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Okay, Jesus. Just when the monstrous memories of Drunk Deacon had subsided, the season two premiere of Nashville is here to sabotage any semblance of emotional well-being you've managed to piece together since the season one finale. We start with Deacon's bloody freaking hand being pulled back inside of an upside-down car, just after his and Rayna's wreck. I thought for a moment that he was a zombie, which would have been a REALLY interesting twist, but no. Anyway, Deacon drags an unconscious Rayna out of the car as distant sirens wail.
We get a series of Deacon and Rayna flashbacks throughout the episode. Happy times after Deacon's first stint in rehab! Deacon asking Rayna to marry him after yet another stint in rehab (even though she knows she's been seeing Teddy) and Maddie's conception! Deacon the morning after the proposal being drunk and having no memory of giving Rayna a ring. Rayna realizing that she's pregnant and going to see Deacon, who's completely trashing his house in a drunken rage, as he is wont to do. Tandy being like, "Girl, no."
The present is just as dire for these two. While Rayna has been put into an induced coma in case of dangerous brain swelling, Deacon has pled guilty to driving under the influence, and the charges could be upped to involuntary manslaughter if Rayna dies. But he wasn't driving, you say! Well, right, but there's nothing Deacon enjoys more than very dramatic self-flagellation. So he takes pains to make sure he goes to prison. A very savvy lawyer who he will probably be boning by episode four does some investigation and realizes that Rayna was behind the wheel and gets him released, much to his chagrin. He perks up a little, though, when she notes that someone else corroborated his story. Yes, it was Rayna, who is taken out of her coma at the end of the episode. She seems to have escaped any lasting brain damage, and in one of her first days of consciousness has to suffer through a lecture from Lamar about how Deacon was never good for her. Let the past stay in the past, says Lamar, which is convenient since back in the day he apparently murdered Rayna's mom and made it look like an accident. D'oh! That guy. To make matters worse, Connie Britton's hair is SO dull and greasy in all the coma scenes. It's like a crime against humanity.
Elsewhere, Juliette has hired Glen back, and is super-upset that comatose Rayna might affect how her new album charts. She concocts a scheme to sing a tribute to Rayna at her big release concert (garnering much stink eye from Avery in the process), then has her fans take glowsticks to a vigil outside the hospital. Klassy! Juliette herself goes into the hospital with no real intention of seeing Rayna, but when Maddie runs out and hugs her she has to come face to face with her own assholishness. Juliette gives Maddie her number, in case she ever needs advice or wants to talk, causing Rayna to roll over in her coma. Maddie spills the secret that Deacon is her bio dad, which Juliette regards with interest. Then she's forced to go to Rayna's coma-room, and later sheds a legit tear or two, about a lot of things.
And then there's Scarlett. I think she has upgraded to a new scraggly wig, perhaps to celebrate her rejection of Gunnar's proposal. The two of them are NOT talking, and she's in the process of moving out. She also has a party to celebrate her last shift at the Bluebird. Avery, Gunnar and her old friend Zoe, who I guess is a new cast member, are all there. This is only after Will tries to convince Gunnar to drink and bang his problems away. They have a party and while Gunnar has no luck in making sweet love to a non-scraggly-beweaved woman, the group drags his couch out to the backyard fire pit. Fire trucks are involved, though they manage to not actually burn the neighborhood down. In any case, once he makes it to the Bluebird (where Scarlett asks if he's come from a barbeque), he sings a song on stage with his former love and we are treated to one of Nashville's signature montages. Montage plot points include Peggy lying to Teddy that she heard their baby's heartbeat after already having learned that she miscarried, and Will not being in the mood for sex with his beard after having come to blows with a former male romantic partner of some sort.
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Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously on Nashville: The Rayna and Juliette rivalry! The Red Lips, White Lies tour! Scarlett got a record deal! Gunnar proposed! Rayna showed up at Deacon's house and said, "I love you, that is the truth!" and then they boned! Peggy announced that she was pregnant with Teddy's illegitimate love child! Lamar demoted Tandy, and in turn she quit! Will put the moves on Gunnar! Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene! Maddie showed up at Deacon's house and said, "I think that you might be my father!" Drunk Deacon…arrghhhhh! And the Rayna and Deacon car crash... oh noooooooo! And the whole time my blood pressure was at a record high, except for when they were talking about the baseball stadium.
We begin the season two premiere with a steaming pile of upside-down Chevy. Nice product placement, eh? In the Chevy Large-mobile, you can argue over a bottle of whiskey, roll over thrice, land upside down, and STILL only end up with a broken hand and induced coma! Spoilers.
In any case, yes, it's the Deacon and Rayna vehicle in its full wrecked glory. There is a grunt, and through a broken windshield we see Deacon's upside-down head, pleading with Rayna to wake up. Okay, first of all, with all the alcohol that he drank, how did he not choke on his own vomit during the crash? And second, what is with the close-up on his bloody stump of a hand being pulled back through the broken window? That is some Walking Dead shit right there. And there is so much drama already in the Post-apocalyptic Zombie Band (PSB) that I don't think it's a good idea for Deacon to join their tour. With his hand pulled back through the window, Deacon sort of wriggles over to Rayna and says, "Come on baby. Baby wake up. You gotta wake up!" She does not wake up. And so, Deacon kicks out the windshield and drags Rayna out of the car and onto the grass. Good call, since there are flames shooting out of the vehicle. Sirens wail as Deacon lays on the grass, breathing heavily with unconscious Rayna on top of him.
And then it's flashback time! Back in happier days, Deacon took Rayna to a house by a river. She's getting ready for CMA rehearsal -- she's just had her first nomination and is dressed like a 90's country ingénue to prove it. He covers her eyes, then takes her inside. She exclaims that it's her dream house, and apparently he's bought it for her. Or at least made a down payment. Deacon's not supposed to make big decisions after rehab (I'm guessing his first) but he says that Rayna wasn't supposed to have to take his drunk ass there in the first place. They kiss, and he thanks her for loving him more than he deserves. They're happy, but also, I'd say, still tinged with a little hint of sadness. It's as if they knew what was coming in the future.
Which is Rayna in a coma! It's an induced one, since the doctors are worried about brain damage, what with the potential for dangerous gray matter swelling. Tandy and the girls are by her bedside, and we learn that it's been two weeks since the accident. And it's sort of a statement about my life right now that I just had the thought that a two-week coma would be really relaxing. I'm sure many of you can relate. Wake me up after The Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion, thanks. The girls want to stay with Rayna, and Tandy says that she'll check with Teddy. Maddie looks particularly forlorn, likely because she's never seen her mother's hair look so limp and lifeless and oily. Of all the traumatic things in this episode, Connie Britton's coma hair is the most upsetting.
Cut to Deacon, in a courtroom, wearing an effing orange jumpsuit with his arm in a sling. He's being charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving. But not WRECK-less driving, har har. Also, wait, he wasn't driving! Teddy is sitting in the audience (I know it's not REALLY an audience, but what do you call the people who just watch a court case?) and is peeved at the notion of Deacon getting out of there while Rayna fights for her life. Teddy's position -- which is helped by the fact that he's the mayor -- has been made quite clear to the judge. But he really shouldn't have bothered throwing his weight/dick around. When told that his bail will be set at $1 million, Deacon forgoes his right to an attorney. He doesn't even want to represent himself -- he just wants to plead guilty. The judge reminds him that if Rayna dies the charges will be upped to involuntary manslaughter, and advises him to say yes to a lawyer. But Deacon just wants to rot in prison, because self-flagellation is his real drug of choice. As he exits the courtroom, he gives Teddy a lingering look chock full of sexual tension. No, kidding, it's just chock full of despair, per usual. And the judge never pounded his gavel and yelled, "Order in the court!" which I find very anti-climactic.
Meanwhile, Juliette watches a news story about how Rayna's foray into critical condition has shot her to the top of the country charts. She's REALLY concerned about Rayna's health. Ha! No, just kidding. Glenn -- who apparently is her manager again -- approaches, and Juliette says with distress that her album drops tomorrow, and it's hard to compete with a saint in a coma. She wants the release pushed back and orders Glenn to call Marshall. But, says Glenn, Marshall isn't in charge anymore. Edgehill Records has been subsumed by a big conglomerate (with a hotter label head) and their board doesn't give a damn about Juliette's attempts to bust out of the tween market. Until they name a new president, there's no one that Juliette can verbally abuse, which aggrieves her greatly. There's apparently an album launch concert planned for the following day, which Glenn thinks is a bad idea. Between Jolene's death and Rayna's coma and her general un-hinged quality, Glenn thinks that Juliette needs a break. She does not agree, and the only thing that can break her out of her crazy mood is an interview with a new hottie potential assistant. Yes, Emily has been thrown over for a bone-able character. Glenn tries to give Juliette a little grief for focusing on how her album will chart at this point in her disastrous life, and she just glares at him.
And then we're at the Bluebird. It's Scarlett's last night, and she's giving Avery a drink on the house. Well those two sure seem chummy, don't they? There's a new waitress-in-training named Zoey, who also happens to be a very old friend of Scarlett's. Scarlett is a little worried that she gave her notice too early, what with Rayna being in a coma and the label being in flux and all. But Zoey thinks she's going to be just fine, with that fancy record deal that fell out of the sky and into her lap. We learn that Scarlett has been sleeping on Zoey's sofa, and then Avery takes the stage to sing a new song. So he's landed on his feet, eh? And oddly, during the hiatus I kind of forgot how there are just songs right in the middle of this show. As Juliette says, "I always loved that one," Zoey asks if she's referring to Avery or the song. Zoey notes that Scarlett has always had a boyfriend, and Scarlett acknowledges that this is a problem and she has to learn to stand on her own. Right on cue Avery sings the hook of his song, which is, "That's how you learn to live alone." A little on the nose, maybe?
Cut to Gunnar painting the walls of his place, which was formerly his and Scarlett's place. Apparently she moved out, and left her couch until she could find her own place. Since Scarlett said no to his proposal, Gunnar hasn't exactly been talking to her a whole lot. Nor, one would guess, singing tenderly at her. Will takes a brush and paints the Texas longhorn on the wall. When Gunnar gets pissed at this, Will asks him if he even listens to country music, which instructs you to get drunk and loud and busy to get over your heartbreak. Will calls Lacy, his girlfriend/beard, and tells her to bring some friends over for their housewarming party tomorrow. At least they're not, like, driving on train tracks or plagiarizing dead siblings or whatever.
Ha! And then Juliette is so riveted by news coverage of vigils for Rayna that she can't even enjoy hottie potential assistant going down on her. Literally, this happens! Once he comes up for air, he asks if this means he didn't get the job. She tells him that she'll let him know, then kicks him out. Something then clicks in Juliette's brain, and she calls Glenn and tells him to order a thousand candles. So…she's going to set the hospital on fire?
As Deacon is escorted to his prison cell, the guard notes that Rayna Jaymes has a lot of fans in the clink, and likely won't take so kindly to the drunk that was driving her. He'd better hope that she pulls through, says the guard. But then he'll miss so many chances for additional self-loathing!
And then we're at Nashville's Parthenon, which is the scene of Juliette's "Inside the Dream" album release concert. She tells the band that she's added an additional song that they haven't done before and Avery -- who is still her lead guitarist -- seems concerned. Juliette assures him that the band will know it, since it's a classic. Scarlett shows up, but much to Avery's chagrin, she's not there to see him. She wants to talk to Juliette, to see if she'll help pitch in for Deacon's bail. Scarlett got an advance on her record deal and some money from her mom, and is asking for a loan. She'll pay back every penny, but right now she doesn't think Deacon deserves to be in jail. Juliette tells Scarlett to let him go, because addicts are addicts, and all they'll do is think it's a good idea to protect you from a sex scandal via a murder-suicide. Or something. Scarlett leaves, disappointed that she spent so much money on her new scraggly wig with side bangs when the cash could have gone to the Free Deacon fund.
And then we're at Gunnar and Will's housewarming party. Will's skanky beard Lacy introduces Gunnar to her skanky friend Savannah, and awkward Gunnar flirting ensues. The real story, however, involves Will looking back to the kitchen where he sees a handsome dude doing a Jell-o shot. He looks mightily perturbed, and takes Lacy outside for some fresh air / to pray the gay away.
Oh God, and then we have to deal with Teddy and Peggy. How she wasn't one of the axed story lines, I do not know. Anyway, Peggy is still pregnant and despite Teddy's preference is not keen on getting an abortion. She has a doctor's appointment and asks if Teddy wants to come with her. Um, no. He already has a family, says Teddy, and now comas are involved. Peggy talks about how she wants to know the meaningful experience of having kids and blah, blah, blah. Teddy tells her he can offer her financial support and that's it. Thankfully, nobody makes this situation more painful by uttering the words "Cumberland deal."
Then we're back at the hospital, where Lamar is stationed by Rayna's bedside. Tandy enters and says that Teddy and the girls are on their way, and Lamar gets up as hastily as his old thighs can manage. They both look at Rayna for a while, and then at the TV, where every minute of every show is interrupted for a very special report about Rayna's current condition. The reporter notes that in a tragic coincidence, Rayna's mother Virginia died in a fiery crash when Rayna was only twelve. Lamar shuts off the TV, because, well, he killed her. I mean, maybe. Spoiler alert! Anyway, Lamar says that he wasn't there for their mother, and it might have made a difference if he had been by her bedside. Tandy tells him that it wasn't his fault that he was out of town when it happened. OR WAS IT? She suggests that Lamar talk to comatose Rayna, then leaves the room so he can do so in privacy. Lamar strokes Rayna's hair and asks her to forgive him…for everything.
And then…flashback! Deacon is holding Rayna's hand. He says he knows he screwed up, and he knows she's seeing Teddy, but…he loves her more than anything else in the world. He wants her to stop seeing Teddy. And to marry him! Deacon pulls a ring out of his pocket and puts it on Rayna's finger and then they bone, which is all any of us ever really wanted out of this show. Not only do they bone, they bone on a SHEEPSKIN RUG. No wonder their romance was doomed. In other news, I don't know what sort of Vaseline on the lens hoodoo filter they're using in this shot, but Connie Britton literally looks fifteen years younger. How can I have that filter surgically imprinted on my face? Anyway, I rewound that scene at least fifteen times, in part because it was sort of hot and in part to procrastinate from the dreary times ahead.
Back to current day prison! Deacon gets a visit from Megan, his court appointed attorney. She's very pretty, and I assume he's going to bang her in…episode four? Five? So, the DA wants to postpone the trial as long as possible so if Rayna dies they can try Deacon for involuntary manslaughter. If that happens, he could serve 10-30 years. Deacon asks if Rayna is going to die, and Megan says it could go either way. The otherwise expressionless Deacon gives a little sorrowful flick of his eyes. She asks what happened, and Deacon says, "I was drunk. We crashed. My fault." All of that is actually technically true. Anyway, Megan is pissing Deacon off by virtue of trying to give him a defense. He would like to be able to rot in prison in peace. Megan says she's a pretty good lawyer, so he shouldn't get too comfortable. Deacon suggests that she not waste her time. Meanwhile, what is up with the tiny Band-Aid on Deacon's face? It really interferes with his brooding swag.
Back in the hospital, the doctor wants to give Rayna a dose of medical stuff. It turns out they're going to bring her out of the coma momentarily to run some tests. Teddy and the girls have just showed up, and Tandy thinks it might not be the best time for them to be there. Teddy agrees, but the girls want to stay, and the doctor doesn't pay any mind to them either way. Rayna's eyes flicker, but then she starts mildly seizing and the girls are freaked out and start crying because THE HAIR! So limp and stringy! Maddie sees her mother's compromised tresses and emphatically says that Rayna is NOT okay!
And then we're at the Ob/Gyn with Peggy. It turns out that lately she hasn't had very many symptoms of pregnancy. And yes, you guessed it, this is because she isn't actually pregnant. Well, she WAS pregnant, maybe. But she miscarried, and didn't even know it. Peggy's character arc basically is just: "Dumb bitch." And we all know what's coming .
And then we're back to Juliette's concert, where lots of fans are cheering and holding glow sticks. Juliette wants to take a moment and talk about someone who's very important to her -- Miss Rayna Jaymes. Yes, barf, particularly with the ensuing slide show. Juliette sweetly says that she never imagined that she'd share the stage with her idol, who is now a mentor and friend. And tonight may be about launching her album, but without Rayna's inspiration and influence, Juliette wouldn't even be there. Avery, standing in the shadows on stage, can not even believe the load that he's in such close proximity to. Until Rayna gets better, Juliette would like to continue her tradition…by singing her song "This Love Ain't Big Enough." Rayna needs to snap out of that coma and walk on stage, flat hair and all, and take care of business.
Oh boy, and then it's time for Will to confront the mysterious Jello shot dude who is obviously, duh, some sort of gay lover. Jell-o guy seems to know Will well enough, though he didn't know that he was coming to a party at Will's place. He thinks the whole situation is incredibly sad, which it is. Will gets close to him, puts a hand on his chest, then grabs his collar and pushes him hard against the wall. They stand locked in that position for a moment, in which Will totally gets a look like he wants to kiss Jell-o shot, and Jell-o shot makes the slightest move toward him. And then Will hits him in the face and makes it a big deal like Jell-o shot made an unwanted advance. Will orders him out then cuddles up closer to his beard. Gunnar is like, "Finally, someone more messed up than me!"
Back to Juliette. She takes things nine steps too far as she tells the crowd that it's hard being so close to where Rayna is fighting for her life, and even harder not to be able to tell Rayna that she's praying for her. Praying! So now she wants all of her fans to bring their glow sticks and prayers over to the hospital, which is where she's going now to visit her very, very good friend. As they walk offstage, Avery tells Juliette that it was interesting how she was in most of the photos of Rayna that were projected. Just a friendly observation, he says. Minus the friendly part, obviously. Anyway, he can't take his glow stick to the hospital because he's going to a party at the Bluebird for Scarlett's last shift. Obviously peeved that someone has the nerve to call her on her shit, Juliette gives Avery the friendly observation that Scarlett is just not that into him. So these two are going to bone in…episode three? Six?
At the hospital, Maddie sits by Rayna's bed and ponders the mystery that is Uncle Deacon being her dad, and also almost killing her mom. Speaking of the ways in which Deacon has almost killed Rayna, we have another flashback. It's the morning after our last scene of coital bliss, except now Deacon's sleeping on the couch, to a near empty bottle of whiskey. Rayna slaps him awake, asking if he's been drinking (yes), and if he just got up in the middle of the night and started drinking (yes). He says he couldn't sleep. Well, a bottle of whiskey will definitely help with that. Deacon tries to grab Rayna, and she asks if he was drunk when he came over last night, and drunk when he "asked" her. "When I asked you what?" says Deacon. So, like, fine, all those years of Rayna lying about Maddie is forgiven. Drunk Deacon is the worst of all time. Worse than Peggy! Worse than the Barilla pasta guy! Rayna throws the ring at him and walks away, which is the appropriately heartbreaking response. Ugh, those two.
Back in the present, Scarlett has come to see Deacon in jail. After several rejections he's finally accepted her visit, primarily so he can tell her to go away. He is SO hostile and mean, when she's just there to tell him that she's trying to secure his bail and help him get out. If she wants to help him, says Deacon, she should sell or burn down his house. Very constructive ideas, he's having. Scarlett says that a lot of people are praying for Rayna and Deacon, which seems to enrage him even further. He tells Scarlett that he's a damn drunk, and is no good to Scarlett or anybody. Scarlett tries to give him a self-confidence boost by noting that he's got some talents and has been like a father to her. Then he REALLY freaks out, in typical Deacon freak-out fashion, and gets the crazy eyes as he screams that he's not her father and he's nobody's damn father and she should quit coming. He punches the plexiglass between them, which seems extra unnecessary. He doesn't even have the excuse of being drunk this time! He's just a straight up rage-aholic.
Back at the house-burning party, Savannah proves herself to be especially sex-positive and tries to maul Gunnar right in the middle of the living room. Ah, youth. After a few seconds, Gunnar stops her, telling her that he just broke up with someone, and the very couch upon which they're making out is haunted by the ghost of Scarlett's scraggly weave and dulcet tones. He can't bear to get busy with another lady upon it. Savannah says that he has to get her out, and Gunnar wonders how he's supposed to do that. Savannah gets a shifty look in her eye, indicating that she has an idea. Cut to several party-goers, including Gunnar, hauling the couch outside and tossing it into a fire pit amongst lots of hoots and hollers. Gunnar squirts some gasoline onto it, and the flames get bigger, much to his delight. And then he gets a little overzealous, and the housewarming becomes a house-burning. Not literally, which is sort of sad but also good because I wouldn't want anything to happen to Will before we fully get to explore his closet situation. Gunnar lets out an aptly timed, "Oh crap."
Then we're at the hospital, where Juliette has arrived amidst a swarm of fans who are brandishing glowsticks and tweeting #prayforrayna. She waves to her fans for coming out "for Rayna," and gives a "God bless you" for emphasis. As she walks toward the hospital entrance, Glenn tells her that they probably won't let anyone but immediate family into the ICU. She obviously knows this, and says she couldn't handle it anyway and that the car should meet them around back. So skeevy! But karma meets her in the form of sweet Maddie, who comes out of the hospital thrilled that Juliette has come to support the family and gives her a big hug. Juliette has that, "Boy, am I an asshole" face down pat.
Once in the hospital, Juliette is totally sweet as Maddie tells her not to ask how she's doing. Juliette agrees, and probably she's not that interested anyway. Maddie asks if Juliette's mom ever lied to her. Um, yes. We got that. Maddie says that sometimes she wishes she had somebody to talk to, since there isn't anybody who understands. Juliette takes Maddie's phone and puts in her own number, saying that she understands. Now, don't get me wrong, I love me some Juliette.
However…I don't know that she's exaaaactly the best person to be doling out advice on mother-daughter relations. It would be like Miley Cyrus mentoring youth around how to enter your 20s with grace and dignity. But she says that Maddie can call her anytime she needs somebody to talk to. And then Maddie says that Rayna's coma is all because of her. She explains that she was snooping through Rayna's not very well hidden boxes, and discovered that her dad isn't her dad. So of course she went to Deacon and asked if he was, and he didn't know. And then he got drunk and almost killed Rayna, the end. Juliette looks quite scandalized by this news, while Maddie blames herself for snooping in the first place. Juliette tells her that she's not responsible for any of this, and has tears in her eyes as she hugs Maddie hard. Teddy comes down at that moment and Maddie says proudly, "Look who came to see mom."
Then there's Scarlett, who almost missed her own going away party due to Deacon yelling at her. Zoey asks how Deacon is, and the answer is not great. Scarlett is not great either, and Zoey -- who has known her since the first grade -- wonders what he said to her. Scarlett just cries and wonders if everybody else is right about Deacon and she's wrong. Zoey -- whose accent is…questionable -- wants Scarlett to turn off the tears and get through this so everybody can celebrate her damn success. I'm guessing Zoey is an enthusiast of tough love.
And then Juliette is dragged to Rayna's hospital room by Maddie. As they look at dull-haired Rayna with her breathing tube in, Maddie says that Juliette must miss her own mom. Juliette says that when her mom was "good" -- which I guess means sober -- she'd play Rayna's music. They'd sit on the floor and listen to the songs over and over, and Jolene's favorite was "This Love Ain't Big Enough." Oh, the complicated feelings and actions of Juliette. Rayna always called Maddie a platinum baby, since that song came out the year she was born. And speaking of the year Maddie was born.
Flashback! Rayna heads to Deacon's house with Tandy in tow. She wants to talk to Deacon, who bailed on rehab and is now in his house drinking and throwing empty bottles in the sink. Tandy wants Rayna to get out of there and let him go, but Rayna cries that she's pregnant and it's probably -- probably! -- Deacon's. She says that Deacon is sick and needs help, but Tandy points out that you can't help somebody who doesn't want to help himself. And then to show us just how out of control Deacon is at this moment, we see him throwing records on the floor. Not smashing them, though some have come out of their sleeves. The apex of rage! Monster! As they watch Deacon pace and drink and throw records, Tandy suggests that Rayna think about what could happen to her or the baby if Deacon is the father. God, drunk Deacon sucks.
And then Megan the lawyer comes to see Deacon again. She found a hospital report that had something about diagonal bruising, and anyway she knows that Rayna was behind the wheel. Deacon says that if he hadn't been drinking none of this would have happened. Which: true. Megan is all like: yeah, but technically not a crime. Deacon is feeling sad that he's not going to have an opportunity to become Crazy Eyes' new dandelion.
Meanwhile, even Will thinks that Gunnar might have taken matters too far by burning the couch, and Gunnar notes that they're both idiots. He says that he can't party his feelings away (um, song title!) and he can't go screwing with girls and pretending to feel something he's not, unlike SOME people who are standing right there wearing a very hetero cowboy hat. Gunnar then says that he isn't judging Will for being in the closet, which a) is a very judge-y thing; b) prompts Will to deny that he's in any closet. Gunnar is very confused and just says, "…okay." He's going to head to the Bluebird for Scarlett's celebration.
At said celebration, Scarlett holds her apron up in the air in triumph and talks about how much she's going to miss everyone. Avery toasts to her. And…does he work at the Bluebird now? As Scarlett hangs her apron, Gunnar approaches and notes it's been a while since they've seen each other. He's purposefully asked for different shifts, for obvious reasons. Scarlett says it's nice to see him, then in a very Scarlett manner asks if he came from a barbeque. I hope she can use that record advance to buy a new couch! In any case, Gunnar knows why Scarlett said no, and says that "you have to grow up sometime". So he wants to stay at the party. And wait, why did she say no? Other than the proposal was obviously a colossally awful idea? Avery approaches to say that everyone wants Scarlett to do a song. She heads out, giving Avery a chance to snark at Gunnar that he couldn't take no for an answer. Gunnar says, "Guess that makes two of us." There HAS to be someone more interesting in the whole city of Nashville to have a romantic rivalry over than Scarlett, right?
On stage, Scarlett says that she's leaving the Bluebird because of Rayna Jaymes, may all prayers -- and these are legit prayers, not fake-ola Juliette prayers -- be with her. But she wouldn't be singed or singing without the influence of someone in the room, and she wants that person to come up and sing with her. And of course it's Gunnar, because what the hell did Avery ever due to support her music career? The song is called, "Why Can't I Say Goodnight," and it's your standard really beautiful Scarlett and Gunnar fare. And as usual, it provides an excellent backdrop for a multi-character montage! Lacy tries to get busy with Will, and he tells her he's not in the mood. Peggy meets with Teddy, and is crying. He asks if something's wrong and she tells him she heard the baby's heartbeat. Character arc = dumb bitch, continued. Juliette gazes at a photo of her mom and herself as a baby, then puts it on a candle shrine along with a Rayna Jaymes CD. And then cries a bunch. She leaves a message for Scarlett. Deacon takes off his sling, obviously in quite a bit of pain, and lays down on his prison cot. His hair looks awful, too. Rayna is still in her troublingly unglamorous coma.
And then we're back to Scarlett and Gunnar gazing at each other while in song. They end, and she thanks him for singing with her. He didn't want to, but says he did it because you don't give up on people you love. Oh jeez, these guys. Also: shut up, Gunnar. Avery gazes upon the whole scene with a resigned look on his face, much like we all are doing.
Back at the hospital, Lamar enters to find Teddy sitting in Rayna's room. Lamar says that they all make choices: passion over stability, fireworks over family. Teddy is all, "Seriously, dude?" But Lamar continues, saying he wishes Teddy had tried harder, loved Rayna more, found some way to keep her happy and away from a man like Deacon. And seriously, the amount of effort that Teddy put into the situation was not the problem, though his innate dullness was. Teddy correctly tells Lamar not to project his junk, and adds that he kept Rayna happy for a long time. But he saw the writing on the wall and didn't wait for his wife to pack her bags and abandon him like Lamar's did. Ooooh, burn. Lamar says that's not what happened, that Rayna's mom died in an accident. And then things start beeping, and it turns out Rayna's blood pressure and brain activity are spiking. Apparently she's flashing back to the car crash with Deacon, which I personally did not need to see again. Gah.
After a break, the doctor tells Tandy that it's not uncommon for patients to react to what they're experiencing subconsciously. There were no seizures, and the brain swelling has gone down. Things look good, so they're comfortable bringing Rayna out of the induced coma. The family can be present for it, but should be prepared for any outcome. Meaning, there may have been an impact on her cognitive abilities, and she may not recognize anything. I bet she'd recognize a video of Juliette covering her song.
Scarlett then goes to Deacon's house, vintage suitcase in hand. She can't just get a regular rolling bag? The place is completely trashed and though we don't see it I'm sure there are record albums on the floor somewhere to indicate the seriousness of the situation. Juliette shows up, and confirms that Scarlett is planning to move in. Juliette's people are working on Deacon's bail, and Scarlett sorrowfully thanks her. Scarlett is wondering why Deacon fell off the wagon so hard. She wishes she knew why, and Juliette gets a look full of meaning and complicated thoughts.
And then Rayna's awake at the hospital, and for some reason we have to experience the doctors taking out her breathing tube. The doctors ask her to blink twice if she understands that they're at Vanderbilt hospital. And she blinks! Then the doc asks if she knows who the people in the hallway are. It's her whole family, and she takes a long, worrisome moment before nodding. And then the doctor asks if she would like a shampoo and a curling wand, and she blinks one thousand times. The family is obviously super happy that Rayna's not brain dead, and she smiles with the minimal bit of energy she can muster as the girls rush to her bed.
Meanwhile, Megan the lawyer enters to tell a brooding Deacon that he's being released. He wonders if someone posted his bail. The answer is no… someone confirmed that he wasn't driving. It was Rayna, of course, who is conscious and in her right mind. This makes Deacon cry a little, and he blinks his weary eyes and musters up a smile and literal sigh of relief.
With the health crisis over, Tandy is back to work. And…where is she even working since she quit Baseball Stadium Industries? I guess it really doesn't matter, but hooray for her that she found gainful employ AND is taking the stairs in a power suit. A dude from the US Attorney's Office approaches her, and she's like, "AGAIN?" She tells the guy that she's not interested in helping to make their case against Lamar. The guy is like, "And how about if I told you that there's evidence to support the theory that he killed your mother, hmmmmmmm?" The car accident was no accident. Tandy says that's ridiculous, and the guy is like, "Um, you know him. Think about it."
Meanwhile, Rayna is sitting out on the balcony and getting some healthy sunshine and fresh air. She seems quite tired, but her hair is marginally cleaner. Lamar approaches and they make a little polite small talk before he says, "He never was any good for you, you know." He clarifies that he's talking about Deacon and Rayna's like, "I got it." She says she's not interested in looking behind her anymore, she's just going to live her life. Lamar hisses that it's always best to leave the past behind, and now we know that he's got extra motivation to support that worldview. As Rayna looks troubled and in need of a nice tinted lip gloss, we're out.
This season on Nashville: Rayna's back onstage and outselling Juliette with her greatest hits. There's some other new young chick on the label, and we're promised that this rivalry will be diva-licious. Zoey seems to have her eye on Will, Juliette kisses someone who may or may not be Will, and AHHHHHH! LIAM IS BACK and in Rayna's bed! And then we're told that the ride to the top is rougher, tougher, and more cutthroat than ever. While Deacon doesn't know if he can play guitar anymore, Will accuses Gunnar of being jealous, hotshot business mogul Oliver Hudson wonders who this woman (Rayna? Scarlett?) thinks she is, and Rayna says she thinks she's lost her voice. So, that doesn't seem too dramatic, right?
Potes prayed for Rayna all summer long. Tweet her @traciepotes or email potesypotes@gmail.com.