“There’ll be no Teardrops Tonight” wasn’t exactly a high action episode of Nashville, but it was certainly high drama as everyone struggled with new stages in their lives and careers.
Juliette is on a huge high (most likely Red bull inspired) after the positive reaction to her new acoustic ‘artistic’ music and she’s ready to overhaul the tour. She wants to add an entire acoustic set that will allow her to showcase her new musical direction. But manager Glenn is still terrified of the new Juliette … or at least terrified of what she might do to his bank account. He continues to fight her every step of the way, trying to stuff her back into her signature teenybopper short shorts. He’s so determined to slow the train down that he goes behind Juliette’s back and basically instructs the band and the crew to ignore her and run any creative changes by him instead.
And what do his underhanded schemes lead to? The return of Bitch Juliette, who stomps around the hotel yelling and hollering and reminding everyone that she signs their cheques. She saves the bulk of her wrath for Glenn, warning him “You’ll be right back at the county fair looking for your next teen queen.” He quits.
There are lots of interesting ways to look at Juliette’s behaviour. Deacon is disappointed in her and tells her he doesn’t like that side of her. Glenn obviously won’t stand for being spoken to like an employee. But I kind of admired her tirade. She IS the one in charge and she won’t be taken seriously until people stop treating her like a silly child they can pat on the head and then ignore. She made it clear that she will make the choices from now on and everyone who doesn’t’ like that can take a hike. And I gotta say that I kind of missed Bitch Juliette and her acid tongue! However … the problem is that she made a big deal about buttering up the crew earlier and calling them her family. Then she turned around and made sure they knew they were just the hired help. Girlfriend maybe needs to find the middle ground. She should have saved her screaming fit for Glen – who deserved it– and spared the poor crew. They were probably just confused because Glen has probably been the authority figure in the past.
I loved the scene between Juliette and her assistant Emily when they returned to her house and Emily was fluttering around nervously asking whether she should make breakfast or something. I think Juliette realized that her relationships with the people around her are based on fear and not on friendship. And it left her feeling more alone than ever. She puttered around her empty house adjusting pillows until she actually called her mother in rehab and asked her if she wanted to move in with her. WOAH. I know that Juliette is lonely and she’s been bonding with Jolene, but I don’t think she’s ready for that.
While Juliette was laser focused on her career, Rayna was just trying to keep it together after Teddy’s big “I want a divorce” announcement. He wants to move things along quickly and starts bugging Rayna about telling their daughters. But Rayna is still busy processing and panicking. She’s so shaken that she actually freezes on stage for several minutes, standing motionless under the spotlights and missing her song cue 3 times. Deacon tries to reach out to Rayna, realizing she’s suffering, but she doesn’t confide in him about the divorce. And she’s not ready to talk about their passionate elevator encounter either.
Instead Rayna turns to an unlikely source for comfort … Liam! He shows up at the same hotel and although Rayna is still sore about his professional deception, she eventually warms to his appealing ‘drink more, dance more’ charms. I was SO happy to see Liam return. I worried he was going to be a flash in the pan character we would never see again and I’m incredibly excited that he’s back in the mix. Liam offers Rayna an enticing escape from her problems, something Deacon is incapable of doing. No matter how much Rayna loves Deacon … he’s still complicated. He’s part of a messy past that’s all mixed up with her marriage. Liam is so separate from that. Plus he’s kind of a scoundrel so Rayna probably feels she can use him to make herself feel better.
Rayna and Liam go out drinking and dancing and he even agrees to some impromptu two-step lessons. Then Liam walks Rayna back to HIS hotel room (other way around for a Gentlemen, Sir!) and not so subtlety woos her inside. I was REALLY hoping for a hot and heavy hook up, but I guess that wouldn’t be true to reality … SIGH. What I got instead was some making out … followed by a bathroom breakdown and a heart to heart. Dammit! I was impressed that Liam so sensitive though. He shared stories about his own childhood and his parent’s divorce to try to connect with Rayna. The good news is that it looks like they’ll be getting back into the studio together now that they’ve literally kissed and made up.
When Deacon spies Liam and Rayna looking all cozy the next morning he naturally decides to become hostile rather than ask Rayna what’s going on. The bottom line is that these people all hate themselves and they self sabotage at every available opportunity!
In the end Rayna does return home and she and Teddy sit the girls down to tell them about the divorce. We don’t get to hear how it goes because the visuals were part of a beautiful singing montage, but there is a nice juicy twist at the end … Daphne tells Rayna that she overheard Teddy talking to Peggy on the phone about how he only feels good when he’s with her. Since Teddy technically cheated before he asked for a divorce, will Rayna use it against him in a custody battle?
In other Nashville news, Scarlett and Gunnar are having a delightful time as new roomies. Gunnar’s all walking around in a towel and threatening to get naked. Adorable level of flirtiness achieved. They get fantastic news when Watty White calls to tell them Rayna is thinking of signing them on her new label. Woo-Hoo!
And then … Gunnar’s brother Jason picks a bad time to re-appear. He shows up to apologize for skipping bail and swears that he only bought a gun because he was afraid for his safety with old grudges at the halfway house. He pokes Gunnar right in his soft and gooey centre and Gunnar tries to convince Scarlett to let Jason stay with them. She initially refuses because it’s illegal, but agrees to one night when Gunnar flashes his sad puppy face. But Scarlett is no pushover. She warns Jason not to mess with his little brother. It was an awesome speech and I can totally see Scarlett in the future as a “don’t you sass me” Country mom.
Jason is on his best behaviour, ‘yes ma’am-ing’ Scarlett and making a special breakfast for Gunnar. He even picks up a guitar and plays along while Scarlett and Gunnar are rehearsing for their meeting with Rayna. Scarlett is moved by Gunnar’s stories of Jason giving up music so Gunnar could learn to play and she offers to let him stay a few more nights. Unfortunately, when Jason unzips his bag we can clearly see that he lied about getting rid of his gun. That boy is trouble.
Odds and Ends I don’t care about
– Rayna’s sister is still a nosy bitch
– Avery sells his publishing to the same place as Gunnar and Juliette for $100,000 because he’s a whiny baby who hates his new producer and his manager/cougar lover.
Favourite line
Deacon: Do you know what time it is?
Juliette: Time for a reckoning
Photo Courtesy of ABC
