Nashville!

So. There have been a few episodes since the holiday break and I haven't felt it necessary to blog about them until now, but after last night's episode, I have quite a bit to say.

Okay, so I LOVE Rayna's new (though I guess now fired) guitarist, Liam. I love their chemistry onstage, I love how ridiculous he finds Juliette, I love how clear it is that he wants something more with Rayna, I love how he challenges her to be her best/try new things. I just plain love him. I was disappointed when she fired him and thought she should have at least talked things over with him. She's kind of a hothead, huh? I hope that his time on the show is not over; I'm sort of getting the impression that we were just supposed to think of him as a temporary replacement for Deacon, but the thing is that she is different with him than with Deacon. Deacon just kind of put his life on hold for her for all those years; he's never really asked for more from her or, professionally, challenged her or made her better, though they are good together musically. I know that Deacon stopped putting his life on hold for her and that his agreeing to be Juliette's guitarist has changed things, but despite the preview for next week's episode in which Deacon kisses Rayna, I am rooting for Deacon and Rayna not to get back together. Much as I hate Juliette, I think she actually seems to understand Deacon and that the two of them would be good for each other. He helps her be more serious as a musician; she encourages him to break free from Rayna and fulfill his potential. That's my two cents, right there. No Deacon and Rayna...despite the fact that the scene where she goes to see him and she's all, "I can't do this anymore," and he's like, "So stop. Doing it," was AMAZING.

Also amazing was all the stuff with Teddy. I don't care for him and think that he and Rayna are completely wrong for each other. However, I like that the show is respecting the complexity and seriousness of marriage. Even if, as Teddy suggests to Rayna in the episode, she made the "wrong choice for the right reasons" by marrying him, even if he has done some shady stuff as of late, and even if she is attracted to Liam and still has feelings for Deacon, they've been together for twelve years. They have children. That absolutely should not be easy to walk away from, and I like that it's not easy for either of them, even though I think they both know deep down that their relationship is doomed. Also: OH MY GOD. That scene at the end? Where Rayna tells Teddy that she's still his wife and still committed to making things work? And then here comes Deacon rushing to get on the plane? I know that there's no way she could have known that Juliette had hired Deacon, but-- WHAT MUST TEDDY HAVE BEEN THINKING IN THAT MOMENT?! His glaring at the plane with gritted teeth was AWESOME. What a kick in the pants-- and what an amazing ending for the episode. That, coupled with the preview for next week with Deacon kissing Rayna on the elevator, had me gasping out loud at the end of the episode.

I like this show for a number of reasons. Sure, there is a "naughty fun" aspect to it in that it is soapy and dramatic. However, I also find the dramatic aspect of it strangely comforting. I sometimes feel like there is too much drama in various aspects of my own life, and that I'm too old for it, that certain types of drama should go away when you're an adult. Why would I expect that, though? You may get more mature as you get older, but relationships continue to be complicated-- if anything, they get moreso as you get older. Emotions are still difficult to deal with. People don't always say what they mean or do what they want. Things get confusing. People get hurt. Watching Rayna argue with Teddy about whether she should have chosen Deacon and whether there is anything going on with Liam, I was just like, "Yeah. Life's tough."

You'll notice I haven't mentioned Gunner and Scarlett. They're cute, but kind of boring, and also not connected enough to the main storyline of the show. Too many degrees separate them and Rayna James, who, let's face it, is the star here.