In “Nashville” episode “You’re No Angel Yourself,” Rayna struggles with Maddie’s constant resentment, and finds help with their relationship from an unexpected source. Meanwhile, Teddy falls deeper down the rabbit hole with Peggy, Gunnar stakes a stand for his career, and Juliette makes a drastic choice to save her national tour.
Rayna’s family drama
Rayna does her best to try and smooth things over with her daughter, Maddie, taking both of her girls to a posh symphony gala hosted by her father. The evening is way more tense than expected, now that Tandy has found circumstantial evidence that Lamar had something to do with their mother’s death. Then Teddy shows up with Peggy, whom he incredibly has proposed to, taking this “doing the right thing” to an extreme level.
Already full of teen angst, Maddie freaks out when she sees her grandmother’s ring hanging on a chain around Peggy’s neck. She runs off when no one’s watching, and gets far enough on foot to get herself lost. While her family and law enforcement are frantically searching for her, she calls the one unrelated person she knows of, Juliette.
Juliette makes a bold choice
Juliette has problems of her own. She freaks out when Rayna tells her she has to cancel their joint tour to be home with her family. The struggling country starlet brainstorms with Glenn on how to fill up arenas, and she can’t bring herself to go back to an over-produced, teen-friendly show. She finally settles on asking her new nemesis, reality star Layla to join the tour. She thinks it makes the most business sense, but we can’t help thinking this is going to go very, very wrong.
Juliette unexpectedly shows some compassion
When Juliette gets the call from Maddie, it’s the most mature response we’ve ever seen. Perhaps seeing some of herself in the young girl helps her to make the right choices. She picks Maddie up and takes her home, listens to her problems, then makes sure to tell her that she knows Rayna loves and worries about her. She even tells her that Rayna has set aside her career and the tour to look after her.
Juliette then calls Rayna to let her know her daughter is safe. With Maddie asleep on the couch, the two have a heart-to-heart. Rayna is a little stunned to hear that Juliette knows about Deacon’s fatherhood, but Juliette swears “my lips are sealed.” She also tells Rayna that Maddie needs her to be honest, and tell her about her real father.
Deacon’s new romance
Deacon shows up to his lawyer Megan’s office, surprised when she refuses payment. He’s insistent, and she finally tells him that taking her to dinner will be enough. The evening goes well, with Megan revealing the story of her late husband, who was shot by a teenager she now visits in prison. Doing pro bono cases helps her with finding peace in forgiveness, and her openhearted nature seems to be just what Deacon needs right now.
Being a perceptive lawyer, she’s actually guessed that Maddie is his daughter, and that finding out was what triggered his relapse. With all these personal revelations, the new trust turns to romance, and soon they’re making out on Deacon’s couch. Of course, that’s exactly when Rayna shows up at the door, frantically looking for their daughter. He offers to help her look, but she tells him to stay at home in case Maddie shows up.
The perils of the music business
Scarlett is struggling with her new level of success, feeling awkward at a glamorous photo shoot for the record company. Zoey takes her homebody friend out for a night of drinking and karaoke, and Scarlett signs her first autograph. We’re hoping her fun doesn’t get out of hand, though, as new fans are filming her every move.
Meanwhile, Will is put in a tight spot when it turns out the producers loved Gunnar’s song and want him to perform it. He tries to talk Gunnar into it, saying it’s a win-win for both of them, and could lead to his friend getting other artists buying his songs. Then Avery, Gunnar’s new co-worker at the bar, drops the little bomb that the song “will be a hit for somebody.” Gunnar decides it’s going to be one for him, and he and Will fight, with Will accusing him of acting on jealousy instead of sense.
Mothers and daughters
Rayna takes Juliette’s advice and talks with Maddie, telling her about the good old days with Deacon. Later, when her biological father calls Rayna’s phone, Maddie picks up. It’s a nice conversation, with Deacon struggling to get it right, and Maddie is truly happy for the first time in a long time.
She then invites her sister in to her room for a sing-a-long. Rayna gets emotional when she hears her girls beautifully performing one of Deacon’s songs, and the tears really flow when she tries to quietly join them and can’t get the notes out.
While Rayna is trying to bond with her family again, Tandy is ready to break all bonds with their father. She goes to the DA’s office, filled with rage over her mother’s murder, and turns over all the evidence she has on Lamar’s illegal actions. We think it’s going to be tough for him to connive his way out of this one.
More from this contributor:
‘Nashville’ Recap: Rayna Fears for the Future of Her Singing Career, Deacon Faces His Fears About Fatherhood
‘Nashville’ Recap: Deacon Gets Bad News, Rayna Gets Double-Crossed
‘Nashville’ Season 2 Premiere Recap: After the Accident
