learn and grow along the way.

That's exactly what Luke Wheeler (I can't believe I said his name without puking) said "Don't worry they'll get use to it." whatever they were trying to fix when something went wrong. That's not the Rayna we want taking care of her daughters. Luke buys his children expensive things to keep them in line $2,500.head phones. Rayna knows what the music industry or any other industry can do to children of famous celebrities. Rayna has been, as they call her Queen of Country Music for what 20 plus years, so she has dreamed her dream, and has been very successful, maybe it's time to do those small venues so she can keep her name out there in public and only be away a few days at a time. You can't tell me that Rayna Jaymes at her age (40 plus) is dreaming of becoming Queen of Country Music because she is that, there isn't any higher status then that.

 

Miranda Lambert is 30 yrs old, like I've always said there is always someone that's coming up that's going to take your place, ii's only normal, that circle comes around faster than you want it to. Reba is now playing at the Indian Casinos in California, still gives her best, performing for the fans one hell of a concert. Small venue but the fans were there to support her.

[madam magpie]

Miranda Lambert is also a TON more fun than Rayna. Just saying.

[BBDi]

I think we are supposed to be seeing this period as Rayna losing her way a bit, spreading herself too thin, and making some bad choices. It's not that everything she's doing is necessarily bad or wrong, though some of her choices are (ie, Luke), but the problem is also that she's trying to juggle multiple priorities, some of which are in conflict with each other, while trying to reach another level professionally.

 

There's a bit of a disconnect for me and maybe other viewers that when the show started she was already supposed to be a mega-star, and was looking to build Highway 65 as a way of getting creative satisfaction, staying relevant, and bringing along other talent while staying out from under Edgehill's thumb.

 

I'm assuming in a few episodes or whenever this arc ends that she'll be talking about how she almost lost sight of herself and forgot her priorities, blah blah.

[Clemgo3165]

I really hope you're right BBDi!

[LadyMustang65]

Sutton - as you said, Rayna is already the Queen of Country Music. She doesn't need to aspire to that. But what she does aspire to is to be the owner of a successful record label that nurtures and encourages young artists. She is doing what she needs to do to make that happen. Why is she allowed only one dream per lifetime? I don't think Rayna needs to give up on that dream just because she has kids. Situations change all the time - that's normal. Families grow and adjust and find ways to make things work. There's nothing wrong with that. It's not "the kids will get used to it." It's the families adjust - everyone. Rayna will figure out how to balance her family and her passion. The kids will learn to be a bit more responsible and a little less needy. These are not kids who are being ignored and abandoned while mom is out seeking fame. They are kids who see and talk with their mom every single day and who know (or should know) that they are well loved and will also have parents who will be there for them. They will adjust as will Rayna and Teddy and Deacon and, if he sticks around, Luke and his kids. It's a situation that plays out every day in families from all walks of life. It pretty much is life.

Magpie - I don't know where you get that Rayna put all her eggs in the Scarlett basket. Will was her first sign until Jeff stole him away. Then she was originally going to sign Gunnar and Scarlett, but Gunnar didn't show. There was that group she made an offer to who eventually also signed with Edgehill, I think, or maybe it was another label. Then she picked up Juliet and now Sadie. If memory serves we also saw her talking with or listening to other artists along the way. It's not like she hasn't done anything at all in that direction. This season all we've seen is Sadie, but she's kind of got her hands full right now, and there's only so much they can show us in one episode. So I just don't get this "she's done nothing" idea.

I am enjoying watching Rayna struggle and learn a whole new role, and I think she's doing pretty well with it. Does she still have a lot to learn? Absolutely. Does she have the right instincts at heart? Yeah, I think she does. When she has it all together, she is a force to be reckoned with, and I'm looking forward to the journey. Clearly your mileage varies. :)

[Sutton]

MadamMagpie - I'm just trying to say Rayna had her time in the spotlight for many years and if she still thinks she will be in the spotlight at her age (again age, I don't mean it in a negative way) she has to know or realize other Country Music Artists, men and women are not as popular as they once were in the early years. They can't write her that stupid or naive. I hate what this series has done to her and I agree with BDDI.

 

There's a bit of a disconnect for me and maybe other viewers that when the show started she was already supposed to be a mega-star, and was looking to build Highway 65 as a way of getting creative satisfaction, staying relevant, and bringing along other talent while staying out from under Edgehill's thumb.

I also hope in the coming episodes this arc ends and she finally realizes this is not the kind of life she wants for her daughters and herself, to be on one big mega tour missing her daughters growing up and not being involved in their teenage lives.

[madam magpie]

Magpie - I don't know where you get that Rayna put all her eggs in the Scarlett basket. Will was her first sign until Jeff stole him away. Then she was originally going to sign Gunnar and Scarlett, but Gunnar didn't show. There was that group she made an offer to who eventually also signed with Edgehill, I think, or maybe it was another label. Then she picked up Juliet and now Sadie. If memory serves we also saw her talking with or listening to other artists along the way. It's not like she hasn't done anything at all in that direction. This season all we've seen is Sadie, but she's kind of got her hands full right now, and there's only so much they can show us in one episode. So I just don't get this "she's done nothing" idea.

 

Rayna tried to audition Scarlett and Gunnar around mid-ish season one. Jeff poached Will in the second episode of season two when Highway 65 was still tied up with Edgehill. Rayna scouted one band around that time too. Juliette signed with Rayna around the middle of season two (and she went to Rayna; Rayna didn't scout her). Juliette's done very little since. Rayna signed Sadie just an episode or two ago; that one she did actually go after, yes. But for most of season two, which was 22 episodes long, everything hinged on Scarlett, during which time Rayna mentioned almost every episode that she needed more artists, but she never actually went out and tried to get them. She should have been haunting clubs and honky tonks all over the city. She should have been talking to music producers and managers, getting names, setting up meetings. She did none of that. She's Rayna Jaymes for crying out loud, supposedly the biggest female artist in country music. She could have opened doors all over town. But she didn't even try. She put her energy into Scarlett and into her own album.

 

If what she wants is a label where she's the main artist, OK. That goes against what she said initially, though, so I'd like to know why she changed her mind. If she wants a label that nurtures young musicians, she needs to put in more legwork to go get them. I think that would have been a very interesting story. I'd have loved to see how she did it, who the contacts were, what the musicians sounded like, etc. She could have made mistakes while scouting them, lost some, gained some, learned how to do it. This was initially a show about the music industry, and I liked that. I don't like the soap opera with a handful of songs that it's become, and I don't like "searching for her purpose" Rayna Jaymes. The woman is 40-something years old, not 25, and she's incredibly successful. She should have some balls, some experience, some gravitas, and a shit-ton of self-confidence. I don't want to see her crash and burn so she can have some epiphany about how much she sucks and then rebuild her life. She's too established for that. I want her to own her life, mistakes, successes, etc. and take control. For almost the entire run of this show, things just happen to her. Rayna herself makes very little happen. The only two things I can think of are telling Deacon she loved him and mortgaging everything to buy the label. Everything else just bumps into her as she goes.

 

I agree, Sutton.

Edited November 18, 2014 by madam magpie

[LadyMustang65]

I've never gotten any sense that this was to be an ongoing thing. She's got this big tour that she's on now. It will end in a few more months. After that she'll be home for a while coming up with new material for her next album, doing a few appearances as usual, and working more on H65 now that the label will be known as an up-and-coming new label. That will also give her plenty of time to spend with her kids. It's not like she'll be missing out on their growing up, and she's not "not involved" in their lives right now. I just really dislike the idea that Rayna cannot be allowed her dream but must give up everything she wants to be at her kids' beck and call 24/7.

[madam magpie]

I just really dislike the idea that Rayna cannot be allowed her dream but must give up everything she wants to be at her kids' beck and call 24/7.

Again I ask, where is that coming from? No one has said that.

[Sutton]

LadyMustang65 - If I remember this tour is a year long tour. She's suppose to be with LW after they get married (I can't believe I wrote that) they will tour for a full year. She is (was) (was is because I don't want the marriage to happen) going to combine both her and LW's tour so they could be the King and Queen of Country Music. (Why did I even write that makes me want again to puke.) She's not involved in their lives right now because look at what's happening to Maddie first and what will follow will be Daphne acting up to keep up with her sister. I don't have a problem with Rayna being an executive of a record company, maybe going on tour small venues, but she's going to have to make a hard decision what her priorities are. The series first has to wake her up and get her out of this fog she's been in because they are writing her as a first timer in the music industry. She knows what goes on in the male dominated industry, she dealt with them and came out on top.  LW is one of those male dominated individuals who's gloing to show his faults and jealousy of her fame very soon.

[shron17]

I just really dislike the idea that Rayna cannot be allowed her dream but must give up everything she wants to be at her kids' beck and call 24/7.

 

Again I ask, where is that coming from? No one has said that

 

But it is being said that Rayna's neglecting her kids by going on an arena tour of that length, even though she talks to them every day and sees them as much as possible.  And it is likely that going on tour and doing all of the publicity is the best way to insure H65 gets the best start it could have and it clearly needs to happen now and not later.  So yeah. I think it is, to say the least, being implied that if Rayna does what she thinks is right and necessary for her label she's causing her kids to act out and her family to crumble.

 

The woman is 40-something years old, not 25, and she's incredibly successful. She should have some balls, some experience, some gravitas, and a shit-ton of self-confidence. I don't want to see her crash and burn so she can have some epiphany about how much she sucks and then rebuild her life.

 

The thing is, Rayna had reached a point in her life where some rebuilding was absolutely necessary.  Her career stalled a little with her last album and she had to figure out a way to still do music in a fulfilling way.  She started by writing a song and working with Liam, then asking for her own label so she could work with young artists.  When Jeff took over she had to separate herself by buying out her catalog with everything she had, and it all snowballed from there.  Everyone's forgetting about the changes in the music industry that require her to work even harder and open up her life in a way she never did, just to have the same level of success she had before.  On top of that, her personal life changed in a huge way with the divorce and then losing the chance she had with Deacon.  When a long-term relationship ends there's a natural urge to replace that loss with someone else, even though it often turns out to be the wrong person.  This may surprise and dismay you young 'uns, but people do lose their way and may crash and burn in their 40's, and {GASP} even their 50's and older.  I don't so much see a woman who's lost herself and turned into a "fame whore" (whatever that is!) but someone trying to adjust to life's challenges by finding her balance and doing what she needs to do to be happy. And we all deserve that no matter how old we are, right?  Wherever the search for happiness takes Rayna, I'm absolutely certain it will encompass doing the best she possibly can for her kids.

Edited November 19, 2014 by shron17

[madam magpie]

But it is being said that Rayna's neglecting her kids by going on an arena tour of that length, even though she talks to them every day and sees them as much as possible.  And it is likely doing the tour and the all the publicity is the best way to insure H65 gets the best start it could have and it clearly needs to happen now and not later.  So yeah. I think it is, to say the least, being implied that if Rayna does what she thinks is right and necessary for her label she's causing her kids to act out and her family to crumble.

 

I don't see how that equates to people saying she needs to be at her kids beck and call 24/7. Her family IS crumbling. Her kid IS acting out. And Rayna IS planning a tour that will keep her on the road for a year. And, not mentioned in your comment, Rayna is also someone who spent two full seasons going on and on about how much focusing on her family and protecting her children was of the utmost importance to her. She's also someone who's already canceled one, much shorter tour, because her family was crumbling and her kid was acting out. It sound like you're saying Rayna has only two options: quit her job and stay home or go on a tour that will last a year and bring a Rolling Stone reporter into her home with no boundaries. I think there are many, many more options, and I'd like her to be written smart enough to consider them.

 

The thing is, Rayna had reached a point in her life where some rebuilding was absolutely necessary.

 

And yet her rebuilding is basically to do what she's been doing for years: tour, push an album, and hide from her life and mistakes. She absolutely needs to rebuild. I'm all for that. How about trying something new?

 

On top of that, her personal life changed in a huge way with the divorce and then losing the chance she had with Deacon.

 

Rayna didn't lose her chance with Deacon. She gave him up. That's OK. She absolutely had a right to do that, but he wasn't taken from her. This is a woman who hasn't been single for more than a month or two since she was teenager. One of the first things she should have learned when her personal life fell apart (the first or second or fifth or tenth time) was that it might be a good idea to figure out what she wants and needs from life, instead of jumping into a marriage with a guy she's been dating all of six-ish months.

 

This may surprise and dismay you young 'uns, but people do lose their way and may crash and burn in their 40's, and {GASP} even their 50's and older.

 

And just for the record, I'm 41. I appreciate being called a "young'un" but it's not the truth. Rayna is old enough to have her shit together. That doesn't mean she can't make mistakes or fall apart in the midst of chaos and emotional upheaval, but by now, she should have the life skills to deal with it. She's been incredibly successful, not someone who's floated through life without direction or purpose. I'd like to see her apply those skills to her rebuilding efforts now.

Edited November 19, 2014 by madam magpie

[hqtextbook]

True Rayna probably expected to get a little

More for her label out of Juliette. Is anyone else tired of her being pregnant? Can we get the badass attitude-y country star back?

[Midru]

The thing is, the label was essentially a vanity project so she could nurture all these True Artists. And she has done little to none of that. Where is Scarlett? She's making music for someone else. Juliette? Her only artist until the crazy chick showed up can't get any attention from her. 

 

If she needs to tour for a year to build up her business, that essentially defeats the purpose of the business. Rayna is on tour because she wanted to be Number One, she had no need to tour at all. It was more Rayna's vanity, regardless of the consequences to her label and her family. 

 

The thing is, Rayna always sucks you in by speaking as if she is all that, and getting very judgmental and preachy to people around her. She also heavily criticizes people for doing the same things she is doing, and gets away with pretending to be holier-than-thou. So she has lost my trust completely.

[shron17]

It sound like you're saying Rayna has only two options: quit her job and stay home or go on a tour that will last a year and bring a Rolling Stone reporter into her home with no boundaries.

 

No, I'm saying I think Rayna has the right and the obligation to try as hard as she can to do what she thinks is necessary to make her dreams come true without being blamed every time her kids do something wrong.

 

Rayna is old enough to have her shit together. That doesn't mean she can't make mistakes or fall apart in the midst of chaos and emotional upheaval, but by now, she should have the life skills to deal with it.

 

I guess to me a young 'un is anyone who thinks any given character/person should have their shit together by a certain age.  Life just doesn't work that way, and I disagree that anyone of a certain age, talent, skill, etc. should be held to a higher standard because of that.

 

She's been incredibly successful, not someone who's floated through life without direction or purpose.  I'd like to see her apply those skills to her rebuilding efforts now.

 

This is what I think Rayna is doing, and what I'm going to enjoy watching her doing each week.  I know your mileage varies.

Edited November 19, 2014 by shron17

[madam magpie]

I guess to me a young 'un is anyone who thinks any given character/person should have their shit together by a certain age.  Life just doesn't work that way, and I disagree that anyone of a certain age, talent, skill, etc. should be held to a higher standard because of that.

 

Wow. OK, so young is an insult in this context? Who knew! The thing is that life does work that way. That's why people who are 25 usually make lousy bosses and why people with experience and age are often afforded more respect. My problem with Rayna isn't that she's young or old; it's that she's old and acting young. I don't find it charming or revolutionary. If that's the point of her story, OK...I guess. I don't like it, but OK. The thing is, I don't think that's the point of her story at all. I think the writers feel that her behavior is mostly OK and mature and she's just making some mildly questionable decisions in her personal life. But the truth is that she has made some huge and incredibly hurtful decisions: She kept a baby a secret from her best friend, writing partner, and boyfriend (and the baby) for more than a decade. She's never owned up to that. She agreed to marry a man she's been dating for six months on a whim within a year of a divorce, car crash, heartbreaking break-up, and baby daddy reveal. She's never owned any of that. She kissed in her kitchen and cried plaintively in the living room of said heartbreaking break-up guy/baby daddy. She's never owned that. She decided to leave her family for a year without even making childcare arrangements with her ex-husband. OK, she owned that a little. She's now throwing money and an as-yet-unseen nanny at the problem her previous questionable choices have caused with her daughter. She's not owning that. And she threw her former best friend/writing partner/one-time love of her life under the bus to a reporter for a story that he declined to comment on. Once again, she hasn't owned that. Rayna needs to grow the hell up.

[shron17]

OK, so young is an insult in this context?

 

No, not an insult at all and I apologize if you experienced it that way.  I was just clumsily expressing that to me saying someone "should" have whatever by a certain age sounds like a young observation, regardless of chronological age.

[LadyMustang65]

That year-long tour is already about half over.  It's not a year *after* they got married.  The entire tour was going to be a year, and she's been on tour since before Juliette got pregnant, so it's probably been 6 months already since Juliette is taking Lamaze classes now.  You don't do that early in your pregnancy.  So Rayna's tour will be coming to an end soon, and the family will have time to adjust to their new lives and find the right balance together.  And yes, I do think it is implied that Rayna should be for all intents and purposes at her kids' beck and call 24/7.  People are saying she should stay in her offices, do the occasional small venue concert, focus on finding new artists and basically not do the things she needs to be doing right now to make her company successful.  The music business is changing and has changed drastically since Rayna started out.  She acknowledges that and is trying to adapt to keep up and stay relevant.  That should not be a bad thing.  Even doing interviews now is different because she's doing them in a different capacity and more is expected of her than she's used to.  It's a different world for her.  She's not naïve but she's not entirely savvy either.  Until lately she's been able to call the shots, and she had a label to back her up.  Now she is the label, and there's no one who has her back.  It's her out there front and center, and she has to re-learn how to interact with the world.  I think she's doing a pretty decent job so far and will get better as she goes along.  As I said, I'm enjoying watching her learn to navigate the music business in this new capacity.  Others don't, and that's fine.  I only got into the conversation because I felt the need to defend Rayna.  I just don't see this awful person and terrible mother that so many seem to see.

[madam magpie]

I don't think Rayna's an awful person, LadyMustang, or a terrible mother. If that were true, we're all doomed. I also don't think she needs to stay home and cook or be with her kids 24/7 or quit her job or never tour. But she has made some incredibly hurtful and questionable choices, and the people who write her aren't holding her accountable for that. They also aren't explaining well anymore why her hurtful choices are necessary.

You seem to think a small-venue club tour is a step down. I don't at all. To me, a big artist who plays a small-venue club tour is to be admired. I find stadium shows to be huge, showy wastes of money and would much rather sit in a bar listening to a musician I really like. I also think that running a business would be fascinating, especially a creative one where you have to balance the idealism of an artist with the realism of a businessperson. I don't look down on the options I think Rayna has before her; I think they're a ton smarter and more admirable than what she's doing now. And I think they're much more in line with the ideology of the Rayna I liked back in season one. So from where I sit, taking the creative approach, doing something different, that would be Rayna being brave and risky and cool. What she's doing now is the same old thing she's been doing for 2+ seasons.

Edited November 19, 2014 by madam magpie

[LadyMustang65]

I don't think a small venue tour is a step down.  But small venue tours don't get big publicity.  They don't make headlines; they don't generally get those artists nominated for awards, etc.  H65 is NOT going to take off if Rayna steps back from those things.  It is not yet an established label.  She needs to prove that H65 artists, even if right now it's just herself, can sell out big venues, can get its artists nominated for awards, can get its artists the necessary publicity to get them where they want to go.  Rayna can do the small venue tour later, she can do those other things later.  In fact, imho she should do them later because right now she needs to get H65 well established, and the path you map out does not do that.  It keeps H65 a small, relatively unknown label with no clout.  The artists who are going to sign with her may want someone to let them be creative but they are also going to want to be successful. 

 

And I guess I just don't see where she has made some "incredibly hurtful and questionable" choices.  The most hurtful choice she made was one made years ago to not tell Deacon about Maddie.  That's water under the bridge.  I disagree that her family is "crumbling."  It seems relatively stable and healthier than a lot of families I can name.  Daphne is well-adjusted.  Maddie is going through teenage angst where she wants what she wants and pouts when she doesn't get it.  Rayna being closer won't change that; she's not going to let Maddie quit school and become a musician right now any more than Teddy will or Deacon would, so she's still going to be pouty.  Maddie has certainly made some poor choices, but again, she's a teen.  That comes with the territory and doesn't mean anything more than that unless we are told specifically that she's acting out because Rayna is touring.  Until that is established, then I happen to believe Maddie would make the same bad choices with Rayna around.  In fact, she already has in the past when she went to Juliette's impromptu concert.

 

I agree that showing her running H65 could be fascinating and make for a great show, and I hope that's where we're going, but it has to get there first.  It would be ridiculously unrealistic if H65 becomes this big deal just because Rayna is the head of it, and she never has to really work to establish the label.  I don't think spending a season or two showing us the process is too much.  I think they're doing a decent job of showing us the realities of life in the public domain.  The writing could be better at times, but what else is new?  Go to any show forum and people will have that complaint.  It's not always easy to tell a story properly in the time you are allotted.

Edited November 19, 2014 by LadyMustang65

[madam magpie]

Maddie did tell us. At Deacon's house, she got teary and said everyone was leaving her.

As for small club tours not getting recognition or making money, sure they do. Everyone from Jack White to Martina McBride to BB King has done small club tours. It doesn't affect your relevance at all and actually boosts your street cred because music fans know who the types are to never deign to take on a small club tour: those are the people who can't really sing or play and who need the cover a big stage show provides. Rayna would be taken much more seriously across all genres of music if she did something like that. The first thing she needed to decide was what Highway 65's brand was going to be. She said one thing and has gone in a different direction. I object to Rayna creatively now the same way I object to Toby Keith, minus the politics. And that objection is also why I can't stand Luke.

I also think that portraying her lie to Deacon and Maddie as water under the bridge is one of the biggest problems this show has. Rayna has never owned that, or the other bad decisions she's made. She never even told either of them that she sorry she betrayed them like that. It's incredibly off-putting for me and clouds everything the character does because I'm always aware that she's still up on her high horse about that choice.

You're absolutely right that there's a lot of bad writing on TV, but I'm a snob; I don't give passes just because that's common.

Edited November 19, 2014 by madam magpie