- Title: Nashville – Don’t Open That Door
- wiki: link
Fighting to get her voice back after the accident Rayna (Connie Britton) also fights for control of her latest album, which given her condition the studio believes may be her last. With Rayna dropping out of the tour that leaves Juliette (Hayden Panettiere) to headline on her own along with the label’s new starlet Layla (Aubrey Peeples) as her opening act. It also opens up an opportunity for Will (Chris Carmack) to earn a spot on the tour as well. The night at the Grand Old Opry forces Rayna to test the limits of her voice in public, leading to a performance that brings the house down, and the night also provides highs and lows for Juliette who is admitted in a select fraternity only to later learn she still doesn’t have the respect of her fellow artists.
As Tandy (Judith Hoag) finalizes her deal to help take her father (Powers Boothe) down Rayna decides to enlist the old man’s help for the money she needs to break away from the label with both her music and her artists. With her creative freedom close enough to taste, Rayna sees her chance to buy out her contract pulled out from under her when her father’s assets are frozen and he’s taken into custody on conspiracy charges. Luckily for Tandy’s sake, Lamar thinks Teddy (Eric Close) is the one who cut the deal.
Scarlett (Clare Bowen) struggles with the label’s attempts to make her more media friendly as Deacon (Charles Esten) tries to leave music behind but finds some solace in playing later that night with his niece. Needing to add a female voice to their new act, Gunnar (Sam Palladio) and Avery (Jonathan Jackson) recruit Scarlett’s best-friend Zoey (Chaley Rose) which leads to things heating up between Scarlett’s best-friend and her most recent ex-boyfriend. Avery also makes peace with a humbled Juliette who apologizes for not having his back.
Foreshadowed a few episodes back, Gunnar and Zoey’s relationship could mean complications for several members of their circle, not to mention the new threesome’s musical act. Rayna’s bright moment steals the stage from Juliette whose moment of genuine happiness and camaraderie is short-lived. The episode ends with both Rayna and Deacon laying their hands back on their music but Lamar’s arrest and Deacon’s considerable rehab suggest neither will be fully embracing the music they want to make anytime soon.
