Still trying to improve her image, Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) attends a zoo benefit with rookie quarterback pro football player Sean Butler (Tilky Jones) where she is photographed holding a critter. She doesn’t like the photo but it is better than the video of her boosting the nail polish. Juliette’s people decide she should go out with Sean and his squeaky-clean image. Juliette is reluctant but the nail polish incident is brought up again. Now all anyone has to do is say “nail polish” and Juliette toes the line.
The new song Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton) wrote in Episode 5 is a hit with her record company. Since she is going in a new direction, Rayna wants a new producer, rock star Liam McGuinnis who named his dog after June Carter Cash.
The election is one month away, and Teddy Conrad (Eric Close) is 7 points behind. Lamar decides to make Coleman late to sign the Clean Campaign pledge. Reluctantly, Teddy caves in to Lamar’s suggestion they catch Coleman running a stop sign in Belle Meade that he habitually coasts through. However, when the police pull him over, they find the pills Deacon turned over to Coleman inside the car. As Coleman is arrested, Teddy is on TV telling the good people of Nashville he is “committed to being the man you can trust.”
Avery is singing at East Nashville’s 5 Spot knowing a regional promoter will be at the show looking for opening acts for big bands. The producer appears to be impressed, and so is Marilyn Rhodes who introduces herself. “I’m a manager, and I would love to work with your band,” she says, looking Avery up and down like he’s a tasty morsel.
Rayna goes to the studio to meet rocker Liam McGuinnis to talk to him about working together, but he turns her down. As he firmly closes the door in her face, he tells Rayna she is “Moms and SUV’s” and that’s not what he’s about.
Juliette reminds everyone it is not an actual date when she goes out with Sean Butler, and she talks smack and football to him during dinner and calls him “choir boy.” They start to hit it off, so Sean tells Juliette, “You are not as much of a klepto as you seem,” and she tells him, “You are not as much of a ‘goody two shoes’ as you seem.” Juliette flies him to South Beach on her private jet to go clubbing. As they start to bond in her plane, she taunts him by calling him a choir boy and he leans towards her as she gazes expectantly at his mouth… and he reaches for… her guitar. Turns out the choir boy quarterback can play football and the guitar. At the Miami club, Sean orders club soda. “You really are a choir boy,” Juliette tells him, but they both have a good time. Romance is in the air until an evil paparazzo begins to harass Juliette at which point the mild-mannered Sean knocks him down.
Rayna goes back to Liam’s place and bangs on the door. She takes the rocker to task for not hearing her out the last time. Her sassy speech impresses Liam, and he invites her in. She tells him she feels like she has been moving further and further away from why she got into music, which was to tell people her truth. Rayna is looking for a new sound — one that will “snap people’s heads around,” and she says she is ready to “blow up the box.”
Deacon tells Avery he doesn’t want Avery wasting his time and money on a manager. Deacon goes to Marilyn and tells her to back off Avery. Marilyn gives him a sultry look and tells Deacon, “I would have made you more than someone standing behind Rayna Jaymes.” Then Marilyn makes a B-line to the 5 Spot and invites Avery over to talk about his career and to “get to know each other better.” Forbidden sweets ARE always sweeter, after all.
Peggy comes up to Teddy after his speech and tells him she is now working on his campaign. As she kisses him on the cheek, a photographer snaps their photo. Lamar and Teddy have words about Colemen’s arrest.
Liam offers Rayna a drink. At first she declines, but Liam makes it clear he thinks it will help her “blow up the box.” They begin to talk music over drinks. Next thing you know, Rayna wakes up at home with a hangover and hazy memories of the night before. She goes to Liam to find out what happened and discovers they made beautiful music together. Thankfully, that’s all they did.
Gunnar tells Scarlett he overheard Deacon telling Avery to stay away from Marilyn. Scarlett confronts Uncle Deacon about harming Avery’s chances, and Deacon tells his niece that Marilyn only reps good-looking guys under 30 “after a certain closeness has been established.” Meanwhile, Avery is giving Marilyn the line about his music speaking for itself. She says if that’s the case, what is he doing there, and she locks lips with him. However, Avery says, “I can’t do this” and leaves. When he gets home, a furious Scarlette asks him, “Did you sleep with that woman?” Avery tells her no, but she is still angry because she knows Avery went to Marilyn’s house knowing what Marilyn’s intentions were.
After seeing Coleman arrested for drug possession, Deacon volunteers to go to Nashville’s local paper, the “Tennessean,” to explain that Coleman is is sponsor and the drugs were Deacon’s (actually, he took them from Juliette’s mother when she was being admitted to rehab). Coleman says no, the program only works when it is private, so Coleman goes on TV to say that he has been sober for 19 years. Watching all of this, Rayna, who knows Coleman is telling the truth, begins to smell a big rat named “Daddy.”
Juliette has her publicist go with her to the paparazzo’s house where she buys his photos and his silence for $25,000 and promises to call him first on her next several trips out. Sean finds out and asks Juliette on a real date.
Juliette is not the only one meeting with a photographer. Coleman meets with the man who has been taking secret photos of Teddy and Peggy. He is reluctant to do anything with them because he cares for Rayna, but his wife, who is angry over the arrest, tells him, “Sometimes you have to do a little wrong to do a greater good.”
Rayna tells Marshall she has picked William McGuinnis as her next producer, and Marshall says no. Rayna informs him, “This is where I’m going,” and tells him he needs to get on board.
Scarlett moves in with Uncle Deacon. After she leaves, Avery goes back to Marilyn’s place.
Next week we are promised that Rayna and Juliette will do a duet together. Will they make beautiful music or claw each other’s eyes out? Stay tuned for more “Nashville.”
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More “Nashville:”
- Four Fun Facts About ABC’s ‘Nashville’ Characters Rayna, Juliette, Avery & Watty
- ‘Nashville’ Episode 4: Juliette Learns Crime Doesn’t Pay (Recap)
