By Angel Cohn
The action heads back to the titular city this episode, but only after Rayna and Liam eyefuck all over the stage in front of (and around, and over) Juliette. What terribly obnoxious people. And has Rayna never heard of YouTube? Well, it is Rayna, so probably not, but still, this footage is likely going to get back to Teddy at some point (and what happened to Liam only doing three shows?). But after that, the ladies are going back to their hometown to celebrate their co-written song topping the charts.
Well, that and Juliette has some personal issues to deal with, namely in the shape of her nearly unrecognizable sober mom who has a parole hearing. Of course, Deacon shows up, because even though magazines are talking smack about him going off the wagon and getting kicked out of the Revel Kings, he's still the closest thing this show has to a decent human being with actual emotions. Deacon doesn't think he should speak on mom's behalf, given his situation, and Juliette does a really shitty job talking to the judge, so mom gets denied her parole or whatever. But she gets one night out and chooses to go to the big Number One party as Deacon's date. Deacon bails, because he's wallowing in his own misery and talking about selling his house and going off the grid, but his absence gives momma and daughter a chance to bond, and Juliette finds out just how proud her mother is, and there are tears.
Deacon, while sulking like a small child, isn't back to drinking, just back to being grouchy. And he has a conversation with Rayna where he calls her out on her infuriating ability to talk in circles about absolutely everything… but they still talk in circles some more. It amounts to we are never, ever, ever getting back together, except that maybe we will, but we totally won't. But, at the end of the day, it's Juliette who gets through to him because they are both all kinds of dysfunctional, and he joins her tour, much to Rayna (and Teddy's) dismay.
As for Rayna, when she's not busy on-stage molesting yet another guitarist/writing partner, she's pondering some big five-record deal from Ming-Na. See, they want to woo her away from the people who pretty much forced her on this tour with the spoiled young Juliette in the first place, and Rayna loves to have all that delightful smoke blown up her ass. Well, until she finds out that the reason that Liam is pushing this deal so hard is that he gets a lovely little side bonus out of it all, so it’s a win-win for him. Rayna objects to being lied to/used, so she sends Liam on his merry way and is, again, without a guitarist.
Teddy is mayor, but still unable to be any kind of breadwinner, apparently, given all of the talk about Rayna bringing home the bacon and whatnot. Seems all he's good for is handing out accolades for artists who have big hits, and whining about the status of his relationship with Rayna. Go to one of her concerts, Teddy, you'll see she's clearly not that into you.
Avery continues to be an ass, wheeling and dealing and behaving obnoxiously, even trying to befriend Juliette before he's quickly rebuffed. And, extra bonus points of hate for him this week as the logo on all his posters seems to be almost a direct rip-off from The Who's famous bullseye.
Gunnar still won't talk about his brother, but even moronic Scarlett realizes something's wrong when he's playing a crappy old guitar instead of his Gibson. And Gunnar's fending off calls from his brother's parole officer. Still, Gunnar's guitar gets mysteriously returned, even though we don't see Jane By Design brother at all.
Scarlett, meanwhile, is off in whatever fairy princess land she lives in and going to see Avery perform when she meets up with one of his disgruntled former bandmates who proposes again that she join them. She demurs because pixie time isn't the same as human time, but once he says she can bring Gunnar along for the ride, she's totally game. Gunnar's not, because of the brother bullshit, but then he decides to do it because he still really wants to get in Scarlett's pants (well, flighty fairy dresses). They all practice in her garage, and a depressed-looking Avery drives by, only consoling himself with the fact that his shitty song is playing on the radio.