We get started with Scarlett and Gunnar at a meeting as soon as they arrive in Dallas to tour with Autumn Chase. Scarlett is star struck by her, but it is also made clear that Autumn is a perfectionist and a hard ass about it. She’s fires and humiliates people who piss her off.
Now that she has the movie company suing her for walking out on the film commitment, Juliette wants to get back to performing. So, she visits her old father figure manager, Glenn. When she tries to plead her case, Glenn shuts her down and closes the door in her face. #TEAMGLENN
When Cash arrives to do some songwriting with Maddie, the little brat is miffed about Puke, Junior joining the Army. It seems he didn’t call and let her know he was taking the big step. Little bit of advice for you, Madds. You two broke up. He isn’t obligated to tell you squat. So, Cash wants to write about it, but Maddie wants to sing about it- to the world. Then, Cash mentions she snuck out and played cafes when she was Maddie’s age. As they plot Maddie’s late night escape, Daphne overhears.
Influenced by Vita’s troubled upbringing, Rayna now has foster kids as her new charity. And it’s just in time because she wants to go back out on the road for a 10-day tour and have Layla as her opening act. Apparently, it’s a great way to launch Victim Layla’s new victimy album. (But seriously, bravo to Nashville. Foster children are a cause that doesn’t get enough attention.)
Now that Will is back on Puke’s record label, he is having a hard time getting some label personnel on board. Some music industry people in fake Nashville hold the same opinion as many lawmakers in the real Tennessee General Assembly—they’re rancid bigots. But, not Puke and he wants Wilma to write with Kevin again to come up with new songs for Will’s next album.
So, the reason Scarlett and Gunnar got the opening slot for Autumn Chase’s tour is because the Nazi Autumn fired the last opener. Now, Scrawny and Gunn Gunn are walking on eggshells around her and have to kiss her ass.
After being shot down by Glenn, Juliette goes to the next place she thinks she can find sympathy—Avery’s place. He tells her that Glenn is a bit gun shy because she hurt him. Juliette doesn’t know to be a performer without Glenn because he’s been there since the start of her career. Then, Avery starts getting sappy and saying nice things about her and WE ALL SAW THIS COMING FROM A MILE AWAY!
When Will meets Kevin to write songs, it’s immediately awkward. Then, Kevin’s new boyfriend calls. Super awkward.
The little chat with Avery brings out demonic and demanding Juliette who is nearly back to her old self and ordering Emily around. Juliette, as usual, has some random, less-than-dazzling stunt she wants to pull to get someone’s attention or to piss someone off. It’s probably both. But, when Emily suggests she call her shrink, Juliette insists “We’re going to do this my way.” #THEBITCHISBACK
Speaking of bitches, at dinner before their show, Autumn is digging into Gunnar and Skinny’s relationship and its incredibly revealing and uncomfortable. This automatically makes Scarlett nervous for telling Autumn intimate details of their romantic relationship, namely about how they broke up. It’s not that exciting, Autumn. You’ll actually get more excitement sitting in on the Tennessee General Assembly passing yet another bigoted piece of legislation.
The last person we expect to see knocking on Puke’s door is Layla, but Victim shows up and starts pouring her heart out to him, tears in her eyes. She asks to be his tour opener and even brings up his knowing the real way Jeff died. PLEASE tell me she grew a spine and is going to blackmail him!
Avery conspires with Juliette to get Glenn over to the Grand Ole Opry where Juliette is doing a surprise performance. Then, as Glenn begins to leave once he realizes he is there to see Juliette, she begins to dedicate a song to the man she always thought of as her father. Of course, we know its Glenn. Of course, we know he will fall for it and they will all hug, make nice nice and he will go back to being her manager. Anywho, Avery stands next to Glenn with tears in his eyes (that man cries more than Layla) and then Glenn gets weepy. Over Juliette? I hope there are onions in his pockets. So, anyway, after the song, she goes blubbering to him backstage at the Opry (and as I predicted and every other person in the English speaking world predicted) he took her back as both a manager and friend. I’m not sure if the people that make Nashville have figured out that predictable storylines are boring, but I really hope they do that soon. The Juliette forgiveness tour is already a tired concept.
In Dallas to support Gunn Gunn and Sherpa Boo Boo, Bucky tells Rayna that Layla will be opening for the Puke tour and Rayna feels a bit sucker punched. But, no time to worry about Victim. Autumn calls Rayna on stage to perform with her. It’s obvious Rayna misses the stage even though she’s recently been getting attention as a savvy businesswoman for being the CEO of a record label.
Back home in Nashville, Daphne is shooting off her mouth and accidentally tattles on Maddie to Deacon. She tells him about Maddie sneaking out and performing at a bar, which appears to be one of the clubs in Printer’s Alley. Of course, Cash and Madds lie about Maddie’s age to get her in. One gentleman in particular has been crushing on Maddie since she arrived and they make moony faces at each other. During her performance, one of the guys in the crowd steps forward and reaches for her leg. Deacon arrives in time to see the leg incident and goes all crazy tits, forcing her off stage and outside of the bar.
Oh, but this party ain’t over, kittens. Cash follows Deacon out and they have a shouting match about Maddie, ending with Cash insulting Deacon and him threatening her to stay away from his daughter “or you will regret it.”
Still being nice Juliette, she takes a “thank you” six pack over to Avery. Ummm, Juliette, I’ve been watching four seasons of your baloney and paid for my own alcohol to deal. So, I expect a special delivery from your snotty self sooner than later. Anyway, Layla also stops by to see Avery, and nearly changes her mind when she sees Juliette at the door. But she goes in after Juliette has left and tells Avery the news of her being on Puke’s tour. Then, she asks him to go on the road with her and be her band leader.
After the Dallas performances, Autumn is telling everyone with a pulse about Gunnar and Scarlett’s breakup story. Scarlett has had enough, so she asks Autumn not to talk about the reason they split up because it took a while for them to become friends and bandmates again. Autumn pretends to be understanding, but she isn’t. So, let me guess. Autumn kicks them off her tour and then they tour with Rayna. I feel like I’ve mentioned predictable plotlines before… a lot of déjà vu going on.
Autumn takes her scheming even further and starts flirting with Gunnar, feeding his ego and invites him back to her room for a drink. And Gunnar is dumb enough to fall for it.
Back at the awkward meeting of Kevin and Wilma, Will tells him he thinks Kevin dating someone right after they broke up sucks. But he also admits that the reason the relationship ended was because Will didn’t know how to deal with anything like a gay relationship. He even says that his reaction to the homophobe at the bar was something he thought Kevin would do. “I care about you moving on because I loved you,” Will tells him. Then, hearts broke across the country when Kevin replied with “I loved you, too.”
If this series ends this season, it had BETTER end with a wedding for Kevin and Will!!
Things wrap up with Heidi, Riff’s wife, crying to Luke. Riff packed up a bag and left a few days ago and she doesn’t know where he is. And oh no, boys and girls! Their tour starts tomorrow!
The preview for next week’s show has Maddie running away. My guess is she ran to be a character on Empire or Game of Thrones.
See also:
NASHVILLE recap: "What I Cannot Change" (season 4 episode 14)
NASHVILLE recap: "There's a Fire In Your Heart" (season 4 episode 15)
NASHVILLE recap: "Didn't Expect It To Go Down This Way" (season 4 episode 16)