What I’m Watching: Nashville

Nashville: Season 1, Episode 18 “Take These Chains from My Heart” (B-)

I’m not quite sure what to make of this episode, since some parts were undeniably interesting, though it does feel like some of them are on a never-ending loop. That’s particularly true of Teddy’s status in the mayor’s office and of Juliette’s feelings towards her mother. Tandy seeking Coleman out to tell him how to keep Teddy in line was something unexpected, but I think that the mayor and the deputy mayor need to try getting along and putting on a united front to keep the city running, since everyone around them is doing more than enough lying and conspiring. Dante up and leaving after convincing Juliette that her mother had relapsed didn’t quite track with the way that his sudden change of behavior could be attributed to his addiction to power, and it’s now the second time that a major relationship of Juliette’s has tanked. Rayna, on the other hand, is overflowing with options, nearly accompanying Liam to St. Lucia and then bursting in to kiss Deacon and officially rekindle their love. That’s going to have serious implications, especially when Juliette finds out. Will making a move on Gunnar was no surprise, but let’s hope that it shocks Gunnar back into reality and reminds him that he’s much better off with Scarlett than without her. Seeing Avery should have done that for him, and he’s going to lose her if he doesn’t start treating her like the sweetest, most thoughtful person in the world, since it’s hard to find a bad thing to say about her.