‘Nashville’ – Season 2 – Premiere!

Welcome back to Nashville! It’s time for the premiere of Season 2!

We pick up right where the Season 1 finale left off, at the scene of Rayna and Deacon’s SUV accident. The SUV has flipped, and Rayna is unconscious. Deacon fights his way out of the SUV and pulls Rayna out. We flash back to happier days, when Rayna is set for her 1st CMA Awards rehearsal and Deacon has surprised her with her dream home after completing a stint at rehab. Back in the present, Rayna has been in a medically induced coma, and Tandy, Maddie, and Daphne are by her side. Meanwhile, Deacon has taken the fall for driving the SUV while under the influence despite the fact that Rayna was the one driving (there wasn’t a way to check the prints on the SUV steering wheel or something?), and Teddy wants him in jail while Rayna is in a coma. Deacon wants to plead guilty with no legal representation, but the judge tells him he should get professional representation because the charges may be upgraded to involuntary manslaughter if Rayna doesn’t make it (as if!). The judge sets bail at $1 million because of the danger Deacon poses to others and himself.

At her home, Juliette watches the news on Rayna with what appears to be genuine concern, until the news reports that Rayna’s album sales have soared and she is now #1 on the charts. Juliette immediately snaps into freakout mode over her album launch, which starts the next day. She tells Manager Glenn to move her album release date (a move he supports based on Juliette’s own recent tragedy), but he tells her Edgehill has been absorbed into a large conglomerate and there’s no new president to oversee the launch or make any decisions. Well, that’s one way to get rid of Marshall Evans (& the actor who played him). They’ve also at least temporarily gotten rid of Juliette’s loyal P.A., who has a sick relative. Interviewing for the job is a cute guy, which seems to restore Juliette’s mood fast.

Scarlett is bussing tables for the last night at the Bluebird, and gives Avery a free drink. Her best friend Zoe is new to the Bluebird, so Scarlett fills her in on how things work. Avery performs “How You Learn To Live Alone” (written by Mary Gauthier and Gretchen Peters) which has Scarlett’s full attention. Zoe calls her out, but Scarlett says she needs some time on her own. She has been living with Zoe, so she and Gunnar don’t appear to be together.

Speaking of Gunnar, he and Will are repainting the house. Scarlett said no to Gunnar! Will is going to help Gunnar get over it in his usual way: by throwing him a housewarming party tomorrow with lots of girls. Will paints a longhorn on the wall.

Back at Juliette’s, her P.A. candidate is, ahem, servicing her. Well, trying to, anyway. She dismisses him and watches the news, which continues to report on Rayna. She calls Manager Glenn and tells him she needs 1000 candles. She’s got participation in the vigil for Rayna on her mind.

Deacon is taken to his cell, where a guard warns him he’ll be seeing a lot of Rayna fans. So, the guard says, Deacon had better hope Rayna pulls through.

At rehearsal for her album launch concert, Juliette tells the band they are adding a song. Avery, her lead guitarist, wants to know if they know. She’s sure they will, because it’s a classic. Scarlett drops by, and though Avery hopes it’s because she wants to watch him play, it’s actually because she’s asking Juliette for help with Deacon’s bail ($1 million). Juliette advises her not to hang onto an addict, because he will only disappoint her. Avery overhears, so you just know he’ll try to be there for Scarlett.

At Will & Gunnar’s housewarming party, Will introduces Gunnar to some girls. Will sees an ex doing shots with a girl, and needs some air.

Peggy and Teddy meet up, and she wants Teddy to be involved with his child, but Teddy says he will only provide financial support. He says he already has a family.

Lamar is sitting with Rayna when Tandy walks in – Tandy smooths over any potential awkwardness by telling him to stay. The news, playing in the background, talks about the parallels between Rayna’s accident and the car accident that killed her mother. Lamar shuts the TV off abruptly and says he wasn’t there for Tandy and Rayna’s mother, that maybe it would have made a difference. Tandy tells him it wasn’t his fault he was out of town, and he can just tell Rayna that he is there for her now. Lamar asks Rayna to forgive him, for everything. It’s almost like he’s going to pull the plug or something, but he doesn’t.

We flash back again to Deacon out of rehab (again), knowing that Rayna’s been seeing Teddy Conrad, and wanting her to stop because he wants to marry her. Rayna says yes, and well, I guess this flashback is supposed to tell us when Maddie was conceived. Back in the present, Deacon has a meeting with his court-appointed attorney, Megan Van Noy, who may already see through his fatalistic point of view.

Back at the hospital, the doctors ease Rayna’s sedation to test her cognitive function while Tandy, the girls and Teddy see her. The scene upsets Maddie and Daphne.

Peggy is at the doctor’s and unfortunately, she has miscarried.

At her album launch party, Juliette dedicates her cover of Rayna’s “This Love Ain’t Big Enough” to Rayna after speechifying about her connection to Rayna. Her performance outfit (dress with a tail), style, and the song is very Carrie Underwood. Avery looks on with skepticism, and after Juliette invites fans to join the candlelight vigil for Rayna with her, he calls out Juliette for her ulterior motives. Juliette snarks back that Avery’s pining after a girl (Scarlett).

To DOWNLOAD “This Love Ain’t Big Enough,” written by Justin Davis & Sarah Zimmerman (a.k.a. Striking Matches) and Jill Andrews and performed by Hayden Panettiere, click HERE.

Back at Will & Gunnar’s, Will and his ex have a little confrontation in the laundry room that goes from resentful to romantically tense to angry pretty quickly. Will tells Lacey that his ex made a pass on him.

Scarlett goes to see Deacon and for once, he agrees to see her, only to try to make her stay away. She tries to tell Deacon that he is a decent person who slipped, but he yells at her that he’s a drunk who deserves to rot in jail, and that he is no one’s father. We flash back to the morning after Deacon’s proposal to Rayna — Deacon passed out drunk after he proposed to Rayna all those years ago, and couldn’t remember proposing.

Gunnar is making out with new acquaintance Savannah, who is coming onto him strong. He tells her he can’t shake the memory of Scarlett, who is all over this couch and this house. They come up with the idea of burning the couch, which turns into a big moment, until Gunnar realizes the fire may be a little too big.

Juliette makes sure the media sees her leading the vigil for Rayna, and though Manager Glenn tells her it’s highly unlikely she’ll be allowed into the ICU, Juliette soldiers on. She runs into Maddie, and though Juliette’s not complaining about the photos being taken of their hug, she’s actually great with Maddie inside. Maddie spills about the paternity situation, which Juliette is capable of using against the adults in the siutation. But in the moment, she comforts Maddie and seems genuine about trying to make her feel better. Teddy walks in on another embrace between the two. Juliette has given Maddie her phone number, and you can see her connecting to Maddie over parental issues.

Scarlett is late for her own party at the Bluebird, and tells Zooey she went to see Deacon. Scarlett is upset and suffering a little doubt about Deacon. She’s in no state to party, but Zoe tells her to shut off that side to try to enjoy the night. Scarlett tries.

Back at prison, sure enough, Deacon’s court appointed attorney Megan has figured out he wasn’t driving based on the hospital report of Rayna’s injuries. He says it was his fault anyway. Flashback to the scene of Rayna going to tell Deacon that she’s pregnant, possibly with his child. Tandy stops her, and they watch Deacon madly consume alcohol. Tandy convinces Rayna that she can’t expose herself and her chlid to this.

Firefighters have put out the yard fire Gunnar started, and though Gunnar and Will try to laugh it off, Gunnar tells Will he can’t hide from his feelings anymore like Will is. Gunnar is going to the Bluebird’s sendoff for Scarlett.

Back at the hospital, Juliette has accompanied Maddie and Teddy to Rayna’s room. She stands the door while Maddie sits at her mother’s side. Maddie says she can come in, and says Juliette must miss her mother. Juliette says that when her mother was well, they would play Rayna’s music over and over again, and their favorite was “This Love Ain’t Big Enough.” Maddie says Rayna always calls Maddie her platinum baby because Maddie was born the year that song came out. Good job by the writers humanizing Juliette and showing she’s a mix of manipulative business mind and genuinely human.

Gunnar shows up to Scarlett’s party. He and Avery snark on each other about not being able to take no for an answer. Scarlett asks Gunnar to come up and sing with her. They perform “Why Can’t I Say Goodnight,” written by Angelo Petraglia and Kim Richey. As they sing, we see footage of Juliette crying as she puts a picture of a Rayna James album next to a photo of Jolene holding her, while Peggy lies to Teddy about having heard the baby’s heartbreak and Will brushes off Lacey. Juliette calls Scarlett. As their song finishes, Scarlett thanks Gunnar for singing with her, and Gunnar tells her not to give up on the people she loves.

To DOWNLOAD “Why Can’t I Say Goodnight,” written by Angelo Petraglia and Kim Richey and performed by Clare Bowen and Sam Palladio, click HERE.

BONUS: Here is Kim Richey’s recording of “Why Can’t I Say Goodnight”

At the hospital, Teddy has dozed off as he sits with Rayna, when Lamar walks in. Lamar tries to lay into him for not keeping Rayna happy for long enough. They start to argue when Rayna’s brain activity spikes. We see flashbacks of the argument right before the accident, when Deacon is telling her a drunk is who he is. The doctor says Rayna’s symptoms are good, that she may just have been responding to subconscious stimuli. The doctor is ready to bring Rayna out of her coma, but warns Tandy Rayna may not recognize her family.

Scarlett shows up at Deacon’s place, which is trashed. Juliette walks in behind her, and Scarlett asks if she posted Deacon’s bail. Juliette tells her her people are working on it now, and Scarlett thanks her. Looking over Deacon’s place, Juliette comments that he really fell of the wagon hard. Scarlett agrees and says she wishes she knew why. Of course Juliette knows, but doesn’t say anything.

Back at the hospital, Rayna comes to as her family watches anxiously. She is fully conscious, recognizes everybody, and off screen, remembers that she was the one driving, leading to Deacon’s release. Deacon is incredibly relieved when Megan informs him Rayna is alive and well.

Somebody from the US Attorney’s office approaches Tandy again, who tries to brush him off again, telling them she will help them make a case against her father and that if the information was from Teddy Conrad, they should consider the source. The lawyer tells Tandy her father may have had something to do with the car accident that killed her mother. Tandy doesn’t believe it but the attorney questions her assumption her family was immune from what he’s capable of.

Lamar is with Rayna. She says she is just going to live her life and leave the past behind (OK but, how about her role in facilitating Deacon’s fall off the wagon, not that Deacon isn’t very responsible there? The fact that he is Maddie’s biological father?). Lamar says in his usual sinister way that it is best to put the past behind you.

About Deb B 432 Articles
Also known as Windmills, I cover country music news and live televised country events, in addition to recapping ABC's 'Nashville.' Additionally, I occasionally do long-form chart analysis that has been cited by Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, The Guardian, The New Republic, NPR, and more.