S06.E12: The House That Built Me

[Cranberry]

A visitor from the past comes into Deacon's life -- his father, a very unpleasant surprise. With Alannah out of the picture, the band flounders and the guys have to consider whether it's worth continuing.

[TVFAN]

I am so going to enjoy watching Juliette destroy Alannah.  Her constant whining gets on my nerves. And by the way, show, the band was so much better when it was just the boys.  (Although I would love to see them do some numbers with Juliette.)  Juliette was my favorite character from day one.  I hope to see her spend the rest of the show taking no prisoners and scratching her way back to the top.

[WhosThatGirl]

Yeah, I know Juliette was awful to Avery but if they don’t end up together, I’m going to be so mad. Worse if he ends up with Purple Hair.

Also again.. what was the point of reviving this show? Losing Connie was really bad and I knew from the start when I heard it was picked up was one she wasn’t going to return and if she was it wouldn’t be for long. I remember seeing an interview shortly after it’s first cancellation and she wasn’t that sad about it. And I don’t know.. this last season needs Rayna.

Also it really doesn’t feel like we’re inching towards finished storylines here. It feels like the show is building more and more stories even though we should be wrapping  things up. 

[bilgistic]

Maddie was dead-ass wrong to go talk to Deacon's dad. Deacon said to leave it alone, girl. Don't mess in grown folks' business. Deacon's father was horribly abusive and Deacon has every right to keep him out of his life. I hate Maddie.

I'm also really pissed that no one called any mental health experts (his doc, for example) when horse boy (Sean?) was having a breakdown. He needs to be under a doctor's care. Scarlett doesn't have any mental healthcare training and has no business trying to talk someone down. I hate Scarlett.

Alannah is a dumbass for signing with Brad. She knew it was dumb but did it anyway. I hate both of them. Avery is pushing my limits by being involved with Alannah.

I hate whiny-ass Gunnar. Get a hobby.

Deacon, don't let me down. You're the only character I still like.

[bybrandy]

41 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

Maddie was dead-ass wrong to go talk to Deacon's dad. Deacon said to leave it alone, girl. Don't mess in grown folks' business. Deacon's father was horribly abusive and Deacon has every right to keep him out of his life. I hate Maddie.

I think Maddie was wrong to bring Deacon's father to see Deacon but I think Maddie is well within her rights to get to know the man her grandfather is now and decide if she wants him in her life independent of Deacon.  Pressuring Deacon into a choice about his father, though?  That was not cool.  

In general I want to care about me too stories but if you're going to tell one you need to tell it about a character anybody cares about.  Because Purple Hair and asshole brad are on screen together my finger goes to the fast forward button.  I don't care about any of these characters.   

[GaT]

Actual Deacon singing! For a whole 30 seconds, sigh. It sounded like a good song though.

I guess they’ve finally decided that Scarlet should have “1950s mom” hair. Could the rest of the cast hate her & that’s why she’s apparently on a different show?

They’re really going to have Deacon’s abusive father as part of the family now? Maybe he’s the one who’s going to kill Brad!

How are they going to wrap this all up in 4 more episodes? 

Edited June 29, 2018 by GaT

[MisterS]

I fast forwarded through everything except the Deacon storyline as that’s the only one about a character who has been around longer than 12 episodes. But I don’t believe that Deacon would move his violent and abusive father whose behaviour traumatised and emotionally damaged him for life into his house within a day of him turning up after 30 absent years. Just no. But nothing about his show is believable. And at least Deacon and dad can act. 

Again, why all the silo stories and people NO ONE CARES about?

I miss Rayna.

[notcreative enough]

So I missed the first half of the show. I only cared about seeing Juliette come home and of course it was the last scene of the night.

Someone needs to remind Nashville that they aren't that type of show. A storyline like horse boy shouldn't be surrounded by love songs. I will never ever give a damn about a new character in the back half of a shows final season. I barely care about our main characters anymore. Most because it seems like the writers don't care about them either. What about Will was his medical issues even mentioned or just more of him sadly YouTubeing himself.

Don't care about purple hair at all. Maybe that's not true I hate her and what she is doing to Avery and Gunners friendship. But her and Brad could take a dive. Nobody asked for this. I would have preferred they bring back whatever Will's exs wife's name was. 

Lol at Avery in the promo for next week. "I'm never getting back with her." Oh honey yes you are. Don't get me wrong I was always team Juliette but they ruined it. I kinda wish Juliette died in the plane crash so he could be with Emily. And I wouldn't be surprised if they somehow found a way to shoe horn Gunner and Scarlett back together. I'll be pissed but in no was surprised. Because there is now way they can do it that is tacky and unrealistic.

[MisterS]

59 minutes ago, MisterS said:

I fast forwarded through everything except the Deacon storyline as that’s the only one about a character who has been around longer than 12 episodes. But I don’t believe that Deacon would move his violent and abusive father whose behaviour traumatised and emotionally damaged him for life into his house within a day of him turning up after 30 absent years. Just no.

Although, was Deacon’s look at Maddie at the end essentially “Be careful what you wish for”? 

[gesundheit]

I understand Juliette's diminished presence has to do with HP's availability, but WHYYY, when you have Chris Carmack clearly available for the entire episode and Will having a major medical and personal crisis, would you have MULTIPLE scenes of Alanna/Brad and Horse Boy/Wife that's literally just them -- not even our usual cast as supporting characters. We just met them! Don't tell us their stories in isolation! I don't even hate Alanna as much as everyone else but I also don't care about her -- personally I think Avery should welcome Juliette home and tell her they can be friends and co-parents but to buzz off with any absurd thoughts of reunion, but that doesn't mean I want him with Alanna. Not a good pairing. (Not that it'll come true. Juliette's pregnant so obviously they'll reunite.)

I think what I'm saying is GIVE WILL A DAMN STORY. It's not like they're going to cancel the show because viewers were grossed out by the gays. Go all out! Exit in a mad rush of rainbow lust for our dude!

[WhosThatGirl]

Well, like most of the Nashville stories, Will had a much better ending when this show died on ABC.

[CrystalMoon]

Like usual, I enjoyed parts of this episode and wanted to fast forward through others. On the plus side, I like Deacon's story, and I find it interesting to learn his backstory. I like the actor playing his dad too. Besides that, I always enjoy the guys together. I hope they keep the band because I really like them and don't think they need Alanna. Also, Jessie wasn't in the ep---yay! I am really tired of her and her voice that always sounds like she's about to cry. And if I never see her son again, I will be happy. Also, Daphne's story was in the background and Maddie was generally tolerable. One of my biggest problems with Seasons 5 and 6 is that the girls get way too mcuh focus, so when they're in the background, it's a better episode. Also, Juliette is finally back, so I'm looking forward to next week, but also kind of cringing because I don't want to see her beg Avery to take her back again. Been there, done that about a zillion times. Though I do think they're end game. 

On the negative side, Scarlett and her save-the-vet project were featured. I honestly don't know why so much time is devoted to this storyline. She hasn't been in a scene with any of the guys in ages, and barely in scenes with Deacon or the girls. I don't understand why she's in this weird spin-off show. Another negative is all the time devoted to Alanna. Why? Why not explore Will's steroid use instead just joking about it. He almost died. Shouldn't he be in therapy or something? 

You know what I wonder. I wonder if the writers thought there'd be more seasons, so they added Alanna and the vet (forgot his name) and Brad with the thought that they could be part of the main cast in season 7. Obviously, Hayden wouldn't have been in another season--she's barely in this one. Does anyone know when they found out the show was cancelled? Was it too late to change these storylines?

[GaT]

2 hours ago, gesundheit said:

I think what I'm saying is GIVE WILL A DAMN STORY. It's not like they're going to cancel the show because viewers were grossed out by the gays. Go all out! Exit in a mad rush of rainbow lust for our dude!

Will has only ever had one story, the "Will is gay" storyline. Occasionally they would veer off into the "Will is not straight" storyline, that was pretty much it for Will. Since there's only 4 more episodes, I don't see how they're going to come up with anything different at this point.

[Efzee]

I watched this episode and the previous one right after each other and it was like one whole episode together. Was so glad when Scarlett and purple hair weren't featured much in the previous episode and we got to see a lot of Juliette (regardless of the dumb storyline), I should have known this episode would be the opposite. Guess I should be grateful we didn't get more teen relationship "angst" in this one.

Wasn't it said/implied Deacon's father was dead? And why, if Teen!Deacon threatened him and he left, did he and Beverly always claim they left because of how horrible it was at home? Sounds like they're doing a retcon and I don't like it. The actor playing his father (Gideon?) is a good one, but I don't care much for this new storyline. I will say Deacon's got some nerve to react the way he did when visiting his father and later at the dinner table with the girls, considering what we've seen and heard about his own drunkenness. He may not have ever hit a child as he always so proudly claims, but he's been pretty abusive to Rayna (especially in flashbacks) and he's got some serious anger issues even while sober. And sure, most of that will come from the way he was raised, but in all of his adult life he's never seemed to take any steps into fixing it aside from AA. He should have gotten some major anger management and possibly therapy to get to the root of his issues etc. And by not telling the girls why he doesn't want his father in his life and instead telling Maddy to "please eat your food", he's only making things worse. No wonder she went looking for her grandfather and trying to fix his relationship with Deacon. On a side note, I rolled my eyes at her inappropriate comparison about her own issues with her parents. Spoiled bratty behavior does not equal victim of domestic abuse by drunk father. But I guess she wouldn't know, seeing as Deacon apparently never told her (although I thought it'd come up in the past, but maybe that was only with Rayna and/or more retcon).

I don't care for Scarlet (and from the sounds of it neither did grandpa, ha, "that... Scarlet") and FF through the bathroom scene because her relationship with and trying to fix veteran boy is so awful. She's completely out of her depth and will more likely do more harm than good. Her actions could have easily resulted in veteran boy killing himself in front of his wife (and possibly son) at the least and a murder-suicide at the worst.

Don't care about Purple Hair. She's also incredibly dumb. Of course Brad would retaliate after their little talk. Her conversation with Jessie from the previous episode was so stilted and awkward, but she claimed she could handle Brad. Ha! Should have just played dumb when he made his overt advances and waited until the contract for the tour was signed and everything, before confronting him. Or just keep on ignoring him. I know that's not the PC thing to do, especially not in this MeToo time, but as a beginning and newly signed artist you cannot start your relationship with your record boss that way. Either confront him and be prepared to burn that bridge and leave, or play dumb and keep your distance until everything is in black and white and/or he loses interest. 

Miss Will having an actual storyline. And why are they joking about his serious health issues? Some friends... Also, why weren't he and Gunnar writing together? Avery might not be there, but that doesn't mean the two of them couldn't collaborate. Instead, Gunnar's writing in his bedroom and Will is watching YT vids? Please.

I did a rewatch of the show a while back and it was just such a contrast to what we're seeing now. Back then I often set my laptop on the music setting for the best sound because of all the songs/song writing/singing, but nowadays we're lucky if we get 1 minute of actual music (and then it's split between Deacon singing an old one and purple hair being mediocre only to get praised to the heavens by Avery about her awesomeness on stage/singing). This show was so much better before Deacon's liver/Beverly storyline and everything that came after.

[WhosThatGirl]

Yeah it is odd how Wills health problems were a joke. I mean don’t get me wrong, the plot was randim-like everything this final season, and say what you will about the awfulness of ABCs final season of this show but damn.. at least those final stories made sense and had legs-but it was an awful thing that happened and a big deal and the show is making it a joke.

Purple Hair is awful. Also.. Avery is dumb. I know Juliette’s been gone but eventually she would come home and see a random girl in their home.. so yeah. Also again Avery isn’t winning parent of the year this season either. I suppose Cadence was having at sleepover at her real mother Emily’s house. Because let’s be real, that’s the only real parent she’s going to know.

Edited June 29, 2018 by WhosThatGirl

[dbell1]

By focusing so much on the boring newbies, the writers have done me a favor.  I know I won't miss the show when it's done. Fuck purple hair and bad glasses Brad. Horse boy and wife? F them too. Scarlett, never liked the actress, she can't carry dramatic scenes, and needs to go get trampled.

 I really hope the old Jules is the one who walked through the door and not the brainwashed boreatron we've been getting. I want at least one comment about getting the place fumigated after the purple rat slinks out.

Hooray for no Jessie last night. 

Before Maddie can give life advice, she needs to take her spider lashes, bleached hair and teeth, and have several seats. She's done a ton to screw up Deacon's life. 

So, let's see. I like Daphne, Will, Avery (ALONE!), Deacon, and Emily. Add the old Juliette. Toss in Emily, Bucky and Glenn and you've got my dream cast for the final episodes. Too bad we can't vote cast off the island. :/

[seacliffsal]

So, what was with Maddie saying to Deacon that she didn't go through with her emancipation?  Are they changing the story to her just initiating emancipation and not that she actually went through it?  I also thought it was rich that she was connecting Deacon's actions to the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father.  Maddie, you are so spoiled that you thought "rules" were a serious form of abuse.  Get over yourself.

I, too, am so glad that Jessie was not in this episode.  Every time she's on an episode I just cringe at her helplessness.  Also, she just drags Deacon down due to her inability to...I don't know-think?  She knew Brad was coming for the son and she stated that he gets jealous easily, so why did she even have Deacon in the house when Brad got there (earlier episode)?  She could have told Deacon to come a bit later and just avoid the whole confrontation.  She sets up the drama that surrounds her.

Again, like others, I wish they would just focus on the long-term characters instead of introducing characters that bore me (because, you see, it's all about me...).

[J-Man]

So Juliette escapes from her "prison" in Bolivia, but never calls Avery or anyone else to let them know? One of those "only on TV" moments.

"Daphne - meet your grandfather. Or, not really -- he's not actually related to you. But we don't talk about that anymore."

[WhosThatGirl]

32 minutes ago, J-Man said:

So Juliette escapes from her "prison" in Bolivia, but never calls Avery or anyone else to let them know? One of those "only on TV" moments.

"Daphne - meet your grandfather. Or, not really -- he's not actually related to you. But we don't talk about that anymore."

Hey now Teddy was given a day out from prison for Rayans funeral so that the show could make him praise Deacon for being a dad to his daughters and for the show to have Maddie now call him “Teddy” instead of Dad. They remember him. Kind of. ;)

[sweetandsour]

Alannah (purple hair) has reminded me of someone else since the first episode she was in, and I realized today who it is - she's a cross between Bree Turner and Bella Thorne.  The first part is complimentary, the second part ... is not.

At this rate, if Deacon's scenes for the last four episodes were just of him still reading that book (what it is again - it's like, a Teddy Roosevelt biography or something?), I would think (a) this is the best storyline of all the characters and (b) this is Deacon's best storyline all season.

[bilgistic]

I'd watch Charles Esten read a novel for an hour. I'd rather hear him sing and watch him play the guitar, but I'd watch him read a book over seeing Alannah on my screen any day.

[MisterS]

6 hours ago, sweetandsour said:

At this rate, if Deacon's scenes for the last four episodes were just of him still reading that book (what it is again - it's like, a Teddy Roosevelt biography or something?), I would think (a) this is the best storyline of all the characters and (b) this is Deacon's best storyline all season.

Deacon is the best and better without Jessie. I hope Charles Esten can get a job in a better show moving on from this as he’s too good not to act. 

Although I had to laugh when he was sitting in his office looking busy. Highway 65! Is it still a working label with actual acts? No one seems to be recording any music. 

7 hours ago, J-Man said:

"Daphne - meet your grandfather. Or, not really -- he's not actually related to you. But we don't talk about that anymore."

I’m in until the bitter end but Nashville doesn’t work without Rayna and with a very part time Juliet. Although it still could be better if the writers didn’t do so much of this kind of retcon. Teddy’s not dead and where is Tandy? Why are so many plot points dropped? 

Plus why is Scarlett always on her own? Do all the other cast members hate Clare Bowen? Does she hate all of them?

[t7686]

2 hours ago, MisterS said:

Deacon is the best and better without Jessie. I hope Charles Esten can get a job in a better show moving on from this as he’s too good not to act. 

Although I had to laugh when he was sitting in his office looking busy. Highway 65! Is it still a working label with actual acts? No one seems to be recording any music. 

I’m in until the bitter end but Nashville doesn’t work without Rayna and with a very part time Juliet. Although it still could be better if the writers didn’t do so much of this kind of retcon. Teddy’s not dead and where is Tandy? Why are so many plot points dropped? 

Plus why is Scarlett always on her own? Do all the other cast members hate Clare Bowen? Does she hate all of them?

I agree so much with this. Why so many side plots about people no one cares about? I can't explain how annoyed I get that they complete forget Teddy exists. I get it - Deacon's now the best-dad-that-ever-was but damn. Teddy was suppose to get out of prison months ago. Where the heck is he? I don't get why Daphne can't be his step-daughter that he loves very much and her him without completely forgetting she has another father who was nothing but good to her ... and Maddie. Though I guess if I had the chance to drop Maddie as a daughter I would too. Ugh. 

Also why is Clare Bowen off on her own side plot? 

[FortKnox]

Speaking of Emily....when is the last time we saw her? And Bucky and Glenn for that matter.

[tennisgurl]

Everywhere I look, I’m being assaulted by boring subplots with people I don’t care about! Why are we spending so much time with these random people doing random stuff this close to the end of the show?!? 

I did like the stuff with Deacon and his hipster outfit! But his dad needs to do a LOT more to make amends for being awful than pull some Boy Named Sue bullshit. And Maddie needs to slow her rolls. I get wants to know her grandad, but she knows he was abusive, give Deacon some freaking time! 

[piratewench]

14 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

So, what was with Maddie saying to Deacon that she didn't go through with her emancipation?  Are they changing the story to her just initiating emancipation and not that she actually went through it?  I also thought it was rich that she was connecting Deacon's actions to the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father.  Maddie, you are so spoiled that you thought "rules" were a serious form of abuse.  Get over yourself.

Really?  Maddie's 18, hasn't had much life experience yet, but emancipation is a pretty big deal.  I don't think they were changing the story, btw.  I think she was referencing the fact that she made the decision to come back home.  But if that skeevy producer hadn't done what he did, she probably would have truly divorced her parents - it was what she was doing up to that point.  It's obvious she doesn't know much about Deacon's past - he certainly didn't sit her down for a fireside chat about it and Rayna's MO was to protect her from all of that - so I get why she makes that comparison.  Also, didn't we all feel like the big events of our lives to that point were major and comparable back when we were 18?  Maybe the rest of you were completely mature and self-aware at that age, but I was definitely not.  I would probably have drawn exactly that same, misguided comparison.  It's true to a teenager's self-centeredness.

I could care less whether they acknowledge Teddy anymore.  I assume the actor either didn't want to come back or wasn't available and I don't need to know every single little detail of what happens behind the scene.  Same as I don't really care or need to know where Cadence is.  It's a TV show and I suspend judgment on certain things because I don't need a minute-by-minute recitation of every detail of a character's life.

I love that they are resolving Deacon's backstory.  It's something I've always wanted to know about.  He's been a central character the entire series and not to know more about his backstory felt like a miss.  I always assumed both his parents were dead.  I'm not sure that it was ever said, but probably because of the avoidance of what made Deacon who he is, we just never got that.  So now we are and I couldn't be happier.  I'd be okay if that was the whole rest of the series, I'm so on board with it.

While I may not like all the side characters all the time, I actually don't have a problem with them and mostly never have.  I can't imagine anything more boring than having all of the stories be about a few core characters.  Having many characters who can pop in and out and add flavor to a storyline or even sometimes have a major part in a storyline just gives a richness that I appreciate in any show.  And while I might like to see more of some - like Bucky or Glenn - I don't really care if I see Emily and Tandy is pretty much out of the picture.  Her sister is dead and she basically dissed Deacon on the way out, so I'm fine with imagining that maybe the girls go visit her in San Francisco or wherever it is she lives and we don't have to know about it.

I was worried, the first few episodes, that we weren't going anywhere, but I think now we are.  Deacon's story, the obvious #MeToo story (and I think having Alannah play that one out with Brad is a fantastic use of the character), Juliette's back, and - I hope - the boys getting the band back together.  That's what I'm hoping for.  Oh, and a glimpse of Rayna.  Via flashback or similar only please.

[bilgistic]

If Teddy was such a great dad, he wouldn't have committed felonies that risked his and his family's well-being and future. He cared only about himself. He can rot.

[TVFAN]

15 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

If Teddy was such a great dad, he wouldn't have committed felonies that risked his and his family's well-being and future. He cared only about himself. He can rot.

Actually, Teddy went to prison to protect Rayna, the girls, and even Tandy.  He had the opportunity for a plea deal that would have let him walk if he spied on Tandy for the FBI.  She (and her father) had built the family fortune on illegal activities.  Had Teddy worked with the FBI to prove those activities, Rayna might have been forced to forfeit the monies from her father's company that she poured into Highway 66.  If you'll recall, there was a point where Rayna had used all of her assets to buy Highway 66.  Rayna may have scorned her father's lack of morals, but that did not stop her from accepting his ill-gotten gains.  Teddy could have saved himself by bankrupting Rayna.  He was far from perfect, but he loved her, and he loved the girls.  In the end, he accepted the consequences of his own wrongdoing.

Edited June 30, 2018 by TVFAN

[piratewench]

While it might be nice to think of Teddy as being all noble and everything, let's not forget he had a history of misbehavior.  He embezzled money, and got away with it, also apparently putting himself and Rayna in a difficult financial place.  He framed Coleman so he'd drop out of the mayor's race.  And then did it all again.  Plus, of course, he was more than willing to cut Deacon out of Rayna's estate and take the girls away from him.

Teddy's not a totally bad man, but any redemption he may have earned he very nearly pissed away after Rayna died.

[seewillrun]

I think it's proof of how uninvolved the viewers are with most of the current storylines when we have an interesting debate on a character and storyline from years ago. 

The question to me is which character most overstepped boundaries. Scarlett, getting involved in Sean's marriage or Maddie, with her history of making good decisions, trying to reconcile Deacon and his Dad. Neither character has a clue what they are doing. These are serious issues and can't be fixed with a song and an apology. And it's another repeat storyline as it closely follows when Maddie thought she was doing the right thing when she challenged the cops when they pulled over her friend. That didn't turn out so well for anyone. 

I read fanfiction every day that is better written than this mess. 

[piratewench]

I’m actually not uninvolved with the current storylines - just remarking upon someone else’s ideas about Teddy. 

And I think Maddie has strong views on certain things, as teenagers will, but reacts in an uninformed way. I choose to look at her decisions and opinions as those of a teenager and they’re not atypical. Is she right?  Not always. But it feels in line with how old she is. 

Scarlett - no, she should not have tried to fix that situation herself, but the alternative would have been to go down a different storyline path that we don’t have time for and that people would also have bitched about. I have no problem just going with it. 

[WhosThatGirl]

Yeah.. the big problem for me is two of the three main stars were kind of checked out when this show got revived, yes the shows is a big main cast but at the start it was really rayna Juliette and deacon. Connie left and Hayden is a mix of budget and personal issues ( didn’t she go back into treatment for a little?) 

[Irlandesa]

On 6/29/2018 at 5:13 AM, MisterS said:

. But I don’t believe that Deacon would move his violent and abusive father whose behaviour traumatised and emotionally damaged him for life into his house within a day of him turning up after 30 absent years.

I'm not giving the show any credit for doing anything in character but there's some historical precedence for this when it comes to Deacon.  IIRC, Deacon encouraged Juliette to support her mother when she reappeared in her life and after she got out of rehab even though Jolene was a horrific mother towards Juliette.  Granted, we didn't learn the extent of it until last season but even what we knew before was pretty terrible.  There's some dysfunction there.

Teddy wasn't noble but he did love his girls.  I think the big reason his absence is irritating is because, in his last appearance, they actually gave a timeline for his release from jail.  I don't think many would necessarily be thinking about what happened with him if they hadn't done that;  we'd just assume he was still in jail and that was that.

[Efzee]

11 hours ago, seewillrun said:

I read fanfiction every day that is better written than this mess. 

I don't read or write in this fandom, but I was so disappointed with how they handled the aftermath of Rayna's death (and the subsequent/continuing mess) that I was tempted to write fix-it fic. I'm simply not invested (or interested) enough in this show to "fangirl". However, my fix would be that Rayna's death shocked Maddie into learning to accept and take responsibility and try to actually start behaving like the adult she (age-wise) is; Rayna and Deacon got married with a prenup because of the girls and Highway 65, so Maddie and Daphne inherited Rayna's stake as well as the estate etc., basically Deacon got nothing except what he brought into the marriage and he's fine with that; Tandy returns to help the girls cope with losing their mother, as she's been in their shoes and she, along with Bucky, become mentors for Maddie as she learns about owning (part of) a business; Maddie enrolls into business school or whatever it's called; Teddy is released from prison and he and Deacon fight about custody over Daphne, so Maddie intervenes (possibly with help of Tandy) and gets legal custody of Daphne. I don't know enough about the law over there to know whether that's possible, but considering Maddie managed to get emancipated mostly based on Deacon's actions and Teddy just got released from prison, I'd say she has a pretty strong case; Deacon may or may not remain living with the girls in Rayna's house; unlike Maddie, who's too busy with HW65/school, Daphne slowly takes steps to start a musical career and juggles it with school, while Juliette becomes her mentor and Glenn her manager, while Deacon is there for emotional support/guitar lessons; Juliette takes a step back from performing because of Cadence and Daphne (and she may or not get pregnant again) but not recording and Avery picks up more gigs as a producer and does very well; Gunnar and Scarlet remain a musical duo and do a lot of writing and singing; Will records the song Gunnar wrote for him way back when Will struggled with his sexuality/public persona and it's released as a single and does so well that he finally gets to perform and sing again, while finally being "allowed" to promote himself as a gay cowboy country singer and also gets more involved in LGBTQ+ issues... did I forget anyone?

[piratewench]

I just continue to be puzzled at how much it matters about Teddy to some. I just assume everything was handled behind the scenes. I don’t need Teddy buzzing around. Deacon’s a great dad to both girls and that’s what Rayna wanted, so that’s good enough for me. 

[MisterS]

12 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I'm not giving the show any credit for doing anything in character but there's some historical precedence for this when it comes to Deacon.  IIRC, Deacon encouraged Juliette to support her mother when she reappeared in her life and after she got out of rehab even though Jolene was a horrific mother towards Juliette.  Granted, we didn't learn the extent of it until last season but even what we knew before was pretty terrible.  There's some dysfunction there.

Teddy wasn't noble but he did love his girls.  I think the big reason his absence is irritating is because, in his last appearance, they actually gave a timeline for his release from jail.  I don't think many would necessarily be thinking about what happened with him if they hadn't done that;  we'd just assume he was still in jail and that was that.

Re Deacon, I know what you are saying, and I’d forgotten about Juliette’s flashbacks this season, much as I’ve forgotten much of season 6 to be honest. I prefer to remember the season 1 version of Jolene, where it was said that she was abusive at times, but it wasn’t clear that it was anywhere near the level that Deacon’s abuse at the hands of his father has consistently been referenced. But anyway, I think that moving him into the family home will allow the story to unfold, and it’s the only story I give a damn about now.

Totally agree about Teddy. He was coming out of jail in three months so where is he now? This isn’t a plot point I can easily let go of, because Teddy would have been around for his daughters if he was able to. It should have been addressed on screen in one way or another, even if the actor didn’t want to come back or they couldn’t afford him/didn’t want a Teddy related plot (which in my opinion would have been far more interesting than Scarlett and horseman or anything involving Alannah or Juliette being in a cult).

[WhosThatGirl]

I think for me Teddy matters is because like others have said, he loved his daughters quite a lot and not the fact that the show barley acknowledges him makes his lack of presence as if he’s not a good dad. It kind of bugs. It especially bugs as I said that the show now makes him “Teddy “ to Maddie when he raises her for a good chunk of her life.  But on this version of the show that’s a moot point. 

[piratewench]

I also still laugh about people thinking Teddy is "Teddy" to Maddie.  She called him Teddy one time - and that was not even to him - and that was just to delineate that she was talking about him when she told Deacon what she'd overheard.  She's referred to "Deacon" several times, even after she started calling him Dad, once to him, but often to others, most recently when she introduced herself to Gideon as "Deacon's daughter".  Where are the people up in arms over that?

She doesn't suddenly call Teddy by his first name - such a misconception.

[KaveDweller]

11 hours ago, piratewench said:

I just continue to be puzzled at how much it matters about Teddy to some. I just assume everything was handled behind the scenes. I don’t need Teddy buzzing around. Deacon’s a great dad to both girls and that’s what Rayna wanted, so that’s good enough for me. 

It bothers me mostly because it's a dropped plot point, and that is bad writing. They said Teddy was getting out of prison in a couple months, we have long passed that time limit and no one has mentioned him. This was a big plot point, so it is super annoying to drop it. Even when he agreed Deacon should have custody he never suggested he didn't want to see them again. And Rayna never suggested she didn't want Teddy in their lives.  I don't need to see the actor, just mention his name once to follow up on the dropped plot.

1 hour ago, piratewench said:

I also still laugh about people thinking Teddy is "Teddy" to Maddie.  She called him Teddy one time - and that was not even to him - and that was just to delineate that she was talking about him when she told Deacon what she'd overheard.  She's referred to "Deacon" several times, even after she started calling him Dad, once to him, but often to others, most recently when she introduced herself to Gideon as "Deacon's daughter".  Where are the people up in arms over that?

She doesn't suddenly call Teddy by his first name - such a misconception.

She called him that once, yes. But she has not spoken to him and referred to him since then, so we really don't know whether it was a one time thing or not.

Introducing yourself  as "Deacon's daughter" isn't really the same as referring to someone by their first name to people who would know exactly who she meant if she said "dad."  You can't introduce yourself as "I'm dad's daughter."

[woodstock]

I totally called Juliette showing up at the end when Avery and Alannah were together. Classic soap opera move.

On 6/30/2018 at 10:44 AM, piratewench said:

I love that they are resolving Deacon's backstory.  It's something I've always wanted to know about.  He's been a central character the entire series and not to know more about his backstory felt like a miss.  I always assumed both his parents were dead.  I'm not sure that it was ever said, but probably because of the avoidance of what made Deacon who he is, we just never got that.  So now we are and I couldn't be happier.  I'd be okay if that was the whole rest of the series, I'm so on board with it.

Me too! This could have been a major story-line when the show returned last month but we got stuck with Jonah/Maddie/Twig; Deacon/Jessie and Avery/Alannah/Gunnar shenanigans.

Scarlett and Sean didn't bother me. The story-line itself is clumsy and feels shoehorned onto the show but I know people who've dealt with PTSD and suicide attempts and that bathroom scene resonated with me. In the hands of better writers this story-line could have been impactful. Alas, we could say that about a lot of what's happened on this show.

Will's issues have been totally swept under the rug haven't they?

[Daltrey]

Well...… at least someone remembered there's supposed to be music in this show...… even if it's nowhere near the quality it once was. I liked hearing Scarlett again; she seems to be able to sing with anyone. It was great to hear Lennon and Maisie together again too, they're much better together than apart.

 

I too have been wondering if there's friction among the cast that's been keeping almost everyone segregated, to a certain extent.

 

I didn't think I was going to like the Grandpa Clayborn storyline because it's just way too late in the game for that much new dramatic BS to be introduced, but it was resolved fairly quickly so, as long as it stays light, I think it should be fine. It can be part of their happy ending, unrealistic though it might be.

Edited July 2, 2018 by Daltrey

[Daltrey]

Well...… at least someone remembered there's supposed to be music in this show...… even if it's nowhere near the quality it once was. I liked hearing Scarlett again; she seems to be able to sing with anyone. It was great to hear Lennon and Maisie together again too, they're much better together than apart.

 

I too have been wondering if there's friction among the cast that's been keeping almost everyone segregated, to a certain extent.

 

I didn't think I was going to like the Grandpa Clayborn storyline because it's just way too late in the game for that much new dramatic BS to be introduced, but it was resolved fairly quickly so, as long as it stays light, I think it should be fine. It can be part of their happy ending, unrealistic though it might be.

[piratewench]

3 hours ago, Daltrey said:

Well...… at least someone remembered there's supposed to be music in this show...… even if it's nowhere near the quality it once was. I liked hearing Scarlett again; she seems to be able to sing with anyone. It was great to hear Lennon and Maisie together again too, they're much better together than apart.

 

Interesting that you say that about the quality of the music. I actually believe the quality overall has been much higher the last couple of seasons. They’ve had special writers sessions so that songs could actually be written to fit the scenes instead of finding existing songs and shoehorning them in. There have been some songs in the past written specifically for a scene but not as much as recently. Plus we’ve had some really fantastic songwriters specifically writing for the show these last two seasons. 

One last Teddy comment - while it’s obvious it matters to people, I just truly don’t understand why. Were you always big Teddy fans?  And why is it so very necessary to address this particular plot point?  If the actor’s not returning, it just feels unnecessary. Just imagine in your head how that was resolved. Not every single thing needs to be spelled out explicitly.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I'll admit that for a hot SECOND, when the show came back LAST season after the break, I wondered how they would resolve it, but when they didn't, it was obvious they weren't going to, and I didn't find it necessary to do so.  In my head, I decided that Teddy didn't want to come back to Nashville after everything that had gone down and that, in the spirit of keeping the girls together, he agreed to letting things stay as they were.  Daphne visits him sometimes, wherever he is, but we don't have to be bogged down with all the visitation stuff, since it's not germane to the story.  Maddie doesn't mention him since it's just not necessary, so it doesn't matter whether she continues to refer to him as Teddy or not.  It's clear that even though they put that little detail in there of when he would get out of jail there was never an intent to follow back up on it and resolve it, since the story moving forward was really about how Deacon and the girls - together - moved on after Rayna's death.  Should they not have included it?  Probably, since obviously there are those who seized upon it and want an explanation.  But I don't think there was ever an intention to address it, so it is what it is. 

Edited July 2, 2018 by piratewench

[seewillrun]

For me, the Teddy thing is just one more thing to pile on the story runners to show what I think of their inability to serve this story well.  When I was happy with the storyline, I didn't think much at all about Teddy (except that I knew I didn't want to watch a custody battle between he and Deacon).  Now, when I'm frustrated with the storylines, and I'm listing the ways the story runners have let the show down, this is an add on at the end.  It's silly, but that's how it is.  

It is jarring to me to hear Daphne call Deacon "Dad", I'm around lots of step-kids and none of them call their step-parent of two years, Mom or Dad.

BTW, though I'm critical of the Deacon's dad returning story and Scarlett's veteran story, I think the actors are doing a great job with their material so far and I look forward to seeing Chip portray Deacons anger and confusion and possibly empathy with regards to this relationship that has had such an enormous effect on his life.

[t7686]

2 hours ago, piratewench said:

Interesting that you say that about the quality of the music. I actually believe the quality overall has been much higher the last couple of seasons. They’ve had special writers sessions so that songs could actually be written to fit the scenes instead of finding existing songs and shoehorning them in. There have been some songs in the past written specifically for a scene but not as much as recently. Plus we’ve had some really fantastic songwriters specifically writing for the show these last two seasons. 

One last Teddy comment - while it’s obvious it matters to people, I just truly don’t understand why. Were you always big Teddy fans?  And why is it so very necessary to address this particular plot point?  If the actor’s not returning, it just feels unnecessary. Just imagine in your head how that was resolved. Not every single thing needs to be spelled out explicitly.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I'll admit that for a hot SECOND, when the show came back LAST season after the break, I wondered how they would resolve it, but when they didn't, it was obvious they weren't going to, and I didn't find it necessary to do so.  In my head, I decided that Teddy didn't want to come back to Nashville after everything that had gone down and that, in the spirit of keeping the girls together, he agreed to letting things stay as they were.  Daphne visits him sometimes, wherever he is, but we don't have to be bogged down with all the visitation stuff, since it's not germane to the story.  Maddie doesn't mention him since it's just not necessary, so it doesn't matter whether she continues to refer to him as Teddy or not.  It's clear that even though they put that little detail in there of when he would get out of jail there was never an intent to follow back up on it and resolve it, since the story moving forward was really about how Deacon and the girls - together - moved on after Rayna's death.  Should they not have included it?  Probably, since obviously there are those who seized upon it and want an explanation.  But I don't think there was ever an intention to address it, so it is what it is. 

 

On 7/1/2018 at 7:02 AM, piratewench said:

I just continue to be puzzled at how much it matters about Teddy to some. I just assume everything was handled behind the scenes. I don’t need Teddy buzzing around. Deacon’s a great dad to both girls and that’s what Rayna wanted, so that’s good enough for me. 

 

On 6/30/2018 at 11:42 PM, Irlandesa said:

I'm not giving the show any credit for doing anything in character but there's some historical precedence for this when it comes to Deacon.  IIRC, Deacon encouraged Juliette to support her mother when she reappeared in her life and after she got out of rehab even though Jolene was a horrific mother towards Juliette.  Granted, we didn't learn the extent of it until last season but even what we knew before was pretty terrible.  There's some dysfunction there.

Teddy wasn't noble but he did love his girls.  I think the big reason his absence is irritating is because, in his last appearance, they actually gave a timeline for his release from jail.  I don't think many would necessarily be thinking about what happened with him if they hadn't done that;  we'd just assume he was still in jail and that was that.

I actually always liked Eric Close and I liked the character for the most part. I was never 100% team Rayna, I thought she was selfish and self involved and she and Deacon spoiled the girls horribly. I feel for Deacon in that he had a child out there and she just didn't tell him until way later but the way the keep shoving the perfect little family thing in our faces bugs me a little. It just seems weird that it's totally cool for Scarlet to take back her horrible mom, Juliette hers and now Deacon his dad yet Teddy who despite his many faults - Rayna even had a pretty good speech how he was still apart of the family to the girls about it- was a good dad, gets tossed away. Plus I don't think Daphne needs to call Deacon "dad" to show she's apart of the family- actually it makes her more separate to ignore that she has her real father out there- somehow it's still just about Maddie and her world. That said, I'd be more ok if they didn't say he was coming out in three months. Now it's just bad writing on top of it. 

 

But eh, it mostly bugs me because I'm so bored of the current plots that I'm able to pick holes in it more. 

[piratewench]

It still does not bother me in the slightest for Daphne to call Deacon "Dad".  I think it's awesome that she feels comfortable doing that and it doesn't mean anything more than just that.  How amazing is it for any kid to have their stepparent love them the same as they do their natural born child?  I actually do know people who also call a stepparent "Dad" or "Mom", so it's not something that never happens.

Nashville has always been a show where storylines have been dropped right and left, all the way back to the beginning, so if it still happens today, I just shrug my shoulders and move on.  It happens on other shows too.  Eh, I guess I just don't have the bandwidth or the energy to get all worked up.

[RedbirdNelly]

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 1:22 AM, GaT said:

 

They’re really going to have Deacon’s abusive father as part of the family now? Maybe he’s the one who’s going to kill Brad!

 

this made me laugh. I couldn't believe they brought his dad into the house. Why is it always so extreme? If you are ok with trying again, ok give him some money for a better hotel or rent a room, but you don't just move him straight into your house.

[Bubbles]

15 hours ago, Daltrey said:

I too have been wondering if there's friction among the cast that's been keeping almost everyone segregated, to a certain extent.

I assume it's a budget issue. By keeping everyone separate it's easier to mix and match which fraction of the main cast is in each episode. But yeah, it's weird to be keeping everyone apart in the final stretch of episodes. I had kind of assumed they'd reunite Gunnar and Scarlett in the end but I don't see how that's possible when they're never in the same room. 

[KaveDweller]

12 hours ago, piratewench said:

One last Teddy comment - while it’s obvious it matters to people, I just truly don’t understand why. Were you always big Teddy fans?  And why is it so very necessary to address this particular plot point?  If the actor’s not returning, it just feels unnecessary. Just imagine in your head how that was resolved. Not every single thing needs to be spelled out explicitly.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I'll admit that for a hot SECOND, when the show came back LAST season after the break, I wondered how they would resolve it, but when they didn't, it was obvious they weren't going to, and I didn't find it necessary to do so.  In my head, I decided that Teddy didn't want to come back to Nashville after everything that had gone down and that, in the spirit of keeping the girls together, he agreed to letting things stay as they were.  Daphne visits him sometimes, wherever he is, but we don't have to be bogged down with all the visitation stuff, since it's not germane to the story.  Maddie doesn't mention him since it's just not necessary, so it doesn't matter whether she continues to refer to him as Teddy or not.  It's clear that even though they put that little detail in there of when he would get out of jail there was never an intent to follow back up on it and resolve it, since the story moving forward was really about how Deacon and the girls - together - moved on after Rayna's death.  Should they not have included it?  Probably, since obviously there are those who seized upon it and want an explanation.  But I don't think there was ever an intention to address it, so it is what it is. 

I was always a bit of a Teddy fan, just because I like the actor. But the reason it matters to me isn't because of that, it is because for years the tension between Deacon and Teddy  was a big storyline, especially around which one Maddie seemed to prefer. Then last year they went to the trouble of bringing Teddy back and saying he was about to get out of prison. Then they just dropped it completely and act like we aren't supposed to remember him.  It is just really weird that he would never be referred to at all. I've said this before, but it really feels like the writers are trying to pull one over on the audience, and I hate when shows do that. Plus, with them exploring Daphne's emotional state it is also weird that her father being sent to prison wouldn't have ever come up. It seems like perfect country song material.

And how hard would it be to throw in one line about seeing Teddy? Or to have not even written the line about him getting out of prison. It isn't like they needed that custody drama to create a compelling episode right after Rayna died. Dangling a plotline that you never intend to address is really, really terrible writing.

[WhosThatGirl]

Yeah for me, I was never a big Teddy fan but there WAS a story. And now there isn’t and it really ruins everything else. Whatever. To me it’s a long list of what became terrible of this show.