S05.E03: Let's Put It Back Together Again

[ElectricBoogaloo]

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Maddie begins an internship at a recording studio and meets a street musician; Avery struggles producing a young YouTube sensation; Juliette meets her guardian angel.

Promo:

[Primetimer]

Remember those horrible things Maddie said about Deacon last season? Turns out the show does too!

View the full article

[Brinny]

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However, none of that is an excuse for this character's name to be, as we learn this week, "Hallie JORDAN." Writers, unless she's an actual angel, which is a different show, next time please listen to that voice in your head wondering if this is too much, because it is and then some.

OR maybe the writers are just really big Green Lantern fans. The comic. Not the movie. (I don't know why I specified. That went without saying.)

As always, this show needs more of Gunnar, Will, and Avery just hanging around and shooting the shit. Consistently my favourite bits of any episode involve some combination of those three. Although, I did think it was a little strange that they conveyed Avery's longing to create more of his own music (I'm assuming that's what that little end scene in the montage was about?) by having him reminisce over photos of the Avery Barkley Band. Just an odd choice. Like, "Oh man. I so fondly remember when I was a super shitty character who sold out my bandmates and prostituted myself for a record deal. I miss that. Good times." I get that they didn't have a lot of readily available material to chose that featured "solo"-artist Avery since he's mostly been either Juliette's frontman, in a band with his ex-girlfriend and her new/old boyfriend or behind the scenes producing, but still...  

Other than that, I was kind of bored by the episode. It wasn't bad, just not good. 

I did, however, enjoy Daphne's response to Maddie asking if she was turning into a bitch. Personally, I would have answered with, "OH MY GOD. YES. SO MUCH!", but her little acknowledgement was cute. 

Oh, and this is super minor and maybe I'm just slow on the uptake, but when Juliette realized that some of the feeling in her legs returned, it was because she could feel that Cadence had peed on her. Which, fine, okay. But wouldn't she have to have felt Cadence on her legs as well? That kid is into toddler territory and she can't be that light. Juliette wasn't holding her above her own legs while trying to change her either, she clearly had Cadence on her lap. I don't know. It's the small things, I guess.

I feel as though I should end on a positive note since I don't want to go into a rant about how much I'm not into this whole Rayna has a stalker storyline. Hayden sounded pretty at the end of the show? Maddie's new love interest seems like a nice, sweet boy? I'm reaching, I know. 

[jmonique]

So have they retconned Teddy out of existence?

Not that I would really mind. Just curious.

[Brinny]

11 minutes ago, jmonique said:

So have they retconned Teddy out of existence?

Not that I would really mind. Just curious.

I feel like in the episode before this one (or maybe the premiere?), Rayna referred to Deacon as the girls' father. Which is totally nice that they're acknowledging that they're a family now and that Deacon is welcomed in that role for both Maddie and Daphne, but, yeah, kind of negated Teddy. 

They tossed in a throwaway line about Layla this episode and about Luke in the last. Maybe Teddy's is coming up. 

[GaT]

TOO. MUCH. MADDIE.

[Racj82]

1 hour ago, GaT said:

TOO. MUCH. MADDIE.

I think the writers are trying to fix Maddie since they know that character is broken so I don't mind it IF this sticks.

[GaT]

36 minutes ago, Racj82 said:

I think the writers are trying to fix Maddie since they know that character is broken so I don't mind it IF this sticks.

I would rather they just write her off the show.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Maddie told the barista that she doesn't know what a non-fat vanilla latte with caramel drizzle is, despite the fact that she is a teenager who has probably been going to coffee places for years. I could see my mom having the "I don't know what any of that means" reaction because she is older and never goes to Starbucks or other coffee chains. To her, coffee is just coffee.

Ashley is obviously The Worst. Even leaving aside her disagreements with Avery, she was such a fucking drama queen. I'm sooooo hungover! My blood sugar is sooooo low! There aren't any vegan menus! This sandwich doesn't have whole wheat bread! No, don't go back to the restaurant to have them make my sandwich correctly because I'll be in a diabetic coma by the time you get back!

Maddie is the second worst because, as Daphne pointed out, being an intern means doing menial crap for the artists like fetching coffee, ordering lunch, etc. Maddie should just be glad she's getting paid to be an intern. In the not so distant past, interns like Maddie didn't get paid for doing grunt work.

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Maddie: Why are you treating everyone like this? We are all just trying to help you. Do you even realize how lucky you are? You should be having the time of your life right now instead of whining about everything and being a total bitch.

Okay, Maddie, now repeat that speech while looking in the mirror.

Daphne is a much better person than I am because if Maddie had asked me if I thought she was TURNING INTO a bitch, I would have laughed for five minutes straight before explaining that she drove straight through bitch town ages ago and has gotten even worse in the last year.

I'm really curious who was buzzing people in and fetching coffee before Maddie started interning yesterday. I was also trying to figure out who would buzz people in while Maddie was off getting coffee and hanging out with Clayton while she was supposed to be picking up lunch for everyone.

I KNEW that the new guy at Highway 65 was a creeper when he was practically drooling on Rayna last week. Not that I am trying to condone any kind of stalker behavior, but if you're going to steal something, it can't be something super obvious and personal like that box with Maddie's picture on it. I wonder who is going to get blamed for that. The cleaning staff?

The other guy that Rayna ran into on the street was also a creeper. Ugh, seriously, dude, BACK OFF. This is why Rayna needs a bodyguard or someone with her when she's out in public. Thank goodness Bucky was there to kind of fend the guy off a little bit. And you know this guy is a creeper because one of the reasons that celebrities enjoy living in Nashville so much is that people don't approach them on the street to give them unsolicited demos, talk about their kids, and ask to take photos.

[Sake614]

I dunno, I really liked this episode. I laughed at the right places (at least I think they were the right places). I groaned at the right places. I just thought all the characters were well written and the acting was terrific. Yes, Maddie is still a bitch and I'm not sure I really believe that she's truly sorry for her behavior in court or through the whole emancipation drama. But she's making an effort, or the writers are, to change. And Deacon stopped being afraid of her and told her to grow up, shut up and do her damn job. The only thing missing from his speech was a line about if she doesn't want the internship, she'd best find some other work because they weren't going to continue enabling her. But it came close enough for the time being.

The social media guy is creepy but I'm just not convinced he's the stalker. Not sure why, but I think he could be a red herring. I don't really have much interest in a stalker story, but if it doesn't eat the whole show, it might not be awful. Like @ElectricBoogaloo said, the guy on the street was equally creepy and much more invasive.

I always enjoy Gunnar, Will and Avery and could watch a whole show with just the three of them. Scarlett can still leave any time now and I won't miss her, but thankfully she was only on for one scene this week. Maybe she'd be more tolerable if she took the damn marbles out of her mouth when she talks.

Overall, I think the show is getting its act together and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.

[dmc]

I dunno, I really liked this episode. I laughed at the right places (at least I think they were the right places). I groaned at the right places. I just thought all the characters were well written and the acting was terrific. Yes, Maddie is still a bitch and I'm not sure I really believe that she's truly sorry for her behavior in court or through the whole emancipation drama. But she's making an effort, or the writers are, to change. And Deacon stopped being afraid of her and told her to grow up, shut up and do her damn job. The only thing missing from his speech was a line about if she doesn't want the internship, she'd best find some other work because they weren't going to continue enabling her. But it came close enough for the time being.

The social media guy is creepy but I'm just not convinced he's the stalker. Not sure why, but I think he could be a red herring. I don't really have much interest in a stalker story, but if it doesn't eat the whole show, it might not be awful. Like @ElectricBoogaloo said, the guy on the street was equally creepy and much more invasive.

I always enjoy Gunnar, Will and Avery and could watch a whole show with just the three of them. Scarlett can still leave any time now and I won't miss her, but thankfully she was only on for one scene this week. Maybe she'd be more tolerable if she took the damn marbles out of her mouth when she talks.

Overall, I think the show is getting its act together and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.

I don't think it's social media guy either...maybe Jeff's twin

[gryphon]

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Okay, Maddie, now repeat that speech while looking in the mirror.

Yes, the whole time Maddie was giving that speech, I said to myself, pot/kettle anyone?

I liked the song at the end...I'm hoping Avery is writing similar lyrics and they can sing together.   

[GaT]

8 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Ashley is obviously The Worst. Even leaving aside her disagreements with Avery, she was such a fucking drama queen. I'm sooooo hungover! My blood sugar is sooooo low! There aren't any vegan menus! This sandwich doesn't have whole wheat bread! No, don't go back to the restaurant to have them make my sandwich correctly because I'll be in a diabetic coma by the time you get back!

 

I'm worried that Ashley is going to be Layla 2.0

[tennisgurl]

This season already mile better than last season, although its still got a way to go. 

I appreciate that they are trying to rehabilitate Maddie and call her out on the shot she pulled last season, but she has A LOT of work to do, and they need to stop making her such a hypocritical asshole. Literally everything she said to that stupid YouTube girl applies to her! At least with this episode, I think they were self aware about it, a little bit at least. I do love Daphne though, and Maddie being annoying is a good excuse for Daphne to be awesome. She is by far one of the most mature people on this show, if not THE most. 

Social Media guy seems like the most likely to be the stalker, but my money is still on silicon valley guy. There are just too many creepers here to make up stupid plot complications!

I really love watching Will, Avery, and Gunnar hanging out and drinking beer, and just being bros. It moves up the plot, kind of, but its mostly just character stuff, which I really enjoy. They dont need high drama, they just need people acting like people. 

Really, this was a solid episode, but I wish for some more music next week. 

[KaveDweller]

I know when Rayna originally gave Maddie/Daphne a record deal it was to get Maddie to not be able to do a real one elsewhere, but why not let them record now? Highway 65 is struggling and they paid all that money to get Maddie out of the other deal. Let her try and earn it back.

For some reason I thought last week that YouTube girl was signed by Highway 65, but it sounds like not? Also, that girl reminded me of Amber Tamblyn.

[Lady Calypso]

2 hours ago, GaT said:

I'm worried that Ashley is going to be Layla 2.0

You know, I tolerated Layla more than most and thought she had some ok moments, though Layla was mostly annoying from her run on this show. So that may indicate my bias when I say that Ashley, in her one episode, seems about 10x worse than Layla. I totally am surprised the Youtube chick didn't change her name to Ashlee, to be different. I've seen the actress on a couple of Disney Channel shows and I've never really liked her all that much. Plus, I don't care if Ashley turns out to have a really nice singing voice. The fake, whiny, breathy singing she did for this episode with the demo was irritating as hell. How would any teen girl actually like that? 

Also, I get that she's vegan and watching her weight, and that's fine. But being unable to eat and going into a diabetic coma all because she didn't get whole wheat? What, is she allergic? Jesus effing Christ. Eat the damn food. If you genuinely feel like you're going to die without food right that minute, EAT ANYTHING. My god. 

I guess I read wrong that this season would be Daphne's season? I don't really care about Maddie's new job or her new romance. I do appreciate that they really are trying to redeem the bitchy teenager that she's been for the past season and a bit. I'm also glad Daphne told her the truth. 

I feel like it's too obvious that it's Social Media guy. He's way too excited about Rayna to be the stalker, right? If anything, he'll be the main suspect until Rayna's in actual danger. 

Ok, the Juliette/guardian angel story is actually decent so far. I like Hallie and think she could be a great friend to Juliette, who doesn't really have any friends besides Emily, Avery, Deacon, and Glenn. And Glenn's more of her father-figure.

I also really liked Juliette's song this episode. 

[memememe76]

I really liked the episode. The scene between Maddie and Daphne was well done. And Juliette's song was lovely.

[methodwriter85]

Oh my god, this show finally acknowledged Maddie's train ride to Bitch Town and called her out on it! That was needed.

The stalker storyline. I guess this show wants to make us guess?

[tennisgurl]

On 1/13/2017 at 7:22 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Maddie told the barista that she doesn't know what a non-fat vanilla latte with caramel drizzle is, despite the fact that she is a teenager who has probably been going to coffee places for years. I could see my mom having the "I don't know what any of that means" reaction because she is older and never goes to Starbucks or other coffee chains. To her, coffee is just coffee.

That really bugged me too, even though it was just a little scene used to set up her thing with hot street music guy. Maddie is an affluent teenager living in a major American city, no way in hell would she not know how to order at a coffee house, or have heard of complicated coffee orders! It seemed like maybe they were trying to draw a comparison between snobby Mean Girl Ashley and "wholesome normal" Maddie, even thought that makes no sense for Maddie as a character, or in the show in general. So drinking fancy coffee makes you an asshole, and not makes you better? How does that work? Does Maddie just not like coffee, or have an Instagram? Wasn't she all into her social media feed last season? No way has she never seen people making complicated drink orders online, even if she hasn't ordered them herself (which I still dont buy). 

[AnnaRose]

Quote

Maddie:

Why are you treating everyone like this? We are all just trying to help you. Do you even realize how lucky you are? You should be having the time of your life right now instead of whining about everything and being a total bitch.

I hope the Youtube singer's friends were recording Maddie when she said this... then maybe her family can get a copy and play it on a loop for her.  I am not a violent person, but I still want to just punch Maddie in the face.   I hated how much time was wasted on her bratty self this episode.  And we had to listen to her go on about how great and talented she is, and how being an intern is so beneath her.  (They expected her to do stuff for them! The nerve.)  Ugh.  The only good thing was her apology to Deacon.  (I can't believe it took her this long!) Somehow though, it wasn't nearly enough for me, especially after her obnoxiousness earlier.

I wish Daphne would have just flat out told her that she's been a raging bitch for a long time now, instead of minimizing it.  Maddie still needs a major reality check.

I really like the actress playing Juliette's angel Hallie.  The character is lovely, except that it bugged me that she was so negative and rude about Juliette's gift.  I understand how a person might feel uncomfortable accepting such a large gift, (even though it was such a small thing for someone as wealthy as Juliette,) and she didn't help her for a reward... but sometimes it's more important to allow the other person to express their gratitude and accept it graciously.  After all, it's better to give than to receive and people get a lot of joy in giving. I can understand how important it was for Juliette to try and express the depth of her gratitude. Plus Hallie needs a safe car that works if she's going to continue to do her charity/foster work, so it was a thoughtful gift.   I'm glad Juliette was able to confide in Hallie later though.  She really needed to get that off her chest.  It was a very powerful scene and Hadyn was her usual awesome self.

As always, I loved seeing Avery, Will and Gunnar together.  A lot more of that, please!  Can we just get rid of Maddie and spend her time on them?  And Glenn, Emily and Daphne?  'Kay?   Thanks in advance, writers! :)

Oh, and Juliette feeling the pee on her leg but not the weight of Cadence on her lap... I guess she is regaining feeling distally first.  Is that how it normally happens?  The same way a person shows signs of motor nerve function returning by moving a finger or a toe?  Or maybe she never lost sensory higher up? 

[dcalley]

I don't know if Hallie was thinking of this among her reasons to refuse, but the insurance premiums on that new vehicle could have been a financial hardship to her. It's a gift that costs money to the recipient.

[AnnaRose]

That's true.  But she could have sold her old vehicle.  Or sold the new one and used the money for a cheaper vehicle plus insurance if it was that much of an issue.  Plus I would think Juliette already had it insured and paid the premium.  It was driven over to her.

Edited January 15, 2017 by AnnaRose

[deSchenke]

I think Juliette should have offered to get Hallie's jeep repaired so it's reliable.  And maybe pay for a rental while the jeep was in the shop.  It still would have helped Hallie without being too over-the-top.

[Sake614]

9 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

That's true.  But she could have sold her old vehicle.  Or sold the new one and used the money for a cheaper vehicle plus insurance if it was that much of an issue.  Plus I would think Juliette already had it insured and paid the premium.  It was driven over to her.

Since it was a gift, hallie would have to declare it and pay tax on the dollar amount of the car. Depending on the value, that could be quite a lot of money that she probably doesn't have. And even if Juliette  did pay for the insurance premium, for how long? what about maintenance and upkeep? It was a nice gesture but Juliette didn't think it all the way through. Maybe hallie likes her old car. Maybe she's concerned about appearances if she suddenly starts driving around in a luxury car? There are a milion reasons not to acccept such an extravagant gift.

[limecoke]

The whole episode was worth the song at the end.  I immediately went to iTunes and bought it.  It's even better because it's a duet with Jonathan Jackson.  Win/win.

I'm hopeful for this series because, so far, it's been better than anything I saw on the last two ABC seasons.  

[AnnaRose]

4 hours ago, Sake614 said:

Since it was a gift, hallie would have to declare it and pay tax on the dollar amount of the car. Depending on the value, that could be quite a lot of money that she probably doesn't have.

Nope.  The recipient would not owe any gift tax, the gift giver is responsible for any gift tax. Plus, Juliette could give her up to $14,000 (in 2016 - so the amount may be higher this year, it occasionally goes up) and if it's over that amount, it just counts against Juliette's lifetime gift tax exclusion of more than $5 million, so I highly doubt Juliette would even owe any gift tax. 

Anyway... I rewatched the episode and was probably a little too hard on Hallie, although she didn't have to be so harsh and abrupt about it.  She practically hung up on Juliette.  I just feel so bad for her.  She has been through so much trauma and I could appreciate her extreme gratitude and need to express it somehow.

Oh well.  Maybe Hallie can walk to her church, or get someone to pick her up when her car won't start.

[Lady Calypso]

9 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

Anyway... I rewatched the episode and was probably a little too hard on Hallie, although she didn't have to be so harsh and abrupt about it.  She practically hung up on Juliette.  I just feel so bad for her.  She has been through so much trauma and I could appreciate her extreme gratitude and need to express it somehow.

Well, to be fair, Hallie DID say that she had to go pick up foster kids or something, so she was legitimately in a rush. She said what she needed to say, she apologized for being abrupt but she had to go, and then she hung up. Juliette did try to do a really nice thing, but even she acknowledged that maybe it wasn't the right way to thank Hallie. Juliette does have a lot of money and can afford to do big gestures like that. But what if Juliette had been someone who didn't have copious amounts of money? How would she be able to thank Hallie then? Basically, I think that Juliette believes that she needs to perform this big, expensive gesture as a way of a thank you. She's not only thanking her for saving her life as a debt that she might never fully repay, she's providing Hallie with something that she will really need. 

The car was a very nice gesture and I am so on Juliette's side in this whole ordeal. I just can see where Hallie is coming from. It's a huge gift, and a car does have to be maintained. If anything needed to be repaired, it would have to be taken care of by either Hallie with the money that she may not have, or Juliette, which would be taking even more money from her and I can see Hallie feeling uncomfortable about it. I'm not really sure what kind of insurance can cover whatever problem that car may have in the future, but I can't assume all the problems would be covered cost-free for Hallie. 

This show did handle the situation very well, though. Juliette didn't get that upset when Hallie rejected the car. She did get a little upset initially, but she really matured since going to rehab and that clinic. It's actually nice to see a character fully redeemed in a believable way. 

Honestly, I assume from Hallie's last scene with her car having trouble starting, she'll eventually take Juliette up on that car offer, if it's still available. 

[Sake614]

11 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

The recipient would not owe any gift tax, the gift giver is responsible for any gift tax.

Okay I'm confused. I remember when Oprah gave everyone in the audience of her show a new car, and there was an uproar because they had to pay the taxes on the car. And if you win a prize on a game show, you have to pay the taxes. Is that different?

[Bort]

Game show counts as income tax. Maybe the problem with the Oprah thing is that it got qualified as an income tax and not a gift tax. Because that's true, the giver pays the tax, not the recipient.

[marybennet]

Gifts can make people feel indebted.  I read Hallie's turning down the vehicle partly as a matter of pride and a rejection of that weird indebtedness, just as I read Juliette's desire to give the car as a generous gesture but also a way to make herself feel less indebted for being saved. 

I love Rhiannon Giddens (Hallie) as a musician.  Anybody heard her sing with the Carolina Chocolate Drops or by herself?  She's pretty great and a fabulous fiddler.  I'm looking forward to see how they use her.  Got to admit I'm liking the changes this season.  It's all a little slower and more thoughtful. 

(Waving hi to you all.  I'm new to the forum!)

[DidISayThat]

1 hour ago, marybennet said:

I love Rhiannon Giddens (Hallie) as a musician.  Anybody heard her sing with the Carolina Chocolate Drops or by herself?  She's pretty great and a fabulous fiddler.  I'm looking forward to see how they use her.  Got to admit I'm liking the changes this season.  It's all a little slower and more thoughtful. 

(Waving hi to you all.  I'm new to the forum!)

Waving hi back atcha.  Thank you for pointing this out!  I didn't connect the dots.  I heard and saw Rhiannon for the first time when she recorded "The New Basement Tapes".  Think it was on HBO, I bought the soundtrack as well.  She is a special talent for sure and I look forward like you to see what they do with her character.

[Angeltoes]

The actress who plays Maddie is not cut out to be an actress.  Or she's got a lot of acting classes to take.  Her sister is much more of a natural.  Although, in one scene Maddie was leaning against the wall with her arms folded and it looked exactly like Rayna, so that was promising.

A stalker story is a yawner.

And I agree that Will, Gunner and Avery talk like real guys hanging out.

[Morgan of Hed]

The Lennon sisters were originally hired for their singing talents I'm sure.  They've been given more and more to do because people love those kids, but I wish they'd just trot them out every other episode to sing another lovely duet.

Edited January 16, 2017 by Morgan of Hed

[marybennet]

True, as Angeltoes said, that the Daphne actress is much better!  The way she agreed that her sister had become a little bit of bitch required subtlety in saying some version of yes but also some version of 'we're still buds,' and she managed it.  What the show is trying to do with Maddie is good, I think.  That thing we all noticed about how her speech to the YouTube star was a speech she should have been giving to herself seemed like something the show wanted us to notice.  I just wish Lennon Stella were a little better able to carry it off.

Going off to look for The New Basement Tapes....

[londonfroglet]

7 hours ago, marybennet said:

I love Rhiannon Giddens (Hallie) as a musician.  Anybody heard her sing with the Carolina Chocolate Drops or by herself?  She's pretty great and a fabulous fiddler.  I'm looking forward to see how they use her.  Got to admit I'm liking the changes this season.  It's all a little slower and more thoughtful. 

Lord, this woman. I've had the pleasure of seeing her live three times, twice with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, and once billed solo, while backed by most of the Drops. She holds me spellbound every time, and I cannot recommend her music enough, particularly if you are inclined toward Americana/folk. She can fiddle, she can banjo, and holy god, can she sing. 

I checked her IMDB, because aside from the cameo the band made on Nurse Jackie, I couldn't remember her in any other roles, and that reminded me that I think she was shown briefly in the final episode of Parenthood. She did a duet of "Forever Young" and they may have shown the recording of it as though they were recording it in the one character's studio.

Anyway, I was delighted to see her beautiful face on the screen. 

Also, Deacon's "... this April" was the best line of the episode for me.

[dcalley]

10 hours ago, Sake614 said:

Okay I'm confused. I remember when Oprah gave everyone in the audience of her show a new car, and there was an uproar because they had to pay the taxes on the car. And if you win a prize on a game show, you have to pay the taxes. Is that different?

Prizes and awards are not handled the same as gifts. 

[Sandman]

On 2017-01-15 at 0:07 AM, AnnaRose said:

I really like the actress playing Juliette's angel Hallie.  The character is lovely, except that it bugged me that she was so negative and rude about Juliette's gift.  I understand how a person might feel uncomfortable accepting such a large gift, (even though it was such a small thing for someone as wealthy as Juliette,) and she didn't help her for a reward... but sometimes it's more important to allow the other person to express their gratitude and accept it graciously. 

I wondered, with the shot of Hallie's junker near the end of the episode, if Hallie might actually call Juliette back to say she'd changed her mind about the car. I worried that Juliette's berating herself about the insensitivity of trying to "bribe" Hallie was over the top, but it makes sense if she's not the person she thinks she ought to be -- and clearly she's experiencing survivor's guilt. Panettiere continues knock this story out of the park.

I too wondered if Daphne was thinking "'Becoming?'" but I'm glad that Maddie realized her sister was going to be honest with her. I can tolerate small doses of Ashley the Internet Sensation if her behaviour creates more opportunities for Maddie to become self-aware.

12 hours ago, londonfroglet said:

Also, Deacon's "... this April" was the best line of the episode for me.

And speaking of self-awareness, Deacon's pretty appealing when he has a sense of humour about himself.

Edited January 17, 2017 by Sandman

[AnnaRose]

5 minutes ago, Sandman said:

I wondered, with the shot of Hallie's junker near the end of the episode, if Hallie might actually call Juliette back to say she'd changed her mind about the car. I worried that Juliette's berating herself about the insensitivity of trying "to bribe" Hallie was over the top, but it makes sense if she's not the person she thinks she ought to be -- and clearly she's experiencing survivor's guilt. Panettiere continues knock this story out of the park.

Yeah, that occurred to me too.  It really was a thoughtful gift.  I understand Hallie's reluctance though.  I have always had a very hard time receiving anything from anyone.  But I do still hold that the true joy is in the giving, and it was important to Juliette to give her a gift in return, since she feels Hallie literally gave her the gift of her continued life.  If Juliette knew her better, maybe she could have offered her a more modest car, so she could continue doing her good deeds, and a donation to her favorite causes.  When you're super wealthy, giving somebody an inexpensive gift like say a scarf or something would not mean very much because that's like pocket change to the person.  So in that regard I also understand wanting to make it more substantial to make it more meaningful to the giver.

I don't think it would make Hallie indebted to Juliette.  I'm sure Juliette already feels extremely indebted to Hallie, so if anything it would just even it up a tiny bit.

Oh well, I just hate to see Juliette suffer so much.  I'm glad it looks like she is on the mend. I want her, Avery and Cadence to have some lasting happiness together after all of this.  And hopefully we will see more of Glenn too.

[Sandman]

I think Juliette was sincerely trying to give something that would make Hallie's life easier, but Juliette has consistently been shown to have some pretty severe self-doubts and feelings of unworthiness, which she papers over with controlling and demanding behaviour. It's painful to see her admit to herself and to Hallie that she doesn't know how to change -- but, as I say, Panettiere makes it moving and watchable. Giddens makes a great scene partner. Her Hallie is kind and a little self-effacing, but clearly principled, and without the creepster obsequiousness we're seeing from the parade of stalkers and wannabes that Rayna seems to attracting lately.

Edited January 17, 2017 by Sandman

[luna1122]

I'm hoping this Juliette redemption arc thing isn't going to go TOO religious-y, but so far, I get it. She's really grappling with why she was spared when everyone else died in that crash, so I get her trying to find some answers and some peace. I have a harder time with her 'angel's' explanation: somebody was trying to show you that you ARE worth it, and you can change. Not the rest of the folks on the plane, they're worthless but you--you're special. whatever.

I heart Avery so very much, and, like everyone else, want to see more of him hangin' with the guys. I am the only one, apparently, but I feel bad for how Layla is just joke fodder now (and Will is one to talk about Avery being a psycho magnet, you attracted the same 'psycho'). Also, I'm gonna get tired of seeing Juliette push him away yet again. I do hope some of this leads to him ditching or at least sidelining the producing occasionally to sing some more.

I like how interconnected everyone seems now, tho it's kind of unrealistic and sentimental. Have we ever seen Maddie and Avery even speak to each other before? And now he's helping her score a job and giving her hugs. And a couple episodes back, Scarlett was being all big sisterly to Maddie, tho I couldn't recall them ever really interacting before either. But whatever. It makes them all seem like a big family, and it's kind of sweet.

Maddie's new potential squeeze is a cutie.

Edited January 17, 2017 by luna1122

[Juliette W]

I'm hoping this Juliette redemption arc thing isn't going to go TOO religious-y, but so far, I get it. She's really grappling with why she was spared when everyone else died in that crash, so I get her trying to find some answers and some peace. I have a harder time with her 'angel's' explanation: somebody was trying to show you that you ARE worth it, and you can change. Not the rest of the folks on the plane, they're worthless but you--you're special. whatever.

I heart Avery so very much, and, like everyone else, want to see more of him hangin' with the guys. I am the only one, apparently, but I feel bad for how Layla is just joke fodder now (and Will is one to talk about Avery being a psycho magnet, you attracted the same 'psycho'). Also, I'm gonna get tired of seeing Juliette push him away yet again. I do hope some of this leads to him ditching or at least sidelining the producing occasionally to sing some more.

I like how interconnected everyone seems now, tho it's kind of unrealistic and sentimental. Have we ever seen Maddie and Avery even speak to each other before? And now he's helping her score a job and giving her hugs. And a couple episodes back, Scarlett was being all big sisterly to Maddie, tho I couldn't recall them ever really interacting before either. But whatever. It makes them all seem like a big family, and it's kind of sweet.

Maddie's new potential squeeze is a cutie.

I can't speak to Maddie/Avery all that much as being interconnected, but Maddie and Scarlett are first cousins, so their interactions make sense.

Really love the scenes with Will, Gunner, and Avery just catching up with each other. They really deserve an least one episode that features a night of hijinks and music. Let them do a mini-road trip for a show and let's see them rock the stage again as a trio. :)

[luna1122]

19 minutes ago, Juliette W said:

I can't speak to Maddie/Avery all that much as being interconnected, but Maddie and Scarlett are first cousins, so their interactions make sense.
 

oh, yeah, I'd completely forgotten that. Tho of course, they're fairly newfound cousins. At any rate, I don't remember if they've ever really had scenes together, but I liked it.

[funnymoney33]

Did anyone else seem to notice Maddies new street musician guy seem to reach behind the desk when she got youtube girl the menu? Maybe I am wrong, but seemed like he was swiping something behind her back?

[Angeltoes]

Quote

Really love the scenes with Will, Gunner, and Avery just catching up with each other. They really deserve an least one episode that features a night of hijinks and music. Let them do a mini-road trip for a show and let's see them rock the stage again as a trio. :)

I love the road trip idea!  I wouldn't even care if it was their gig - say they heard someone else was playing and they spontaneously decided to jump in the car and go.  Poor Avery is so swamped with Juliet, the baby and his work that he needs a weekend with a convertible and convenience store snacks.

[Bubbles]

7 hours ago, luna1122 said:

oh, yeah, I'd completely forgotten that. Tho of course, they're fairly newfound cousins. At any rate, I don't remember if they've ever really had scenes together, but I liked it.

I vaguely recall at least one scene between them from a few years back where Maddie snuck out to a barn party and Scarlett was there. It may have involved Maddie getting drunk with her friends and Scarlett giving her advice about dealing with peer pressure. 

[paulvdb]

I also remember that. There may have been one or two other scenes, but I don't think Scarlett and Maddie had a lot of screen time together.

[wendyg]

It was originally Maisie Stella (Daphne) who auditioned for the show; then the sisters released their YouTube video of "Call Your Girlfriend", it got a lot of attention, and the show said, "Wait, there are two of you?" and hired them both. I've always thought that Maddie's original storyline about her birth was conceived for a younger child, when the chronology would have made more sense.

I would not be thrilled if someone bought me a car without consulting me about *which* car. The surprise car would be as welcome as a surprise house: these things are personal, and they come with seen and unseen costs.

[seewillrun]

Though I had hoped for a little more in regards to Maddie making things right with Deacon, I was satisfied with the scene and am glad to have that out of the way of any new storylines.  I did really like that Deacon got in the remark about Maddie "not ever trying to defend me".  She looked all shocked that he was speaking that honestly, and I was afraid he was going to back down from the statement, but they just let it sit there, an elephant in the kitchen.  The implied explanation for the delay in working through all this also seemed realistic to me.  She comes back home and everyone is just so happy for her to be there, that it doesn't get addressed.  Then one would start to worry that every raised voice or cabinet door shut too hard would spook her.  Finally it had to be faced and discussed. 

[thuganomics85]

I'm trying to remember, but didn't the Stella sisters actually get their start thanks to YouTube?  I kind of wonder if they got a kick out of the whole "YouTube star being a prima donna" plot-line.  But leave it to Maddie to almost make me take annoying YouTube girl's side.  Yes, Ashley is a jackass and a half, but really, Maddie?  If you can't learn to bite your lip and deal with it now, you are going to be in huge trouble going forward.  Because this industry (or really, any industry), is full of assholes, and you have to be civil with them when you are at the bottom, or you aren't going anywhere.  But I guess it is in character for her to go off like that, since she's always gotten away with stuff in the past.

I'm glad they addressed her past actions with Deacon and the trial, even if it was painful to relive them, since that might have been the absolute bottom of the barrel for this show.  She still has ways to go, but I'm glad she (and the show) are acknowledging that she really sucked then and what she said was not just hurtful to Deacon, but caused major damage that can't be glossed over.

Totally knew Hallie was going to feel uncomfortable with Juliette's gift.  Honestly, I found it hard to believe that Emily didn't have doubts about it.  I knew she meant well, but baby steps, Juliette!  Maybe try and offer to repair her car!  At least Juliette is getting feeling back into her legs, but she still has some doubts, because she wouldn't be Juliette without a little bit of self-doubting and drama.  Glad to hear her sing again at least.  Hayden Panettiere continues to be one of the highlights.

Speaking of highlights, glad Avery is finally getting more to do, even if I'm glad he's still a supportive boyfriend (or whatever his and Juliette's relationship is at the moment.)  Even got a Avery/Will/Gunnar scene!  Those three are the best when they are together.

Social media guy (who is kind of reminding me of a ginger Edward Nygma from Gotham) is clearly a creep who is stealing Rayna's shit, but that weird fan encounter with that other guy stood out.  I guess we're into "Guess the Stalker!" territory, now?

Not sure what to make of Maddie's new potential love interest.  Or the long term goals for Ashley.

Keep being awesome and laying the truth bombs, Daphne!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 1/18/2017 at 2:41 AM, wendyg said:

It was originally Maisie Stella (Daphne) who auditioned for the show; then the sisters released their YouTube video of "Call Your Girlfriend", it got a lot of attention, and the show said, "Wait, there are two of you?" and hired them both. I've always thought that Maddie's original storyline about her birth was conceived for a younger child, when the chronology would have made more sense.

 

7 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

I'm trying to remember, but didn't the Stella sisters actually get their start thanks to YouTube?  I kind of wonder if they got a kick out of the whole "YouTube star being a prima donna" plot-line. 

Yes, you are both correct! The pilot for Nashville was ordered by ABC in January 2012 and it was filmed in March 2012, so both Lennon and Maisy were cast some time before March.

They uploaded their cover of "Call Your Girlfriend" on May 29th (they had already uploaded about ten videos prior to this one) and it went viral almost immediately. Two days later, they were performing on Good Morning America. They got a ton of publicity so by the time that the pilot for Nashville aired in October, a lot of people already knew who they were.

The girls said that they were told to generate some publicity while they were applying for their work visas and that's why they uploaded "Call Your Girlfriend," so it's all connected!