Primetime ‘Nashville’: ‘I’m Sorry For You My Friend’

Rayna and Juliette’s pre-tour press event.

Hidden motives abound as Rayna (Connie Britton) and Juliette (Hayden Panettiere) kick off their Red Lips, White Lies tour. Picking up from the last episode, Juliette married boyfriend Sean in a quickie wedding, then left him at the altar instead of going though with the large flashy wedding his mother had planned. Instead Juliette took a private jet to the first show on the tour.

While signing autographs for fans outside the venue, Barnes is shocked to be served an annulment request from Sean. Instead, Barnes insists on a divorce that is a quick as their marriage, leading to more animosity between the two.

Her personal troubles spill over into rehearsals, where Juliette refuses to sing a song she wrote about Sean, titled “Love Like Mine” (penned by Kelly Archer, Justin Weaver, and Emily Shackelton). During rehearsal and performance scenes, Barnes performs “Boys and Buses” (written by Shane McAnally, Brandy Clark, and Josh Osborne) and later “Telescope” (which, in reality, is currently at No. 33 on the MusicRow Country Breakout chart for Panettiere and written by Hillary Lindsey and Cary Barlowe). During rehearsals, she keeps playing long over her allotted rehearsal time, prompting Rayna’s producer Liam to lie in the middle of the stage until Barnes leaves.

The episode includes several of Nashville’s own television journalists, including Charlie Chase and Lorianne Crook, GAC’s Storme Warren and CMT’s Katie Cook. Barnes uses an interview with Cook to send a message to husband Sean admitting that their attempt to marry was a mistake (while hiding from her fans that the two are actually married). The admission doesn’t work, and, after flying out to meet with Sean and his representative, Barnes agrees to an annulment.

Meanwhile, Rayna convinces Liam to fill in as her guitar player, after more than one attempt to find the right fit for her band and tour. Liam reluctantly agrees, though he deadpans that he nor anyone else can take the place of Deacon. As the mayoral election in Nashville is the next day, she ultimately decides to return to Nashville to support Teddy on election night. Teddy is elected mayor (and Rayna is officially First Lady of Music City), though side conversations reveal Coleman had more votes and that, unbeknownst to Teddy or Rayna, Rayna’s father Lamar bought the extra votes that Teddy needed to win.

Deacon Claybourne, still playing guitar for The Revel Kings, invites niece Scarlett to visit him during a concert in Texas. Scarlett O’Connor hitches a ride with her songwriting partner/sometimes romantic partner Gunnar Scott, who is also headed to town, but with a different motive–this episode reveals he has a brother, Jason Scott, who served six years of jail time. His crime? An armed robbery incident where Gunnar abandoned his brother. Gunnar has gone to meet him as he is released. Shortly after bringing his brother back to a hotel room, the two brothers reminisce about their younger years and their mutual love of music, singing the duet “I’m A Lonesome Fugitive.”

Scarlett is initially starstuck by Cy, the lead singer for The Revel Kings, until Cy isolates Scarlett and attempts to make out with her. Uncle Deacon becomes suspicious and rushes in on the pair, throwing Cy onto a table, roughing him up a bit and immediately quitting the band.

While Scarlett is getting a harsh lesson in some of the apparent job hazards of touring, her ex Avery Barker is getting some lessons of his own. He’s still sleeping with his manager Marilyn, who tells him his contract with label chief Dominic is a bad deal. Barker visits Dominic in Atlanta, and Dominic convinces him to sign the deal, leaving fans to wonder who is right about the deal–Dominic or Marilyn? (though ‘neither’ is probably closer to the right answer).

In one scene, Rayna James performs the song “Buried Under,” (written by Chris DeStefano and Natalie Hemby), Barnes is shown sitting in her dressing room, pondering her recent life events.

Meanwhile, at the end of the episode, after Teddy and his family celebrate his victory, a familiar character returns. Peggy (the woman who overdosed on pills in an earlier episode) returns to congratulate him on his win–and gets a little more intimate than she should to a man who is now a married mayor.

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In next week’s episode, be on the lookout for two country star guest appearances. Chris Young and Brantley Gilbert both greet Rayna James (Britton) during a No. 1 party. See a preview photo below.

Chris Young and Brantley Gilbert on ‘Nashville.’ Photo: ABC/Chris Hollo