Nashville season 5 episode 14 review: Maddie and Clay pump the breaks
So where are we picking up tonight? Basically, Juliette found herself in a desperate position: Looking for a hit song. She wants to get things going for her again, and she’s willing to do whatever she can in order to ensure that she gets it. She wanted songs, but there were some problems that she was running into. First, she couldn’t find many interesting songs out there. Also, her TV appearances were getting bumped. She may have a way to a better future, but it will involve some trickery — more on that later.
For Deacon, at work he started to confront the possibility of moving forward musically at Bucky’s suggestion. He allowed Liz and Daphne to take care of themselves at home, and he took off in order to perform with Jessie Cane (Kaitlin Doubleday), a Nashville performer who was coming back after a failed marriage. He and Jessie had a good time together, so we’re excited to see what their rapport and what it is moving forward.
Maddie’s victory came in this episode courtesy of getting a chance to hear her song for the first time on the radio. Unfortunately, shortly after that she also learned all about the horrors of terrible radio interviews. She got on the air, and was immediately peppered with questions about Rayna.
Somehow, things still went from bad to worse for her when an officer pulled over Maddie and Clay on their way out. Did she have a point that it seemed as though the officer was profiling Clay based on his race? Absolutely, but she didn’t exactly express it in a way that kept the two of them safe. She questioned the officer intensely, which led in turn to her finding herself in handcuffs by the end of the scene. Luckily, she and Clay weren’t charged, but that wasn’t the end of her trouble. It turned out that much of the internet had a chance to see the incident on video. This meant phone calls, comment threads, and also people harassing Clay about his relationship with her.
Juliette eventually showed up to give Maddie a little bit of advice following the arrest and how to handle it. Maddie also then went over to Clay, and he handed down some unfortunate news: He didn’t think he could be with her in the midst of all of this. Unfortunately for Clay, he realizes how difficult society will make life for himself and for her if they declare their relationship publicly, just like he knew what would happen if he didn’t show respect for the police.
Gunner and Scarlett’s wild ride
Gunnar may have had some reservations at first when it comes to raising a child that belonged to Scarlett and Damien, but he quickly realized that this was where he wanted to be. It’s therefore too bad that he found himself confronted with Damien turning up tonight and announcing that he was ready to be part of the family and that they would all raise the child together. This sounds chaotic, and also a little bit like a show on TLC.
After Damien did turn up, Gunnar of course was none too thrilled.
Damien eventually drove the characters to a new prospective home (how is it that he doesn’t get pulled over?), which is apparently big enough for everyone to live. Gunnar, once more, wasn’t thrilled … and he probably wouldn’t be thrilled even more with how many feelings she was still harboring towards Damien in the process.
Scarlett had a very difficult decision on her hands, but she did come in part to terms that Damien may just not be that guy for her. She eventually told Deacon about it, and we’ll see how their relationship unfolds from here.
Back to Juliette
Well, she’s back to her old tricks. She never actually told Maddie about the song she was meant to offer up to her — and instead opted to keep it to herself. She was there for her after the arrest, but not there for her musically. She thought about apologizing, but didn’t go through with it.
Final Verdict
A very good Nashville episode, though you could argue that Maddie’s behavior in the episode was a little over-the-top and naïve at times. The introduction of Doubleday, meanwhile, was small but meaningful — it has us excited to see more of what she brings to the table later. Grade: B+.
Where are things going next on Nashville?
If you do want to preview Nashville season 5 episode 15 now, be sure to head over to the link here! (Photo: CMT.)