Nashville season 5 spoilers: Ever-present effects of Connie Britton’s exit

Connie Britton’s exit from Nashville was one of the most shocking TV moments of 2017 to date, and the writers are aware of its impact. With that, don’t expect this to be the sort of thing where the characters return in Thursday’s premiere, which is set around ten weeks after Rayna’s death, completely at peace with all that happened.

As a matter of fact, show executive producer Marshall Herskovitz makes it clear (per TVLine) that this is a death that will reverberate across the show and with its characters over time, and manifest itself in many different ways:

“This loss is so profound … It’s something that affects you for the rest of your life. It’s not something you get over in two episodes.”

In other words, the Nashville writers are not looking to do one of the common TV conventions where people magically get over something terrible that happens to them in record time. This is something that will simmer for some time and effect everyone emotionally. It may not even happen in a way that is predicted; often, just the tiniest triggers in real life can bring back memories and cause a cavalcade of tears.

Now that all of this is said, don’t expect the entirety of the second half of this season to be completely consuming in its depression, either. As Herskovitz notes to the aforementioned website, the plot “doesn’t lead to the show being a depressing memorial to Rayna’s memory.” She will be a part of what happens from here, but characters will have a chance to move forward and try to make the best out of everything that remains. There are still plenty of reasons to enjoy life both personally and professionally, and there are some ways coming for the series to remain fresh, in between new music, new characters, and alternate sources of conflict.

From a ratings standpoint, a big point of curiosity lies in seeing just how many viewers congregate back to the show now so many months removed from Britton’s exit. In the immediate aftermath of Rayna’s death, the ratings were not altogether effected all that much.

What do you think is going to happen with Rayna gone from Nashville, and who do you think will be hit the hardest long-term? Share below.

Also, click here to examine further the story ahead with one of many new promos TNT has out there for the story coming up. (Photo: CMT.)