S04.E15: When There's A Fire In Your Heart

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The Exes find navigating their newfound fame tricky business when they go out on the road with Autumn Chase. Meanwhile, back in Nashville, Maddie continues to grow closer with Cash, causing tension with Deacon as he questions her motives and interest in his daughter. Juliette misses her manager, Glenn, and devises a plan to get him back while Will finds himself working with Kevin again.

 

Promo:

[whatsatool]

Mercy!

[methodwriter85]

I haven't watched this show in a LOONG time, but wow, Scarlett FINALLY cut that rat's nest off her head? She looks a frillion times better. And Clare Bowen has exactly the kind of heart-shaped face that works well with short hair. I wish they had done this like 3 years ago.

 

So, is Lela like into Avery now? She had a Single White Female face on when looking at Avery and Juliette.

 

Daphne is hitting that awkward age HARD. And I like that she narc'd on Maddy.

 

So Maddy is having another rebellion story, this time with Not Brittany Snow? Pretty funny.

[WhosThatGirl]

The only two things worth mentioning tonight: Yay Juliette and Glen! REUNITED. And seriously, Glen, drop Layla like..yesterday. She's so trying to be a Juliette lite, it's not even funny anymore and also yes Deacon, yes, get rid of Cash like yesterday too! Good on you, Daphne. You are my second favorite person on this show, granted, I only have like three of you now- Juliette, Daphne, and Will, for anyone who cares.And damn it, why can't Will ever be happy?

 

Everything else..I could care less. 

[airwair]

So I have zero sympathy for Maddie. Zero. Effing brat of mythic proportions and she has no right to be so snotty to Deacon. She flat out looked him in the eye and lied to him, snuck out, dressed skimpy, got felt up and has the nerve to cop attitude when he yanks her off?

$20 had we seen her when she got home she would've been treating Daphne like the plague for ratting her out.

Also, Cash... please seek mental attention. Quickly. You are 20-something and this 16 year old's life is none of your beeswax. It's certainly not your place to tell her father whether or not he knows her. Stop crying and saying you won't abandon her. You've known her for five minutes.

Kthxbye.

Edited April 14, 2016 by airwair

[dcalley]

That was the first episode I have watched in several weeks. I should not have bothered.

[againstthewind]

Hayden is incredible.

[CruiseDiva]

Love, love, love the top Rayna wore on stage. I want it :)

 

Glad Maddie got caught. If I'd done something like that--sneaking out to a bar--my father would have whipped up on my ass, not the guy doing leg rubbing.

Edited April 14, 2016 by CruiseDiva

[TVFAN]

The only two things worth mentioning tonight: Yay Juliette and Glen! REUNITED. And seriously, Glen, drop Layla like..yesterday. She's so trying to be a Juliette lite, it's not even funny anymore and also yes Deacon, yes, get rid of Cash like yesterday too! Good on you, Daphne. You are my second favorite person on this show, granted, I only have like three of you now- Juliette, Daphne, and Will, for anyone who cares.And damn it, why can't Will ever be happy?

 

Everything else..I could care less. 

 

I am totally with you on Juliette and Glenn.  They belong together.  Go Team Juliette!  Their reunion made tonight's episode for me.  And it was so cute to see Avery unable to resist helping.

 

I never liked Layla, but I had a certain amount of sympathy when Jeff died.  Now, even that is gone.  She's using everyone, Glenn, sweet Avery, Rayna, Luke.  It's time for Juliette to put out the trash.

 

My list of "I care about" is a bit longer:  Juliette, Avery, Cadence, Glenn, and Emily top the list.  Luke and Will have found a place in my heart, too.  Rayna, Deacon, and Daphne are fine.  (And I still miss Teddy!)  Even Gunnar and Scarlett finally won me over.  But none of the newbies have captured my attention.

 

I agreed completely with Deacon.  Maddie went way too far this time.  (Rayna and Deacon could actually use Juliette's help on this one.)  And this Cash person must be crazy.  Since when does a twenty (or thirty?) something aid in a child's rebellion?  She is way way too involved with Maddie.

 

One great aspect of tonight's show was all of the music!  It's been sorely lacking this season.  

[dbell1]

Hayden is magic. I think allergy season hit tonight, because I had watery eyes when Juliette dedicated that song to Glenn. Gotta love how strong Hayden came back. Hit it out of the park every scene. And we had some good JAvery moments too. squee!

Autumn can go off my screen. Just once, can't any female artist other than Rayna be supportive? And, no, I don't mean CrazyCash levels of stalker support.

So, Maddie put on glitter eye shadow and became a Tennessee Tart? Whatever. It was like some toddlers and tiaras version of Brittney Spears.

They should have left Layla in the pool. She contributes nothing except tears and threats.

The scene with Will and Kevin was nice. Glad the history was respected and not forgotten by the crazy writers.

[airwair]

Love, love, love the top Rayna wore on stage. I want it :)

Glad Maddie got caught. If I'd done something like that my father would have whipped up on my ass, not the guy rubbing her leg.

Me too. I can't get over how much they've made me absolutely hate her.

She and Deacon were always my favorite part of the show. Probably why I've stuck around so long but now there is nothing redeeming. They've lost me.

[TomGirl]

I agree that Scarlett's hair used to be a rat's nest, but I think her short cut looked terrible tonight. Very unflattering.

[Sandman]

This was the first episode where Cash actually creeped me out. I thought that the scene where Deacon finds Maddie at The Skulls ( which ... really? Is there some sort of ordinance in Nashville that I don't know about stating bar owners have to be blind drunk when they come up with names for their clubs? I thought the Beverly was bad.) was going to be about Deacon's overprotectiveness and anger issues, but the show went another way. I found that a little surprising. Sister, your over-investment in a 16-year-old you've known for some weeks just went from strange to full-on Inappropriate.

 

And now Autumn Unawesome's taken a page from Crayla's Stalker Vixen's Manual. Grrreat. (Does Rayna have the worst instincts about people, or what?)

 

Glenn and Juliette are wonderful. Of course Juliette Barnes has to take over the Opry to turn a heartfelt apology into a full-scale multimedia extravaganza! I was a little worried when Juliette went back into battle mode with Emily. But it really was a heartfelt apology. I don't think we would have seen that a year ago. Juliette and Avery are pretty adorable together, even now.

 

I also felt for Will -- he may not be happy yet, but it seems like he's getting there. I liked that he was able to tell CGS Kevin exactly what he was feeling. That was a really nice scene.

[Ohmo]

Very unflattering.

 

That's how I feel about Aubrey's hair.  It makes her look like a Romulan from Star Trek: The Next Generation.  Layla's a difficult enough character to like as it is.  The only thing I really like about her character is her friendship with Will.

 

Enough with the Maddie-being-a-brat drama. Please. Make It. Stop...and make Cash go away.  Yay for Daphne, and I thought the sisterly blackmail right underneath Deacon's nose was funny.

 

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Glenn and Juliette...along with Avery and Juliette.  Hayden rocks the house.

[Sandman]

That's how I feel about Aubrey's hair.  It makes her look like a Romulan from Star Trek: The Next Generation.  Layla's a difficult enough character to like as it is.  The only thing I really like about her character is her friendship with Will.

 

Ha! Layla's totally a Romulan -- warlike, greedy, cunning, given to subterfuge and blackmail. And you're right -- her friendship with Will brings out her stunted good side.

[Sulador]

Totally agree about Bratty Maddie and Crazy Cash. Love that Daphne ratted her sister out like that. Loved Daddy Deacon to the rescue, though it would have served Mads right if that creepdude had really come after her in the dressing room or someplace after the show. Little girl would have gotten burned bad, and serve her right.

 

Oh, please someone remind me: didn't someone push Jeff off the hotel roof to a crashing end? Layla? Juliette? Someone? Or am I hallucinating?

[Ohmo]

Oh, please someone remind me: didn't someone push Jeff off the hotel roof to a crashing end? Layla? Juliette? Someone? Or am I hallucinating?

 

IIRC, no one pushed Jeff.  He was trying to prevent a very drunk and impaired Juliette from committing suicide, and he slipped and fell as he grabbed her.  She survived.  He didn't.

[Cranberry]

 Loved Daddy Deacon to the rescue, though it would have served Mads right if that creepdude had really come after her in the dressing room or someplace after the show. Little girl would have gotten burned bad, and serve her right.

 

What do you mean by "burned bad"? If you mean sexually assaulted, I strongly disagree that it would serve her right.

[madam magpie]

I hate nutso dads who barge in and rip their pure little girls from the clutches of life and sexuality, so Deacon did himself no favors with me this week. I do wish Maddie would go away, though.

Alicia Witt looks totally different! Granted, the last time I saw her in anything was probably ten years ago, but still.

Juliet has been missed.

Yes, Rayna, that's right; you are bad at your job. Don't sugarcoat, Bucky!

[paulvdb]

I usually like Deacon, but he needs to work on his anger issues. They make him look bad even when he has a good point.

And it's good to have Juliette back and reunited with Glenn.

[GaT]

Why do they keep bringing people onto the show? Cash, Autumn, Frankie, what purpose do they serve except to waste time?

Edited April 14, 2016 by GaT

[Bwill3133]

Love seeing Juliette apologize to Glen. She really is trying to be better. Even apologized to Emily, which I do believe rarely happened in the past. While I do like seeing Mature Juliette, I think I might enjoy seeing her in the preview ranting about Avery and Layla. Haha.

Aww Kevin and Will. So glad to see Will getting good things right now.

So Autumn is about to seduce Gunnar. Of course she is.

Cash didn't creep me out until the post club fight with Deacon. Are we ever going to find out why this 20 something year old is so invested in a teenager? Maddie being blackmailed by Daphne made me chuckle . Rayna saying "things have calmed down at home." Is she there? Maddie not being a brat for 3 days doesn't equal calm. Also judging by Daphne's fit with Deacon things are not all well on the homefront.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ha, I knew there was no way for Alicia Witt to be cast as anything but a shit stirrer! How long before Gunnar sleeps with Autumn?

 

I am so tired of the Maddie drama. If I wanted to deal with teen angst, I would have had kids of my own. I get wanting to perform, but lying to your dad and then sneaking into a bar to sing? Nope. Cash may think she is helping her but she is just encouraging Maddie's stupid rebellious attitude. If Cash really wants to help her, this is not the way to do it.

 

What I hated is that Deacon ended up making it all about "that man was touching my daughter" instead of "my 16 year old brat of a daughter lied to me about where she was going so that she could sing at a bar." He is totally justified in the latter. As a former performer, I can say that the dude at the bar was totally out of line touching Maddie while she was singing and it's super annoying when audience members do things like that (one guy grabbed my friend's ass while she was performing and the bouncer kicked him out), but I need Deacon to focus on what Maddie has done.

 

But I do think that teenage girls often feel like they're not allowed to tell guys what they can and can't do, so this would be the perfect time for Rayna or Juliette to tell Maddie that she should not expect or accept that kind of behavior from people in the audience. And this only emphasizes the point that Maddie is not mature enough to deal with that kind of crowd yet, which is fine because she's only 16.

 

When Maddie was making her plans to lie to her parents so she could sing at a bar, I was already thinking, "Girl, if you're going to plot to break the rules, at least have the common sense not to discuss it loudly in your house where the very people who you're trying to fool also happen to live," so I was actually glad that Daphne overheard her and then told Deacon. HA!

 

I love that Juliette just wanted Glenn back in her life and that Avery convinced her to be honest about her feelings. I don't blame Glenn for not wanting to deal with her anymore. She treated him like crap over the last few years and he deserved better. Hopefully the new and improved Juliette can have a better relationship with him now.

 

I still don't care about Layla. The only reason I'm kind of supporting her as the opening act for Luke is that I hope it means I don't have to see her as often. Does this mean Luke was planning to have two opening acts or was he going to bump Will off the tour? Hey, Will and Layla could be The Exes Part Deux!

 

I can't remember - did Colt tell Layla that Luke knew Jeff had died saving Juliette? My guess is no because she probably would have just straight up blackmailed him into letting her be the opening act if that were the case.

 

I'm glad that Will admitted to Brett that he was bothered he had moved on so quickly and that it was because he loved him. Yay for more emotional honesty on this show!

Edited April 14, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Ailianna]

I can't remember - did Colt tell Layla that Luke knew Jeff had died saving Juliette? My guess is no because she probably would have just straight up blackmailed him into letting her be the opening act if that were the case.

 

Yes, he did.  And I think she's saving the big guns for when smaller manipulation won't work.  But mostly I think she wants to bring down Juliette (Yay Hayden's back!) because she blames Juliette for Jeff's death.  So revealing what she knows too soon won't help.  But she was clearly using that knowledge in her delicate guilt-tripping of Luke.

[airwair]

This was the first episode where Cash actually creeped me out. I thought that the scene where Deacon finds Maddie at The Skulls ( which ... really? Is there some sort of ordinance in Nashville that I don't know about stating bar owners have to be blind drunk when they come up with names for their clubs? I thought the Beverly was bad.).

Skull's Rainbow Room in Printer's Alley was originally just the Rainbow Room. It was owned and operated for over 40 years by a guy nicknamed Skull. He would give homeless people odd jobs to earn a little bit of cash and ended up being murdered by two of them. They knew he carried the bar's change in his overall pocket and came in one afternoon when he was preparing to open and killed him for it.

The bar closed in 1998 after the murder and was reopened in 2014 or 2015 under new ownership as Skull's Rainbow Room in reference to this guy who was very well known and liked in the community.

A much better story than a kiss ass tribute to a psychotic, manipulative physically abusive witch who was suddenly martyred for reasons I still don't understand.

Edited April 14, 2016 by airwair

[airwair]

I hate nutso dads who barge in and rip their pure little girls from the clutches of life and sexuality, so Deacon did himself no favors with me this week. I do wish Maddie would go away, though.

Alicia Witt looks totally different! Granted, the last time I saw her in anything was probably ten years ago, but still.

Juliet has been missed.

Yes, Rayna, that's right; you are bad at your job. Don't sugarcoat, Bucky!

I heavily disagree this is what Deacon did. It's not taking a catastrophic dig at feminism to say what Maddie and Cash did was extremely inappropriate.

Maddie is not mature enough for this. She just isn't--plain and simple. Putting her in the position and allowing her to get felt up by drunk, creepy, older men will not make her mature any faster, it will likely confuse her, screw her up, and by the time she's 25 she will be doing coke lines off a urinal, shaving her head, and stabbing cars with umbrellas.

Just simply being a female doesn't mean you're ready for the world and free sex because FEMINISM. At some point you do need to grow up and understand what you're getting into and be able to react to it in a healthy manner. That's where the jobs of the parents come in. Are Deacon and Rayna perfect perfect parents? Hell no. Neither was Teddy. But I thought, given the circumstances, Deacon reacted much calmer than I thought he would and well within his boundaries.

Not all fathers are bad, evil, and trying to rip their daughters from the clutches of life and sexuality. While it may seem abrasive, Deacon was simply doing what every single good father I know would've done.

Mine would've reacted 50 times worse and I'm not sure I could've asked for a better dad.

Edited April 14, 2016 by airwair

[Tikichick]

I feel for Layla.  She never has anyone in her corner, truly in her corner and making her a priority.  Will cares about her, truly cares about her, and is a good friend, but he's caught up in his own drama too much to be of help to her.  Rayna tries to take care of the business of Layla's career needs -- when she gets a spare minute, whoops, excuse me, another crisis beckons.  After driving her to the brink of death, Jeff ironically truly fell in love with her.  But once again, true to Layla's luck, he was most often preoccupied with trying to keep his own head above water and then he was gone.  

 

In the end she's basically a slightly altered version of her mortal enemy, Juliette.  Ironically she's Juliette without Glen's masterful strategy helping her build a great career, despite having a very hard working and well intentioned Glen working hard to give Layla a great career.  Glen bringing Juliette back into the fold won't make things better for Layla, simply allow ample opportunity for revenge plotting and lots of angst and drama.  Girl just can't catch a break

[Soup333]

It looked to me as though Deacon was going to let her finish the song until creepy guy started feeling her up. In that moment, I can't blame him for reacting the way he did. Navigating those teenage years is hard for parents and children and I can't fault him for going ballistic. The only thing I thought he did "wrong" was go off on Cash in front of Maddie. That's only going to make Cash and the rebelliousness she's supporting more attractive to Maddie.

Poor Rayna though. She had a really good day and it's pretty much going to go to crap when she gets home.

I really enjoyed this episode. Will and Kevin, aww. Juliette and Glenn, double aww. Even Juliette and Avery had some aww moments which I loved. I missed Cadence though. That baby is adorable.

Autumn Chase is...something else. We'll see how that goes.

I was very interested in Layla's conversation with Luke and how much she milked Jeff's death for her own gain. They were so perfectly matched.

I forgot to say that when Cash started screaming at Deacon I had to pause the video so I could say whoa. My goodness. I thought she was having some sort of meltdown or something. She was almost scary!

Edited April 14, 2016 by Soup333

[Clemgo3165]

Once again I'm left feeling as if there's a chip missing in Maddie. Upon learning that her ex has gone off to join the Army her biggest concern is that she's not getting to play in clubs by herself? Really? Zero concern that Colt could end up in Afghanistan or Iraq? Dead or injured? 

[airwair]

It looked to me as though Deacon was going to let her finish the song until creepy guy started feeling her up.

I forgot to say that when Cash started screaming at Deacon I had to pause the video so I could say whoa. My goodness. I thought she was having some sort of meltdown or something. She was almost scary!

I also thought he was going to let her finish the song until Uncle Creepy showed up.

Cash needs mental attention. She's got some weird mess going on. One minute she's a mentor, the next she's making eyes at Maddie and separating her from her sister and boyfriend. Then she's a mentor again for five minutes before she starts screeching about not abandoning her and being there for her and helping her thrive and bloom and blah blah blah. Girl is crazy.

I also have to say Deacon was not in the wrong to call Cash out. She deserved every bit of that lashing, though like you I wish he had done it away from Maddie's view.

Once again I'm left feeling as if there's a chip missing in Maddie. Upon learning that her ex has gone off to join the Army her biggest concern is that she's not getting to play in clubs by herself? Really? Zero concern that Colt could end up in Afghanistan or Iraq? Dead or injured?

She is seriously so self absorbed it's like the second coming of Beverly.

I'm waiting for Colt to get blown up and need a blood transfusion or a limb or something and Maddie refusing to help because she's jealous and it isn't all about her and he brought it on himself.

Edited April 14, 2016 by airwair

[Shellie]

Juliette and Avery are pretty adorable together, even now.

 

I never thought this show would be able to pull that off ever again, and they managed it almost instantly. Well done. 

[madam magpie]

I heavily disagree this is what Deacon did. It's not taking a catastrophic dig at feminism to say what Maddie and Cash did was extremely inappropriate.

Maddie is not mature enough for this. She just isn't--plain and simple. Putting her in the position and allowing her to get felt up by drunk, creepy, older men will not make her mature any faster, it will likely confuse her, screw her up, and by the time she's 25 she will be doing coke lines off a urinal, shaving her head, and stabbing cars with umbrellas.

Just simply being a female doesn't mean you're ready for the world and free sex because FEMINISM. At some point you do need to grow up and understand what you're getting into and be able to react to it in a healthy manner. That's where the jobs of the parents come in. Are Deacon and Rayna perfect perfect parents? Hell no. Neither was Teddy. But I thought, given the circumstances, Deacon reacted much calmer than I thought he would and well within his boundaries.

Not all fathers are bad, evil, and trying to rip their daughters from the clutches of life and sexuality. While it may seem abrasive, Deacon was simply doing what every single good father I know would've done.

Mine would've reacted 50 times worse and I'm not sure I could've asked for a better dad.

Really? Like...really?? No one here ever lied to their parents and sneaked out to do something mom/dad said no about as a teenager? You guys were all super perfect teenagers who never defied your parents? I sure did. I wasn't rude 24/7 and didn't treat my family like crap, but I lied and did things I wasn't quite ready for all the time.

All Maddie did was go play a song in a bar. It was nothing. A guy felt up her leg. That's an uncomfortable thing for her, not for Deacon. It happened to Maddie. It's also how one learns about life. Deacon barged in there because he was mad and a man put a hand in his sexy daughter. Whether she's ready to be in a bar or not is irrelevant to how overbearing he was. Barging up to the stage, dragging her off, and humiliating her is nothing I'd want any father of my child to do. I don't consider that a good parenting choice, no. Having a guy touch her leg is not going to ruin and destroy her. Again...really? She wasn't gang raped in the bathroom. I don't believe that next year, simply by virtue of being 18, Maddie would be less traumatized by being touched briefly in a bar than she would be right now. I don't think she'd be less traumatized at 21. Nothing happened that was traumatizing until her father showed up! What she needed to learn from that experience was how to kick the loser away. That's it.

I know lots of people think it's cool and protective for dads to go ape shit about their daughters being even slightly sexual. I don't. I think it's both literally and figuratively paternalistic. Maddie is almost 17. She's done as far as mom/dad being in control of her life and choices. That doesn't mean they don't still have tremendous influence to guide her, but she's also an autonomous human being.

Edited April 14, 2016 by madam magpie

[Primetimer]

A great episode remembers the show's way more interesting when it focuses on interpersonal weirdness instead of substance problems.

Read the story

[airwair]

Really? Like...really?? No one here ever lied to their parents and sneaked out to do something mom/dad said no about as a teenager? You guys were all super perfect teenagers who never defied your parents? I sure did. I wasn't rude 24/7 and didn't treat my family like crap, but I lied and did things I wasn't quite ready for all the time.

All Maddie did was go play a song in a bar. It was nothing. A guy felt up her leg. That's an uncomfortable thing for her, not for Deacon. It happened to Maddie. It's also how one learns about life. Deacon barged in there because he was mad and a man put a hand in his sexy daughter. Whether she's ready to be in a bar or not is irrelevant to how overbearing he was. Barging up to the stage, dragging her off, and humiliating her is nothing I'd want any father of my child to do. I don't consider that a good parenting choice, no.

I know lots of people think it's cool and protective for dads to go ape shit about their daughters being even slightly sexual. I don't. I think it's both literally and figuratively paternalistic. Maddie is almost 17. She's done as far as mom/dad being in control of her life and choices. That doesn't mean they don't still have tremendous influence to guide her, but she's also an autonomous human being.

I absolutely rebelled. I snuck out of the house once when I was already grounded, climbed into a boy's car, and drove down the street. We pulled into a gas station to get snacks for where ever we were going and about 10 seconds went by before my father pulled up beside us and literally yanked me out of the car.

Was I humiliated and furious? Absolutely. Was it uncomfortable for me? Sure. Do I understand now why he did it? You bet. I was a snot and I broke the rules. When kids break rules, it's not the parents job to make their lives easy. Rayna has coddled Maddie to a ridiculous point and naively thinks grounding her over and over will stop her from doing bad things. Clearly that is working out so well.

The girl needed a serious wake up call.

It is not okay, ever, on any level for a grown ass man to touch a 16 year old girl in that way. It's more than just being uncomfortable for Maddie. That's not how girls "learn" about anything. So please spare me.

Are all of the young girls forced into pageants and dealing with stage parents just "learning" when they have industry creeps trying to touch them and be touched? No. So why is Maddie just "learning" when a drunk pervert slides his hand up her thigh?

Clearly this kind of education worked out so well for Britney, Lindsay, Jodie Sweetin, and about any other child who has been taught that it's okay and part of life for these things and this kind of exposure to happen.

I need to add that the more I think about it, the more your view that one "learns about life" from unwanted sexual advances disturbs me. So it's cool for a dad or a mom or a friend or anyone to stand by and let a 16 year old child get felt up? My friend caught a guy trying to roofie me once and she stopped it. Should she not have? Like you said it wasn't happening to Deacon, it would've been a bad night for me, not her.

I was 19, living in NYC and getting in way over my head. Should she have stepped in as she did or just let me learn about life?

Sure, you could argue that being roofied and being felt up are so different and not even on the same scale, but where does it end? It's cool for Deacon to swoop in when he sees someone dropping a pill in her soda but not before?

In both scenarios a sexually devious person is crossing the boundaries. I go back to my stance that Maddie isn't mature enough to understand and wouldn't know when to stop things until she was sinking.

Edited April 14, 2016 by airwair

[madam magpie]

I absolutely rebelled. I snuck out of the house once when I was already grounded, climbed into a boy's car, and drove down the street. We pulled into a gas station to get snacks for where ever we were going and about 10 seconds went by before my father pulled up beside us and literally yanked me out of the car.

Was I humiliated and furious? Absolutely. Was it uncomfortable for me? Sure. Do I understand now why he did it? You bet. I was a snot and I broke the rules. When kids break rules, it's not the parents job to make their lives easy. Rayna has coddled Maddie to a ridiculous point and naively thinks grounding her over and over will stop her from doing bad things. Clearly that is working out so well.

The girl needed a serious wake up call.

It is not okay, ever, on any level for a grown ass man to touch a 16 year old girl in that way. It's more than just being uncomfortable for Maddie. That's not how girls "learn" about anything. So please spare me.

Are all of the young girls forced into pageants and dealing with stage parents just "learning" when they have industry creeps trying to touch them and be touched? No. So why is Maddie just "learning" when a drunk pervert slides his hand up her thigh?

Clearly this kind of education worked out so well for Britney, Lindsay, Jodie Sweetin, and about any other child who has been taught that it's okay and part of life for these things and this kind of exposure to happen.

What's OK or moral and what happens in life to teach people how to navigate the world are often at odds, yes.

So what you're saying is that when Maddie's 21 and can go to bars legally with some newfound maturity that magically appears at that age and a guy grabs her leg (or arm or breast...because you know he will), she'll be better prepared to handle that because her father dragged her out of a bar when she was 16? I mean, assuming she hasn't become a coke addict by then simply because a loser touched her leg once. See, I think women are tougher and smarter and more capable at life than that, young women even. But I guess if they're not, they really do need their daddies to shelter them and humiliate them into obedience.

[airwair]

What's OK or moral and what happens in life to teach people how to navigate the world are often at odds, yes.

So what you're saying is that when Maddie's 21 and can go to bars legally with some newfound maturity that magically appears at that age and a guy grabs her leg (or arm or breast...because you know he will), she'll be better prepared to handle that because her father dragged her out of a bar when she was 16? I mean, assuming she hasn't become a coke addict by then simply because a loser touched her leg once. See, I think women are tougher and smarter and more capable at life than that, young women even. But I guess if they're not, they really do need their daddies to shelter them and humiliate them into obedience.

When I hung out in bars and bartended from 19-present day and someone tried/tries to fondle me, I stop it. It's not okay. It's sexual battery. I've had more than a few guys thrown out of establishments where I was working. I've had guys thrown out of places where I wasn't working. I've gotten the police involved.

I have very much stood up for myself and it's because I had parents and friends who have rescued me from iffy situations and "sheltered" me.

They didn't stand by and watch while I wondered WTF I was supposed to do and allowed it to happen because I didnt know how to stand up for myself.

Obedience has nothing to do with it; self respect has everything to do with it. And I believe that's a learned behavior, not an innate one.

And she wouldn't become an unhinged addict because someone touched her leg once, she would become an unhinged addict because she would think it's okay and part of life and it would happen over and over and over. And given the track record of mental states of girls who are sexualized at young ages, I stand firm in my belief that it's not healthy in any capacity.

Edited April 14, 2016 by airwair

[Ohmo]

I heavily disagree this is what Deacon did. It's not taking a catastrophic dig at feminism to say what Maddie and Cash did was extremely inappropriate.

Maddie is not mature enough for this. She just isn't--plain and simple. Putting her in the position and allowing her to get felt up by drunk, creepy, older men will not make her mature any faster, it will likely confuse her, screw her up, and by the time she's 25 she will be doing coke lines off a urinal, shaving her head, and stabbing cars with umbrellas.

Just simply being a female doesn't mean you're ready for the world and free sex because FEMINISM. At some point you do need to grow up and understand what you're getting into and be able to react to it in a healthy manner. That's where the jobs of the parents come in. Are Deacon and Rayna perfect perfect parents? Hell no. Neither was Teddy. But I thought, given the circumstances, Deacon reacted much calmer than I thought he would and well within his boundaries.

Not all fathers are bad, evil, and trying to rip their daughters from the clutches of life and sexuality. While it may seem abrasive, Deacon was simply doing what every single good father I know would've done.

Mine would've reacted 50 times worse and I'm not sure I could've asked for a better dad.

 

Agree with this.

 

Really? Like...really?? No one here ever lied to their parents and sneaked out to do something mom/dad said no about as a teenager? You guys were all super perfect teenagers who never defied your parents? I sure did. I wasn't rude 24/7 and didn't treat my family like crap, but I lied and did things I wasn't quite ready for all the time.

All Maddie did was go play a song in a bar. It was nothing. A guy felt up her leg. That's an uncomfortable thing for her, not for Deacon. It happened to Maddie. It's also how one learns about life. Deacon barged in there because he was mad and a man put a hand in his sexy daughter. Whether she's ready to be in a bar or not is irrelevant to how overbearing he was. Barging up to the stage, dragging her off, and humiliating her is nothing I'd want any father of my child to do. I don't consider that a good parenting choice, no. Having a guy touch her leg is not going to ruin and destroy her. Again...really? She wasn't gang raped in the bathroom. I don't believe that next year, simply by virtue of being 18, Maddie would be less traumatized by being touched briefly in a bar than she would be right now. I don't think she'd be less traumatized at 21. Nothing happened that was traumatizing until her father showed up! What she needed to learn from that experience was how to kick the loser away. That's it.

I know lots of people think it's cool and protective for dads to go ape shit about their daughters being even slightly sexual. I don't. I think it's both literally and figuratively paternalistic. Maddie is almost 17. She's done as far as mom/dad being in control of her life and choices. That doesn't mean they don't still have tremendous influence to guide her, but she's also an autonomous human being.

 

ll counter your "Really?" with my own "Really?"  All Maddie did was go play in a bar?  Maddie is 16.  She doesn't get to just "go play in a bar."  I don't think anyone here is saying that they didn't lie to their parents or do stupid stuff when they were teenagers.  The fact is that parents have the right to be angry when their kids do stupid stuff as teenagers.  i have never been a huge fan of Deacon, not by miles, but if he was going to "go nutso" as you put it, that was the situation to go nutso in. That situation had the potential to be extremely dangerous.  Maddie didn't drink, but if it was the same guy that touched her that offered her a drink, he was persistent.  There is no guarantee that she would have been able to fend him off if he had continued and gotten more aggressive.  If it wasn't the same guy, that means a 16 year old had gotten the attention of two older men in a location where alcohol was served.  Not a good combination.

 

I'm quite sure that Rayna would have preferred Deacon "going nutso" to getting a phone call from him that they're in an emergency room because Maddie had been assaulted or an assault had been attempted.  Deacon flies off the handle a lot, but in this case, I think he did it because he was scared about the "what if," and I can see his point. There's a difference between sexuality and maturity.  Maddie is dealing with her sexuality through her relationship with Colt, but she is not a mature person. Not mature enough to place herself in that situation.  Never mind the fact that Cash has her own issues, but even if Cash was mature enough to handle herself at 16, Maddie has done nothing to demonstrate that she could do the same.  That's not the place to test that out, either.  The negative consequences are way too severe and life-changing.

 

So what you're saying is that when Maddie's 21 and can go to bars legally with some newfound maturity that magically appears at that age and a guy grabs her leg (or arm or breast...because you know he will)

 

There is an enormous difference between maturity at 16 and maturity at 21. Hopefully, she will be ready to deal with that situation at 21 through the experiences that she will have from 16-21.  But she is not ready to be in that situation at 16.  If she wanted to go play in Deacon's bar with Deacon present, that's a different thing, but not on her own with Cash.  No way.

[madam magpie]

When I hung out in bars and bartended from 19-present day and someone tried/tries to fondle me, I stop it. It's not okay. It's sexual battery. I've had more than a few guys thrown out of establishments where I was working. I've had guys thrown out of places where I wasn't working. I've gotten the police involved.

I have very much stood up for myself and it's because I had parents and friends who have rescued me from iffy situations and "sheltered" me.

They didn't stand by and watch while I wondered WTF I was supposed to do and allowed it to happen because I didnt know how to stand up for myself.

Obedience has nothing to do with it; self respect has everything to do with it. And I believe that's a learned behavior, not an innate one.

Of course it is. I tend not to think it's learned through humiliation, though. The psychological toll of being touched once in a bar is not going to be that high. It's just not. That doesn't make it OK or legal or ethical or any of that. But no, people do not go totally off the rails because someone touched their leg uninvited one time.

If Maddie stood there stricken and terrified for minutes on end and couldn't finish her song, I'd have no problem with either of her parents intervening. But that's not what happened. She wasn't allowed to even consider handling it herself, and then her father humiliated her because a loser groped her in a bar. I don't believe Deacon would have done what he did if she'd sneaked out to play in a different setting. He did it because he was mad and hurt that Maddie lied to him and because she was looking, singing, and acting sexual in an environment that exudes sex. Humiliating Maddie for that will leave a much bigger stain than a loser she doesn't know touching her leg. I know that lots of people believe humiliation is a great parental tool. I don't. And I REALLY don't when it's used to get young girls in line for being sexual. Deacon wanted obedience. He used humiliation to get it. I understand hat you think that's an admirable parenting technique. I never will.

Il counter your "Really?" with my own "Really?" All Maddie did was go play in a bar? Maddie is 16. She doesn't get to just "go play in a bar."

She actually does get to. She did. Whether it's legal or not is another thing. But that's my point. Maddie is done as related to what she "gets" to do. At this point, she can just say no. The goal shouldn't be to manhandled her into control anymore. It should be to teach her how to handle life and the things that will come up. It's not about Deacon and control. It's about Maddie learning to take care of herself. Edited April 14, 2016 by madam magpie

[airwair]

Of course it is. I tend not to think it's learned through humiliation, though. The psychological toll of being touched once in a bar is not going to be that high. It's just not. That doesn't make it OK or legal or ethical or any of that. But no, people do not go totally off the rails because someone touched their leg uninvited one time.

If Maddie stood there stricken and terrified for minutes on end and couldn't finish her song, I'd have no problem with either of her parents intervening. But that's not what happened. She wasn't allowed to even consider handling it herself, and then her father humiliated her because a loser groped her in a bar. I don't believe Deacon would have done what he did if she'd sneaked out to play in a different setting. He did it because he was mad and hurt that Maddie lied to him and because she was looking, singing, and acting sexual in an environment that exudes sex. Humiliating Maddie for that will leave a much bigger stain than a loser she doesn't know touching her leg. I know that lots of people believe humiliation is a great parental tool. I don't. And I REALLY don't when it's used to get young girls in line for being sexual. Deacon wanted obedience. He used humiliation to get it. I understand hat you think that's an admirable parenting technique. I never will.

I don't think Deacon "wanted obedience." I don't think he was intentionally seeking to humiliate her. He's not that authoritative. That was Teddy's role.

I think Deacon is a father who saw his immature 16-year-old child in an extremely inappropriate situation and he put a stop to it. That's what I think. No more, no less.

[madam magpie]

I don't think Deacon "wanted obedience." I don't think he was intentionally seeking to humiliate her. He's not that authoritative. That was Teddy's role.

I think Deacon is a father who saw his immature 16-year-old child in an extremely inappropriate situation and he put a stop to it. That's what I think. No more, no less.

Oh, I don't. I think he was mad that she lied to his face and he went looking for her in that frame of mind. Then he saw her in a dubious situation and lost it.

[airwair]

Oh, I don't. I think he was mad that she lied to his face and he went looking for her in that frame of mind. Then he saw her in a dubious situation and lost it.

Of course he was angry that she lied to his face. He had every right to be.

He also had every to go there in that frame of mind and "go nutso" when his daughter was breaking every rule she could on top of being felt up.

Right or wrong, Rayna has told her she is not to perform without their permission. That's another strike on the board. Right or wrong, I'm sure there are rules regarding her attire and what she wears and how much skin she shows. We know there were rules of that nature with Teddy. Another strike.

Three strikes for her, a pervert getting grabby, and we are supposed to chastise Deacon for what he did?

No way, no how for me.

Also, if his intention was complete domination and humiliation, wouldn't he have just yanked her right off stage from the get go instead of waiting until the loser touched her?

Edited April 14, 2016 by airwair

[Soup333]

So if I understand, Deacon was supposed to watch the man groping her leg TWICE...and do nothing?  Was he allowed to be upset by her sneaking out and lying to his face or is that inappropriate as well? 

 

I don't believe that Deacon even knew what he was going to do when he got there. His first thought was probably her safety then her disobedience because that's how people think when their child is in trouble or doing something they have no business doing, which Maddie was. He didn't storm in there and grab her immediately. He stood there and listened to her until he saw the man touching her leg. I can't even begin to express how strongly I disagree with the idea that he should have stood by and watched so that Maddie could have learned some sort of feminist life lesson by way of an unwanted sexual advance. 

 

I don't think Teddy or Rayna would have acted any differently, nor do I think they should have. 

[Muffyn]

Okay, I’m calling it. Cash was a super talented teen whose big break was ruined by her drunk father.  She is trying to give Maddie the support she feels she never had.  Of course, she cannot say that.  Instead a grown woman helps a teenager sneak out to play at Skulls.  Yes, Skulls, which has a creepy little stage in the middle of the dance floor and no security to keep creepers from fondling the performers. 

 

The club-based music sequences are always a little funny to me.  The audience all listens with rapt attention.  There is never someone loudly ordering a drink or engaged in conversation.  Have these people ever been to a club?

 

So maybe Rayna could bring Maddie on tour.  Maddie could join her on one number and solo another.  She would be able to perform under the loving (a.k.a. rage-filled) eyes of her parents. 

 

I call total shenanigans on Autumn seducing Gunnar.  Does she have eyes?  Has she seen the hair?

[Soup333]

That's how I feel about Aubrey's hair.  It makes her look like a Romulan from Star Trek: The Next Generation.  Layla's a difficult enough character to like as it is.  The only thing I really like about her character is her friendship with Will.

 

Enough with the Maddie-being-a-brat drama. Please. Make It. Stop...and make Cash go away.  Yay for Daphne, and I thought the sisterly blackmail right underneath Deacon's nose was funny.

 

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Glenn and Juliette...along with Avery and Juliette.  Hayden rocks the house.

 

I laughed so hard at this.

 

Autumn's tour is called Cut to the Chase? Wow. All those years performing and she's just now using that one? LOL

 

Layla is so delusional. The Exes swooped in and took her spot??? Yeah, that's exactly what happened.

[Artsda]

Deacon has major anger issues, how many times in public has this been now that he's lost it? There seems to be always an excuse for him. The paparazzi, lying to him...etc.. Maddie just a few episodes ago called him on it.

 

Cash is creepy, she is an adult who should know better. 

 

Adored Juliette and her trying to get Glenn back.

[madam magpie]

So if I understand, Deacon was supposed to watch the man groping her leg TWICE...and do nothing? Was he allowed to be upset by her sneaking out and lying to his face or is that inappropriate as well?

I don't believe that Deacon even knew what he was going to do when he got there. His first thought was probably her safety then her disobedience because that's how people think when their child is in trouble or doing something they have no business doing, which Maddie was. He didn't storm in there and grab her immediately. He stood there and listened to her until he saw the man touching her leg. I can't even begin to express how strongly I disagree with the idea that he should have stood by and watched so that Maddie could have learned some sort of feminist life lesson by way of an unwanted sexual advance.

I don't think Teddy or Rayna would have acted any differently, nor do I think they should have.

The guy touched her leg twice?? I must have looked away. Clearly that changes everything. Cocaine addiction for Maddie!

I do think Rayna would have behaved differently. Teddy, probably not, but he's also been shown to be overbearing and controlling. I think that's what these writers think is good parenting. Clearly lots of the audience agrees.

Should Deacon have done nothing? I wouldn't say that, no. But I do think he should have remained calm and rational. It would have been cool if he'd directed his anger at the guy who was actually doing the touching instead of the girl being touched. He could have pushed his way to the front, pulled the guy away, stood there so Maddie saw him, let her finish her song, and then told her to get in the car. He also could have just waited for her to get home. I see many options besides overbearing crazy dad and complete apathy.

Edited April 14, 2016 by madam magpie

[airwair]

I think Rayna would have behaved differently. Teddy, probably not, but he's also been shown to be overbearing and controlling. I think that's what these writers think is good parenting. Clearly lots of the audience agrees.

Should Deacon have done nothing? I wouldn't say that, no. But I do think he should have remained calm and rational. It would have been cool if he'd directed his anger at the guy who was actually doing the touching instead of the girl being touched. He could have stood at the front so Maddie saw him, let her finish her song, and then tell her to get in the car. He also could have just waited for her to get home. I see many options besides overbearing crazy dad and complete apathy.

Again, because calm coddling is what often works so well for her.

And standing there just waiting for the fondling to be over qualifies as "doing nothing" in my book.

[dmc]

This show!!!

Okay what are they doing with Rayna remember when she was a main character...what happened? It's like they married her to Deacon and that was her last plot option.

Maddie: Don't Care...they are trying to give Maddie a story line which is fine but it's awful

Layla: Okay so clearly Nashville is committed to this character for reasons that escape me BUT...she is so poorly written... WHO is she? She seems to change based on whatever the show needs at that time. Her attachment to Avery (unless its for scheming purposes) seems weird. They worked on music like once, her bf just died, etc... I mean...now she is blackmailing Luke for tour crap which btw seems like Rayna's job to get her a tour...

Scarlet... why do this show dress her like this?

[madam magpie]

Again, because calm coddling is what often works so well for her.

And standing there just waiting for the fondling to be over qualifies as "doing nothing" in my book.

I don't think calm and coddling are the same thing, no. Respectful would be nice, though. None of Maddie's parents ever treat her with much respect.

I said he could have pushed the guy away. He also could have given Maddie a second to push the guy away herself. I also said it would have been nice for him to direct his anger at the guy doing the touching. But yes, I get it. I know you think Deacon is the best dad ever and Maddie a bratty loser. I know.

[DeLurker]

I don't care about Cash, Frankie, Riff, his wife and kids, Autumn Chase, etc...

 

I am so glad Juliette's back.  I didn't like her barking at Emily, but I'm glad she apologized.