With the 2014-15 TV season coming to a close, TVOvermind is taking a closer look and reviewing the most recent seasons of some of network TV’s biggest shows. We last examined FOX’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Next up: ABC’s “Nashville.”
Season 3 of ABC’s country drama Nashville was not the strongest. Let’s take a closer look at the highs and lows, and what needs to happen next season.
What went right:
Deacon and Rayna finally got together! Hands down, this was the best part of Season 3, a moment fans have been begging for for years. You would think it would have been sullied by Deacon’s terminal cancer diagnosis, but these two took that struggle by the reins and have been riding it out together ever since. Their strength and endurance as a couple and as individuals has been a thing of beauty to watch. Through it all Deacon and Rayna have also excelled in their parenting of teenage Maddie and juggled their friendships pretty well. Rayna had an exceptional year with her album and with Highway 65, and she proved this year that she should just be running Nashville.
As grateful as I am that Deacon and Rayna are finally together, I am also surprisingly grateful with how Rayna’s parting from Luke opened up a whole new chapter in his storyline. The audience got to see Luke really mourn that relationship, and instead of being permanently resentful he chose to examine his life. He took a page from Rayna’s playbook and decided to build his own label, began rebuilding his relationship with his son, and was even supportive of Rayna, Deacon and Maddie as they faced Deacon’s cancer diagnosis. He probably made the biggest leap this season in terms of being in the audience’s good graces.
Hayden Panetierre’s pregnancy paved the way for her portrayer Juliette to have a bun in the oven, and mercifully it was her ex Avery’s. We already knew this couple was meant to be together, but we should be grateful they took the time to learn to trust each other and put their baby first before they actually tied the knot. Plus Juliette had my favorite line of the season to Rayna while she was in labor (“Am I being punished?” “You’re not being punished, you’re just having a baby!”).
Scarlett got her groove back. She took baby steps in the beginning of the season to get back to the artist she was, and by the end of the season she could bounce around on stage just as well as she could lead a ballad. It was amazing to see that fire come to life not just in her performing, but in the way she stood up for herself and what she wanted out of life. Gunnar also got what he needed, even if it was in the most convoluted way. Finding out that Micah was his son, and then that he was actually his nephew, and then that Micah was actually conceived because Jason raped Kylie, was a lot for Gunnar to absorb this year. Instead of coming out of hearing this bitter though, Gunnar chose to simply be grateful for answers to questions he’d had for years, and also be grateful that he still had family in his life. (Oh, and Zoe leaving was also a good thing. Not that I dislike her, but it was clear her time in Nashville was at an end.)
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Sadie’s journey. Though she departed the season early, her abuse storyline was very well-handled. Sadie was able to use her past as inspiration in her music, and when her past caught up with her, her struggle and her triumph was laid bare. It’s a shame Sadie had to kill her ex-husband in order to fully be free, but we definitely weren’t sorry to see him get his just desserts.
The best moment and journey of the season I give to Will Lexington. It took a long time for the in-the-closet cowboy to be true to himself, let alone be truthful about it with everyone in the world. His coming out in the season finale was a thing of beauty, and finding the right guy to have by his side was the cherry on top. His is the storyline I’m most looking forward to next season.
What went wrong:
Oh, so many things. I’m very disappointed to say that there were many displeasing turns this season on Nashville, and what makes them worse is that they were left unresolved. First up is the relationship between Scarlett and Gunnar. The common shipper phrase “They just need to get together already” is appropriate, but now I’m saying “They just need to be together for their own sanity and everyone else’s”. It seemed like the more they tried to resist each other, the crankier they both became, so much so that it interfered with their music. In a world where music is like their second religion, even the risk of losing that is dangerous. So really, enough is enough with these two.
Then there was the forgettable guest spot by Christina Aguilera as Jade St. John. She had a promising storyline coming in, and no one can deny her vocal range as it dipped into the country waters. However her storyline never progressed to much of anything, and once Jade was back in LA, I think we were all happy to leave her there. You know a storyline is bad when it makes Jeff look good. Not that that lasted long. Jeff’s fraction of a good side was shown for about half a second when he was helping Layla, and then he reverted back to type. Shame on Layla though for giving him so much power over her. You now work for Rayna James girl, the alpha country queen; have you learned nothing?
Teddy, Teddy, Teddy; I can’t even be angry anymore, his life has become so sad. Mr. Always Second Choice really hit a new low when he got involved with a prostitute, and then found himself in the middle of a federal investigation he couldn’t wiggle out of. I’ll give him credit for not being willing to hand the feds his former sister-in-law for her crimes as a bargaining chip, but he really is just his own worst enemy.
Juliette’s downward spiral into postpartum depression was depressing for everyone. The country diva finally had it together only to be defeated by unhealthy hormones. It was a downward spiral that resulted in her alienating every person in her life that loved her, including a devastated Avery, who was forced to take baby Cadence and walk away from his wife for their daughter’s safety. Turning to Jeff of all people for help? Yeah, that was just so wrong that I can’t even discuss it.
What needs to happen next season:
Ultimately, my biggest problem with Season 3 was the amount of backsliding that was going on. Juliette, Layla, Gunnar, Scarlett, and Teddy all took two steps forward, only to take a thousand backwards so that they, and most especially their relationships, were more sorry-looking than ever before. It wasn’t just painful to watch, it was ridiculous. So this is what needs to happen for these character’s stories to be worth watching again.
This may sound wrong, but Teddy should go to prison and stay there. At least then he would be supervised so he can’t get himself into as much trouble. While this wouldn’t be the greatest thing for Daphne, it would at least give her a storyline. I cheered when Daphne finally got the courage to say that she was feeling left out when it came to getting her mother’s attention in comparison to Maddie. I get it, it’s been a rough year for Maddie, and she is a teenager so that always makes for great drama. Daphne has proven that she has the voice and the mind to be able to hold her own storyline, and I’d like to see her get a little more attention next season.
Let’s find Luke Wheeler a nice girl. We all knew he didn’t belong with Rayna, but he’s proven he’s deserving of a good woman who will bring out the best in him. Let’s make her new to the canvas as well, since Luke’s also deserving of less complications in his life.
Juliette must come to her senses; period, end of story. I don’t care how it happens, but it needs to happen, sooner, rather than later. Poor Glenn and Emily should also get raises for having to deal with all of it. Layla also needs to come to her senses, or at least be written off. Her character is borderline exasperating at this point.
Derek Hough actually had a really nice guest arc at the beginning of the season. Maybe the writers could find a way to bring him back? He just exudes an enormous amount of charm on screen that is so much fun to see.
Rayna and Deacon need to be happily married, with Deacon healthy again; end of story. Juliette and Avery need to work through their marriage, with Juliette healthy again; end of story. Scarlett and Gunnar need to be together, with their music not bearing the brunt of their frustrations, because that’s a disservice to everyone; end of story.
TVOvermind’s Nashville Music Awards:
– Most Authentic Country Ballad-“I Know How to Love You Now”-Charles Esten (Deacon Claybourne): Deacon is old-school country, making his voice the most authentic and the most raw of anyone on the show. He sang the perfect opening song to set off Season 3, a story strong enough to carry him to his love by season’s end.
– Most Self-Conscious-“Blind”-Aubrey Peeples (Layla Grant): Layla’s music finally got some real authenticity, and Aubrey Peeples finally got to showcase her raw talent. I hope this continues into Season 4.
– Best Confessional-“If I Drink This Beer”-Will Chase (Luke Wheeler): Luke put the perfect cowboy stereotype aside to sing his first true song about heartache. Being dumped by Rayna allowed him the opportunity to sing about something real, a true turning point for his music and his character.
– Most Raw Story-“Sad Song”- (Sadie Stone): Perfectly titled, perfectly expressed, the song that Sadie poured the broken pieces of her soul into created the perfect mixture of sorrow and healing.
– Best Crossover-“Shotgun”-Christina Aguilera (Jade St. John): Christina Aguilera can sing pretty much anything, and her turn at country was really beautiful.
– Sweetest Family Song- “Hold You in My Arms”- Hayden Panetierre and Jonathan Jackson (Juliette and Avery): Alright this wasn’t a big musical moment, but it is one of the sweetest lullabies I’ve ever heard.
– Best Goosebumps- “Longer”-Sam Palladio and Clare Bowen (Gunnar and Scarlett): This pair do their best work together, especially with slow, sweeping ballads. You can feel their chemistry in every song they do, but not since the pilot have they had a song so raw and filled with so much longing. The effect was so strong that you could hear your heartbeat in the quiet spaces between the lyrics.
Here’s to Season 4!
[Photo credit: Mark Levine/ABC]
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