Primetime ‘Nashville’: Where He Leads Me

Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) performs "For Your Glory" on Nashville. Photo: ABC.com

“Where He Leads Me”–Season 1, Episode 8

Judging by Nashville’s winter finale, viewers can expect some major twists in the second half of the season.

In the previous episode, Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton) and Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) co-wrote and then performed “Wrong Song” at the Ryman Auditorium. In this episode, it becomes clear that the single has been released to radio and become a smash country hit, prompting Edgehill Republic’s executives to ask for a co-headlining tour between Rayna and Juliette—an idea that Rayna, surprisingly, doesn’t immediately shoot down. Still, the label hasn’t yet asked Juliette what she thinks of the idea.

Of course, Rayna has larger worries on her mind than a tour, after husband Teddy (Eric Close) comes clean about the photos of him with Peggy Kenter (Kimberly Williams-Paisley). He swears he isn’t cheating on Rayna and she seems convinced, until politician Coleman Carlisle shows her the photos of Teddy hugging Peggy. Rayna goes to confront Peggy, but arrives at Peggy’s home just in time to see Peggy being wheeled out on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. A neighbor reveals to Rayna that Peggy’s husband just returned from a business trip to find his wife overdosed on pills in an apparent suicide attempt. Teddy reveals the whole story to Rayna, confessing the embezzlement. A shocked Rayna essentially calls him a criminal and claims she can’t trust him anymore.

Rayna later appears at a press conference organized by Teddy to clear up the situation. Rayna takes the podium to defend her husband and their marriage, but tells him privately that she “did it for our daughters.”

While Rayna’s relationship seems to have hit a major snag, Gunnar (Sam Palladio) experiences a breakup and a first kiss with a new flame, all in one episode. At the beginning of the episode, Gunnar’s girlfriend Hailey (Chloe Wang) attempts to convince Scarlett (Clare Bowen) to audition as the lead singer of a band, which tests her loyalty to writing with Gunnar. Scarlett tells Gunnar of Hailey’s idea. Just a block or two away, Gunnar and Hailey break up at Legato Gelato in Edgehill Village, after he confronts her about the idea for Scarlett to front a band and she realizes Gunnar’s strong feelings for Scarlett. He meets Scarlett at the Bluebird Cafe, revealing his romantic intentions and his very recent breakup with Hailey, before he shares a spontaneous first kiss with a confused Scarlett. Gunnar later performs “When The Right One Comes Along” (written by Justin Davis, Georgia Middleman and Sarah Zimmerman) at the Bluebird Cafe, as Scarlett watches and wrestles with her feelings for him. She announces that she wants to take a break from writing with Gunnar, that is, until their publishing company tells them that their song “Fade Into You” is on hold to be recorded by an artist.

As Scarlett and Gunner wade through the new dimension of their relationship, Avery Barkley’s career seems to finally be gaining traction. After a full band performance of “Peace In The Valley” (written by Gillian Welch), Avery (Jonathan Jackson) receives an invitation to fly to Atlanta to work with industry bigwig Domino Wells (Wyclef Jean). However, Avery’s loyalty to his band members, and a close friend in particular, is tested when Avery is informed that the producer only wants work with him, not the rest of the band.

Deacon (Charles Esten) gets an offer to be a guitar player for the newly sober band The Revel Kings. Both Rayna and Juliette encourage him to accept the gig, which he does.

Meanwhile, Juliette’s pious athlete boyfriend, Sean Butler (Tilky Jones), maintains his stand of abstinence before marriage and asks his country singer girlfriend to visit church with his well-to-do family. In an attempt to impress the fam, Juliette agrees to sing a song with the church choir (“For Your Glory,” written by Kate York, Leeland Mooring and Jack Mooring), and later visits Sean’s family for dinner. At first, it seems Juliette is the perfect girlfriend in the eyes of Sean’s parents—she brings flowers for Sean’s mother and custom boots for Sean’s sister Dana (Madison Lintz). Juliette seems enchanted with the supportive, wholesome family, until Sean’s mother tells Juliette to get lost because she doesn’t want the singer’s tainted reputation to spoil Sean’s good-boy persona.

This seems to make Juliette determined to be part of the Butler clan. At the close of the winter finale’s, she invites Sean to her home where Juliette has set up a romantic outdoor atmosphere, complete with candles. Partly revealing the conversation she had with Sean’s mother, Juliette then asks him to marry her.