This was the Winter Finale, so plenty of drama to make us want to tune in when the show returns in March (yes… March). The big story of the episode was Markus’ big launch show at a makeshift outdoor stage in Nashville, and the release of his album at midnight. He’s freaking out because he doesn’t think anybody’s going to take him seriously, and Rayna has to talk him into even doing soundcheck. Then an interviewer asks him about his critics and it freaks him out even more, but Rayna to the rescue as she deftly answers the questions and gees him up before his performance. The space is packed out that night and everyone’s there and enjoying it, and Rayna breathes a sigh of relief.
However, Markus isn’t done. He takes Rayna up to the roof and pops open a bottle of champagne. They both drink some but then he tries to kiss his label head – something she immediately rejects. She has a go at him and storms off, but makes a mistake the following morning when she tells Deacon about the incident. He gets angry and wants to put Markus in his place but Rayna gets a string of texts from Bucky who says Markus has cancelled the tour and is going back to LA. Rayna panics knowing that will kill the album and Deacon is furious that she would “choose Markus over him”. She goes to see her artist and he’s about to leave – she begs him repeatedly to stay, but he ends up leaving anyway. Deacon is having a launch party at the Beverly to honor his sister and Rayna turns up late – he had been planning to propose to her that night but is too angry with her. They have a fight and Rayna says she can’t be with Deacon right now, going out to that bridge they were first seen on in the show’s pilot where Deacon later finds her. He apologizes for getting jealous but knowing how intimate music-making can be, and they make up before he gets down on one knee and proposes to her. She says yes – Deyna engagement!
The other big story is Avery grappling with Juliette trying to resume contact. Emily has been to see her and goes to Avery to tell him that she’s clean and she’s in treatment for post-partum depression, but he says she’s manipulating her and tells Emily to leave. Later Juliette’s therapist comes to talk to him but he’s equally hostile and refuses to budge on letting his ex-wife see their daughter. The therapist is surprisingly aggressive in her parting words (unprofessional?), but Avery stands strong. Then when Emily comes to see him again he really yells at her (she yells back) and fires her as Cadence’s babysitter. The whole gang is furious at this and tells him to rehire her, and later Avery is alone looking through pictures of Juliette with Cadence. He realizes he needs to at least try so he talks to Emily again who is kind about it all and decides to set up supervised meetings for Cadence and Juliette. The whole gang are happy that everything has been set to rights again.
Scarlett and Gunnar have come off tour, but Scarlett is apprehensive to return home to Caleb. Deacon advises her it’s better not to leave it any longer, so she goes home and everything’s fine for a while – until that night when Caleb drops the bomb that he’s been offered a promotion… in Seattle. She then has to decide whether she wants to break up with Caleb or break up the duo, although the following morning (after she’s been stressing about it for hours), Caleb calmly tells her he’s not going to take the job (could have told her last night you prick!). She asks Gunnar at the Beverly show whether they could make the duo work from Seattle and he says they could, travelling up and down the country and doing things that way. She realizes she doesn’t want to leave the duo or Nashville and tells Caleb he should take the job and not give it up for her, when she wouldn’t do the same for him. She breaks up with him in tears, and he acts like a right douchenozzle about it. At least she had the decency to be honest, dude.
Meanwhile, Will is still writing with Wade Cole and has been invited over to his house for several sessions. When they finish up Wade offers to grill some steak for them both but Will says he has to get down to the bar for the show, so declines the offer. Wade explains how he really has enjoyed working with him and then tries to grope him, which confuses and alarms Will. It turns out Wade is gay but has been able to build a great career by covering it up, and says Will could have had that too. Will tells him he’s happy being himself and would rather be him than Wade, and then leaves. Will, Gunnar, Avery and Scarlett all meet up at the bar afterwards and have a drink together, and it’s a sweet sight of the bond they all have.
At the same time, Maddie is struggling with the sweet, kiddie sound her sister wants to go for, although she keeps quiet about it. They meet Cash, Frankie’s daughter, who has been on tour with Kacey Musgraves, and Cash offers to write with Maddie to develop the kind of music she wants to. I have a feeling there are going to be some clashes further along the line.
Episode 11 airs on Wednesday, March 16. I know two months is a long time to wait (given we've already waited one month), but at least we have Deyna to get us through, right? See you then for our continued recaps.
Originally posted here.
