Nashville - Recap: Baby, It's Cold Outside

Much of the drama comes from the conflict between Rayna (Connie Britton) and Deacon (Charles Esten) over the Rolling Stone article that basically exposes the private parts of their tumultuous past. In short, what sticks in Deacon's craw is Rayna's quoted plea for him to move on with his life. Naturally, her desperation to make things right with Deacon causes friction with Luke (Will Chase). By episode's end, Deacon is right back to declaring his love for Rayna, and I get the feeling nothing has really changed all that much. Then again, maybe that's the point. Deacon isn't going to change, because that would mean not loving Rayna, and that's just not ever going to happen. I can appreciate that story, and I do like that the show has several overarching constants such as this. But it doesn't feel like we're that from removed from Deacon's last declaration, which gives this a feeling of deja vu. Doubly so Rayna's rejection results in another downward spiral. But even without the Rayna/Deacon stuff this week, other issues are being rehashed.

Credit: ABC

Apparently, Will (Chris Carmack) can't turn his head without running into some form of temptation. He goes to a low-key music festival where he and Layla (Aubrey Peeples) can relax without being recognized, and once there, he runs into a bartender who has the luxury of a normal life. He's comfortable in his homosexuality in a way Will envies, and his attraction is one part desire, and one part jealousy over just how confident and self-assured the guy is. But Will's drunken attempt at a flirtation fails horribly: the bartender is in a committed relationship, and even if he weren't, he insists to Will that being gay can be more than just random hookups. This prompts one of the more poignant lines of the episode, as Will responds, "If you knew who I was, you'd know that's all it can be." In essence, fame is a prison for Will, locking him into a lifestyle that he feels will never accept him. I don't know if country music would accept an out-and-proud star, but the tragedy of Will's story is less about his inability to be accepted by others, and more about his inability to accept who he is himself. Will is burdened by a sense of shame he shouldn't have to carry around, and it's beginning to define him, for better or worse.

It's not that far removed from what Layla is going through, as she's defined not only by her reality TV show past, but her similar present as a ditzy reality TV show wife. That's why it's kind of refreshing to see her play a Joni Mitchell sort of role tonight, playing for a group of onlookers at the music festival, and getting to know Jeff Fordham (Oliver Hudson), not only revealing that he's a talented musician in his own right, but also illustrating that he's not all bad. He expresses surprise at just how good Layla is, and also shame for being so surprised. He talks about the band he had in his youth, and in short, it's the most Jeff has ever felt like a character, as opposed to a villainous caricature. I could do without having them hook-up, but if it continues down that path, at least it'll give Layla something else to do than reflect on her own misery. And Peeples is super talented, as evidenced by her new ballad/dirge tonight, so I hope this means we'll get to hear her sing more.

Credit: ABC

Speaking of hook-ups, Juliette (Hayden Panettiere) is terrified that Avery (Jonathan Jackson) might be hooking up with Sadie Stone (Laura Benanti) when she overhears him setting up a meeting over the phone. It's kind of a silly storyline that paints Juliette in a horrible light, as she stalks Avery to the meeting, and ends up blowing the entire opportunity for him. As it turns out, Sadie is looking for a producer for her album, and Avery was near the top of the list. But where the episode recovers, and does right by Juliette, is in how it ultimately has Juliette recognize the foolishness of her ways. She approaches Sadie and manages to make things right by making a very impassioned plea on Avery's behalf, illustrating that although they can't be together right now, Juliette does still care about Avery in a very palpable way.

Credit: ABC

Also palpable? Gunnar's commitment to his son, Micah (Gunnar Sizemore). Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of a big break for his band. When a huge talent manager makes them an offer after coming to see them play, Gunnar (Sam Palladio) is unwilling to commit to a tour because he has a commitment to Micah. Zoey (Chaley Rose) resents this since she doesn't have the luxury of turning down lucrative offers. Ultimately, she storms off after Gunnar accuses her of being selfish, which actually does seem a bit harsh. Either way, it results in Zoey quitting the band and Scarlett (Clare Bowen) choosing to fill in after Terry (Mykelti Williamson) makes her realize she really does want to be a musician. The Terry plot this week actually proved to be one of the better paths the story took, as it finally became apparent that the show was directing Scarlett back towards the spotlight through Terry. I don't know, maybe it was obvious to the rest of you fine viewers, and I was simply slow on the uptake. Either way, I loved how Terry's sudden success at the music festival prompted him to lash out at Scarlett for pushing her dreams on him. Granted, this realization only comes after he's forced to relive the traumatic deaths of his family, but Williamson does a great job in the role, and Bowen plays off of his performance well.

Ultimately, "Two Sides to Every Story" is a solid, if unspectacular, episode of Nashville. But, at the very least, it's setting up a midseason finale that's looking to be on the explosive side of things. And I can't help but look forward to it.