Last Wednesday night, Nashville returned after a whopping three-month winter break (almost as long as the break between seasons!). Of course, it was the moment all Nashies had been waiting for, the Rayna and Deacon wedding. Such a loved-up fairytale is a bit too sweet for the drama-cum-soap however, and so the episode wasn’t without its problems, from the bride and groom to even the minor characters.
Things started with the rehearsal dinner at the Bluebird, where everyone gathered to celebrate the couple’s love, including Maddie and Daphne, who were set to perform. Yet Daphne, feeling left out from the ‘family’ and missing her dad, found herself speechless during the performance, and a run-in with the paparazzi as they headed to the car did nothing to help her mood. The next morning she argued with Deacon about getting up to get ready, and she continued to be moody with her mother when they got to the venue (which had to be changed because someone tipped off the paparazzi). Maddie was also struggling, having seen her father shove a paparazzo and remembering his violent outburst after he lost Beverly. She’s afraid Deacon may lose control again and hurt them all, and doesn’t believe Rayna when she reassures her otherwise. Later, Frankie’s daughter Cash talks to Maddie and reminds her that it comes with the territory of being a recovering alcoholic, but that by abstaining from alcohol their fathers are exercising the ultimate in self-control. It makes Maddie feel better, and later she dances with her dad at the reception.
Deacon, convinced he does not deserve happiness, is continually trying to self-sabotage. Every little sign that things could go wrong he takes as a reason they shouldn’t be getting married, and despite Rayna’s reassurance and tunnel vision on the matter, he gets spooked by his daughters’ reactions and goes to visit Beverly’s grave. Frankie follows him, reminding him that it’s his disease talking, and that he can let it drag him down or he can live life. For a second we think Deacon has got cold feet, but he does eventually turn up to marry Rayna. Even Tandy, who was unsure about the ceremony, finally comes around to things. Cue lots of sappy speeches and kissy faces, including Daphne being reminded she is indeed part of the family.
Meanwhile, Scarlett has been working non-stop, trying to avoid thinking about her break-up with Caleb, so Gunnar offers to help her find a rebound at the wedding. He pairs her up with plenty of guys but they’re all awful, and occasionally we start to see the spark of their attraction to each other reappear. Will is AWOL after a call from his publisher reprimanding him for his writers block (plus he can’t get co-writes because Wade Cole has told everyone he’s difficult), and he doesn’t want to deal with everyone asking him how his career is going. Avery is having to answer questions about Juliette instead, explaining away her absence by saying she’s had flu and that she’s now in London for work. He has to wear his wedding band and is drinking heavily all night because of the stress, and ends up having a panic attack because he cannot deal with it. He goes home to Emily and tells her that he can’t pretend to be married anymore.
And finally Layla reappears after her absence to recover from Jeff’s death, although she’s dressed in black and it hardly seems like she’s recovered at all. Her emotional fragility only increases when Colt turns up and tells her point blank that Jeff died not from suicide but from saving Juliette, and she runs to the bathroom to throw up. With a crazy glint in her eye, she goes to Glenn to ask him to be her new manager, telling him that although she has an album nearly done, she’s written a whole new album’s worth of songs and she wants those to be on her debut. She asks Glenn to get Avery as her producer, and it seems like she’s going to try and have an affair with Avery to hurt Juliette back (that or she’ll try and kill him – who really knows).
Episode 12 of season 4 airs tonight, March 23 at 10/9c on ABC. See you there!
Originally posted here.
