I have to hand it to CMT; the network working very hard to keep people interested after saving Nashville from ABC’s decision to cancel the show. The last two episodes have been no exception, with the massive decision to kill off leading lady Rayna Jaymes. To be fair, Connie Britton was already planning on leaving Nashville no matter its fate, but this is a very dramatic end to her run on the show!
Two warnings: there are definitely spoilers in this blog post, and anyone who watches this is going to need a tissue (or 7).
In ‘I’ll Fly Away,’ the cast rallies around Rayna’s family in the aftermath of her death. The stand-outs of this episode are, without a doubt, budding stars Lennon and Maisy Stella. These girls are killing both the singing and the acting game, and that’s more obvious than ever as they mourn the death of Connie Britton’s Rayna.
While this episode is focused on the complete upheaval of Nashville’s music scene that comes with Rayna’s passing, the show did a good job of not forgetting about the rest of the characters’ stories. Will’s struggle to be faithful to Kevin is included, as he and Zach get cozy. Scarlett and Gunnar are as tortured as ever, which might someday get old, but it’s a good story right now. And, my favorite, Juliette continues to become a more selfless person, as Rayna knew she could be.
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For maybe the first time ever, Teddy and Deacon are growing up and showing what it means to really love their girls. It’s nice to see the two men decide what is best for Maddie and Daphne without letting their egos get in the way. And how Teddy thought he was going to be guardian from prison is actually bizarre anyway.
Will Nashville be renewed after season 5? I’m not a fortune teller, but the direction CMT is taking Nashville in is a positive one. There continues to be drama that audiences love, and music is more the focus than ever, which is to be expected with CMT’s heritage. Only time will tell what’s in store for this fan favorite!
