BWW Recap: The Inevitable Love/Hate Relationship on NASHVILLE

On any decently written drama, there's always that one character that you absolutely hate, but at the same time want them to stay on the show due to all of the engaging, crazy, can't-look-away drama they cause. On THE OC, it was Oliver. On GOSSIP GIRL, it was Georgina. And on NASHVILLE, it's Jeff Fordham. Not only is he about to attempt to sign Maddie and Daphne to his label- without Rayna's knowledge nor permission, but he's right on the heels of Will's alleged affair with his "trainer," and cockily shoving a non-disclosure agreement in his face. You want to punch Jeff in the face (along with several of the characters on the show), but at the same time, he is driving so much conflict that without him you wouldn't be half as interested. And that, fellow Nashies, is what you call superb acting on top of excellent writing.

Juliette texting Avery the news she is pregnant, however, falls under one of the most underrated and underwhelming moments yet. Sure, the Avery/Juliette brutal confrontation made our hearts hurts when we weren't cringing- but that doesn't mean we weren't secretly hoping for another one. A text? Really? After at least two episodes of Juliette stubbornly telling herself and her team that she was not telling Avery, attempting adoption, and/or raising it herself, she breaks and decides to text him. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and blame pregnancy brain on that. Do writers suffer from pregnancy brain, too?

Although the prissy attitude is a far cry from the sweet, quiet Daphne we're used to seeing, it's definitely a breath of fresh air to see Maisy Stella get some extra- and memorable- screen time. At this point I'm pretty sure there isn't one child out of the entire Luke and Rayna bunch that isn't either a) pissed off about the upcoming nuptials or b) just having a downright attitude. While we're led to believe this newfound brashness is a result of Rayna's constant traveling and touring, I can't help but wonder if it's just another wrench in this "Ruke" relationship. Luke's used to the attitude- Rayna doesn't want to get used to it. And this is not the first subtle disagreement we've seen. They're adorable together- but if I know anything about NASHVILLE; it won't be long before it's high tide.

Meanwhile, Juliette has turned into a stone cold bitch. Let's review, shall we? First, she texted him that she was pregnant (rivaling Carie Bradshaw's post-it note breakup, for all you SEX AND THE CITY fans). Oh, she then ignores his calls. Classy. Lastly, he shows up at her trailer- obviously wanting some answers- and she flat out refuses to see him. Remember the Juliette I felt bad for last week? She's gone. Yes, Avery said some hurtful things to her, but they're obviously both still in love with each other. If you're going to tell your (ex) boyfriend you are pregnant, FOLLOW THROUGH! I swear this show switches protagonists and antagonists so often I get whiplash deciding whom to root for each week.

Okay, I may be completely crazy with this next question, but did anybody else notice some sexual tension brewing between Layla and Jeff? I actually kind of like that idea- they're both mean, conniving, and have no problem being the cheater or the other man/woman. They deserve each other, yes?

Derek Hough's Noah West steals the sweetest moment of the night. After overhearing Juliette's pregnancy news, he subtly changes the blocking in their upcoming nude scene (so her belly is away from the camera), while reassuring her that her stomach barely shows. The DWTS favorite guest starring in such a small (for now) role was a bit lost on me, but hopefully we will see a bigger arc for this wholehearted, genuine character.

And after a romantic, secret relationship between Will and his trainer, of course it all quickly goes downhill. Following a nondisclosure agreement that ends in a pseudo-breakup (of course, a breakup would constitute Will admitting the two were in a relationship), Will gets punched in the face trying to meet his needs elsewhere. Caught in a Catch-22, it'll be interesting to see how this one pans out. On one hand, I feel it's not your typical "character in a drama is gay and struggles to come out," arc. There are so many factors at play here, with the fame, the pressure to stay on the charts, the tour the (now) ex-lover, the "playing-along-for-the-camera" wife, etc. Oh, and Jeff Fordham again- shocker. To the rescue- in both a predictable and endearing way- is Deacon. Whether it's Maddie, Juliette, or, now, Will, Deacon is always there to do the saving- and it's one of his most incredible qualities. Now, if he can only win Rayna back (okay, okay, I'll stop)...

There are still a lot of moving parts at the end of this episode. Teddy is competing to be World's Most Fun Parent (this can only end well, obviously), Scarlett is cranking out songs, despite the obnoxious yelling (and her subsequent friending) of a nearby homeless man. Deacon is on the edge of discovering Will's secret (if he hasn't already). There's also the lingering unknown fate of Rayna and Luke. Layla is teetering on suicidal (or just dramatic...time will tell). Laura Benanti is continuing to rock it (obviously), and Noah West is about to ready to put the moves on Juliette- who, during her concert, passes out and creates some spotlight fo Zoe. As far as the Juliette and Avery of-it-all, I'm pretty much done trying to predict what's next at this point.

Oh, and just the little 11 o'clock bomb dropped that now Gunnar has a child.

NASHVILLE writers, you win this round.

If you dare to predict, what do you think is in store for the next few episodes? Let me know in the comments and tweet me at @WendiReichstein.

Check out a sneak peek at next week's episode:

Photo Credit: ABC

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