Nashville – “I Saw The Light”

Season One, Episode Sixteen

Grade: B-

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So apparently “I Saw The Light” takes place about a month after the last episode that concluded with Scarlett receiving a deal with Rayna’s new record label. Scarlett still hasn’t told Gunnar, but in the meanwhile the two of them are happily together and have labeled themselves in a relationship. How cute! But when their handsome cowboy neighbor drops off their mail, it’s revealed that Scarlett has a contract from the label without Gunnar. And the tension begins.

I guess there had to be some kind of conflict between those two love birds, but my problem is that these two have made the best music in the show from the pilot episode, and potentially breaking their music up will not go well for me and anyone else who actually enjoys the music from Nashville. But what I did like about this was that while it seemed we were running on a parallel with Avery, Gunnar wants Scarlett to sign the contract and to pursue her career as a musician. Avery was the one who got jealous and who couldn’t take Scarlett’s success over his, but not Gunnar. Here’s to hoping these two can work things out!

Note: Though I still don’t understand why the label wouldn’t want both Gunnar and Scarlett. Yes, Gunnar was a no-show during their showcase and almost embarrassed Rayna, but if they really wanted Scarlett, and practically EVERYONE knows that they’re “the real deal,” it just doesn’t make sense why they wouldn’t sign both of them.

So Rayna and Juliette are on tour and they hit New York City. Rayna brings her two children along and she just loves spending time with her kids. What she doesn’t like is how Maddie and Daphne want to become performers just like her and want to start as soon as possible. The theme of Rayna doing her best to shield her children from the vicious world of being an entertainer is solid and it will continue to be a theme in the future. But the best part of this was the moment when Maddie and Daphne did sound check by singing “Ho Hey.” What a great scene that was.

Meanwhile, Deacon brings his girlfriend Stacy on the tour because they’re just having so much fun. But this pins her in front of Deacon’s former encounters Juliette and more importantly Rayna. Stacy can see how Rayna and Deacon had something special and is weary if something still exists between them. Even though Deacon tells her it’s in the past, it’s obvious that Maddie is the product of Deacon and Rayna. I can’t wait until that bomb is dropped on Maddie and Stacy (if she’s still around by then).

Now onto Juliette, who is still trying to break free from her tween-idol status. She does this by reaching a deal to become the spokesperson for a smart phone because who has more fans that tweet than Juliette Barnes?! What I don’t get is how her story-line wraps up with her and Dante shacking up. I guess we haven’t seen Juliette with a guy in a while so let’s just throw her with the only guy who seems to be in her scenes lately! And this is probably the end of Dante. You had a good run you back-stabbing lawyer (sorry, I’m still worked up from Last Resort)!

Anyway, there was a D-story about Lamar blackmailing Peggy to get Teddy’s approval of the baseball stadium. And also it wouldn’t be a Nashville episode without a little Avery Barclay. It was pretty funny to see him as a busker and now he’s apparently going on tour. I assume that he’ll be replacing Deacon since he wants to settle down with Stacy, and plus, it wouldn’t be Nashville without a little Avery Barclay! God, I hate his character so much. Just play me Maddie and Daphne singing “Ho Hey” again to cheer me up.