In “Nashville” episode “I Don’t Wanna Talk About It Now,” Rayna and Juliette continue to do battle with their new boss, Jeff, at Edgehill Records. Deacon gets a little help from Coleman as he struggles with both past and present demons, Avery learns a hard truth about Juliette, and Peggy continues to deceive Teddy.
Rayna’s big secret
Rayna and Bucky figure out that the best path to independence means finishing up what she owes to her current company–a new record. She approaches Liam about completing the project they started, but it takes him a little while to get over her romantic rejection of him. He’s soon glad he did, because aside from the pleasure of their creative collaboration, he stirs up those romantic feelings in her once more.
With their new level of trust, Rayna confides a terrifying secret. She’s lost her singing voice since the accident. She’s working with a therapist to try and recover, but she needs Liam’s help to stall the new album and keep Jeff from finding out about her predicament. She also needs a good plan to get out of singing at an upcoming Edgehill event.
Juliette thwarts Jeff, disses Avery
Juliette, meanwhile, is trying to get out of that same event. As much as he tries to smooth-talk her, Juliette feels Jeff is trying to sabotage her in favor of tween talent. She’s thrilled when she’s invited to a powerful Nashville couple’s home, to perform for their anniversary on the same night as the record company party. Jeff can’t risk angering a family that owns a big piece of the music business, so Juliette gleefully gets out of her commitment.
Thrilled with her victory, Juliette is in a good mood as she gets a tour of the Wentworth mansion with Avery. She even agrees to let the husband, Charles, surprise his wife by joining Juliette on stage and playing guitar for one song. When Charles asks about her boyfriend, however, Juliette coolly says Avery is “just a guy on the payroll.”
Avery overhears and confronts her later, saying he thought they were friends. She tells him he’s too sensitive, but when he strikes a nerve about her refusing to ever let anyone get close to her, she threatens to fire him if he doesn’t shut up. “I guess I have my answer, then,” he says, storming off. She’s not alone for long, though, as Charles walks her to her room–and then joins her in it. So much for marital bliss.
Third wheels
Zoey and Gunnar join Will and Scarlett at the Edgehill event, but they’re soon feeling left out as their successful friends schmooze with all the industry bigwigs. Gunnar is still pining for Scarlett, and it’s especially hard to see Will getting so much attention for singing one of Gunnar’s own songs. He and Zoey eventually decide to take off together, and we suspect this friendship might turn into a romance.
Rayna makes an enemy
Rayna has a plan when she’s called to the stage to perform. She uses the platform to plug her new record company, and asks Scarlett up to do a song instead. The audience of music bigwigs loves it, but she’s really begun a war with Jeff now. He’s angry that she undermined him this way, and he’s suspicious that her stunt is more than her just being annoyed at him poaching Will.
Deacon owns up to his past
Deacon does his best to deal with his newfound fatherhood, which includes meeting Teddy to apologize for basically everything. Teddy doesn’t let him off the hook at all, making sure he knows he’s the lesser man, and despite that, he needs to step up for Maddie now.
On top of this, Deacon learns Coleman is leaving town for greener pastures. In his last act as Deacon’s sponsor, Coleman forces his fellow alcoholic to face his past and the reason he fears fatherhood. Deacon gets up at a meeting, and talks about his cruelly abusive father, and how hard it was to realize he’d unfortunately turned out a lot like him.
Teddy falls into Peggy’s trap
After his talk with Deacon, Teddy realizes he can’t be hypocritical about avoiding responsibility. He goes to see Peggy, and tells her he doesn’t know exactly how it will work, but he doesn’t want their baby to grow up without a father. Peggy is overjoyed, and creepily tells him that she thinks the nonexistent baby is going to be a boy.
More from this contributor:
‘Nashville’ Recap: Deacon Gets Bad News, Rayna Gets Double-Crossed
‘Nashville’ Season 2 Premiere Recap: After the Accident
‘Nashville’ Season 1 Finale Recap: Juliette Mourns Her Mother; Deacon Spirals and Takes Rayna Down With Him