S05.E10: I'll Fly Away

[Tara Ariano]

Quote

A legal dispute threatens to break apart the family; Juliette demands to perform at the CMT Music Awards; Will and Zach are drawn closer together.

[Armchair Critic]

WTF now Juliette's singing with a whiny voice that sounds like Scarlett. 

[NYGirl]

That ending was very hokey!!!  I do have to say it made me cry though.

It looks like they're going to build around Maddie now.  Ugh ugh ugh.

I hope Teddy comes back.  I always liked him.

I'm not sure where I stand on Tandy right now though.

[Primetimer]

And the most touching one comes from those closest to her.

View the full article

[Armchair Critic]

2 minutes ago, NYGirl said:

It looks like they're going to build around Maddie now.  Ugh ugh ugh.

I tuned in to see the aftermath of Reyna's death but I also think they are going to feature Maddie which will make me tune out.

[slasherboy]

Yeah, I didn't start this show for it to end up starring Maddie.  I'll give it one more episode, then I'm probably out.

[Stella MD]

I did like that they brought up Maddie's trumped-up testimony against Deacon when threatening to take her away from Deacon now. Finally a (brief) lesson for the brat about the consequences of crying wolf...

[CrystalMoon]

The ensemble is gone. I miss Avery, Gunnar, and  Will. I miss characters who wrote music and were scrapping to make it in country music. I miss Juliette and Avery having conversations. I will never, ever miss Maddie.

This relationship drama is not Nashville to me. I'll probably stop watching after this. I've been muting all the Maddie scenes anyway. With the way things are looking, there won't be anything left to not mute. 

[WhosThatGirl]

Well.. that was a whole bunch of crap that ended up being along the lines of Teddy being all "I can't be their parent anyway I'm still in jail for three months so.. whatever " aka the writers realizing they didn't have an end for this plot except for hold scenes for promos and also they can't afford to keep the actor who plays Teddy so.. eh.

So this show is basically my so called life but with singing!

[KaveDweller]

1 minute ago, Stella MD said:

I did like that they brought up Maddie's trumped-up testimony against Deacon when threatening to take her away from Deacon now. Finally a (brief) lesson for the brat about the consequences of crying wolf...

But they missed the fact that Maddie was emancipated as a result of the trial. I don't think they undid that legally, she just moved back in with Rayna because that's what they all wanted. But she legally doesn't have to get a guardian. I did love how casual Maddie admitted to perjury in that scene though.  

I felt bad that Juliette only reached out to Maddie instead of asking the sisters to sing together. I get why Juliette would do that though.

[dbell1]

I ugly cried lots of times tonight. Full out tears coming down my cheeks at the funeral, watching poor little Daphne without her mom, and then at the end. Charles and Maisey were just awesome in this episode.

Teddy getting custody?  Sure. A hooker sting, embezzlement, AND signing his underage daughters to slimy Jeff's label does NOT make a good case. And I still haven't forgotten him letting Lamar die.  Bucky can run the label, the girls can sing duets, and Deacon can wander around in denim shirts, it works for me. Tandy can just go away too. Her $ came from being shady and underhanded. 

Things I hated tonight, Juliette's swiss curls and black lipstick. Was it fright night at the chalet?  

And has Rayna always had that massive stone entry and Scarlett O'Hara staircase? 

[SuzieQ]

Just started the episode , so haven't seen the whole thing BUT what was Juliette thinking when she decided to start channeling Minnie Mouse for her hair?? She looks ridiculous, lol!

Edited March 3, 2017 by SuzieQ

[missbonnie]

I cried several times. I'm still on board with this show. One of the major complaints from the last season or so was that everything was done at breakneck speed and I am very happy that they've slowed things down. I myself thought that Juliette looked beautiful tonight. 

[Sandman]

50 minutes ago, dbell1 said:

Things I hated tonight, Juliette's swiss curls and black lipstick. Was it fright night at the chalet? 

Right? Oh, sure, Juliette, you were the closest to Rayna. So naturally you show up at her funeral looking like Maleficent.

And the stone-lined entry and sweeping staircase were a shock to me. Has everyone been coming in the back door, which I guess is off the kitchen?

Also, Tandy's kind of a cold bitch.

Edited March 3, 2017 by Sandman

[TVFAN]

I was glad to see Teddy and Deacon reach some type of compromise.  The truth is that without Teddy's agreement, Deacon would have no claim to custody of Daphne.  He's not a blood relative; he did not raise her; and Rayna did not make her wishes for custody known.  Tandy (or Teddy's siblings if they exist) would have the strongest claim for custody if Teddy did not give Deacon guardianship.  I have always had a soft spot for Teddy and hope he returns someday. 

Tandy is not my favorite character, but she is right about Deacon's lack of business acumen and experience.  Personally, I'd like to see Juliette take a leading role in running the company.  (Okay, she lacks experience, too, but she takes no prisoners!)  

Please writers, do not make this the Maddie hour!  I don't care if she has a storyline, but Juliette and Avery have been on the back burner far too long!!!!!!!  Also, more Will please.  And could we have at least one character sing some upbeat tunes???????  Luke's music was at least fun!

[SuzieQ]

Now that I've seen the whole episode I'm really torn.  I despise Maddie and am so sick of Deacon's kicked puppy look, even though it's justified with what's happened, this time.  But when Maddie started crying on that stage and Deacon & Daphne went up there to help her. I was sobbing! Like so much worse than last week.  That was very well acted and I didn't hate Maddie for maybe 2 seconds! PHEW! I hope that will pass!

[surfer]

I don't mind Teddy and Tandy discussing custody/business issues. But don't do it in the widow's damn house. When he and the girls are home. And within earshot. Go to a coffee shop for Christ's sake.

Also, poor Bucky. The only person to give the guy a hug was Emily of all people.

Edited March 3, 2017 by surfer

[bybrandy]

2 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

I felt bad that Juliette only reached out to Maddie instead of asking the sisters to sing together. I get why Juliette would do that though.

Yeah, Juliette has a relationship with Maddie and not with Daph.   And I could see her believing that Daphne was too  young to handle such an emotional performance on such short notice.  But really, I mean, does anybody believe that Daphne wouldn't have made it through the song if Juliette had asked her to do it?  Daphne's a pro.   

I don't know that I fully believe Scarlett's close relationship with both girls so quickly, but I was super glad they had Scarlett to lean on.

Bucky crying alone on the couch?  OMG saddest moment of the episode for me.   

This episode really needed to focus around they Rayna grief.  Because I just wouldn't believe the exes or Avery off writing a song or trying to plan their tour.   However, I need more balance on this show in the coming weeks and hard.  

Okay, mostly I need more Avery and Juliette... or, you know, just Avery.  And Will.  More Will is good but it seems like we might finally get some of that.

[GaT]

So Rayna had to die for us to finally get some music?

I was seriously bored, the whole custody drama between Teddy & Deacon seemed pretty obvious to me if Teddy was going to still be in jail, how did he think he was going to parent from his cell?

This is seeming more & more like it's going to be the Maddie show. I'm not interested.

[WhosThatGirl]

9 minutes ago, GaT said:

So Rayna had to die for us to finally get some music?

I was seriously bored, the whole custody drama between Teddy & Deacon seemed pretty obvious to me if Teddy was going to still be in jail, how did he think he was going to parent from his cell?

This is seeming more & more like it's going to be the Maddie show. I'm not interested.

Because it probably is going to be all about Maddie and I'm not into that either. 

Im kind of over this show. I have shows that I watch purely for the teenage drama but that's not what Nashville is. 

[Irlandesa]

I have a confession to make:  While I liked Rayna and Connie, she wasn't my top draw to this show so I was okay with the show killing her off if she decided to leave.  In fact, I was almost looking forward to seeing other characters move into more prominence.  I was hopeful for more Juliette, and Avery and Will.  I was interested in a Rayna-less Deacon.  Even more Gunner and Daphne would be okay.  But the show at least feels like it's focusing on two characters who do not interest me in Scarlett and Maddie.  

And I can't express how annoying I find Maddie.  It seems almost impossible to believe but I might find her more annoying this season than I did last season.  And her who bratittude is going to be the death of me with this show.  

But more than that, absolute carelessness with the details of the main drama of an episode is going to push me over the edge.  Take this whole custody situation.  I thought the drama would be that Teddy would feel Tandy should take custody of Daphne while he finishes his jail term. That storyline would have made sense given that Teddy and Tandy probably have a closer relationship as former in-laws than he has with Deacon.

But instead they make it seem as if it'd be a custody fight between Deacon and Teddy.  There would be no fight here.  Teddy is Daphne's only living biological parent. He raised her for most of her life.  Despite the fact that he's in prison right now, none of the crimes he's serving time for would lead to having his rights terminated forever in favor of her stepfather of barely a year. Therefore, where she lives would be up to him.   

As for Maddie, who has the right to make decisions about her remains a mess.  She's Deacon's biological child but in the eyes of the law,I think she still belonged to Rayna and Teddy.  Last season, though, when she sued for emancipation, was Teddy even mentioned?  Or did she just sue Rayna and Deacon?  Where does that leave Teddy's status?  But she won emancipation so, in theory, she can choose where she wants to live so why all of the drama in this episode unless she didn't win full emancipation last season?  Then tonight, Teddy mentioned he legally adopted Maddie.  Did the show ever mention that before?  I would think a legal adoption would mean the secret about Maddie's parentage would have come out a lot sooner since that's a legal document that someone would have dug up.  And can you adopt without having the biological parent give up their rights?

It's just so frustrating.  And poorly done.  Then we get to the Highway 65 situation about guardianship of a business and children.  Wouldn't Deacon, as Rayna's legal heir, get whatever she owned in Highway 65? It would have made more sense if the argument were about who was going to run the company with Deacon wanting to, Zach wanting to and Tandy getting to vote as (I think) a board member. 

[GaT]

19 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

 Then tonight, Teddy mentioned he legally adopted Maddie.  Did the show ever mention that before?  I would think a legal adoption would mean the secret about Maddie's parentage would have come out a lot sooner since that's a legal document that someone would have dug up.  And can you adopt without having the biological parent give up their rights?

 

I wondered about this too, I don't remember Teddy ever adopting Maddie, they just pretended she was his. Why would he need to adopt her when Deacon didn't have any idea he was her father & they had no plans to tell him? 

[EuropeanGirl]

I can't begin this post without asking this first: Why didn't they do a time jump, like Jane the virgin did? They can fill us in with flashbacks instead of endless episodes of mourning.

1. Yay for Teddy's comeback!!! I'm happy he's finally acknowledged by the show.

2. I'm glad they became aware of Tandy, too.

3. Will finally had scenes of his own.

4. A little bit more music.

The downsides for me are:

1. Trying to redeem Scarlett by making her supportive to others and putting her back in that goodie goodie role. She wasn't disrespectful and cruel to Gunner only once.

2. Gunner comforting her. They always make him too good, as in not enough confident to leave her behind and appreciate himself and his own worth.

3. I hope this show doesn't start to revolve around the girls only. They need to bring back the show in its full glory by making it all about music again and making Juliette a priority.

4. What a slap in the face for Daphne not being invited by Maddie to join her on stage. I'm glad they all sang together in the end. It was moving, but I really don't want them to drag out this sadness and mourning, so that's why the time jump would be good.

[Soup333]

That was my last episode. I'm getting out while the getting is...less shitty than it will be when they officially rename it  Maddieville. 

Its really too bad. I had high hopes for this season but I have no interest in the teen stuff. No real interest in Scarlett. Definitely none in Damien or Zach. I would love to see more Javery but since they couldn't even be bothered mentioning that Juliette was wearing her wedding ring again, I doubt Hayden will ever be treated as the remaining lead. It's not an ensemble so much as the Deyna show turned into the Maddie show with guest appearances from what used to be the main cast. 

[GaT]

55 minutes ago, EuropeanGirl said:

1. Yay for Teddy's comeback!!! I'm happy he's finally acknowledged by the show.

2. I'm glad they became aware of Tandy, too.

3. Will finally had scenes of his own.

 

They didn't have to pay Connie this episode.

[Quof]

Damn, Nashville, get some legal advisers.

Daphne is Teddy's daughter. Period. Rayna's will didn't need to make provisions for her guardianship, because Teddy is her father.  It's up to Teddy to determine who will care for her while he is in jail, unless and until the state terminates his parental rights, which will never happen.  The only thing that Rayna should have provided for was a trustee to hold the estate she left to Daphne until she becomes an adult, but the legal presumption would be that Teddy would also be the trustee.

Maddie is legally Teddy's daughter. No, he never adopted her, he didn't need to since he is named as her father on her birth certificate.  The reveal that Deacon is her biological father doesn't undo that without legal steps being taken, but I don't recall that ever happening.  But since she was emancipated, it's all legally moot. There is no reason for any kind of guardianship for her or the estate Rayna left her.  

[Daltrey]

Wow, this place sounds almost as bad as the imdb board was. I was starting to long for the horrible writing from last season until these last two episodes really kicked it up a notch. This one was probably the best of the season so far and easily the best in a long while. I really don't get all the hate for Maddie either; have her past transgressions really blinded everyone to the little bit of maturity and growth she's shown in these past two episodes? The only excuse for missing it is muting or fastforwarding her scenes, which is I think is the most stupid thing I've read people claiming to do, regardless of the show in question. How can anyone logically comment on or claim to have insight to something they haven't fully experienced? The fact that people have had such a visceral reaction to her character I would argue is a testament to her acting. From Day one I had hoped for more exposure for both of the amazing Stella sisters and with Connie now gone there is room for that to happen. I for one am not worried that the show is going to become completely focused on Maddie as I couldn't see the bigger stars, particularly Hayden, sticking around if that were to happen and the producers know they still need her and the others as the main draw.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

One thing that Zwick and Herskovitz do well on their shows is capture human emotion and this week they did a very realistic job showing the different ways that people mourn and cope. Within a family, it's just everyone taking turns being strong for someone else.

I know Scarlett's recent actions with Gunnar/Damian have not been very popular, but in this episode we saw how growing up with Beverly made her the strong one in a crisis. She was the one running the show at the wake, answering questions, making sure everyone was okay, etc. while holding her emotions, something I'm sure is a direct result of living with Beverly - her emotions come second in a crisis because she has to be the responsible one. I'm glad she told Maddie and Daphne to stick together at the wake.

Side note: watching this episode reminded me why it's so much better to have a wake at a neutral site like the church basement. That way you don't have a million people in your house. I felt for Daphne when she said, "When is everyone going to leave?" People just want to cry and instead they're stuck waiting for people to GTFO of their house.

While I understand Tandy's concern about keeping Highway 65 afloat, I thought it was a bit much for her to start talking shit about Deacon the day of the funeral. Yes, he's in an emotional state because the love of his life (TM TVD) just died. He's allowed to be a fucking mess. He's allowed to sit in the bedroom he shared with Rayna and stare out the window and cry. As for the Highway 65 payment that was due, why is that something Deacon has to deal with? Isn't that what Bucky and Rayna's staff at the record label is for? I mean, I get it. Deacon is an adult with two kids to take care of so he has to be responsible, but he's also allowed to mourn.

I want to believe that Tandy just wants what's best for Maddie and Daphne, but I really think that she still doesn't believe that Deacon has changed enough to be a responsible adult without Rayna. The fact that both Tandy and Teddy were trying to talk Deacon and Maddie into letting Teddy be the girls' guardian just reinforces my belief that they are being sneaky.

What was with Juliette's hair this week? Part of me is glad that they're changing it up from some of the hairstyles they've given her this season. And part of me understands that having her hair up, regardless of the style, makes sense because she's a mom and having a baby grab a hank of hair and pull sucks. But what was with the hairstyles this week? Her hair at the wake was like a combination between Heidi an Gwen Stefani circa

Ugh, Zack with Will is creeping me out. I'm glad Will voiced his concern about the power dynamic. Of course, Zack chose to ignore that and kiss him and we're supposed to find that charming? Endearing? I call it sexual harassment by an employer, but whatever!

I have been annoyed with Maddie's bratty behavior in the past, but this week I fully supported her initial decision not to attend the CMT awards. As she pointed out, why should she have to show her emotions about her mother dying in public? Even though she's legally emancipated, she is still a minor. And she's not a celebrity so she has no obligation to make any kind of public appearance. Tandy's reasoning (that Rayna meant the world to a lot of people) was a bunch of bull shit and exactly why I think she wouldn't make a good guardian. I'd be fine with her running Highway 65 because obviously she is more focused on Rayna James the brand than what's better for the mental health of Rayna's children. Attending the CMT show should have been Maddie's decision to make without any guilt trip/peer pressure from Tandy. All of those people who Rayna was so important to would have been just fine without Maddie sitting in the audience or singing.

Poor Bucky! The shot of him crying alone on his sofa was so sad. He wasn't her husband or her daughter but he loved her like family.

Deacon telling Teddy to take guardianship after he overheard Daphne crying about it reminded me of that bible story where two women are both claiming a baby as theirs and the king's solution is to cut the baby in half. The woman who agrees to give up the baby and let the other woman have it because she doesn't want the baby cut in half is the real mother because loving a child is about sacrificing your feelings to save your kid. Of course, that was all rendered moot when Teddy then turned around and was like, "Hey, Deacon, my lifelong rival, I decided that seeing you sing a song with my two daughters means you're actually a good dad. Oh, and P.S., I have to go back to prison anyway so why don't you keep the girls for now and when I'm released, maybe we can do some kind of My Two Dads/Three Men and a Little Lady thing together?"

[luna1122]

9 hours ago, WhosThatGirl said:

Well.. that was a whole bunch of crap that ended up being along the lines of Teddy being all "I can't be their parent anyway I'm still in jail for three months so.. whatever " aka the writers realizing they didn't have an end for this plot except for hold scenes for promos and also they can't afford to keep the actor who plays Teddy so.. eh.

So this show is basically my so called life but with singing!

This show should be so lucky to be 'my so called life'. Well, except for the cancellation part. But Lennon Stella is no Claire Danes. All that said, I was mostly okay with last night's show. Tho Scarlett being such a focus bugs me, because Scarlett bugs me. Her breaking down in the hallway seemed over the top and moved me not even a little. Gunnar going to comfort her bugged me even more.

Speaking of My so called life...Jonathan Jackson could be Jared Leto. I've never quite understood why he isn't a bigger star. He's just as pretty and talented as Leto, or Leo, or a lot of cute Hollywood boys. Now at least if this show will give him a real plotline.

I am not a fan of Juliette's Swiss Miss hair, but I LOVED her Malificent look at the funeral!

[cam3150]

Well, I was in more tears during this episode than last week, I think because I was so shocked last week.  The whole CMT show scene had me bawling. I thought it was very well done.  Yes. Maddie gets on my nerves and I hope they aren't going to center the show around her, but I do still love to hear her and Daphne sing.

I am so glad we aren't going to be subjected to some trial about who gets custody of the girls.  Thank you, writers, for not putting us through that.  Now, please don't put us through any kind of "Deacon goes back to drinking" story line. I am also not interested in seeing Deacon eventually find a new love interest so, please, never go there.  Thanks.

I never liked Tandy and that hasn't changed.  She's unleashing on Deacon the DAY of the funeral?  Really?? She and Teddy  and their conniving can go and never come back.  

 

Quote

Poor Bucky! The shot of him crying alone on his sofa was so sad. He wasn't her husband or her daughter but he loved her like family.

This!  This got me.  A lot.  Poor Bucky.  I wonder what will happen to him now?  I hope he's still on the show.  

Edited March 3, 2017 by cam3150

[coastal515]

I really hope it doesn't become Maddie centered, I can't stand her.  I'm hoping that, with the family singing, this could evolve into a family act with Bucky managing them.

I really miss Will, Gunnar and Avery dynamic.  They are my favorite characters.

[TVFANATICA2000]

I'll start by saying that I'm one of the few people who is not a "Deyna" fan; I've always thought they had an unhealthy and toxic relationship for the most part.  Also, I've always liked Teddy.  So the episode really got under my skin.

1.  So does Maddie no longer acknowledge Teddy as her father?  All he did was marry a woman pregnant with another man's child and then raise that child as his own.   He also could have cooperated with law enforcement in the sting in season 3 but that would have indicated Tandy and the dirty money she put into Highway 65 causing Rayna to lose it.  So he chose to go to prison instead.

2.  It's like the show is rewriting history with this as well making Deacon out to be the great dad and Teddy to be some kind of deadbeat.  Teddy and Tandy have every right to be concerned.  Deacon is a recovering alcoholic with anger control issues.  He just lost the love of his life.  Any parent with half a brain would be concerned that he would start drinking again.  Teddy has never gotten the props he deserves and now Deacon, Maddie and Daphne are the happy family.  As soon as Deacon and Rayna got married, Teddy's role as father was pretty much wiped from memory.  I bet if Deacon actually tried to discipline Maddie though Teddy would be daddy dearest again which she did in season 3 (I think) when Deacon got her upset so she called Teddy crying to pick her up.

3.  If this was a better written show, they would deal with these issues more realistically.  A normal person would probably have issues accepting a new biological father into their life.  The show makes any guy who isn't Deacon (that's was involved with Rayna) a jerk, wuss, etc.  To me that's because they can't have any challenge to the Deyna love story.  But again, if it was better written, they could do this and make all of the characters and story more dimensional.

But I will probably stop watching soon as I can't comprehend why the writers would make this show revolve around Maddie, which it seems to be going in that direction.  Maddie James on a talk show......I just threw up in my mouth a little.  I had such high hopes for this season, but alas, this is not Friday Night Lights :)

[FnkyChkn34]

I haven't seen the past two episodes, and although I know what I missed, I'll still say that it sounds like I haven't missed anything.  I'm sure I'll watch these two episodes eventually, but doubtful I'll keep watching the show.  Ugh.

[Lady Calypso]

Nice to see Teddy again. I always liked the guy in some capacity; at the very least, he was a great father, so it's a shame to see Maddie be so dismissive of all that he's done for her. Of course he lets Daphne/Maddie continue to stay with Deacon. Putting aside Maddie's emancipation aside since it's clear they're choosing to not acknowledge that tidbit, there's no way Teddy could have legally adopted Maddie. They would have been discovered far earlier then, right? That leaves a paper trail, unless they went super discrete. Either way, once Teddy gets out of jail in three months, I do hope he does come back and helps out with Daphne and Maddie. Daphne deserves her father to be in her life.

It would have been nice to see any Teddy/Daphne scenes. Yet we get Teddy/Maddie scenes, where it looks like she can't stand to be in the same room as him. 

As much as I like Teddy, I don't like Tandy and although I feel for her loss since she's known Rayna the longest, I don't like how she's kind of scheming already. 

It was nice to see the return of other past characters like Watty. I don't think we've seen Watty since season 1. 

I think the moment with the non-Jaymes/Claybourne family was very nice, especially with the small moment on Cadence. But on another scene, poor Bucky. He's truly just as devastated as the family is.

I am also not excited for the growing roles of Scarlett and Maddie. On the one hand, I'm glad that the females will be getting bigger roles instead of the males. On the other hand, it's Maddie and Scarlett, and they've ruined Scarlett this season for me in ways that can't be repaired by more screen time. And Maddie's just been frustrating for almost two seasons. She's been fine this last episode, but the future of her character clearly means a lot more screen time. 

[Clemgo3165]

35 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

I am also not excited for the growing roles of Scarlett and Maddie. On the one hand, I'm glad that the females will be getting bigger roles instead of the males. On the other hand, it's Maddie and Scarlett, and they've ruined Scarlett this season for me in ways that can't be repaired by more screen time. And Maddie's just been frustrating for almost two seasons. She's been fine this last episode, but the future of her character clearly means a lot more screen time. 

But it seems like the guys hardly have roles any longer. Isn't Deacon supposed to be a famous guitarist, band leader, and song writer? Where did that go? He's been hanging out at the kitchen at Rayna's making food and washing up for most of the season. Avery had one day as a producer and then went back to being Juliette's coat rack. What happened to his offer for representation? Gunnar's either quietly allowing Scarlett to be harassed or he's allowing Scarlett to harass him. And Will just hasn't been there since he broke up with Kevin. 

I like a good, strong female lead, but the guys have a place here too. I want to see them with their own lives, doing their own things, using their own talents, in addition to supporting the women. You can do both - I've seen it happen!

10 hours ago, bybrandy said:

Yeah, Juliette has a relationship with Maddie and not with Daph.   And I could see her believing that Daphne was too  young to handle such an emotional performance on such short notice.  But really, I mean, does anybody believe that Daphne wouldn't have made it through the song if Juliette had asked her to do it?  Daphne's a pro.   

Daphne's made of some pretty steely stuff (and sunshine and rainbows.) The way she stepped up to that mic and just started singing a cappella blew me away. And she killed it too. Love that kid. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I am a former fan, but, had to lay off due to my frustration with the show.  It just took too many bad turns for me, starting with Juliet having a baby.  From then it was down hill, but, anyway, I tuned in to see most of this last episode and a little from the one before that.  I admit that I did weep during that scene in the tribute.  I was a Rayna fan, so this was especially tough for me, but, I don't fault Connie for wanting to get out.  Without better scripts, I can't blame her.  

My question is what happened to Luke?  I know that Rayna broke up with him and I think the last I recall his son was witness to the accidental death of Jeff Forham.  I didn't follow after that. 

While I adore the sisters singing, I can't stand Maddie, along with many others.  I did feel for all of those who missed her last night, though.  GREAT to see Teddy.  I've always like his character, warts and all.  I can't see the show allowing the lead female character to be Maddie though, right? That's just WRONG on so many levels.  I wish they could find another lady to replace her....maybe someone like Jennifer Nettles....?  She's a super singer, would fit right in with the Nashville scene AND is a pretty good actress.  I've seen her in a couple of things like the Dolly Parton movie.  I wonder if she would do it. 

[NorthstarATL]

6 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Ugh, Zack with Will is creeping me out. I'm glad Will voiced his concern about the power dynamic. Of course, Zack chose to ignore that and kiss him and we're supposed to find that charming? Endearing? I call it sexual harassment by an employer, but whatever!

Centuries of happy heterosexual couples managed that power dynamic quite well. We've only been out in the open for about a couple of decades. Give us a chance to chart our own waters. The fact that a physical strength difference doesn't generally enter into the equation for gay couples already alters the situation. I thought it was pretty darn romantic, and I like both characters. AND it had nothing to do with the James Girls!

  As others have posted, given the history, the family struggle didn't make much sense. Maddie should be emancipated still and not subject to a guardian decision, and Daphne would probably fall under the care of her Aunt or father. It makes zero sense that Rayna wouldn't have set up a plan. She was not an average person. She should have lawyers handling all that stuff. She and Deacon both traveled a great deal, the girls have different fathers, one in prison. It's not the average we'll-get-around-to-this-later deal. Heck, I just drew up a will and I barely own more than a bike and a computer or two.

  That said, it might be fun to have Teddy move in and he and Deacon can be "My Two Dads" for the girls.

[Madding crowd]

1 hour ago, Lady Calypso said:

Nice to see Teddy again. I always liked the guy in some capacity; at the very least, he was a great father, so it's a shame to see Maddie be so dismissive of all that he's done for her. Of course he lets Daphne/Maddie continue to stay with Deacon. Putting aside Maddie's emancipation aside since it's clear they're choosing to not acknowledge that tidbit, there's no way Teddy could have legally adopted Maddie. They would have been discovered far earlier then, right? That leaves a paper trail, unless they went super discrete. Either way, once Teddy gets out of jail in three months, I do hope he does come back and helps out with Daphne and Maddie. Daphne deserves her father to be in her life.

It would have been nice to see any Teddy/Daphne scenes. Yet we get Teddy/Maddie scenes, where it looks like she can't stand to be in the same room as him. 

As much as I like Teddy, I don't like Tandy and although I feel for her loss since she's known Rayna the longest, I don't like how she's kind of scheming already. 

It was nice to see the return of other past characters like Watty. I don't think we've seen Watty since season 1. 

I think the moment with the non-Jaymes/Claybourne family was very nice, especially with the small moment on Cadence. But on another scene, poor Bucky. He's truly just as devastated as the family is.

I am also not excited for the growing roles of Scarlett and Maddie. On the one hand, I'm glad that the females will be getting bigger roles instead of the males. On the other hand, it's Maddie and Scarlett, and they've ruined Scarlett this season for me in ways that can't be repaired by more screen time. And Maddie's just been frustrating for almost two seasons. She's been fine this last episode, but the future of her character clearly means a lot more screen time. 

Teddy is Maddie's legal father, he is on her birth certificate. He doesn't need to adopt her. I like Deacon a lot but hate the way Teddy is treated like he is nothing. I also don't want the whole show to revolve around Maddie. Nashville was and is an adult centered show and needs to stay that way.

[tennisgurl]

I'm still not thrilled they killed off Rayna, but I thought this was a good episode, and I thought seeing everyone dealing with their grief was well done. I didn't even hate Maddie, and that's very impressive after the last few seasons. I even teared up a bit when Maddie broke down on stage. Plus, I still think Maddie has a good voice, when she isn't trying to be "sexy" or something. I just don't want Maddie to ever become our new female lead.

It was nice seeing a lot of past characters pop up (Teddy! Tandy! Watty!), and I liked seeing everyone interacting again. Although I wondered where Luke was during the funeral and reception. They were engaged after all, and they seemed to be on good terms the last time they talked. Also, as much as Scarlett has annoyed me this season, she is apparently a good person to have in a crisis. She seemed to be pretty much running everything while Deacon mourned and Tandy schemed, and she was great with the girls. Maybe if they focused on that side of her personality, I would like her storylines more.

The custody battle stuff didn't make a lot of sense to me. It seems out of character that Rayna wouldn't have had a will made, considering she's a wealthy and famous singer and business owner with a young daughter and a lot of family drama in her past. And, as everyone else has already said, Maddie is emancipated! She shouldn't even be an issue in this. They clearly remember all of this, as they mentioned Maddie lying in court about Deacon, so why didn't they mention that she didn't need a guardian. I did like the resolution, and the fact that this wont drag on. I've always had a soft spot for Teddy, especially as a father, so I hope he comes back, and we can get Teddy and Deacon in some kind of odd couple My Two Dads scenario. I can get behind that.

Poor Bucky! Him crying alone in his office just broke my heart. Please someone check on the poor guy! He loved Rayna like family, and apparently doesn't have many people in his private life, at least not that I've heard of.

Damn Tandy. I get that you want to make sure the business doesn't fall apart, but God dang lady. Acting like Deacon was some kind of mess and couldn't be a guardian to the girls just a few days after his wife died? Like, give the poor guy a few days to sit in his room and cry before you start scheming and trying to shove legal documents at him. The love of his life just died!

[Absurda]

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But instead they make it seem as if it'd be a custody fight between Deacon and Teddy.  There would be no fight here.  Teddy is Daphne's only living biological parent. He raised her for most of her life.  Despite the fact that he's in prison right now, none of the crimes he's serving time for would lead to having his rights terminated forever in favor of her stepfather of barely a year. Therefore, where she lives would be up to him.   

Quote

Daphne is Teddy's daughter. Period. Rayna's will didn't need to make provisions for her guardianship, because Teddy is her father.  It's up to Teddy to determine who will care for her while he is in jail, unless and until the state terminates his parental rights, which will never happen.  The only thing that Rayna should have provided for was a trustee to hold the estate she left to Daphne until she becomes an adult, but the legal presumption would be that Teddy would also be the trustee.

THIS.  Soooo, all this.  Teddy is just as much Daphne’s parent as Rayna was, full custody would automatically go to him as her surviving parent.  Prison is not an automatic disqualifier for custody of one’s children.  I would have expected he would name Tandy as temporary guardian until he was released.  It wouldn’t matter that Rayna had no provision in her will for custody of Daphne.

Quote

It's just so frustrating.  And poorly done.  Then we get to the Highway 65 situation about guardianship of a business and children.  Wouldn't Deacon, as Rayna's legal heir, get whatever she owned in Highway 65? It would have made more sense if the argument were about who was going to run the company with Deacon wanting to, Zach wanting to and Tandy getting to vote as (I think) a board member.

And this as well.  There’s absolutely no reason that guardianship of the business needs to follow custody of the girls.  It’s possible that, since this was created before their marriage, Daphne and Maddie would inherit either all or part (50% maybe) of H65 and it wouldn’t all go to Deacon.

I suspect both of these issues could have been easily resolved if Deacon, Tandy and Teddy could sit down as mature adults and work it out rationally.  Unfortunately, Deacon is an overemotional man-child who can only live his life by knee-jerk reactions and sees everything as win/lose.  And, though I like Teddy, he can’t help reacting to Deacon’s emotional BS so it all just spirals from there.

 

Quote

Ugh, Zack with Will is creeping me out. I'm glad Will voiced his concern about the power dynamic. Of course, Zack chose to ignore that and kiss him and we're supposed to find that charming? Endearing? I call it sexual harassment by an employer, but whatever!

I found this uncomfortable as well mainly because it’s really not clear to me if Will is actually interested in Zack. We’ll see how it shakes out though. 

Quote

It would have been nice to see any Teddy/Daphne scenes. Yet we get Teddy/Maddie scenes, where it looks like she can't stand to be in the same room as him. 

Agreed.  I would have loved to see some tender Teddy/Daphne scenes like we got that tender Maddie put's Deacon to bed scene.  I also hate how Maddie treats Teddy like some monster out to destroy her life.  All he's done to her is love her and raise her for the majority of her life.  And her calling him Teddy is a slap in the face.  Someone should tell Maddie that it's possible to call 2 people Dad.  It's not a zero-sum game.

I'll give Tandy the benefit of the doubt that she is not "scheming" so much as she's finding something to distract her from her grief.  Much easier to deal with a business problem than the loss of her sister.

On the plus side:

Scarlett was not completely insufferable

We got some Will time and story line

Maturity of Juliette realizing the tribute was not about her and she shouldn't make it about her.

Avery muttering "good luck" to Maddie as she goes in to see Juliette

More music and the final song sung by Deacon, Daphne and Maddie

[RemoteControlFreak]

Hard to get past the brown lens filter on this episode.  I mean, come on, can't they tell a sad story without having to literally make every scene darker?

And the writings of the characters on this show continues to be among the most uneven on television, especially for the female characters.  

[MaiSoCalled]

I really appreciated how the final song made sense for all the characters involved. 

As soon as Juliet called Maddie to her dressing room, I knew where the story was going and I was sad that Daphne wouldn't be singing too. However, while I wanted her as a viewer, Juliet and Maddie were always the two with the connection. Juliet has always encouraged Maddie's career, not Maddie and Daphne. I also really liked when Juliet admitted that she wouldn't have been Rayna's first choice to sing a tribute. 

Daphne and Deacon running on stage after Maddie broke down made the moment very true to the characters, especially when sweet Daphne knew that the best thing they could do was sing together. It was an even better outcome than just Maddie or the Maddie/Daphne song that I had wanted. 

I also have to admit, I love the current version of Scarlett. She works well as the level head in a crisis. Scarlett and Maddie are both characters who work well as members of the family unit. Maddie is at her best when comforting Daphne or honoring Rayna or Deacon, and I love Scarlett's relationship with the girls and Deacon. 

More loving family Maddie and Scarlett and less boy problems and romantic drama Maddie and Scarlett, please. 

[ferretrick]

Can I ask one thing? Do these services where people have to stand around a fresh grave huddled under umbrellas in pouring rain (it's always pouring rain) happen anywhere but on TV? I have attended many graveside services. They are usually a brief follow up after the actual service at the church or funeral home and only the minister speaks. And the cemetery usually has a gazebo of some kind or sets up a covered tent for this purpose. I have never stood outside in the rain for a funeral.

[Clemgo3165]

Every time I've been to a graveside service there have been chairs, a cloth covering the ground, and a tent over it all. Most of the services I've been too have been after a service in a church, but I've been to a couple that have been strictly at the cemetery.

[justmythoughts]

Deacon has been sober for a short period and that could be a concern for sure when Tandy and Teddy were discussing the girls. But damn the man has lost his wife, it was the funeral day, cut him some slack! 

Glad they have decided to go with the agreement for the sake of the girls. But not glad how the scenes were made to look like Teddy was all shady and Tandy, just wanting to grab the money... Seemed greedy. And sure they have dark sides but I don't think they would show them so ugly that specific day. 

Juliette was great in her scenes. Beautiful hair, and she seems mature or at least trying to be. But baby Cadence... The levels of cuteness have been redefined. I love that although romance is not bern the centre of later scenes of Javery, being married for 10 years, I myself , appreciate how they seem gentle and caring with each other, it shows a deeper side of that relationship.

Bucky at the sofa and the final song for Rayna melted my heart.

Still can't stand more than a few minutes with either Scarlett or Maddie. please show, make this centred in Juliette and Avery while developing few caracthers aside. 

Edited March 3, 2017 by justmythoughts

[LIFLA]

The writing about all of the legal stuff was so sloppy. They mentioned the emancipation but didn't realize Maddie doesn't even need a legal guardian?  And I have always liked Teddy, even though he went to jail he was always a good father to the girls. He really loves them. Since they specifically mentioned Teddy gets out in three months, I wonder if he will be on the show in the future or they will just mention him from time to time.

I don't know why they don't use Jonathan Jackson more. He is a phenomenal actor and a great musician. The man has 5 emmys. I want to see more of Avery and Juliette and how they balance their family and careers.  Avery should be doing more than crying all the time and holding Juliette's coat (although he is a great crier). I need more Avery!

2 hours ago, ferretrick said:

Can I ask one thing? Do these services where people have to stand around a fresh grave huddled under umbrellas in pouring rain (it's always pouring rain) happen anywhere but on TV? I have attended many graveside services. They are usually a brief follow up after the actual service at the church or funeral home and only the minister speaks. And the cemetery usually has a gazebo of some kind or sets up a covered tent for this purpose. I have never stood outside in the rain for a funeral.

That's usually how they do it on TV most of the time. Pretty much every funeral I've been to there was a church service first then a few words said at the graveside, then everyone goes back to the funeral home. During my Grandma's funeral it was freezing cold and snowy, so a few words were said in the mausoleum instead of at the gravesite.  

[Irlandesa]

15 hours ago, Daltrey said:

I really don't get all the hate for Maddie either; have her past transgressions really blinded everyone to the little bit of maturity and growth she's shown in these past two episodes?

Serious question--what happened in these past two episodes that you'd define as maturity and/or growth?  

15 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Of course, Zack chose to ignore that and kiss him and we're supposed to find that charming? Endearing? I call it sexual harassment by an employer, but whatever!

Too funny.  I think if Will really liked Zach, he wouldn't be bringing up the power differential. The last thing people want to think too hard about when they want to move forward is the negatives about moving forward.  But what really stood out to me was the weirdly romantic hand holding they did after that kiss.  I don't know. It seems like the kind of gesture two people might have if they were further along in their relationship than these two are. 

9 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

My question is what happened to Luke?  I know that Rayna broke up with him and I think the last I recall his son was witness to the accidental death of Jeff Forham.  

His son joined the army.  At the end of last season, Luke sounded like he wanted to reunite with his ex-wife/his son's mother.  This season, we find him on tour and wanting to sell his record label.  Rayna offered to buy it and Luke agreed.  That's the last we've seen of him. 

8 hours ago, Absurda said:

I suspect both of these issues could have been easily resolved if Deacon, Tandy and Teddy could sit down as mature adults and work it out rationally. 

Sure.  Just as both of these issues could have been easily resolved, or at least the custody issue, had the show decided to treat it as if they were a real life situation where the law is more clear than the TV law they conjured up to create drama. 

[KaveDweller]

11 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Nice to see Teddy again. I always liked the guy in some capacity; at the very least, he was a great father, so it's a shame to see Maddie be so dismissive of all that he's done for her. Of course he lets Daphne/Maddie continue to stay with Deacon. Putting aside Maddie's emancipation aside since it's clear they're choosing to not acknowledge that tidbit, there's no way Teddy could have legally adopted Maddie. They would have been discovered far earlier then, right? That leaves a paper trail, unless they went super discrete. Either way, once Teddy gets out of jail in three months, I do hope he does come back and helps out with Daphne and Maddie. Daphne deserves her father to be in her life.

I think they said Teddy adopted her as short cut for explaining the whole backstory. The point they wanted to get across was that he's her legal father, and I guess they thought the word adoption would be easier for people to understand then getting into him being on her birth certificate and all that.  You're right that he didn't adopt her. It would have been public record that he wasn't her biological father and everyone would have known what that meant. Plus to adopt, wouldn't Deacon have had to give up his parental rights?

But even last year when Maddie sued for emancipation they mentioned Teddy being her legal father and he was the one mentioned on the lawsuit. He even made an appearance I think and was upset about it.

8 hours ago, ferretrick said:

Can I ask one thing? Do these services where people have to stand around a fresh grave huddled under umbrellas in pouring rain (it's always pouring rain) happen anywhere but on TV? I have attended many graveside services. They are usually a brief follow up after the actual service at the church or funeral home and only the minister speaks. And the cemetery usually has a gazebo of some kind or sets up a covered tent for this purpose. I have never stood outside in the rain for a funeral.

I was at a graveside service that followed a church funeral where it was pouring rain. They had a tent up around the grave, but only a few people fit there so most of us were huddled under umbrellas outside of it.

I have also been to a funeral where the entire service was outside at the grave site, but that time it was sunny.

[slasherboy]

During the montage of people mourning/crying, who was laying in bed with Daphne?  I know I'm wrong, but I swear it was Gunner.  I'm wrong, right?

[Lady Calypso]

7 minutes ago, slasherboy said:

During the montage of people mourning/crying, who was laying in bed with Daphne?  I know I'm wrong, but I swear it was Gunner.  I'm wrong, right?

I'm pretty sure it was Scarlett, which is funny because I thought it was Gunnar laying besides Scarlett for three seconds.