Nashville Review: I Can’t Keep Away From You (Season 3 Episode 16)

You guys! The Rayna/Deacon drama is finally back in this week’s episode of Nashville, “I Can’t Keep Away From You.” Spoilers ahead!

We start right back where we left off (two weeks ago) with Rayna crying in Deacon’s arms. At first, it seems like the two of them are going to be adults (Rayna is sweet and supportive, Deacon is scared and vulnerable). But this is Rayna and Deacon, so obviously they get into a huge fight like four minutes after he tells her. Rayna tells Deacon she is going to stay by his side to help him fight, but he has to be all Cowboy Deacon about it and tell her absolutely not. Deacon’s all ‘nothing matters anymore’ and then Rayna smashes his guitar. Very country, y’all.

Yup, Rayna and Deacon are back.

But that’s not all. This week was chock full of all kinds of drama. It looks like Nashville has hit its groove again.

The gang (The X’s? The Triple X’s – what is this band called?) is on tour and everything’s going well until a Twitter fan heckles Scarlett about her nervous breakdown. Scarlett decides to engage and falls down a rabbit hole of Internet trolls. Luckily the boys manage to convince her to write a song about it instead. On the same stage where her breakdown occurred, she sings a song about her strength. It’s pretty sweet. I think they should change their band name to Best Friends Forever. But then Gunnar realizes he still has feelings for Scarlett. Is it too late? Is she is love with Hot Doctor now? I’m sure a love triangle would help the tour go smoothly.

Teddy is still freaking out and making bad decisions, so he investigates what’s going on with his hooker and confirms that the FBI is investigating her. She tells him that she’s not going to jail for him. This surprises him, because there is no end to his unreasonableness. There has to be another way, he tells her. There is. She could disappear if he gave her a couple hundred thou. And that, dear Teddy, is how to walk right into a blackmail trap.

He tries to double down and blackmail Jeff, but that doesn’t work because Jeff is comfortable with being a criminal. He then gets even more desperate and calls an emergency meeting about some park that needs funding ASAP. He’s about as sketchy as possible, and the finance director walks out on him. Teddy is seriously so bad at being a corrupt politician. His next move is to try to find some dirt on the finance director so he can blackmail him. Maybe third time’s a charm?

A few other things seem to be about to simmer over into a boil:

• Little Layla is hot and cold with Jeff. She just can’t make him love her. Well, duh.
• Will is still working with the gay writer and still being weird about it. I think they might be falling in love.
• Juliette is due in three weeks and Avery is on tour…so that could get interesting.

Back with Rayna and Deacon, Rayna refuses to leave, and sits on Deacon’s porch until he’s ready to talk. He finally confesses that he’s really scared about Maddie. He would rather disappear into the night than let her know what’s really going on. Rayna finally convinces him that he can’t protect them from this pain, no matter what, so they should at least try to have some happy times. And then they have an, ahem, very happy time. After that they go to tell the girls about their relationship. But they’ve got to tell them the bad news too.

Just when I think we’re going to end with the family all back together, dealing with tragedy, even more craziness happens.

Sadie and Luke are collaborating, but their eyes are telling me that they want to start collaborating. After working in the studio they go for a cup of coffee (which we all know is a gateway drug for secret romance). When Sadie walks to her car after the non-date, Pete shows up… and he’s mad about the interview. They fight, and Sadie shoots him.

Is he dead?

Is she going to jail?

Will Luke be implicated?

I’m so glad we have our country soup opera back. All we need now is for Juliette to join in the fun!

What did you think of this week’s episode of Nashville? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Nashville airs on Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC.