"Nashville"

Credit: ABC

So, as we know from the promos that have been plastered all over ABC, this episode will focus on Juliette's undoing. Last week we saw her steal a bottle of nail polish, and now the video of that self-destructive moment has gone viral. Let the fallout begin! I have to wonder what it's going to take for Juliette to recover from this screw-up, especially since we know that in real life she's hardly to sweet country princess she pretends to be. Maybe she can save some puppies from drowning during a natural disaster or something. 

Juliette gets the first hint that things are going wrong when the police show up at her door, then another hint when she discovers she's the topic of a "Katie" episode. Still it doesn't seem to sink in that it may just be a cheap bottle of nail polish, but it's going to be pretty damn expensive. Her publicist is well aware that she has a brat for a client, but even her toughest warnings go unheard. You have to beg forgiveness! You have to admit your wrongdoing so we can all move on! "I am not letting any negative energy in," Juliette huffs as she moves into downward dog. "I have a tour to prepare for. Namaste." 

She's not the only one making bad decisions, though. Scarlett is still stupidly devoted to Avery for some reason, even as Gunnar seems to be exploring other options. When she gets the good news that she and Gunnar have gotten a publishing deal, Avery can barely hide his jealousy. When she takes him out to dinner with the publishing house exec, her assistant Hailey and Gunnar, Avery is incensed when she tries to sing his praises. "I don't need you help!" he hisses after dinner. "What was up with all that writing process crap? When did you become the expert?" When he decides to walk home, he mutters, "Scarlett, just let me go," and I wish she would.

Meanwhile, Gunnar is getting hot and heavy with Hailey, who tells him she's fine with a one night stand -- only for him to lavish her with yogurt in the company fridge (hey, it was romantic, really). Scarlett happens to see them leaving together the morning after their first hook up, and the look on her face tells us she's starting to clue in to the idea that Avery may not be the man for her -- but I suspect she won't really figure it out until it's far too late. 

Rayna isn't doing much better than the other women on the program, though it's not entirely her fault. When her sister tells her Teddy is down 12 points in the polls, she volunteers to perform at his next fundraiser -- which just happens to be at Lamar's country club. There she bumps into Peggy (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), who seems, even to Rayna, to still be hung up on Teddy. Little does she know that they may have dated 15 years ago, but it seems that flame is nowhere near dead. While it seems a little too neat that Teddy is having an affair while Rayna and Deacon dance around the issue, I have to wonder if the ongoing political race isn't going to bring everything out into the open. Not that it's likely to help Rayna and Deacon. After he and Teddy get into an argument prior to Rayna's performance at the country club, she and Deacon have one of their typical wrenching conversations and it becomes clear Rayna may actually kick Deacon to the curb. 

It doesn't look like he's likely to get a gig working for Juliette, either. When she botches an interview with Robin Roberts, denying the nail polish theft altogether, then angrily ending the interview with Roberts asks about her mother's arrest, all hell breaks lose. Her tour, for the moment, is cancelled, and Juliette has no one but herself to blame.

Maybe she'll have a little time on her hands to work on her relationship with her mom, who doesn't seem entirely trustworthy but is trying her best. She makes "pink macaroni" for Juliette, which involves ketchup and cream cheese, but Juliette picks a fight instead. She's sure her mom is stealing from her, looking for items to pawn for drugs, but when she dumps out her backpack, she only finds a well-worn photo of her  mom holding a baby Juliette. Juliette dissolves into tears, and it's a moment you only wish her fans who (at least after the Robin Roberts interview) think she's an egotistical brat. 

I'd love to recap here what happened in the last five minutes of the show, but unfortunately I can't (though I will try to fill this in after it airs here on the West Coast) because my Internet cut out. But feel free to comment. Whatever it was, I'm sure it was dishy, unexpected and thoroughly "Nashville."

Do you think Scarlett will wise up in time? Were you surprised to find out about Teddy? And do you think Rayna will really fire Deacon?

Liane Bonin Starr
Sr. Editor

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Liane Bonin Starr is an author, screenwriter and former writer for EW.com. Her byline has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Variety and a lot of other places. Her last book was called "a scandalously catty, guilty pleasure" by Jane magazine. Expect the same from Starr Raving.