Nashville season 6 episode 7 puts one character’s future in jeopardy

Hayden Panettiere leaving

Nashville season 6 episode 7 on CMT provided a number of interesting story updates, but it also raised an interesting question: Is Hayden Panettiere leaving before the end of the series? Is that really possible?

Based on the end of the episode, where Juliette refused to go back to Nashville in favor of staying with Bolivia, we have to consider it. There are two schools of thoughts when you think about the state of her storyline at the moment, which has brought her into close contestant with a pretty dangerous cult — either she actually enjoys where she is and the distraction that it gives her from her old life, or she is actually so brainwashed now as a part of this cult that she really doesn’t see the forest through the trees anymore.

As of right now, we want to believe it’s the latter mostly because we want to see some more of the occasionally-likable Juliette back. If she’s being the subject of vast manipulation and control than it’s a little bit easier to feel sorry for her. Otherwise, it’s tough. One of the hardest things about the past two seasons is that for much of it, it’s been hard to get invested in Juliette’s story or with her. Just like Maddie’s career has experienced a surge, it’s also felt a little bit easier to become magnetized in the direction of her story. We don’t want that to be the case forever, given that Juliette was one of the essential parts of the series in the early going. Without the early seasons and some of what we saw in terms of her rivalry with Rayna, we’re not altogether sure that Nasvhille even exists as the show we know it to be now. With Connie Britton now gone, it’s really up to Juliette at the moment to carry the torch and try to land the series in the best way possible.

We doubt that Hayden is going to leave before the end of the series, largely for all of the reasons that we mentioned.

Related – Want to preview what lies ahead on the upcoming Nashville midseason finale?

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