On this episode of Nashville, “Baby Come Home,” Rayna tries to convince Maddie to come home, but Cash has other ideas, Luke promotes Will and risks his own career in the process and one couple reunites while another crashes and burns.
Juliette is back in the saddle, and now that Luke has his tour under control, he’s ready to turn his attention to promoting Will. He’s planning a showcase, but his manager/tour director/business partner, Ken, predicts they’re going to have trouble selling an openly-gay Country artist.
Layla and Avery Grow Closer
Professionally, things are going Juliette’s way, but she’s having trouble worming her way back into Avery’s heart. He refuses her offer of traveling with Juliette on her private jet, choosing to take a nine-hour bus ride with Layla. Juliette questions Glenn if something is going on between Avery and Layla, and he assures her it’s all business between the twosome. Unfortunately, Glenn isn’t up-to-date on the latest news: Avery and Layla share a steamy kiss while “working.”
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Where in the World is Maddie Conrad?
Rayna and Deacon are having to put on a happy face in the midst of their family crisis. Rayna is being featured in a huge magazine spread, and she is struggling to keep Maddie’s absence a secret. Maddie is moving forward with her plans to be emancipated, and Rayna is served with a summons to appear in court.
Deacon is ready to do whatever it takes to get his daughter back, even if it means bashing Cash, but Rayna’s attorney tells Deacon he’s not a factor. Teddy Conrad is listed as Maddie’s father legally, even if he’s away in prison. The fact that Deacon is her biological father will hold no sway with a judge. All Rayna wants to do is talk to Maddie, but that isn’t happening unless a judge orders mediation.
Rayna goes to prison to see her ex and explain the latest development with Maddie. Cash has definitely become the fall girl, and Teddy isn’t happy to learn that Deacon is partly responsible for bringing Cash into Maddie’s life. He’s not really in a position to criticize, since part of the problem is that Maddie found out about the Edgehill deal he made that Rayna squashed. Rayna assures him Maddie doesn’t know all of the details surrounding it.
Rayna wants Teddy to sign an affidavit agreeing with her side of things, but Teddy plans on speaking to Maddie first. Teddy failed to mention that their daughter would be visiting him. He’s heard Rayna’s side, and now he wants to hear Maddie’s.
Maddie may be moving forward, but she appears to be having some second thoughts. However, her attorney thinks she’s got a good shot. Maddie had offers on the table from Sony and Edgehill, so she can prove she’s able to support herself, and she’s signed up to take a proficiency exam to complete her schooling. Cash is suspiciously eager to see Maddie succeed in getting Maddie away from her parents. But Maddie keeps getting texts from Daphne and wants to respond. Her lawyer warns her that it could be her parents trying to trick her and warns her not to speak to any of her family for the time being.
Scarlett has been giving Gunnar the cold shoulder for days, ever since she saw him exiting Autumn’s hotel room. He finally corners her in an elevator and questions her attitude, but all Scarlett will say is she needs some Gunnar-free time. No sooner do the words come out of her mouth, does the elevator break down, leaving them trapped.
Scarlett breaks out some pricey hooch she got as a gift from Autumn and tears Gunnar a new one for trying to bed her idol. Of all the women in the world, why did he have to go after Autumn? Gunnar tells Scarlett what really went down, and that even though Autumn made a play for him, he turned her down not wanting to jeopardize The Exes.
He’s Just Not That Into You
Avery and Layla have an awkward conversation about their kiss. He’s just not interested in going there with her. Life is just a bit complicated with a young daughter and being on tour with his ex. Layla takes the news respectably well, stating it’s a shame since they do seem to have something between them.
Juliette purposely runs into her ex and daughter on her way to rehearsal, and Avery questions why Juliette came on tour. She tells him she can’t be a mama if she isn’t near her daughter. Then she asks if Avery will consider playing guitar for one of her songs. She says the idea is Glenn’s (it isn’t), and Avery says he’ll consider it. Layla is skulking nearby, and her presence doesn’t go unnoticed by Juliette.
Juliette gets busted for her little white lie after Avery calls Glenn and insists that there has to be boundaries between him and his ex. He’s on the tour for Layla, not Juliette. Glenn is concerned, since this type of scheming hearkens back to the old Juliette, but she swears she’s got good intentions. Glenn advises Juliette to try being honest with Avery.
Luke has Will’s Back
Will’s showcase is a bust. Even though Ken invited 50 programmers (all of whom he and Luke have good relationships with) barely any bother to show up. They’re scared of the backlash of putting a gay artist on the radio. Will is okay with doing a smaller launch, but Luke has a different idea; He wants to go big or go home.
Luke makes an appearance on Good Morning America, but instead of performing himself, he gives Will his spot. Robin Roberts plays herself and talks to Luke and Will about his challenges in Nashville as a gay artist. Luke uses the opportunity to call out all of the Nashville radio stations and urges the viewers at home to phone their local radio stations and demand they put Will on.
That’s a Promise Not a Threat
Rayna gets wind of a meeting that Cash is trying to set up with another record label. The head is a buddy of hers’, so Rayna shows up in his place. Maddie isn’t there, so Rayna is forced to fight it out with Cash. Cash claims to be Maddie’s friend, and she’s not about to let opportunities slip away from Maddie like they did for her. She also calls Rayna “controlling” and Deacon “crazy.”
The usually lovely Rayna doesn’t believe for one minute that Cash has Maddie’s best interests at heart. She promises Cash that Nashville is a small town, and if Cash continues down this path, Rayna will make sure nobody will ever work with the aspiring performer again.
Maddie thinks Teddy will be on her side. He was the one who scored her the Edgehill deal. But Teddy tells Maddie the truth about being blackmailed by Jeff Fordham. He leaves out the more lascivious details, but he does admit there was another woman. Now Maddie is disillusioned with both her parents, calling them liars.
Teddy calls Rayna and agrees to sign the affidavit. Rayna is still convinced if she could talk to Maddie face-to-face they could avoid court altogether. She finally catches her daughter outside of Cash’s house. Rayna promises the Highway 65 deal is legit, and she wants to protect Maddie from being exploited. Maddie doesn’t know what to believe anymore, but Rayna encourages her to believe in her family. Maddie needs time to think, and Rayna urges her daughter to make her own choices and not to leave her future up to Cash or a lawyer or a judge.
Juliette Makes a Play for Avery
Layla feels she’s not only getting snubbed by Avery but by Glenn as well. He promised Layla she’d be his top priority, but he’s been at Juliette’s beck and call. Glenn swears that Juliette being on Luke’s tour is the best thing that could have happened to Layla. She has a lot more fan overlap with the diva than with Luke. He also assures her that he’s continuing to look out for Layla’s business interests back in Nashville. Glenn makes it clear that Juliette is no threat to Layla.
Juliette decides to take Glenn’s advice and talks to Avery. She shows up at his hotel room and confesses that she’s still in love with him. She wants to rebuild what they had, but Avery is convinced she’ll go back to her wicked ways and break his heart all over again. Their conversation is interrupted by a crying Cadence, and Juliette tells Avery he doesn’t have to decide right away, but when he does, he can come find her.
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Home (Not So) Sweet Home
Maddie expresses to Cash her doubts about moving forward. She’s supposed to play a benefit with Daphne, and she doesn’t like the idea of leaving her little sister hanging. Maddie also reveals that she spoke with Rayna who really wants to try to work things out. Cash, determined to keep Maddie on the present course, tells Maddie about her meeting with Rayna.
Maddie surprises her family and shows up to perform with Daphne. After the show, Rayna embraces her daughter, pleased as punch that she’s decided to come home. But Maddie has no intention of returning to the family fold. Daphne’s devastated, but Maddie assures her no matter what, they’ll still be sisters.
Something Old, Something New
Gunnar and Scarlett sing a steamy duet in the elevator, and sparks fly, but just before anything can happen, they get rescued. But after months of foreplay, fans of this couple don’t have to wait any longer. They finish what they started in Scarlett’s hotel room.
Fans of Juliette and Avery are not going to be as pleased. Juliette’s pleas to Avery fell on deaf ears, and instead of banging on Juliette’s hotel room door, he goes to see Layla.
Nashville airs Wednesdays at 10pm on ABC.
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Jennifer has worked as a freelance writer in the entertainment field since 2012. In addition to currently writing feature articles for Screen Rant, Jennifer has contributed content ranging from recaps to listicles to reviews for BuddyTV, PopMatters, TVRage, TVOvermind, and Tell-Tale TV. Links to some of Jennifer’s reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes.
