Nashville Series Finale Review: A Happy Ending For All?

For four years we’ve tuned in to ABC’s soapy country hit Nashville for the music, the tears, and every other element that’s ever made up a country song. Now it’s time to say goodbye to Rayna, Deacon, Juliette and company.  ABC’s post-production wrap-up decision to end Nashville‘s run has left fans wondering just how the series is going to end. This is especially troubling since so many of our beloved country singers’ storylines have been in such disarray as of late. Did the series finale give the audience what they wanted?

Nashville’s Queen of Country Rayna James has had a hell of a year. The tension of Maddie’s emancipation has weighed heavily on Rayna and Deacon. It’s torn apart the family they just started building. All we’ve wanted since is for Maddie to get away from the manipulative Cash and come to her senses. No such luck, since Rayna finds out that Maddie is about to be courted by someone even more manipulative from her past. Rayna gets wind that Maddie is being courted by a producer named Vince Pierce, who tried to force himself on Rayna back in the day. Rayna and Deacon still can’t go near their daughter, and her label brushes off Rayna’s allegations. All Rayna can do is issue a public letter and hope Maddie sees it. Deacon can’t focus knowing that Maddie is at the mercy of all these dangerous people. He leaves Rayna’s benefit concert for foster youth to rescue Maddie just in time. Better yet, Maddie kicks Cash to the curb for leaving her alone to go and satisfy her own selfish needs. Maddie finally comes home where she belongs.

Deacon and Rayna have been soul mates from the very beginning, but it was the magnetic pull between Scarlett and Gunnar that sucked people in from Day 1. Anyone else still get chills at their rendition of The Civil Wars’ “If I Didn’t Know Better” from the pilot? Yet for all the incomparable music they’ve made together, their relationship has been a back-and-forth mess right up until now. When it finally looked like Scarlett and Gunnar would finally get together, an argument about the course of their relationship drove them further apart than ever. It seems that Scarlett is finally ready to stop running from her feelings just as Gunnar is moving on with another woman. When Scarlett finds out that Gunnar and Autumn are together, they start thinking that maybe they should break up the band. After even more back and forth, Gunnar makes a bold move on stage and kisses Scarlett. Let’s all start singing “When the Right One Comes Along” in joy!

Will has had a very difficult arc. He knew the risks of publicly coming out in a community that isn’t typically accepting of LGBT, but he wasn’t prepared for the amount of hatred he was going to get. Worse still, in today’s atmosphere it is dangerous to make that big of a public statement and then hide from it. Should this be a strictly private matter separate from Will’s career? Yes, absolutely, but that’s just not the way it is. Will has been called out for not speaking up for the gay community, and it seems like he has finally realized he can’t hide anymore. He and Luke organize a concert right outside the office of the reporter who’s been vilifying his “way of life” to force an interview out of her. She relents, and gets called out on her own show for being afraid of the gays. Will has a rejuvenated confidence following this experience. With Luke’s encouragement, Will reunites with Kevin. It seems that Luke may take his own advice and reunite with a former love of his, his ex-wife.

Juliette finds herself in a very precarious situation. She has had to start her life over after a severe case of Postpartum Depression left her suicidal, tore apart her marriage, nearly destroyed her career and separated her from her daughter Cadence. For the most part she has bounced back. Only one thing could derail her life-the truth about the way Jeff Fordham died to save her.

An anonymous tip to the press puts Juliette in the middle of a firestorm of questions from the police. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Layla did this to get Juliette out of her new life with Avery. Glenn and Luke scramble to cover for Juliette, and despite Layla’s interference they do manage to put a pin in the investigation coming her way. Layla plays the victim the entire time, and for that Glenn quits and Avery breaks up with her. Her career seems to be on the rise though, which is something. Juliette refuses to run from the truth. She tells the whole world about Jeff saving her life. Now knowing the full weight of what Juliette has been through, Avery wants her home. In a shocking cliffhanger, Avery and Cadence are left at the airport after they get word Juliette’s plane has been lost. If Nashville manages to find another network to jump ship, this was a hell of an ending. If they don’t, all “Javery” fans will be very disappointed.

Did Nashville‘s ending leave you satisfied?