While we didn’t miss her all the way over in Bolivia, Juliette is back. She is still in the cult and as we all thought, this is just Scientology being disguised as The Movement for Coherent Philosophy. We first see her furious with one of the cult mucky mucks, Sharon, because a fellow member has fainted from exhaustion because she was put on double work duty.
Gunnar still hasn’t forgiven Avery and Alannah suggests to Avery that maybe she should leave the band. Conniving little hoochie is doing this so she can get out of the band and sign with Brad. When she tells Avery about Brad’s offer, Avery is hesitantly supportive.
When Juliette goes to tattle on the mucky muck to Darius, he says he will do some investigating into the incident. He doesn’t want it to interfere with her “spiritual journey.” She says she will make things right and makes it clear she will then be going home.
I didn’t think it was possible to find a character as annoying as Maddie, but congrats, CMT. Twig has officially reached that status when he goes over to Maddie’s place to listen to a song she wrote. She wrote it for Jonah, who is cheating on Maddie with his ex, Mia.
When Darius is called away from the compound, Sharon and another cult leader, Bill, inform Juliette that they will be handling her abuse accusation case. When she threatens them with one of her flippant lashing-out Juliette tactics, they declare she is unfit to travel back to Nashville. She threatened them and it’s something they claim to take seriously and post a guard outside her room to keep her there. They send another member, Rosa, to stay with Juliette in her room because she’s a danger to herself. I mean, they’re not wrong.
When Jessie goes to Brad’s office to drop something off for their kid, she spots Alannah at the record label buddying up to Brad and his staff. Later, she goes to see Alannah at the boutique where she works. Jessie warns her that Brad is a controlling, narcissistic asshole. Alannah promises she won’t say anything to Brad about Jessie warning her. Yeah right. Hoochies gotta hooch, folks.
The following day, Juliette is taken to a meeting with Sharon, Rosa and Bill where she threatens a lawsuit. They claim this isn’t the first time she’s demonstrated unstable behavior and they are allowed to hold her against her will because of it. So, um, culters, Juliette is literally a walking, talking definition of instability. Anyway, they are in possession of her passport and offer her “support” to control her anger before she goes home.
Maddie goes over to Jonah’s because they have a hike planned and when he’s not there, she makes plans to binge watch TV with Twig. If this plotline gets any more boring, we could officially call it a lecture from my junior high history teacher. He ends up playing her a version of a song she wrote after he produced it. When Jonah finally gets home, he lamely apologizes and she forgives him.
Juliette begins to get to Rosa, who is basically her cellmate cult snitch. Being her usual picking-at-an-emotional-scab Juliette, she digs enough to realize the movement must have something on Rosa in order for her to help keep Juliette imprisoned. In the night, Juliette wakes and is sick. When Rosa goes to see about her, Juliette admits she’s puking her guts out because she’s pregnant. When Rosa hears Juliette singing to her baby in Spanish, it pulls at her heartstrings and she brings her a pregnancy test. When the test is positive, she begs Rosa to contact Avery and tell him he is going to be a dad again.
Will goes to Avery and Gunnar separately and lies to them both saying the other is really sorry about the Alannah situation. Avery and Gunnar end up meeting at a bar and hashing it out. Avery tells him about Alannah’s potential record deal with Brad’s Shiny New Records. Then, he admits he feels like he’s cheating on Juliette. You totally are and she totally deserves it.
Things take a turn for the spooky coinciding with current events when Rosa reveals her son is in similar circumstances as Juliette within the cult. He is also on lockdown and she isn’t allowed to see him. Rosa recommends Juliette submit. While I admit Juliette needs to be put in her place, submitting isn’t exactly what she is famous for.
Twig very awkwardly goes to Maddie and tries to explain how he feels about her. Instead, he bungles trying to kiss her and she pulls away. She tells him she’s in love with Jonah and he ungracefully leaves.
The next morning, Juliette meets with Bill, Sharon and Rosa again and leads them to believe she is remorseful for her behavior by telling them what they want to hear. She even whips up some tears. Manipulating the manipulators. Way to go Juliette. This isn’t her first rodeo.
Not heeding Jessie’s advice, Alannah signs with Brad’s company and calls Avery to give him the good news. But, she doesn’t feel happy about it and starts a whole pity party rant about how she always screws up the good things in her life. This hoochie is good. I mean, she probably teaches it on the side. Way off topic, but does Avery’s patchy beard bother anyone?
Hanging with Jonah, Twig and their crew, Maddie discusses some producers to work on her song. Ya know, the one Twig produced? Twig huffs off to his room and when Maddie goes after him, she doesn’t want things to be weird between them. Too late.
Patches (Avery) runs over to check on Alannah, who is still freaking out. They are both in weird places in their lives and don’t want to scare each other off. You two have someone MUCH scarier to worry about over in Bolivia. And it’s knocked up.
Juliette coaches Rosa on how to be charming and lie to the guard in order to get the office key. The same office where they are keeping Juliette’s passport. Their plan works and when the passport is secured, it’s time hop out of the window to rescue Rosa’s son, but Rosa thinks it’s too dangerous. She is going to stay behind. Juliette doesn’t like it, but promises she will come back for Rosa and her kid. Then, Juliette hops from the window and runs away. From a heavily guarded compound. And no one notices. Anyway, on the road outside of the complex, Juliette just happens upon a friendly local who happily speaks a little English and takes her to the airport.
I do want to point out how odd it is that this episode dealt with a mother forcibly being separated from her child. The latest episode of The Handmaid’s Tale dealt with the same topic. I know the Nashville producers shot this episode months ago, but good job at pointing out how heartless it is and for being relevant. I suppose we can hope that the Bolivian people will be kind to Juliette, the foreigner in their country.
See also:
NASHVILLE recap: "The House That Built Me" (Season 6, Episode 12)
NASHVILLE recap: "No Place That Far" (Season 6, Episode 11)
NASHVILLE recap: "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane" (Season 6, Episode 10)