Will a baby save Avery? Or push him further over the edge?

The young country singer is spiraling over his breakup with Juliette, though he has yet to find out that she is pregnant with his baby (in case you missed it, it’s confirmed NOT to be Jeff Fordham’s, thank God!). But Avery is sure to find out eventually, right?

On Nashville Season 3 Episode 3, Juliette was contemplating aborting the baby before telling Avery... but she also showed up on the doorstep of Rayna, who hopefully will talk her out of that decision on Nashville Season 3 Episode 4 tonight.

I was on set in Nashville recently and had the pleasure of seeing JJ (Avery) and Sam Palladio (Gunnar) sing at the Nashville institution, The Grand Ole Opry. Before he went onstage, I sat down with Jackson to talk about Avery’s journey thus far this season, as well as how it feels to be singing where country legends past and present have performed...

TV Fanatic: Avery went through quite a bit last season with his relationship with Juliette and now things are more complicated. What are we going to see moving forward?

Jonathan Jackson: I enjoyed the transitions that Avery went through but season two ended in a pretty tragic, difficult place in his relationship with Juliette. So he’s sort of reeling from that and I think that whatever maturity he learned from messing up his relationship with Scarlett and what he went through with his music career, that maturity is being tested by what’s happened. So he’s kind of spiraling a little bit and trying to find his equilibrium.

TVF: Does he even know where his heart is at this point? Is it still with Juliette or is it just a mix of confusion?

JJ: Well, I think his heart is definitely with Juliette and I think that’s what makes it such a horrible, painful situation. So a lot of contrasting emotions of love and hate at the same time.

TVF: Is he leaning on anybody? Is he going to Gunnar or is he going to anybody else who he gets to be friendly with?

JJ: Yeah. That happens but I think it’s more from his friends pursuing him to try to help him more than him going to get help. I think he’s isolating and just a little bit of ‘screw everyone’ feeling.

TVF: Avery isn’t even aware of what Juliette is going through at this point. Or is there a part of him that knows something’s up?

JJ: I think he’s completely in the dark and I think part of that is because he’s reeling so much from Juliette’s betrayal that he doesn’t really have the extra ability to discern that something else is going on besides his own pain. I don’t think he really has a beat or a guess that this is coming. It’s a big, big shocker for him.

TVF: We’ve seen his spiraling bleeding into his work more than a little bit. What can you say to that?

JJ: He’s not functioning well for a while there…his relationship with Scarlett was real and it was deep and it lasted a long time but I think that what Avery saw in Juliette was the potential. I think he saw that that could have gone forever. And so I think he’s just completely heartbroken.

TVF: The performances this season have been really great. What are you exited for the fans to see?

JJ: The writers have given us a lot of great stuff to work with and the drama of the love story between Avery and Juliette has given us a lot of really good stuff to work with. I hope it translates well and that everybody likes it a lot.

TVF: Talk to me about the Opry. This isn’t your first time but how does it feel to be here singing on that stage?

JJ: Yeah, we’ve been here quite a few times and the Opry has been amazing to have us perform here. We’ve been so excited to be a part of it and it’s such a historic place, obviously, and such a connection with Music City and with country music in general. Every time I come here kind of have to pinch yourself.

TVF: Since you’ve started on the show, has your music changed? Have you changed as a musician?

JJ: Well, hopefully I’ve grown as a musician. You know, working with T-Bone Burnett and Buddy Miller and all the great musicians, Colin Linden. I think you naturally just kind of pick up on things and learn things. So yeah, I hope it’s helped. And then rubbing shoulders with a lot of songwriters is a great thing. And it’s just inspiring just to be here in the city and be here at the Opry and see people perform, hear so many great songs, go to the Bluebird and hear people’s appreciation of songwriting. So I hope it’s made me a better musician.

Nashville Season 3 airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on ABC.

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Jim Halterman is the West Coast Editor of TV Fanatic and the owner of JimHalterman.com. Follow him on Twitter.