S02.E20: Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Scarlett's breakdown is driving everyone to point fingers at who might be responsible for her condition. Deacon is blaming Rayna for pushing her too fast, Rayna is blaming Juliette and for forcing her on stage and Beverly thinks Rayna is only interested in seeing her label succeed. It always feels like everyone has an axe to grind with Juliette so she turns to Avery, only to find him preoccupied with Scarlett. During her moment of weakness, she is driven right into the hands of her nemesis. Meanwhile, Layla tries to convince Will to join her in a reality show.

[againstthewind]

Oh goodness gracious. I knew when they casted Oliver Hudson that he'd potentially end up in bed with one of the leading ladies, but I assumed it'd be Rayna.

 

Not sure where they're going to go with Scarlett's storyline now but I'm interested to find out. Her mom is insufferable but Scarlett made all of her bad decisions for herself.

 

I still can't get over Juliette's shitty decision making.

[missbonnie]

Me neither, in fact it really pissed me off that the writers even went there. It's like heaven forbid we write Juliette growing up just a little bit. I'm assuming that Deacon doesn't know that his witch of a sister used to beat the hell out of his niece, or he wouldn't have let her have any say in Scarlett's treatment.

[Steph01924]

I literally "ewww'd" out loud when Juliet and Jeff started kissing. Even Juliet couldn't look him in the face. Wtf, writers, why does Juliet have to be such an asshole?

They need to get Scarlett back with Gunnar so they can do duets again (though I liked his song for her tonight). I don't care if they are together personally or not, but if they do and it gets Zoe off my screen, have at it.

I really wanted Scarlett to tell her mom to go to hell or at least tell someone how abusive she is so Mommy could get a beat down. Telling her mom how much she loves her before shipping her off wasn't what I wanted to see. I guess I'm more vindictive than perfect Scarlett.

[ReadingZombie]

I really wish Juliette hadn't had sex with Oliver (I can't remember his character's name), but it was pretty much in keeping with her character for the last two seasons. I wish she had maintained the growth she'd shown up to now, but I guess that was too much for the her -- or the writer's-- to handle? I love Avery and Juliette together. I think they bring out the best in each other. Why did they have to go and screw that up? It's like we're back at square one with her!

 

I hated, with the power of a thousand suns, Scarlett's sanctimonious attitude towards Juliette. How was Juliette supposed to know that Scarlett was going to have a complete meltdown on stage? Then Avery agreeing with her that Juliette "forced her" to perform? Just ugh. I could see Juliette doing something (typed that as someone at first, hee!) stupid a mile away.

 

I do think Oliver's character is sexy in an oily sort of way. Too bad they can't find something better for him to do than toss insults around and have sex in hallways at parties. 

 

So is Scarlett going to go back to songwriting? I sincerely hope this is not paving the way for her to get back with Gunnar or Avery. No. Just. No. I'd rather see her with Oliver. Just joking. Although... I did like her with Liam and that surprised me, so maybe pairing those two together would make them both more interesting. 

 

I hate the Will and Layla garbage. Who cares? More specifically I hate Layla. It was much more interesting when Will was single and waging an inner battle with his true self. I am confused about something, though: has Will ever been in a "relationship" with a man, or has he only ever had sexual liaisons with men and then tried to hide those by being a big ol' heterosexual cowboy in public? I'd like to see him in a relationship with a man, and watch the dynamics of having to keep it a secret play out. ('Cause apparently country music isn't ready for an "out" gay country singer.)   

 

What happened to Zoey moving to LA? Now she's moving in with Gunnar at his new place? Does that mean there may be hope for the trio yet?

 

Why the heck doesn't Rayna sign Gunnar to her label? Or Deacon? Or Avery? Or Zoey? Or the trio? Or her own dang daughter? She's surrounded by talent and yet she's only managed to sign Scarlett and Juliette? ARGH! So frustrating show!

Edited May 1, 2014 by ReadingZombie

[Fisher King]

I was hoping that Juliette would slap the shit out of Scarlett's mother but NO, Juliette's too wrapped up in her jealousy of Avery. But we all knew that the show would screw up the Avery/Juliette storyline. We can't have nice things.

Juliette and the Edgehill guy --- barf.

 

I actually kinda liked Scarlett this episode. At least she stood her ground and told her mother to leave. She'll be back waitressing at the Bluebird......and singing......and I'm down with that.

 

Really liked the song Gunnar sang.

 

The reality show is gonna create all kinds of chaos. Bring it on.

 

 

[ramble]

Who knew an episode focused on Scarlett could be so boring? Me that's who. What a fast forward feast. I'm getting bored with Juliette making stupid decisions, Scarlett being a pour little misunderstood thing & Rayna being holier than thou. I don't mind some formulamatic soapy drama, but when it becomes so repetitive that I don't even need to watch to know what happens than it's a waste of my time. Maybe I'm in a bad mood, although I don't feel like it, but tonight made me want to quit this show for good.

Has it been renewed? I read some news blurb saying they might quit filming in Nashville because they could better tax incentives elsewhere. Another reason to encourage me to check out. Boo.

[Dusty]

I don't really see where Rayna was being holier than thou.  I think she handled all this extremely well but I don't really see how that's holier than thou.  I think she did what needed to be done.  She was there for Scarlett while also trying to be there for her label.  I like that she didn't just drop everything.  She still has a label to run (get off the ground) and she needed to do some damage control on this whole situation while also trying to be supportive. Which is exactly what she did.  She was a bit dismissive with Juliette but Juliette was so sensitive this whole damn episode that short of Rayna bowing at her knees to thank Juliette for being a decent human being she would've taken as some sort of slight. And can I have Rayna give a calm yet concise verbal smackdown every episode?

 

I don't think it was right of Scarlett to blame Juliette for what happened but she still on the really unstable/denial side of things.  Wasn't this all in the same day?  Juliette still had the same clothes from the plane when she went to visit.  She was by the end of the episode and if there isn't some sort of scene in the very near future with an apology or "I know what happened wasn't your fault" I'll be extremely disappointed. Until then, I'm gonna give her a small pass on that one since she did take responsibility at the end of the episode.

 

In the large scheme of this show I'm not interested in Scarlett's storyline in the slightest.  Except that I really need Beverly to stick around for a little bit to be exposed as a terrible, abusive mother then banished to whatever crappy life she's got left in front of her.

 

[EdnasEdibles]

I'm annoyed with how everyone treats Scarlett like she's mentally challenged or something.  Telling a grown woman that she signed a contract and needs to play the show that she agreed to play as a part of her job is not forcing her to do anything. I'm happy she finally owned up to her own decisions but I am tired of how much they all tip-toe around her. 

 

I like watching Juliette a lot more when she's developing and growing and changing. I would have loved for her and Rayna to band together against Oliver Hudson. She could have still been a bitch but would have grown a little bit. 

[jester]

I too was so annoyed they went the predictable route with Julliette sleeping with sleaze bag Jeff. I get it's a soap but that's just lazy writing. I'm also annoyed they laid out this whole Scarlett storyline just to get Avery back to being by her side. No matter what his intention he is smart enough to know that him acting like he was with Scarlett and agreeing with her that Julliete pushed her, would push Julliete away in some way. She felt cheated on hearing him tell Scarlett she had a piece of his heart and always would. That doesn't excuse her daliance with scuzzy but at least made it more understandable, though again, totally predicatable and cliche.

 

Loved the song Gunnar wrote and on some level I hope it wakes him up to his connection to Scarlett is MUSIC and doesn't have to be anything else. They were both at their best writing together.

 

And YES why isn't Rayna signing these talented people around her instead of acting like she has to shoulder it all on HER album.

[Tara Ariano]

Here's Sarah's post on the episode!

[madam magpie]

Why the heck doesn't Rayna sign Gunnar to her label? Or Deacon? Or Avery? Or Zoey? Or the trio? Or her own dang daughter? She's surrounded by talent and yet she's only managed to sign Scarlett and Juliette? ARGH! So frustrating show!

 

Rayna doesn't sign her daughters or Deacon for obvious reasons. Daughters: They're kids, and she's said many times she doesn't want them in the spotlight until they're grown. Deacon: That relationship is way too battered and raw right now for them to be working together. My guess is she doesn't know about Zoey. Avery was being a producer last Rayna knew. The trio has broken up. Which leaves Gunnar. In the end, she'll probably get him, yes.

 

I don't see how anyone could possibly call Rayna "holier-than-thou." She went to the airport to pick Scarlett up, checked her into a super-fancy rehab center, took Deacon's ridiculous jabs, told Beverly to suck it, tried to figure out how the hell this had happened, talked Scarlett off the ledge when she ran away, supported Scarlett's right to make her own decisions, and then in the end did absolutely the right thing by letting her out of the contract. Setting aside the fact that Scarlett is basically Rayna's niece and she loves her and has known her all her life, Rayna's whole purpose for the record label was to escape being forced to do something she didn't want to do artisically. There's no way she'd then turn around and force one of her musicians to do that. From where I sit, Rayna was incredibly nurturing, understanding, and proactive throughout this episode.

 

The whole thing with Juliette and Jeff was just ridiculous. I know Juliette has a history of being self-destructive, but she's not usually gross.

Edited May 1, 2014 by madam magpie

[Charlie Baker]

Pretty much with you on this, Madam Magpie.

 

The round robin of blaming and finger pointing felt pretty authentic for this bunch.  I agree that Deacon must not know how Beverly has treated Scarlett.

 

I didn't find Juliette hooking up with Jeff out of character for her. She's got a lot of likable qualities, but she is impulsive and self-destructive, too, and she was mightily pissed off, so why not the first dude she can grab, even if it's Jeff?

[madam magpie]

I agree that Deacon must not know how Beverly has treated Scarlett.

 

I'm thinking he's in denial about it, actually. This show sometimes throws real extremes at us and has the characters act like it's a minor issue, so I can't be sure. But Scarlett tried to tell him about her mother and he minimized and invalidated what she was saying. I liked that Scarlett stuck up to her guns about it, and I think Rayna, Juliette, Avery, and Zoey see Beverly's abuse pretty clearly, even if maybe only Zoey really knows the extent of it. But Deacon can't seem to face what his sister really is. She's not someone who just needs to shape up, put aside her family squabbles, and love Scarlett unconditionally. She's someone Scarlett needs to be protected from. I don't know if that's going to come up again, though, or if Deacon will ever realize it.

 

I didn't find Juliette hooking up with Jeff out of character for her. She's got a lot of likable qualities, but she is impulsive and self-destructive, too, and she was mightily pissed off, so why not the first dude she can grab, even if it's Jeff?

 

But...but...she hates him! It would have made perfect sense if she grabbed a random drunk guy in a bar. I wouldn't call foul on that. But Jeff?!

[Muffyn]

Was there something going on in Gunnar's pants at the golf course?  No, really.  Beyond being very ugly, they just looked a little, er, full, at the end of the scene.  Is he packing or just happy to see us?

 

Too much Scarlet.  I can only hope that, after her big melt down, we'll now get less of her.  I can dream, can't I?

[gik910]

Well- this was the first time that Zoey has been actually useful.

 

WTF with the doctors (and everyone else aside from Zoey) at that clinic- Scarlet visibly tensed up any time her mom was around.  Clear signs of an issue.  

 

Aside from Rayna's dismissal of Juliette (which I chalk up to more of a gettin' shit done mentality), Rayna handled that as well as someone in her position could.  

 

Juliette was right- Scarlet is a grown ass woman who signed a contract and that is how the business works.  Being fragile does not get a special pass.  Girl need therapy (at least she did take some ownership when she was leaving the hospital).  

 

Hopefully, we can have less of Scarlet now.  I think I might actually rather watch Will & Layla's reality show than more of that... 

 

Speaking of: Jeff's eye-rolls at that party were epic.

Edited May 1, 2014 by gik910

[CruiseDiva]

Please, please, please... dump the Scarlett character next season! Send her, her funky wardrobe, and her woe-is-me angst back to where she came from. Seriously, she adds nothing interesting to the other actors' storylines except chaos. She's such a downer that she's ruining other characters' lives in addition to her own.

 

Plus, I cannot stand the actress who plays Scarlett's voice and can barely understand a word out of her mouth. Basically, I think the reason for her mushy speaking voice is that she's trying to convey a Southern accent while simultaneously covering up her natural Aussie accent. It's not working. Trust me, I'm from Georgia and have no problem understanding the other actors, even Gunnar.

Edited May 1, 2014 by CruiseDiva

[FineWashables]

Still trying to figure out how the doctor can just announce, "she's not an addict."  I understand that he said this because Scarlett didn't suffer withdrawal but seriously, if she'd taken that many pills every day over a period of weeks as we were shown, then I don't care if it was nothing more than over-the-counter cold meds: there would be a physical response to stopping.

 

Still confused by the way Rayna helped her.  "Oh, you had a panic attack on stage, so I'm firing you.  You're welcome."  I know that's not how I'm supposed to interpret it but still, that's what happened.

 

Liked how Juliette recognized the problem and tried to help.  That might be somewhat interesting to explore, and it wouldn't be the worst storyline they've foisted on us.

 

Anybody else surprised to see that chick from Revenge show up, speaking without an accent?  Since we know she's an actress with some momentum right now due to that role, I expect her to have a new storyline tied to her here on Nashville.  (Wonder if she's being moved out of the Hamptons, and this is her next gig?)

 

ETA: And Layla, please go away.

Edited May 1, 2014 by FineWashables

[whatsatool]

Yes enough of the angst.  I think the actress who plays Scarlett had an unusually tuff childhood so we she be somewhat understanding.   I saw her on one of the monring talk shows I think.   I love Oliver from Rules of Engagement so I'm happy if my favorite actressand cottonmonger  ends up with him.  

[madam magpie]

Still confused by the way Rayna helped her.  "Oh, you had a panic attack on stage, so I'm firing you.  You're welcome."  I know that's not how I'm supposed to interpret it but still, that's what happened.

 

I think it was more like...

Scarlett: "I had a panic attack on stage and hate this job so I really want to quit, but I'm legally required not to and am scared you won't love me anymore, even though you're basically the only decent mother figure I have."

Rayna: "OK. I won't hold you to the deal you signed or make you pay back all the money you cost me, and I do still love you. You're welcome."

[Sonja]

Why the heck doesn't Rayna sign Gunnar to her label? Or Deacon? Or Avery? Or Zoey? Or the trio? Or her own dang daughter? She's surrounded by talent and yet she's only managed to sign Scarlett and Juliette? ARGH! So frustrating show!

Gunnar would cost her money. The fact that he had a number one hit as a songwriter means nothing for his career as a recording artist. Building him up to becoming one would take a lot or work and money Rayna doesn't have. He's one of those guys you keep on your radar and have meetings with on and off and sign him when he's ready. At the stage Gunnar is as a solo artist, signing him wouldn't make the least bit of sense.

 

I don't really see where Rayna was being holier than thou.  I think she handled all this extremely well but I don't really see how that's holier than thou.  I think she did what needed to be done.  She was there for Scarlett while also trying to be there for her label.  I like that she didn't just drop everything.  She still has a label to run (get off the ground) and she needed to do some damage control on this whole situation while also trying to be supportive.

 

I agree. Not only would enforcing the contract have stood against everything Highway 65 is supposed to be, but it could never have worked out anyway, so better to cut her losses, being able to still look herself in the eye, not losing Deacon's trust again, etc.

 

I like watching Juliette a lot more when she's developing and growing and changing. I would have loved for her and Rayna to band together against Oliver Hudson. She could have still been a bitch but would have grown a little bit. 

 

The issue here is that you can't trust Juliette to keep to a plan though. She's proven that again and again, so banding together really isn't an option.

 

Rayna doesn't sign her daughters or Deacon for obvious reasons. Daughters: They're kids, and she's said many times she doesn't want them in the spotlight until they're grown. Deacon: That relationship is way too battered and raw right now for them to be working together. My guess is she doesn't know about Zoey. Avery was being a producer last Rayna knew. The trio has broken up. Which leaves Gunnar. In the end, she'll probably get him, yes.

 

I agree. Also, none of those people would sell records and she doesn't have the money to build them up at this juncture. Especially now that the one artist she invested in is out of the picture and Juliette is still on everyone's **** list.

 

WTF with the doctors (and everyone else aside from Zoey) at that clinic- Scarlet visibly tensed up any time her mom was around.  Clear signs of an issue

I was waiting for someone to drag her off by the ear and identify her as a big part of the problem too.

 

I really wish this show was more music industry and less soap. It actually started out as somewhat authentic ('that's what auto tune is for' etc.) and then went downhill rapidly. Also, how does Jeff still have a job? He lost Edgehill two of its biggest stars, didn't manage to break Layla and is apparently completely unable to even keep talent that doesn't yet have any pull against the label in check (Will). Let's not even get started on his non-existant negotiation skills. In real life, that guy would have been eaten alive in this business, not made label head.

[SunnyBeBe]

I'm more ticked at Avery than Juliette.  He was doing everything he could to push Juliette's buttons.  It seems that ever since she told him he held her heart, he's done everything he can to break it, even though he said he wouldn't.  He's still a jerk in my mind.  You don't sleep by the side of your EX girlfriend, after blowing off your current one.   It's cruel.

 

I'm holding out hope that when it got right down to it, Juliette held back and did NOT have sex with Jeff.  Of course, Jeff's a scum and will try to manipulate the matter, but I pray it didn't happen. Just the kissing and making out.  Still, I wish that Juliette would move on.  Avery is not suitable for her, IMO.  

 

And I don't know what Scarlet has that makes men so crazy over her. (Pardon the pun.)  She's mean, fickle, witchy and annoying, but they can't seem to let her go.

 

How smart is Gunnar to write love songs about his ex while his present girlfriend is trying to sleep!  Sorry, I woke you up.  Are you kidding me? And the guy gets away with it?  

 

I thought Rayna handled it all pretty well. At least she put the evil mother in her place.  The girl can't seem to catch a break with her label.  She deserves a break.

 

Will is heading for a big surprise.  I don't trust that reality tv show producer.  I wonder what she has up her sleeve. 

Edited May 2, 2014 by SunnyBeBe

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I was hoping that when Rayna released Scarlett from her recording contract, she would offer her a songwriting contract. She's shown that she's a talented songwriter and since she hasn't released her album, Scarlett and Highway 65 could shop those songs around to other artists and make some money that way.

[Haleth]

I'm getting a little sick of special snowflake Scarlett and everyone flocking to her side whenever she breaks a fingernail.  Yeah, the breakdown was bad and her friends should be supportive, but their reactions were over the top.  Gunnar writing songs?  Avery sleeping at her bedside?  Both guys damaging their current relationships by neglecting their girlfriends in favor of poor, delicate Scarlett?  Blah.

[ReadingZombie]

Gunnar would cost her money. The fact that he had a number one hit as a songwriter means nothing for his career as a recording artist. Building him up to becoming one would take a lot or work and money Rayna doesn't have. He's one of those guys you keep on your radar and have meetings with on and off and sign him when he's ready. At the stage Gunnar is as a solo artist, signing him wouldn't make the least bit of sense.

 

Yes, but Scarlett was essentially a songwriter without even a number one to her name when Rayna signed her. I'm not saying that it wouldn't cost money to launch him as a recording artist, but what the heck, at this point it's pretty much do or die time for that label. 

 

Rayna doesn't sign her daughters or Deacon for obvious reasons. Daughters: They're kids, and she's said many times she doesn't want them in the spotlight until they're grown. Deacon: That relationship is way too battered and raw right now for them to be working together. My guess is she doesn't know about Zoey. Avery was being a producer last Rayna knew. The trio has broken up. Which leaves Gunnar. In the end, she'll probably get him, yes.

 

At some point Maddie is going to want to be a singer with a contract. I get that Rayna wants to keep her away from the business, but I just don't see that happening. It would be better for Rayna to sign Maddie to her label where she could have some control over how things go. I do think that someone else should manage Maddie, though. I don't want to see Rayna turned into a momager. 

 

As far as Deacon goes, as I've said, if Rayna wants her label to work she has to get some talent on board, ASAP, and he already has a fan base. They've proven they can work together in spite of their issues. I think they can be label head and artist if they wanted to. It's not like they'd have to spend a ton of time together.

[WasntMe]

But we all knew that the show would screw up the Avery/Juliette storyline. We can't have nice things.

 

LOL! I so desperately wanted Juliette to have something resembling a healthy ANYTHING.  And WTF, b/c I cannot tell you how much I HATED Avery's ass in the first season. HATED. Manipulative show made me like him now.

 

I thought it was weird that it was Gunnar that saw them, of all people. I know he's friends 9sorta) with Avery, but he doesn't really know Juliette, does he?

[madam magpie]

As far as Deacon goes, as I've said, if Rayna wants her label to work she has to get some talent on board, ASAP, and he already has a fan base. They've proven they can work together in spite of their issues. I think they can be label head and artist if they wanted to. It's not like they'd have to spend a ton of time together.

With the exception of writing that song together, Rayna and Deacon are still unable to even have a conversation without one or both of them yelling at the other or being on the verge of tears or full-on crying. I can't imagine a scenario where they could work together with Rayna as Deacon's boss. They've never been as openly bruised as they are now, I don't think, where everything they've done to each other is constantly staring them in the face. When they worked together before, it seemed to me that they had an unspoken understanding that They (Rayna especially) did not acknowledge their feelings for or about each other, and their professional relationship worked as long as they did that. But since that changed early last season, they really haven't worked together successfully. Everything they feel for each other is way too out in the open and they're both so focused on Maddie that they haven't come close to resolving their relationship. I think they will, probably over the course of the next season if there is one, but I don't think either of them has been ready to go there thus far.

I do think that eventually Rayna would sign Maddie, primarily to, as you say, be the one calling the shots. But Right now, Maddie is still really young, Daphne even younger, and Rayna is right not to latch them to a record deal. Hell, the Stella kids' own mother specifically won't latch them to a record deal yet. Not to mention that I'm sure Rayna doesn't see her children as the cash cow the save her business. And besides all that, Maddie will have to talk Rayna (and Deacon and freaking Teddy) into it. So like Deacon, not yet. I do think it's inevitable that Maddie will start playing with her parents more, though.

Edited May 6, 2014 by madam magpie

[stillshimpy]

I actually missed this episode, because it had been so long since they'd had a fresh run episode, I wasn't aware a new one was on.  

 

Oh boy, well I do think that everyone dropping everything to tend to Scarlett was strange, and they did react as if her life was in danger long after they knew it wasn't.  Personally, I really still think they spent a little too long getting to this point, but I take no issue with the way Clare Bowen handled it.  I actually felt terrible for Scarlett when she was watching that footage of herself onstage.  

 

She really, really owes Juliette an apology though.  

 

Speaking of Juliette, ye gods and little fishes, woman, why?!!???!!   Boffing Jeff is practically an act of self-loathing.  She knows what he thinks of her, he's been more than borderline verbally abusive to her.  He literally has called her "trash" in the past.  Anyone on Earth or in Space would have made more sense than Jeff.  Freaking Gunnar would have made more sense than Jeff.  

 

Rayna was great and incredibly kind about letting Scarlett out of her contract.  It's absolutely okay that Scarlett didn't want this, there are plenty of people who wouldn't.  It just took her an awfully long time to own up to it.  Admittedly, when Rayna was having to do things like fire Liam because she knew Scarlett was too fragile to work with and be involved with him, Rayna should have known then "This girl is never going to be cut out for large venue performing."  

 

Gunnar and Zoey.  The big sleep continues.  Snore. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Gunnar would cost her money. The fact that he had a number one hit as a songwriter means nothing for his career as a recording artist. Building him up to becoming one would take a lot or work and money Rayna doesn't have. He's one of those guys you keep on your radar and have meetings with on and off and sign him when he's ready. At the stage Gunnar is as a solo artist, signing him wouldn't make the least bit of sense.

Yes, but Scarlett was essentially a songwriter without even a number one to her name when Rayna signed her. I'm not saying that it wouldn't cost money to launch him as a recording artist, but what the heck, at this point it's pretty much do or die time for that label.

There is a great advantage to signing Gunnar now. He already has a bunch of songs written that they could record right away so they could release an album relatively quickly (as opposed to the longer process of writing a whole album's worth of new songs first). He is ready to tour as an opening act for Juliette because he has material and performance experience. And they can strike while the iron is hot by marketing him as the guy who wrote Ball & Chain for Luke Wheeler. It won't guarantee him success as a recording artist, but it at least gives him recognition since everyone knows who Luke Wheeler is and everyone knows that song. Plus he doesn't dress like an olde tyme granny moppet in need of a fashion makeover. Given all that info, I think Rayna would have to put way less time, money, and effort into Gunnar than she had to spend on Scarlett. Added bonus: his contract will cost significantly less than signing Juliette.

 

As much of a dick as Jeff is, he seemed genuine in not wanting Will to be exposed by doing that reality show. Even if Jeff's motivation there was business related, he was still trying to do the right thing. Being outed on reality tv by a camera guy who you don't realize is filming you is going to be devastating for Will and everyone around him. Even if Jeff was only warning him because of the dollar signs in his eyes, it was the one moment that I've liked him because he was very sincere about trying to convince Will not to do that show.

Edited May 6, 2014 by ElectricBoogaloo

[aradia22]

So close! I almost got to enjoy someone with a valid point calling Rayna on her bullshit. Stop teasing me, Nashville! Why did we have to cut away so quickly in the opening scene? Instead, we have Rayna immediately turning it around on Juliette, blaming her for Scarlett's breakdown and cutting her out of things. And once again it's a character we can't take seriously, Scarlett's mom, who gets the responsibility of calling Rayna on her BS. Why, Nashville? Why? And let's just gloss over the fact that Rayna set Scarlett up with Liam who gave her the pills. All valid arguments against Rayna must always be ignored. I can't. And we've almost got wonderful season 1 Deacon back. Why must Rayna be the one to give all the pep talks that work? Grr, Nashville. And then at the end, Deacon comes back to absolve her of any blame because of course we can't even let the suggestion that Rayna did something wrong hang in the air for more than one episode. I CAN'T. I know we were supposed to find it sweet when Rayna talked about how Deacon behaved when Scarlett was born but all I could think was, and you kept Maddie from him for all these years. I CAN'T.

They need to get Scarlett back with Gunnar so they can do duets again (though I liked his song for her tonight). I don't care if they are together personally or not, but if they do and it gets Zoe off my screen, have at it.

 

They released new tracks on Spotify which made me look back at all the old tracks. Aside from the occasional song from Layla or the very rare listenable track from Rayna, all my favorite songs are Gunnar/Scarlett duets and Juliette songs. So this, so much.

 

Clare is either a horrible actress or she's getting horrible direction because she is playing Scarlett like she's seriously unstable. Like Sybil unstable. Like worse than Merle Oberon Wuthering Heights crazy eyes unstable. Like, this is how you play a character who has been lost in the wilderness for years and hasn't had any human contact... and maybe who has also contracted rabies.

 

I get that Scarlett would be irrational and might blame Juliette at first as a way of lashing out. What I don't like is that the show/writers seem to be siding with Scarlett. God forbid Juliette try to make Scarlett do her job and oh yeah, do the exact same thing Rayna did a couple of episodes ago when Scarlett was on Luke Wheeler's tour.

 

This Deacon/Charlene/Scarlett drama is so much more interesting than any of the family drama that has been going on with Rayna for two seasons. Charlene is great. She's awful but it a real way, not in a let's do something awful with Juliette's character because she's getting too likable kind of way. She makes some good points but she's also broken in a real way so at some point she's just lashing out with all her pent up resentments.

 

I don't have a problem with Gunnar walking away from the deal with Jeff because he called Scarlett crazy. I think he was never going to sign with him anyway (especially since he still wants to be a performer, he's right that Jeff and Edgehill are struggling, and he's never shown any dissatisfaction with his current publishing deal) and the moment he might have been a little tempted, Jeff's comment was just a reminder of what kind of a guy he is.

 

It is really too late to be doing this stuff with Zoe and Scarlett. Nashville, if you really cared about female friendships, you would not be writing the show this way. Give me a break.

 

Why is Will even considering a reality show? When has that been a good move for anyone whose career isn't in need of a comeback... and even then.

[aradia22]

 

I'm more ticked at Avery than Juliette.  He was doing everything he could to push Juliette's buttons.  It seems that ever since she told him he held her heart, he's done everything he can to break it, even though he said he wouldn't.  He's still a jerk in my mind.  You don't sleep by the side of your EX girlfriend, after blowing off your current one.   It's cruel.

I don't think Avery is that bad but it's weird that he's apparently so tuned into what Scarlett needs to hear (read: how she needs to be coddled) while he can't seem to see the ways Juliette is fragile even though they've talked about it a lot. 

 

Also, the thing with Jeff was gross. I don't know why the writers always do this to her character. It never feels genuine. I mean, by now it's consistent but whether it was Charlie or the Tebow-knockoff it never made sense. It always seemed like, well, Juliette's been going through a lot of character development and she's become a lot more likable and interesting than Rayna so now she has to make a bad decision (usually sleeping with some guy).\

 

I thought it was weird that it was Gunnar that saw them, of all people. I know he's friends 9sorta) with Avery, but he doesn't really know Juliette, does he?

Yeah, that seemed like a weird decision. Anything could happen with this show. He could blackmail Jeff. He could experience angst over whether to tell Avery. But it would have made more sense for it to be another character. There were more interesting things that could have happened if it had been Rayna, Deacon, Scarlett, really most of the main cast members who are not Gunnar or Zoe. 

[MissScarlett]

There was only one really hokey moment and that was when Scarlett was in the hospital and viewing her mom from a hazy mental state.  It definitely reminded me of a soap opera.

 

Scarlett's breakdown was foreshadowed.  She felt comfortable performing but not comfortable with the other aspects of the business.  Couple that with an unexpected visit from her abusive mother and wa-lah we have a breakdown!  Still, it kind of bugged when they kept referring to her as an addict.  I'm glad she was able to clarify that the pills were to keep her awake (and that she wasn't addicted to them) and that she drank to calm herself down that night and not because she's been half in the bag this whole time.

 

I don't know how the business side of the music business works, but you would think that a young and up and coming star would be monitored more closely and given some kind of guidance.  Especially if said star is one of the few names on the label.  After all, the label spends quite a bit of money to try and get their artists off the ground.  At the same time, the artist does have to have some kind of gumption to go after what they want.  Scarlett is sorely missing gumption at this point.

 

Of course Juliet would have hate-sex with Jeff.  That is so in character of her!  While I love Avery and Juliet, I do wonder what a Jeff & Juliet relationship would be like.  They are both pretty cunning (Jeff -- all of the time and Juliet -- when she needs to be). 

[aradia22]

 

Scarlett's breakdown was foreshadowed.  She felt comfortable performing but not comfortable with the other aspects of the business.  Couple that with an unexpected visit from her abusive mother and wa-lah we have a breakdown!  Still, it kind of bugged when they kept referring to her as an addict.  I'm glad she was able to clarify that the pills were to keep her awake (and that she wasn't addicted to them) and that she drank to calm herself down that night and not because she's been half in the bag this whole time.

I feel like that's a bit misleading. I wonder if Nashville scripts are outlined ahead of time or they are just making things up as they go along. They definitely laid the groundwork for "Scarlett is an addict". She's been using the pills in a compulsive manner and there are some parts of her use of pills that definitely suggests addict. It's been a while since I've seen the episodes so I can't recall them all specifically. When she placed an order with Zoe at the Bluebird I think we also got the suggestion that she's drinking a bit excessively. It was definitely there. One of my problems with this show is that it keeps rewriting characters and situations and expecting me to go along with them as if I hadn't been watching the entire time. It's disrespectful to the audience.