Nashville Spoilers and Speculation

[TeeVee329]

Is Zoey even around this year?

 

Yup, the actress has posted stuff from the set on Twitter.

 

Also, can I again expresses my annoyance that most of last year's annoying supporting characters are returning, but NO Brent?  That sucks!

Edited August 15, 2014 by TeeVee329

[CofCinci]

So Gunnar gets 3 love interests? And a possible kid?

[TeeVee329]

That's why I think, if it's not Derek Hough's character, they're going to cast some temporary love interest for Scarlett.

[TeeVee329]

TV Guide's web site has a fall preview:

 

http://www.tvguide.com/special/fall-preview/PhotoGallery/2014-Returning-Fall-Shows-1084772/1084805

 

Ugh, this show.  I don't want to see a "surprising evolution" for  Layla.  I just want her to gooooooooooo awaaaaaaaay.

[GaT]

TV Guide's web site has a fall preview:

 

http://www.tvguide.com/special/fall-preview/PhotoGallery/2014-Returning-Fall-Shows-1084772/1084805

 

Ugh, this show.  I don't want to see a "surprising evolution" for  Layla.  I just want her to gooooooooooo awaaaaaaaay.

A thousand times this, just make her go away forever.

 

And this:

 

With Hayden Panettiere expecting her first child, executive producer Dee Johnson tells TVGuide.com that the show will feature a Juliette story line around "the idea of pregnancy."

The "idea" of pregnancy? She's not having a baby, they're going to do the miscarriage plot. On one hand, I hate when they give people babies on shows, on the other, this storyline was done to death years ago. 

[CofCinci]

Evolution for Teddy?  I forgot the dude was even on the show.

[jjj]

Here is a big plot point that I have not seen discussed in the episode threads:  whatever happened to Lamar's estate?  It had to be many tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, given that Rayna knew she could easily ask for $20 million and that he did not even blink at writing a check for that amount.  We never heard a word about inheritance, and he surely kept Rayna in the will, even if he cut out Tandy.  And if he died with no will, they would split the estate.  But Rayna is still going on and on about losing her house if her album fails.  Gosh, she should be able to expand the label extensively and buy her own first place in the charts with a fraction of the estate! 

 

It's not even like he left the money to the Humane Society for Animals -- which we would have been told.  It all just was dropped as a topic.  And his assets were no longer frozen, once the charges against him were dismissed. 

[smiley13]

Good point, there has been no mention of it at all.  With all of his money, Rayna would be able to do whatever she wanted with her label.

[TeeVee329]

How unsurprising that we're not far out from the premiere and we haven't heard one crumb of information about what's going on with Will this year, except that "unexpected evolution for Layla" crap.

[TeeVee329]

Based on the episode description, sounds like the premiere (at least Rayna's story) is going to be "Sliding Doors"-esque:

 

"That's Me Without You" -- In the uniquely structured season premiere, a torn Rayna must choose not just between two men, but two directions that her life could take. Juliette, struggling to repair her relationship with Avery, auditions for the leading role of a film biopic. Meanwhile, Scarlett, determined to start fresh, embarks on a road trip home and bonds with an unexpected stowaway, and Will and Layla manage the fallout from his on-camera confession.

[retrograde]

Aaah okay, that explains these promo stills http://tvline.com/2014/09/09/nashville-season-3-premiere-photos-rayna-deacon-spoilers/

Cause I was fairly certain Rayna wasn't going to choose Deacon at this point in the series.

Edited September 10, 2014 by retrograde

[romantic idiot]

i am annoyed at the no Brent. The Will/Brent love story was the only good thing of a good chunk of episodes in there. Why couldn't Layla have just committed suicide or something?

[madam magpie]

There's a new sneak peek up on the show's Facebook page of Rayna sorting through old letters from Deacon and playing a record of them singing "Postcard from Mexico." That's what the promo stills are of, that memory. I can't figure out how to link the clip here.

 

My money is on Rayna pulling a Kelly Taylor and choosing herself. At least, I hope that's what happens. I don't see how you marry one guy when it's crystal clear to you that you're completely in love with someone else. I also think what's interesting about Rayna/Deacon is watching them work through their crap. They shouldn't get married right away anyway. And it would be so nice to see Rayna actually behave like the tough, smart, no-nonsense woman we're supposed to believe she is.

Edited September 14, 2014 by madam magpie

[Sutton]

I'm hoping you're right Madam Magpie. You seem to always come up with the common sense plot. I would love to get back the Rayna that has the guts and be that tough business woman we all thought she was and getting her Highway 65 label successful. Watching the recent spoiler lets hope she does pull a Kelly Tayor stunt. Deacon/Rayna working on a relationship and working together again two strong personalities talk about drama.

[airwair]

As much as I do want her to choose Deacon, I could live with her choosing herself because it means no Luke and sadly right now that's my biggest personal investment.

I want to see her and Deacon work things out and be a family and raise their daughter and Daphne.

Connie spent five years as Tami Taylor proving that an anchor couple is far from boring, so I don't understand their fear here.

Unfortunately, given the leaked photos of her on GMA with Luke Bryan where she's sporting the gaudy awful 7 carats, I have to assume we are in for a long, awful (and most likely final) season.

Edited September 16, 2014 by airwair

[madam magpie]

Are those from the premiere or later episodes?

I'd actually rather she choose no one at the moment, so maybe my speculation is just me being hopeful. Rayna and Deacon are in no emotional place to get married. Their relationship is so raw and distrustful; they need to sort that out. That could be really interesting to watch, but I don't know how you go from "we resent the hell out of each other even though we're still completely in love and can't let go" to "dreamy smoochie smoochie let's get married" in all of five minutes. Plus, I know this show is a soap opera, but Rayna needs to get her shit together. She was pretty pathetic by the end of last season, with her life being totally directed by various men and her children being props and her being possibly the worst businessperson who ever lived. Take some control, Rayna! Plus, if Rayna turns Deacon down flat and he continues to go after her, he'll be even more pathetic than she is, which is really hard to do.

Edited September 17, 2014 by madam magpie

[airwair]

They're from the second episode. The publicity stills from the premiere also appear to show her arriving at Luke's charity benefit all smiles.

I want you to be right, I just really feel they're taking her down the road that literally no one wants and I can't figure out why.

I will bet heavily if we have to sit through even half a season of Ruke wedding planning the ratings will literally be in the toilet.

[Sutton]

If Rayna turns Deacon down he needs to cut himself loose, concentrate on his daughter and his solo career. I'm a D/R shipper but he can't keep fawning over someone who makes a decision on how she wants her life to be. Picking LW she can have him and only time will tell if that decision was the right one. D/R maybe it's to late for them and Deacon has to realize it and pick a woman who will make him somewhat happy. That sneak preview looks like Rayna in her recording studio going over letters/albums that she kept, letters from Deacon when he was in rehab and that "Postcards from Mexico" song that they sung way back was a whole lot sexier then when Liam sang it. She was a heck of a business woman back in season 1 when she told Edgehill VP "You can kiss my a s as I walk out the door" that's the Rayna I want back.

[madam magpie]

Rayna was 100% cooler in season one. I have no idea what happened to her. She's like a completely different character now, as though the car accident knocked all the awesome out of her.

 

I wondered about when the pictures were because I think the first episode is some kind of Sliding Doors thing where Rayna contemplates both relationships/men, right? But they claim we'll know her answer by the end of the first episode, so if the big diamond appears in the second episode, I've got nothing. She very well may just keep being lame.

 

The character of Sadie sounds kind of interesting. I guess they're getting rid of Tandy (or Judith Hoag wanted to leave?) and she's the replacement. Maybe we'll get lucky and she'll have some balls.

Edited September 17, 2014 by madam magpie

[airwair]

I think Judith's departure was mutual. She was unhappy with them and they were unhappy with her for being unhappy.

I know Rayna will have flashbacks and "reflect" on her past life with Deacon (as opposed to seeing the changes he has made and the life he is capable of now) but I'm not sure how she will do that with Luke.

I am assuming based on casting and other hints that the charity event is not a dream sequence or reflection, but her honestly making her decision.

Rayna of season 2 and the Rayna we can only assume is coming in season 3 needs to be knocked off her high horse with a sledgehammer. I'm praying she has some kind of fall to bring her back to the Rayna of season 1 we knew and loved.

[Bort]

I guess they're getting rid of Tandy (or Judith Hoag wanted to leave?)

Tandy is out? I hadn't heard. Drat, I liked her.

[Sutton]

I'm with you on her being "Knocked off her high horse" it has to be about Highway 65. Her label not doing well and LW gives her advise of merging with Edgehill because they are good at getting what needs to be done to make a label sucessful and Rayna doesn't have the experience. Want to hear that one coming from LW and Rayna's reaction.

 

What happen to Lamar's money?

[madam magpie]

Yeah...what did happen to Lamar's money??

 

I've given up hope of Rayna being knocked off her high horse. I didn't even think she was on a high horse until the very end of last season, but it became clear that the writers and showrunner have really different ideas about what strong women are than I do. Rayna was incredibly strong in season one, I thought. She was smart, savvy, ballsy, loyal, and super conflicted. As Mackenzie said of Will on The Newsroom, she "struggled with things." The Rayna at the end of season two was so sure she was right, so sure that even her questionable decisions were justified, that she lost her struggle and embraced a really shallow and one-sided approach to life. I find that flat and boring, but I get the impression that the writers on this show think it's empowered.

 

In a perfect world, the flashbacks would be used to remind her why she's loved Deacon for so long, but who knows.

 

Tandy is out, yes. After the second or third episode, I think. She moves to...California, maybe.

Edited September 17, 2014 by madam magpie

[Sutton]

I'm a little troubled because Callie is suppose to be a strong woman in the movie industry so why did things change? She's the creator of Nashville does she not have the authority of how the characters and stories are written. I was under the impression when she created this show she was going to show the audience a successful woman in a world dominated by men. Season 1 Rayna Jaymes was that woman what happened.

 

Does Rayna just want to be taken care of by LW because he's very rich and she knows that he waited 20 plus years to make a move on her. Not the show I thought it was going to be.

 

Has anyone noticed none of the main characters are promoting Nashville. I know they can't say what's going to happen but before the season starts some of the characters are on TV. Connie is on TV promoting that movie she's in and she's not a main character.

[madam magpie]

My guess (and it's really just a guess) is that Callie Khouri herself is pretty tough; she's definitely successful and admired. But the women she writes aren't really. I haven't seen all her movies, but Thelma and Louise kill themselves rather than face up to their crimes and questionable decisions, the women in Mad Money get off on a technicality, the Ya-Ya Sisterhood wasn't her idea (it was a book first), and Something to Talk About is a romantic comedy. She writes women who are tougher in some ways, but really, her women are all fairly one-note, angry, or defined by the men in their lives (whether in positive or negative ways). Rayna is actually a fairly typical Callie Khouri character. I respect Callie Khouri as a person for what she's accomplished, but I've never been super into her as a writer and I initially watched Nashville because Connie Britton was on it, not because Callie Khouri wrote it. I've actually found that men create the shows with the female characters I most admire (Friday Night Lights, The Newsroom, Moonlighting, Battlestar Galactica). Murphy Brown, created by Diane English, is an exception, and Gilmore Girls (Amy Sherman Palladino) was pretty good, but the storytelling fell apart in later seasons. I have no idea why that is except that maybe I have really different ideas about women and empowerment than most female writers. I also suspect that female writers, consciously or subconsciously, strive to advance an agenda with their stories...to promote strong women...rather than concentrate on writing complex, interesting characters and allowing the women to fail and rise as complex, interesting characters do. But I don't know these people so I have no real evidence for that except speculation.

 

The fact that Callie Khouri has said she sees Luke as Rayna's equal, the first of the men in Rayna's life who is, tells me that she and I are not on the same page as far as what "equal" means. I see Luke as pretty condescending toward Rayna and as shallow when it comes to the things that concern her: he brushes off her (normal) mothering instinct to protect Maddie, he puts her face on a car, he acts like starting her own label is a waste of time, he acts like Rayna owed him the explanation of Maddie's paternity, he proposes to her in a big showy way with no warning, etc. Whereas Deacon, troubled as he's been, treats Rayna like a partner. He hears her concerns and offers empowering advice like do what's necessary to take down Jeff Fordham, no judging; yes, we're worried about Maddie and I support your wanting to keep her off the internet; sometimes people do the wrong thing for the right reasons; you don't have to tell me anything until you're ready; etc. He talks to her about important things quietly so that they can focus on the conversation and not be distracted by hype and celebrity. I'll take that guy any time, and I absolutely see him as Rayna's equal. Plus, he's hotter.

Edited September 17, 2014 by madam magpie

[TeeVee329]

In non-Rayna/Deacon news (gasp, how dare I!), the direction Will's story seems to be going this season (All!  About!  Layla!) is extremely disappointing.  Sounds like she essentially blackmails him into helping her get her music career back on its feet.

Edited September 17, 2014 by TeeVee329

[Bort]

In non-Rayna/Deacon news (gasp, how dare I!), the direction Will's story seems to be going this season (All! About! Layla!) is extremely disappointing. Sounds like she essentially blackmails him into helping her get her music career back on its feet.

That doesn't sound much different than the storyline last year, which was Layla guilting Will into propping up her career. Sounds great and refreshing. [/sarcasm]

[madam magpie]

Well, she's definitely still wearing that big, ugly diamond. Dammit. I don't know if I can suffer through another season of "OMG! Rayna's with the wrong man and Deacon pines."

http://www.spoilertv.com/2014/09/nashville-episode-302-how-far-down-can_18.html

Edited September 20, 2014 by madam magpie

[Sutton]

This came from a spoiler on what's going to be happening in SEASON 3. (Rayna does pick LW, hope she's happy. (Relationship with Rayna could never be over because of their daughter Maddie. Luke will try to interfere in Deacon's relationship with Maddie. Rumor has it the counry crooner will be fighting over how much time Deacon is allowed to spend with Maddie.) Now I know why I never liked the guy. (Deacon and Rayna have a history that's undeniable. Could they really be giving up?) I don't know if I'm willing to watch another year of back and forth love triangle. Rayna will be involved in another Teddy relationship. She did say in season 1 to Teddy after she sang with Deacon at the Blue Bird, I love you. She says she loves LW same kind of love she had with Teddy?

[Textanalytics]

Yeah...what did happen to Lamar's money??

 

 

Tandy is out, yes. After the second or third episode, I think. She moves to...California, maybe.

Maybe Tandy left to work with Coleman.

[Clemgo3165]

Ack! Y'all are killing me with this news! I had hoped that Rayna would choose to go solo for a bit, or at least to put off the wedding to Luke and give back the ring for now. With this surely being the last season, I don't want to wait until the end of episode 21 to see Deacon and Rayna back together. Frankly, if she chooses Luke, I'm not sure I want to see them back together at all. And what does Luke have to do with Deacon's time with Maddie??? He'd not even married to her mother yet for goodness sakes!!

 

Rayna's turned into a shell of herself since the accident. She's not anything like the woman from Season 1. And while you would surely be changed by that kind of accident, it shouldn't change your core character to such a degree that your head's turned by an insecure man who buys you race cars and 7-carat diamonds while denigrating your friends, your attempts to make your business work, and your young daughter's attempt to put her family back together. Of course, Callie's been so blinded by Will Chase and the Luke character that she doesn't see a problem. 

 

I'll tune in, mostly for Deacon and Maddie (and Avery, Juliette & the music), but I hope he's able to put Rayna behind him for once, let him not be staring back when she gives those long lingering looks his way.

[Ellaria]

Ack! Y'all are killing me with this news! 

 

 

 

Killing me, too! Luke, Jeff and Layla have not been welcome additions to the show. And now they are sticking around for S3 with possible increased screen time. Ugh! Not sure that I will make it to the end of the season.

[Lillybee]

I can see Avery stepping up for Juliette and the baby even if he knows that he is not the father. I just hope that the show doesn't turn him into Teddy 2.0.

[Clemgo3165]

Read this a little bit ago, coupled with Dee Johnson's quote from yesterday (in the article), I'm feeling a bit reassured.

 

http://www.tvfanatic.com/2014/09/nashville-exclusive-charles-esten-talks-raynas-decision-tells-fa/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[madam magpie]

First off, this quote from the interviewer is insane: "Everybody loves a good baby daddy story, so that’ll be great." NOBODY loves a baby daddy story. Good lord.

 

Second, I suspect the entire season, or at least the first half, will be Rayna second guessing her decision. Cue pining, crying, and longing looks. Maybe some jealous conversations and punches. I'm also expecting a new woman to come into Deacon's life and freak Rayna out. I'm already so bored of that! However, Connie Britton tweeted something short and sweet last night to the effect of "Oh, Rayna. So much to answer for." This gives me hope that the chickens will come home to roost and Rayna will actually have to own up to her behavior and the part she's played in creating the mess that is her life. I love Rayna and it's bad for her not to have to do that. Or maybe Connie's just hopeful. I have no idea.

[Clemgo3165]

Amen, sick to death of the baby daddy stories, nothing good about them. Frankly, I hope that Juliette decides to either terminate the pregnancy or she has a miscarriage. If anyone's not ready to be a mother, it's Juliette. Though given the audience, they won't go with an abortion. If people were freaked over the First Lady's brief appearance they'd be headed for the hills over that.

 

That, what you said about Connie's tweet. Rayna never has accepted the part she's played in this whole mess and I'd love to see her come to terms with that. But she doesn't have to face it as long as she's with Luke, and maybe that's what she really meant last night about the clean slate. I hope that Connie is more informed and not just hopeful - at least she sees what we do.

 

I do hope they don't drag this out for the entire season. This one is surely their last unless something drastic changes, and I'd really love to have a few episodes to watch Rayna and Deacon deal with their issues, come together with the girls (and a decent nod to Teddy) and build a family. I don't want the last minute run away from the wedding and ride off into the sunset ending, that wouldn't be worth the wait. Really, it's just lazy storytelling not to have them moving toward each other now. There's a ton of story to be told there.

[madam magpie]

You know, if Juliette had an abortion, I might forgive this show all its flaws. That would be really brave. I don't think there's any way she will, though, because like you say, the audience would freak out. A convenient miscarriage would work, though, especially if the spoilers I've read turn out to be right and its Jeff's baby. Who the hell wants to have Jeff's baby??

 

Rayna never has accepted the part she's played in this whole mess and I'd love to see her come to terms with that. But she doesn't have to face it as long as she's with Luke, and maybe that's what she really meant last night about the clean slate.

 

That's definitely true. I think that Rayna thinks she wants a clean slate, but really what she wants is happiness and calm. She seems to think she needs to hide from her past decisions and triggers to get that, but really she needs to face it all. She's been so sad throughout the run of this show, and I feel like what she's trying to find is the kind of joy she feels with Deacon when it's good without the kind of misery that happens when it's bad. Her problem, of course, is that the reason she's happy with Deacon when it's good is because she loves him completely and he gets her and they're easy together. You can't just find that in random country singers you pick up off the street, especially shallow, punchy, condescending ones.

 

What I really want for Rayna this season is for her to just stop lying. Almost everything that comes out of her mouth feels deceitful to me. She lies to herself to make herself feel better and then it all goes to hell from there. And Tandy! Good god. Tandy is even worse. She can't leave soon enough. The minute Rayna even suggests being truthful, Tandy starts telling her to lie again. It's only when Deacon pushes her that she faces any sort of truth. She folds as soon as he touches her and starts to go there, but just lies again when she gets away from him. That's the cycle she needs to stop. What she doesn't seem to realize is that they've already stopped the other one. Rayna also needs some girlfriends like nobody's business. I'm hoping this new Sadie will fill that role.

Edited September 25, 2014 by madam magpie

[Bubbles]

You know, if Juliette had an abortion, I might forgive this show all its flaws. That would be really brave. I don't think there's any way she will, though, because like you say, the audience would freak out. A convenient miscarriage would work, though, especially if the spoilers I've read turn out to be right and its Jeff's baby. Who the hell wants to have Jeff's baby??

Getting an abortion seems like exactly what Juliette would do in this situation, given that it's probably Jeff's baby, her career is not in a great place, and she's generally a tremendous mess right now. Unfortunately it's never going to happen since the main reason this storyline is happening at all is Hayden's real-life pregnancy. I'm guessing we're in for a convenient miscarriage, unless they know this will be the last season and decide to give Juliette a happy ending by making the baby a magical fix for her self-sabotage and desperation to be loved.

[rachel1496]

Between the sneak peek clip and the earlier ultrasound spoiler I'm starting to think that Juliette goes for the ultrasound, finds out that thanks to some miraculous coincidence she's too far along for it to be Jeff's baby and that's what causes her to change her mind.  I'm 100% sure we're not seeing an abortion and an early miscarriage means they would still have to park Hayden behind some plants from now until Christmas so it completely defeats the purpose of writing in the pregnancy.  I know it's wishful thinking but it would be nice if they decided to get the WTD crap cleared out as early as possible.  It's tired, it's overdone and it's unnecessary. Juliette and Avery are already in a terrible place, navigating the co-parenting waters with a person you just had a harsh and traumatic breakup with should provide more than enough drama to last the season all on it's own.

[madam magpie]

I'm sure this is a fakeout, but Oooooo....at least we're all on the same page with Juliette for the moment.

http://www.spoilersguide.com/nashville/season-3-episode-2-how-far-down-can-i-go-sneak-peek-1/

[airwair]

Total fake out. She's going to go into the clinic for an abortion and at the last second find out the baby is Avery's and not go through with it.

It's written on the wall.

[GaT]

Except then she'll have a baby, & what is the show going to do with that? My guess is a miscarriage. I bet there's going to be some kind of fight between Jeff & Avery & Juliette gets caught in the middle & gets pushed & falls, & that sets it off.

[Artsda]

How far would they have her lose it though? The whole point of this awful storyline is to write in Hayden's pregnancy. 

[GaT]

But that's the only reason for the storyline. They don't need her to have a baby for the show, a baby will just limit her storyline, they have Rayna to do the stories with kids. I really don't think they would have her get an abortion or give up the baby because both subjects are too divisive. The only way to get her out of the baby story without damaging her character so much that she becomes hated is to have her miscarry due to something beyond her control.

[Abstract]

Quick, somebody find a bar of soap!

Except Juliette is Edith Crawley, not Cora.

[madam magpie]

I agree with GaT. It could be a late-term miscarriage or a still birth. Both are horribly tragic, and therefore perfect for Juliette. It will probably happen right after she and Avery reconcile and decide to raise the baby together. They'll smile for half a second and then she'll start bleeding.

[Lillybee]

I would hate it if they put a real life pregnant Hayden through a miscarriage or still birth.

[madam magpie]

http://www.spoilertv.com/2014/09/nashville-episode-302-how-far-down-can_26.html

Ooooo! I love a good fight! Maddie and Deacon are my favorite relationship at the moment, and they've needed some confrontation for awhile. So maybe the response to this episode will be yay?

[Sutton]

Loved the spoiler if anyone is going to bring Deacon and Rayna together I'll put my money on Maddie. Father/daughter a little confrontation can't wait..

[madam magpie]

http://www.spoilersguide.com/nashville/season-3-episode-4-i-feel-sorry-for-me-guide/

 

Aaaaaand...here comes the new woman for Deacon so Rayna can freak out. This show is ridiculous with its predictability.

 

I'm looking forward to Sadie, though. Laura Benanti's cool! Great voice.