S03.E13: I'm Lost Between Right Or Wrong

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Rayna is furious when she finds out Jeff Fordham's plans to sign Maddie to Edgehill. Luke enlists Gunnar in his efforts to forget his heartbreak, first by writing revenge songs, and then by carousing and they bring a cautious Will along for the bar hopping. Sadie is tormented by her stalker ex-husband and brings her expensive recording session with Avery to a standstill, jeopardizing his job. And Deacon's secrecy over his illness causes him to push Maddie away.

 

Promo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUSX_kvkkr4

[NYGirl]

Why don't they hear me when I keep yelling at the TV "but he's not her father".  Seriously annoying.

 

Scarlett has some acting chops too.

[Stella MD]

Yeah, the number of times they've mentioned that only one PARENT can sign the contract is a blizzard of anvils that Teddy's non-parent status is about to be outed. Get on with it, show.

 

Also, enough already with this new stupid/useless Juliette. Pregnancy doesn't turn women into complete idiots. It also doesn't relegate them permanently fused to the sofa. I didn't watch last week - is she on bedrest for some reason, or this newfound inability to use her legs truly supposed to be some sort of moronic comic relief?

Edited February 19, 2015 by Stella MD

[NYGirl]

I think it's the comic relief.  I hate it.  Sometimes they don't depict things realistically on this show.

 

Too much Luke Gunnar Will...ugh.

Edited February 19, 2015 by NYGirl

[madam magpie]

Sometimes they don't depict things realistically on this show.

Sometimes????

[Stella MD]

I wish they'd stop trying to make Luke happen. Now he needs to be shoehorned into the Will/Gunnar friendship just to get him on screen? And have him hooking up with random skanks in Gunnar's spare bedroom like some seriously overgrown frat boy - wtf? It's laughable. His kids are practically their age. Get a life, dude. 

[Temperance]

What was Jeff thinking? This was a really stupid plan. No, really really stupid! 

And I thought Teddy was dumb. If there is one thing Teddy is good at, it's telling the truth so people can bail out his mess. It reminds me of his shady real estate dealings in season 1.

I kind of liked Luke drinking with Gunnar and Will. 

I'm glad Layla seems a little more well-adjusted. Hopefully Jeff won't derail her too much.

Scarlett always seems to have one guy yelling at her while in emotional pain while she cries and tries to cheers him up. Deacon's doctor is cute!

I liked seeing Deacon with Maddie and acknowledging Scarlett at the end. 

 

No to Avery and Sadie as more than friends! Juliette and Avery forever!!!

[Fisher King]

Glad that Rayna got Jeff exposed. Now Jeff just needs to disappear - not hook up with Layla, who I'm really pulling for now..

[NYGirl]

Well that was all wrapped up with a neat little bow in only 1 episode.  I'm going to Miss Jeff.  We need a villain after all.

[Fisher King]

Jeff's not going anywhere.  People like him are too mean to die, especially on this show.

[Sandman]

Huh. I enjoyed seeing Rayna go on the warpath, and pissed-off Sadie is fun. Give Laura Benanti more to do, show! I want Avery and Sadie to stay friends, too.

 

So, Luke is sensitive? Since when? I'd really rather see Gunnar and Will being friends again than watch Mr. Wheels Up relive his mangy adolescence.

 

I hope Scarlett and Doctor Latte have a little fun. Girlfriend deserves some. Layla needs to tell Jeff to go fulfill his lifelong dream, and screw himself. I especially don't care about the angst filling Jeff Whoredom's little shriveled soul. I'm still not that invested in Layla, but that girl just keeps getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop.

 

Dang. Charles Esten broke my heart.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Sandman

[Fisher King]

Yes, Charles Esten is one hell of an actor.

[Artsda]

Luke, Gunner and Will was the best part. They're so much more interesting than the Rayna family drama.

 

Rayna's now going to act like she's a better parent than Teddy and say how his personal life impacts the girls? When her entire Ruke relationship did nothing but impact the girls.

 

Avery being a good friend and producer was nice. Liked him supporting Sadie.

[thuganomics85]

Wow, Jeff.  Could your plan not blow up any worse for you?  There really was a shit ton of holes.  I mean, all Rayna had to do was be like "You know Teddy isn't actually Maddie's biological father, right?", and that just sent everything crashing down.  And, since Ted just confessed everything (might as well be known as a hooker-banger to your ex-wife, instead of a flat-out horrible father), she just helped get your ass booted.  Nicely done, Jeff.  Of course, since Oliver Hudson is still a regular, I'm sure he'll bounce back somehow.

 

Luke's back and having a "guy's night out", with Will and Gunnar, I see.  I actually kind of liked the idea, if it was going to be Luke being Luke, while the other two just roll their eyes at him, but instead it got all angsty.  Understandable, since one is still in the closet and having to continue to pretend to like women, and the other is still reeling over the fact his supposed son was in fact only his nephew, but not all that fun to watch.  At least the Will/Layla divorce is done.  That's the least Will could do.

 

Avery being the big producer was fun, as long as they don't even think about going there with Sadie.  Just keep them friends, show! Those two at least chased away her ex, but I'm sure he'll be back.  I wonder if he'll even try and go after Avery now.  It would almost be worth it, if this all ends with him suffering the wrath of a pregnant Juliette.  Assuming they move past this current "comedic" Juliette, and bring out a "I will cut you!" Juliette.

 

I'm sure Scarlett will hook up with the doctor.  At least your cancer found her a new boyfriend, Deacon!  Great acting from Charles Esten tonight.

[dbell1]

Second episode in a row that I liked Luke. Even liked his song. Someone make sure Jeff didn't slip me pills?

So, Jeff hires hookers, signs underage artists, and lets one do a face down pool float bit but probably got fired for not turning a profit? Yep, makes sense.

Teddy has been the responsible parent for the whole season, but since he let granddaddy Lamar die, and didn't pull a 'Rayna' in the boardroom, I'm sort of okay with grounding him from seeing the girls. Just feel bad for Daphne. She's never going to get a story line.

Guess Hayden is on bed rest? I'm guessing they shot a bunch of scenes and then tossed her a baby shower and sent her home.

Yoda, um, Avery is back. Our studio wonder impresses the professional and stands up to Sadie's ex. Wonder if the security footage will get leaked? Sadie is all about the tabloids, it would be decent karma. But I can also see evil script writers using the same angle to mess with JAvery.

Deacon/Scarlett, my favorite duo. Clare and Chip are killing those scenes. I even had tears.

Rayna strutting into the boardroom was all kinds of awesomeness. I missed that character the past few seasons, glad she finally showed up.

I liked this episode.

[Lila82]

I would invest in Deacon's story so much more if they did the intelligent thing and had Maddie's liver tested.  Or at least broached the possibility to Rayna.  Either way, both Rayna and Maddie need to know.  Daphne needs to know.  Sure, it's his business whom he tells, but it's so cruel to keep this kind of secret.  

 

Plus, the story will likely end with Maddie's liver being a match and saving Deacon and derailing the very special musical summer camp she's attending so she'll stay home with Deacon and write songs and cut an album at Gunnar's and release her music on YouTube and be discovered by a less sleazy Scooter Braun and really fight with Rayna about pursuing a musical career and Deacon will support her because he has a new lease on life.  You're welcome, writers. I give you permission to take this storyline and run with it in season four.

 

There's still an excess of characters, but the show feels more focused since the winter hiatus.  

 

Finally: Rayna's hair has never looked better.  Dumping Luke did amazing things for her volume.

[Sandman]

I enjoyed/wept through the Deacon/Scarlett scenes, and I cheered when Rayna marched into that boardroom in her (Jeff-) killer heels and told everybody what was what.

[TVFAN]

I know it was in character, but I so wish Avery had not played hero tonight.  Sadie's ex is crazy, and Sadie is running around with a gun.  I am so afraid that Avery, Juliette, or baby Javery is going to get caught in the crossfire between that pair.  If Sadie is supposed to be a country music star, why can't she afford security?

 

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Rayna take down Jeff, but she needs to get off Teddy's case.  He made an incredibly stupid mistake, but he has been carrying the load with the girls while she has been running around with Luke.  People who live in glass parenting houses shouldn't throw stones.  Plus, the girls are used to spending time with Teddy.  Rayna is disrupting their lives once again with this move.  

 

Will, Gunnar, and Luke were kind of cute together.  I don't get all of the Luke hate.  He's always owned who and what he is.  And I do think he was hurt by Rayna.

 

Scarlett and Deacon continue to be an adorable duo.  (Deacon may be dying, but he is getting better looking by the day!)  The doctor is a cutie!

Edited February 19, 2015 by TVFAN

[FortKnox]

I didn't like whole "stripping away parental rights" thing Rayna throw at Teddy.

Yeah he may not be the birth father but, his name is on the birth certificate, he's the one that has been raising her since birth, etc. So, I doubt it would take more then him not being the biological father for him to lose rights.

[Irlandesa]

I think I'm supposed to be on Rayna's side but I kind of loathed her.  She goes on tour and even prioritized her PR relationship over spending time with her daughters on her days off and she now thinks it's time to take the girls back exclusively?  But then I hate this whole damn story.  They had Teddy make plot-based decisions rather than character-based decisions.  How do I know that?  Because as soon as he started the plot in motion, they brought him back to character by confessing why he did what he did.

 

I kind of hope he tells Maddie he got her a record deal but her mom put a kibosh on it. 

 

Why am I watching this darn show?  I should really take a break until the episodes Hayden filmed post-birth start airing again.

[Abstract]

I can't believe that after this season-long build-up to Maddie's contract, that it was all nullified in one episode. There's got to be more to this.

[Soup333]

I can't even believe I'm about to type this, but this Layla/Jeff thing is not the business. I don't like the girl. I don't. But I HATE Jeff and she deserves better. Going over her house for what? For WHAT, show? She is vulnerable, young and probably (foolishly) still has feelings for the man. And he is manipulative, evil and vile. There is NOTHING the show can do that will redeem him. EVER. I don't want to see him put her through anything else and I damn sure don't want to see them together romantically. I'm disgusted at the thought.

 

Also, I don't think I could love Rayna any more than I do right now. I LOVED seeing her in mama bear mode. I do think that not letting the girls see Teddy is a bit extreme, but I mean...dude made some seriously horrible decisions while being "the parent the girls could count on." And yes, her hair was brilliant. Stay single, girlfriend.

 

I liked Luke's song again this week. Crazy. This breakup has done wonders for his music.

 

Tortured Will and Gunner...give me a pass. I've seen it all before. Same song, different verse. 

 

Avery. Darling boy. I love that he sat down with Sadie and talked to her, but when he went outside to confront her ex, I was like...um. You have a wife and baby coming and going to blows with Sadie's unstable and violent ex WHILE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PRODUCING AN ALBUM is probably not going to impress Rayna. Or your wife. 

 

Still though, the reality is that restraining orders are often (most often) useless pieces of paper. I don't know what Sadie can do with a crazy fool like that after her. I want her to be safe. Because that girl can sang and I want to keep her.

 

I was like Juliette when I was pregnant, so I can't judge. But still, I'm missing the real Juliette Barnes. Give that girl something to do, show. 

 

Maddie gets on my damn nerves. This contract think really made me thing that Rayna is right. No way is that girl ready for all that.

 

Deacon and Scarlett broke my heart. Damn.

 

Did y'all catch the look Avery gave the soundboard dude when he made that smart ass comment about him talking on the phone (to his wife who is like 13 months pregnant)? Ha!

Edited February 19, 2015 by Soup333

[memememe76]

I don't/won't buy that Teddy's parental rights would be so easily stripped. This is not Downton Abbey. I also don't think that Teddy's fling with a prostitute (did he pay her? I don't think he did) would amount to anything, especially given the scandals facing Rayna. Anyways, I find Maddie extremely unlikeable. I really hate that she is so central in so many of the storylines. 

 

I don't understand the Jeff/Layla storyline. Do they have shipping fans? Not sure how they can feature in with the rest of the cast. 

[madam magpie]

Teddy has no legal claim to Maddie. Her birth certificate is a fraudulent document. He's the mayor, so he could make some trouble, but the bottom line is that Deacon never relinquished his parental rights and Teddy never legally adopted Maddie. Rayna and Deacon do hold most of the cards. Not to mention that Maddie is almost 16. All Rayna really has to do is tie him up in court for two years.

Normally I'd say I don't think Rayna should have pulled that, but Teddy REALLY overstepped by signing Maddie away. He signed her to a legal obligation without her mother's consent. I'd probably have pulled the "you aren't her father" and "step the frak away from my kids" trump cards too. Rayna has been absent, but she never did anything like that.

Rayna was on fire tonight! That's what I like to see! And the hair...oh, boy. The hair was killing it. I made a deal with this show before Christmas: just fix Rayna and we'll pretend the rest never happened. So far, things are looking up.

Scarlett is the very best. Avery too. Luke is bleck. I wish he'd go away. Yay, Sadie!

Deacon! Step away from the internet! Also, he looks REALLY good for someone who is about to die.

Edited February 19, 2015 by madam magpie

[anonymiss]

The best thing about this episode was Oliver Hudson's performance and role. I loved how he gloats that he's "winning" a la Charlie Sheen and is a Machiavellian, but still has the ability to make me root for him, much like when Juliette was acting out. He and Layla have good chemistry and maybe she can have some kind of indie career with his guidance (if high and mighty Rayna doesn't take her in first). The actress really doesn't look underage.

 

I hope they don't make Avery stray on Juliette for Sadie. Really tired of the cliched infidelity storylines.

Edited February 19, 2015 by anonymiss

[GaT]

Yeah, the number of times they've mentioned that only one PARENT can sign the contract is a blizzard of anvils that Teddy's non-parent status is about to be outed. Get on with it, show.

 

 

Teddy's non parent status was outed a while ago when Maddie uploaded the video of her singing & called herself Maddie Claybourne.

Jeff's not going anywhere.  People like him are too mean to die, especially on this show.

Whhhyyyy isn't Jeff going anywhere? I'm so sick of Jeff, I want him gone.

 

How old is Layla supposed to be? Everyone keeps calling her an underage girl, but I've been thinking of her as being in her early 20s. Did she have to get special dispensation to get married?

[Sutton]

We finally got our fiesty, no holds bar Rayna Jaymes back. The writers must have gone back and reviewed season 1 because she is taking back control of her life, a long time coming. How long was it 1 1/2 season.

 

Deacon and Scarlett broke my heart, they are so well suited as uncle and niece. They both gave amazing performances in every scene they were in. Especially Chip just his facial expressions say it all.

 

 Deacon may be dying, but he getting better looking by the day.

I second that. There are some men that just get better looking as they age and Chip Esten is one of those men.

 

I loved Juliette and Avery scenes a little comedy between them is always good to see.

 

Luke Wheeler is now hooking up with Gunnar and Will as best buds and drinking pals is that a good idea. What happens when Luke finds out Will is gay what's going to happen then.

 

Avery giving Sadie the support she needed to confront her ex was a nice thing, I hope they keep them as friends.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

OMG, Teddy, STFU. "I tried to protect Maddie from me, my choices."

 

Pregnancy doesn't turn women into complete idiots. It also doesn't relegate them permanently fused to the sofa. I didn't watch last week - is she on bedrest for some reason, or this newfound inability to use her legs truly supposed to be some sort of moronic comic relief?

To be honest, I felt like she was reverting back to the spoiled diva we knew in S1. Look, I know that being pregnant is a huge stress on your body and you're uncomfortable and the least the father of the baby can do is rub your feet and bring you drinks, but (1) she has a personal assistant and (2) it's not like he was deliberately trying to shirk his duties. He was going to work so she should get some perspetive and let him be a professional and show up to his job on time.

 

I laughed SO HARD when Luke told Will that he's sensitive too. I can buy that he is still hurt by Rayna dumping him, but this show will not be able to make me believe that this jackass is sensitive.

 

I know that I will be stuck with Jeff on this show but at least he finally had some consequences for his actions. He has been a dick since the beginning and there were never any real repercussions for his actions. Run like hell, Layla! This guy has treated you like shit and now he just wants a shoulder to cry on. You deserve better than that, girl.

 

I've already seen drunk emo Gunnar so let's not go down that path again. The only good thing to come out of Luke this week was when he suggested that Gunnar write his own song about what happened. It doesn't have to explicitly say "my first girlfriend cheated on me with my brother and then told me her kid was mine but actually it was my brother's kid and oh did I mention that my brother is dead?" It can just be about feeling heartbroken and betrayed - you know, the basis of most country music.

 

I could really relate to the Deacon/Scarlett tug of war because my mom and dad had similar attitudes when he had cancer. He was even more of a pessimist than Deacon was and my mom was always playing cheerleader to him. It was painful to have to listen to the opposite ends of the spectrum try to get the other to submit to their attitude.

 

the story will likely end with Maddie's liver being a match and saving Deacon and derailing the very special musical summer camp she's attending so she'll stay home with Deacon and write songs and cut an album at Gunnar's and release her music on YouTube and be discovered by a less sleazy Scooter Braun and really fight with Rayna about pursuing a musical career and Deacon will support her because he has a new lease on life.  You're welcome, writers. I give you permission to take this storyline and run with it in season four.

Between Rayna threatening to take away Teddy's parental rights and Deacon telling Scarlett that he might not be there when Maddie cuts her first album, I was convinced that the lawyers would grant Deacon parental rights only to have him say it's okay for her to record her first album (although not with Jeff) because he wanted her to do it before he dies.

 

Finally: Rayna's hair has never looked better.  Dumping Luke did amazing things for her volume.

Between her hair and marching into the boardroom, I am glad to see some of the Tami Taylor I miss! Her hair cape was restored to its former glory.

 

How old is Layla supposed to be? Everyone keeps calling her an underage girl, but I've been thinking of her as being in her early 20s. Did she have to get special dispensation to get married?

Layla said she was 20 in this episode when she was talking to Will at their house. It cracked me up when Rayna mentioned her being underage to Mr. Benton. Yes, she was drinking at the party but I'm pretty sure that the drugs are a much bigger issue than the alcohol. I don't remember what she took but it was illegal (either the drugs were illegal or she didn't have a prescription for them, neither of which has anything to do with her age).

[TWP]

I knew that Avery would go back to being the "I gotta go!" twit to Juliette once they got back together. Juliette clearly needs support. How about being a little kinder, rather than being all cranky to her all the time while being oh so much nicer to Sadie who was also acting needy -- both women for understandable reasons, of course. He's cheating on Juliette again with his support and heart just as he did when he supported druggie Scarlett over Juliette. Juliette should be his Number 1 and the others should find their own support networks. Maybe he can, but Juliette can't escape the pregnancy. He needs to find time more for his wife, take some parental leave, if he has to, even if it means losing a contract -- especially since Sadie is delaying work because of her own personal issues that further keep Avery from Juliette. He leans on Juliette so he can do whatever he wants. The sooner she dumps him the better.

Rayna killed it, doing what Teddy should have done to Jeff. My only disappointme t -- I was waiting for her to drive those high heels through Jeff's forehead....

Find Deacon a liver already. I'm tired of sick Deacon. What some see as "killing it," I see as overacting. Deacon and Maddie's relationship was one of the few feel-good storylines on this show and they've cut it. Introducing angst in every single story is a mistake. The viewer needs a place to rest.

Fingers crossed that the shallow, manipulative Layla comes back to rule over Jeff.

Can't wait to see what Max Weiss, my favorite hate-watching reviewer, has to say about tonight.

Edited February 19, 2015 by TVWithPity

[shron17]

Teddy has no legal claim to Maddie. Her birth certificate is a fraudulent document. He's the mayor, so he could make some trouble, but the bottom line is that Deacon never relinquished his parental rights and Teddy never legally adopted Maddie.

 

You are getting legal and biological mixed up.  Teddy is Maddie's legal father because he was married to Rayna when she was born, as well as his name being on her birth certificate. The birth certificate is not fraudulent since the DNA test wasn't performed until after she was born. This is why Rayna told Teddy she would go to court to remove his legal parent status as a last-ditch attempt to void the contract.

[candall]

 Just feel bad for Daphne. She's never going to get a story line.

 

 

 

 

Plus, the story will likely end with Maddie's liver being a match and saving Deacon and derailing the very special musical summer camp she's attending so she'll stay home with Deacon and write songs and cut an album at Gunnar's and release her music on YouTube and be discovered by a less sleazy Scooter Braun and really fight with Rayna about pursuing a musical career and Deacon will support her because he has a new lease on life.  You're welcome, writers. I give you permission to take this storyline and run with it in season four.

 

 

 

 

 

I kind of hope he tells Maddie he got her a record deal but her mom put a kibosh on it. 

 

 

 

 

I can't believe that after this season-long build-up to Maddie's contract, that it was all nullified in one episode. There's got to be more to this.

Noooooooo, please no.

 

 

I know most people here love Daphne and Maddie, but to me they're no more interesting than Micah.  Nashville's soapy, but at least it's a little bit different with the country music hook--a relatively small community of friends-slash-professional competitors. 

 

So why does so much of the show have to circle around this secondary teenage character:  Is her famous career mother neglecting her?  Is she going to be allowed to blow off her education to perform?  How's she dealing with her paternity struggles?  How can I get this girl a recording contract?  How can I stop it?   Not to mention her liver's going to be donation gold.

 

Fifteen year old girls are bio-engineered to be a mess.   But we have all of VH-1 for that.

Edited February 19, 2015 by candall

[madam magpie]

You are getting legal and biological mixed up. Teddy is Maddie's legal father because he was married to Rayna when she was born, as well as his name being on her birth certificate. The birth certificate is not fraudulent since the DNA test wasn't performed until after she was born. This is why Rayna told Teddy she would go to court to remove his legal parent status as a last-ditch attempt to void the contract.

There's no mix-up. Teddy being married to Rayna when Maddie was born doesn't make him Maddie's legal parent. Marriage is irrelevant. Teddy is considered Maddie's legal father right now because he and Rayna falsified Maddie's birth certificate by listing him as the father. If you aren't a child's biological parent, you can't just claim you are and have it be so when challenged. Certainly if no one challenges him, a court isn't going to revoke Teddy's parental rights, but if Rayna takes him to court, he will probably lose because the birth certificate is fraudulent and Teddy is not Maddie's biological father, nor did he adopt her. When the DNA test was performed is also irrelevant. Even if Teddy and Rayna made an honest mistake and found out their mistake later, as soon as someone challenges his paternity in court, that's it. This has nothing to do with what Teddy "deserves" as the man who raised Maddie. It's only legality. Rayna told Teddy she'd take him to court because she also is aware of all of the above and it's her trump card when he signs her kid to a legal document without her consent. I half expected Rayna to spit, "Maddie is MINE," when Teddy was going on about making decisions about "his" daughter. She's never pulled out that trump card before, though, and likely won't again unless Teddy does something similar in the future. It gives her a lot of control, though (which I think is fine).

Edited February 19, 2015 by madam magpie

[candall]

 Anyways, I find Maddie extremely unlikeable. I really hate that she is so central in so many of the storylines. 

 

Guess I could've just said, "Agree."  : p

[seacliffsal]

I just loved this episode.  I had actual tears during Deacon's scenes.  I really hope he's nominated for an Emmy.  I liked all the snippets of songs this episode as well.  Avery as an emerging producer is a good story-especially with the engineer acknowledging Avery's talent.  Overall, I feel that I am becoming invested in this show once again.

[Stella MD]

The whole Teddy/Jeff storyline makes absolutely no sense. Teddy just whitewashed a felony for him, is now really the time to introduce blackmail? Could Teddy not have done exactly what Rayna did?

 

And Teddy readily agreeing to give Maddie to Jeff, knowing full well that Jeff just nearly killed a young woman with illicit substances, makes the absolute least sense of all. Suddenly he's willing to let his beloved daughter get mixed up in that shit rather than lose face as mayor? The Teddy characterization is seriously all over the map.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I hated when Maddie got so melodramatic about how she would never get whatever Deacon was teaching her. Buck up! "It's so haaaaaaard!"

[Abstract]

Noooooooo, please no.

I know most people here love Daphne and Maddie, but to me they're no more interesting than Micah. Nashville's soapy, but at least it's a little bit different with the country music hook--a relatively small community of friends-slash-professional competitors.

So why does so much of the show have to circle around this secondary teenage character: Is her famous career mother neglecting her? Is she going to be allowed to blow off her education to perform? How's she dealing with her paternity struggles? How can I get this girl a recording contract? How can I stop it? Not to mention her liver's going to be donation gold.

Fifteen year old girls are bio-engineered to be a mess. But we have all of VH-1 for that.

I didn't mean that I necessarily wanted the story to keep going on. It's just that from a story-telling perspective, it makes no sense. The blackmail angle has been building for how many episodes now? And how much screen time was spent with Teddy and the hooker? All so Rayna could have a big Tami Taylor moment in the boardroom and get that contract nullified in about 2 minutes. What a waste, despite the great hair.

On a different note, tonight's episode was educational. I learned that "happiness bully" is a thing. Good to know, because I have one of those in my life and it helps to know I'm not really a Debbie Downer.

[DeLurker]

Finally: Rayna's hair has never looked better.  Dumping Luke did amazing things for her volume.

I'm thinking there's a correlation between Connie Britton's hair and the quality of the writing for her.

 

I can't believe that after this season-long build-up to Maddie's contract, that it was all nullified in one episode. There's got to be more to this.

This.  WTF?

 

Still though, the reality is that restraining orders are often (most often) useless pieces of paper. I don't know what Sadie can do with a crazy fool like that after her. I want her to be safe. Because that girl can sang and I want to keep her.

<snip>

Maddie gets on my damn nerves. This contract think really made me thing that Rayna is right. No way is that girl ready for all that.

Yes, Laura Bennati (is that the right name?) can sing, but I hate her story line.  She should have called the police when he assaulted her.  The law does not always work well for DV victims, but a lot of times it does (said the DV victim who had the local PD's Captain come to my house at 1 AM to confirm I knew my husband (now ex) was being released from jail after finishing his stay, who had patrols regularly come by my house/street and to call if anything made me uneasy).

 

Maddie does not bug me - she's a typical teenager being snotty and self centered at times.  I think that I hate the tv perfect teen more so I can deal with one that is less than perfect a lot easier.

 

How old is Layla supposed to be? Everyone keeps calling her an underage girl, but I've been thinking of her as being in her early 20s. Did she have to get special dispensation to get married?

As someone said. when she was introduced she was 20.  By underage I assume they mean less than the legal drinking age of 21.

 

Please remove that thing from Scarlett's head.  It's annoying and does her no favors. 

 

Deacon:  You have until the season finale to live.  At that point, your liver will be done.  Don't worry though, you'll make it through the summer break and a liver transplant will occur in the fall premeire.  Most likely from Maddie.

Edited February 19, 2015 by DeLurker

[crocosmia]

When Sadie first appeared on this show, all sorts of red flags popped up about her potential to cause trouble for everyone else.    First it was her antics with  Rayna and her making goo-goo eyes with Luke, and now she's likely to make the Avery/Juliette happiness very brief.   I don't like her or her erratic storyline.    The show already has too many characters.   I would not complain if the writers would just hook up Sadie and Luke and let them ride off into the sunset together.   They've already hinted at a relationship between the two but left that loose end flapping around in the wind just as they've done with so many other Sadie details.

 

I like Will Chase and think he's really talented, but his character Luke is a bummer.    However,  when Luke is singing, he's more tolerable.   I've liked his songs in recent episodes.

 

Deacon is a beloved character, and his dealing with the devastating news of his cancer has been heartbreaking, but his cheerless story line is going to wear thin if they don't find him a liver soon.    It's inevitable that it's going to happen.   He's too popular for them to let go unless Chip Esten finds something else he'd rather do and pushes it.  Which I hope he does not, because I love him, too.  

 

But at least Deacon's health ordeal has brought Scarlett a potential new love interest.   That doctor is a cutie, and it might be good for her to have someone outside of the business to keep her grounded and give her some perspective.   I do want to hear her sing again, especially with Gunnar.

 

I'm tired of Gunnar's angst.   And Will's, too.   Make some decisions and move on, boys.   At least Luke, who's the least likable of the three, is trying to work it out through his music.

 

The scene with Rayna marching into the board room and taking down Jeff was all kinds of satisfying.  

 

Rayna is so much better during those very short times when she's without a man.   She's going to end up with Deacon, of course, and in addition to being her only true love, he just may be the only one of her men who will not cause her to neglect her daughters.   When she has her eyes on a new man, she tends to forget that she has two young girls who need consistent and healthy parental involvement in their lives, but Deacon truly loves those girls and will most likely be more conducive to her being a positive presence for them.

Edited February 20, 2015 by crocosmia

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when Deacon was using the internet to see how long he had to live. Step away from the laptop and avoid faux WebMD, Deacon. You will just come away thinking that in addition to liver cancer, you also have shingles, a brain tumor, and Denghi fever.

[Sandman]

... "my first girlfriend cheated on me with my brother and then told me her kid was mine but actually it was my brother's kid and oh did I mention that my brother is dead?"

 

Well, that's the chorus written, for a start.

 

I don't really enjoy Emo Gunnar all that much, but I found Gunnar's "OMG I am hung WAY OVER" faces in the garage/studio highly entertaining.

[Clemgo3165]

 

I hated when Maddie got so melodramatic about how she would never get whatever Deacon was teaching her. Buck up! "It's so haaaaaaard!"

 

LOL, when I was her age I used to have the same response when trying to do my hair every day. I have a good bit of curl in my hair and have a devil of a time getting it to do what I want, and then it always frizzes. Thank God for 21st century product or I might still be throwing my curling iron every morning!! :)

 

So I had no problem with that, it seemed true to her age and her justifiable frustration level right now. And I thought Deacon was spot on in handling it.

[Soup333]

I knew that Avery would go back to being the "I gotta go!" twit to Juliette once they got back together. Juliette clearly needs support. How about being a little kinder, rather than being all cranky to her all the time while being oh so much nicer to Sadie who was also acting needy -- both women for understandable reasons, of course. He's cheating on Juliette again with his support and heart just as he did when he supported druggie Scarlett over Juliette. Juliette should be his Number 1 and the others should find their own support networks. Maybe he can, but Juliette can't escape the pregnancy. He needs to find time more for his wife, take some parental leave, if he has to, even if it means losing a contract -- especially since Sadie is delaying work because of her own personal issues that further keep Avery from Juliette. He leans on Juliette so he can do whatever he wants. The sooner she dumps him the better.

 

I strongly disagree with this assessment of their marriage. Avery probably is waiting on her hand and foot when he's at home. His lines were, "What is is, NOW, baby?" and "I can't be your masseuse and manservant TODAY..." which indicates to me that he's been doing for her and he's probably been doing it all without complaint. But he had to work that day. It's been made clear over and over again that Avery is not going to do well in a relationship where he's not bringing something to the table. It's also been shown over and over again that Juliette can be clingy when it comes to him. I can think of four scenes off the top of my head where she complains about him leaving/asks him to stay longer. I would only expect that to intensify as she nears the end of this epic pregnancy.

 

I do think that their phone call was a missed opportunity though. It would have been better if she'd have been calling him to ask how his day was going. He could have ranted and then she would have had the opportunity to tell him he was the bestest producer that ever produced (obviously, I ain't writing the dialogue). Not that Avery needed a vote of confidence from her, but it would have been a way to show that she supports him just like he supports her. A nice tieback to their conversation in S2 where they talked about throwaways.

 

All that said though, Juliette shouldn't be left at home alone for that long of a time. The writers may have forgotten about the Factor V Leiden, but I didn't. I'm sure Emily would have been happy to check in on her as a friend. 

[Stella MD]

OMG - I totally forgot about the Factor V Leiden! Yet another reason why she shouldn't be moping around in bed all day. Get up and use those legs before you get a DVT, Juliette!

 

 

I strongly disagree with this assessment of their marriage.

Me too. I would never force my husband to wait on me hand and foot all day, and he's plenty supportive. I swear this pregnancy story was written by some male sitcom writer from 1957. Dear Nashville, we're not all helpless little dingbats too full of wacky female hormones to notice that the remote we're hollering for is already in our hands. Bleah.

 

Though I suppose given the writers' awful history, the only other storyline they would think to give Juliette at this point would be some horrible medical awfulness with the baby or more relationship trouble with Avery, so I guess I should be happy with the tired 1957 sitcom hijinks.

[politichick]

I don't think that Rayna is saying that Teddy can't see the girls at all. I think she wants them at home every night. They slept at his house as part of the shared custody agreement -- the same home where he was sleeping with prostitutes. After allowing Jeff to blackmail him or rather putting himself in a position in which Jeff could blackmail him on two counts deserves a bit of a timeout.

 

When is Juliette having this baby in real life? It feels like she's been pregnant for forever like Jessica Simpson. We may not get a normal scene with her until the end of the season!

[CMH1981]

Well they wrapped up the whole Teddy signing Maddie to Edgehill plot rather quickly...

 

So let's see if I have all the dangling plot threads set up in this episode for the rest of the season...somebody correct me if i'm wrong.

 

1.  Maddie will find out that she had a recording contract then had it yanked it away by her mother which will cause friction/split and Maddie will either choose to go live w/Teddy the cool non-bio dad or w/Deacon the bio dad who is hiding something that makes him really emotional whenever she is around.

 

2.  Jeff Fordham will join Luke Wheeler's "We Hate Rayna Record Company" since Rayna apparently decimated Edgehill by who knows what reason.  We have to keep Jeff around...who will probably be the one to spill the beans to Maddie that her mother put the kibosh on her recording contract, or have Luke do it.

 

3.  Avery will probably have the crap beat out of him or shot and put into a coma by Sadie's ex which will send Juliette into premature labor.  Since we know Juliette can never be happy Avery will either die from said attack leaving Juliette to raise the baby alone or will be in some sort of therapy that Juliette will have to take and care for him until some miraculous miracle occurs.

 

4.  We could tie the Avery issue in w/Deacon and find out Avery is a donor match for Deacon and that's how Deacon get's a new liver.

 

Did I miss anything?

[Stella MD]

 

Avery will probably have the crap beat out of him or shot and put into a coma by Sadie's ex

No, no - that's not soapy enough. Avery will get shot by Sadie and her already-introduced unregistered gun while she's attempting to shoot her ex.

[Sandman]

Oy. I was happy when Juliette appeared to have taken John Ramos's advice and had Avery rub her feet, But I really don't want the writers to pick up on Stella MD's idea. (Sorry, Stella MD!) (Hee.)

[Stella MD]

Believe me, I don't want them to pick up on my idea either! Why did it have to be Avery helping her? If we're apparently contractually-obligated to have Luke onscreen, instead of having him buddy-up with Gunnar and Will, why not shoehorn him into this storyline instead? Frankly, Luke and Sadie's ex can shoot each other, for all I care!

[rachel1496]

I think I'm supposed to be on Rayna's side but I kind of loathed her.  She goes on tour and even prioritized her PR relationship over spending time with her daughters on her days off and she now thinks it's time to take the girls back exclusively?  But then I hate this whole damn story.  They had Teddy make plot-based decisions rather than character-based decisions.  How do I know that?  Because as soon as he started the plot in motion, they brought him back to character by confessing why he did what he did.

I still don't get what the hell the point of this storyline even was. 

 

 

 I half expected Rayna to spit, "Maddie is MINE," when Teddy was going on about making decisions about "his" daughter. She's never pulled out that trump card before, though, and likely won't again unless Teddy does something similar in the future. It gives her a lot of control, though (which I think is fine).

Rayna pulling the MY kid card would make me despise her even more.  Teddy is Maddie's father because Rayna asked him to be, she doesn't get it revoke that when he pisses her off. 

Her telling him to get some help cracked me up though.  What kind of help do you get for accidentally sleeping with a prostitute.  Is there a support group for that?