Nashville Season 5 Episode 7 Review: Hurricane
Tiffany Staton
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Trying to make a relationship work is hard.
But when it's two musicians? In the words of our leading lady, Lord help you.
Nashville Season 5 Episode 7 had us wondering -- is a relationship harder if it's two artists trying to make it work? The show seems to think so.
So what are some traditional qualities of musicians? Passionate, emotional, creative, open-minded, curious, obsessive, authentic, transparent.
I can see how some of these -- passion, emotion, obsession -- could cause some problems.
But personally, I believe it's more about the partner you are in a relationship, rather than the individual you are out of it.
You may be driven toward success in your individual life, but that doesn't automatically mean you'll be self-involved in a relationship or prioritize success over love.
Instead you could apply that same drive to making your partner happy, to making your relationship work, and to making love last.
Rayna: Nothing like being in a relationship with an artist. Two artists together? Lord help you.
Scarlett:Yeah, all we seem to do is hurt each other and I'm starting to wonder is that just the way it's supposed to be?
Rayna: I don't know. I think no relationship is ever one thing. You can start out with this great connection then the next thing you know, it's gone.
Scarlett: You feel like you ever get it right again?
Rayna: Oh yeah. If you're lucky lots of times.
Luckily, we had a lot of artist only couples to test this theory on tonight and they are all at different stages in their relationships.
Rayna and Deacon have been together forever and literally been through it all.
Scarlett and Gunnar have some history; they've dealt with break ups, cheating, trust issues, and a rejected proposal.
Maddie and Clay are just starting out; their biggest hurdle his been their age difference.
We’re in the very beginning stages of our relationship.
Daphne
Starting with Scarlett and Gunnar. Whether they want to admit it or not, they are absolutely having problems.
Even when they're not fighting over Damien, there is almost no intimacy between them. It's clear they're not physically connecting; there was no hand holding, barely any kissing, and even the bedroom interaction felt forced.
They're not emotionally connecting because Scarlett's emotions are being pulled toward Damien.
I'll give her props for being honest with Gunnar. That is up until she said her feelings for Damien were gone. They obviously aren't.
Scarlett: It was a farm at the end of a dirt road with a rural delivery address. But it was my whole world. Well until I took my first airplane ride and I looked down and I saw Natchez, Mississippi, my whole life really, and it fit between these two fingers.
Damien: No wonder doing the video scared you.
Scarlett: You scared me.
Damien: Maybe you scared yourself.
He brought something out of her that she didn't know existed. He challenged her in a way that nobody has ever, or at least, not in a while.
That's an exciting feeling; one that generally starts to diminish as a relationship gets older.
This leads me to Rayna and Deacon's issue.
They can't seem to find the right lyrics to describe their history. This is a high class problem is you ask me but we are talking about Rayna; everything about her is high class.
This week Rayna worries marriage has stifled their creativity.
Why do people always look for happiness right where they lost it?
Rayna
See, the problem I have with Rayna and Deacon is they continue to create their own problems, where there really aren't any.
Their entire relationship has been so tumultuous and dramatic that they don't know how to just be together. They need the drama; they thrive on it; it inspires them.
Rayna is scared of going down that road again and losing who they've become as a couple, but this was her idea to begin with. How did she think it was going to be?
Similar to a few weeks ago, Deacon tries to tell her he doesn't want to do this and Rayna didn't just brush off his feelings, she shot them down by accusing him of quitting. Again, he ends up deferring to her. Whatever Rayna wants Rayna gets.
Moving onto Maddie and Clay.
As impressed as I was with Maddie's growth last week, I feel like she reverted back to her old self this week.
She invited Clay over without her parents permission, left Daphne to bake alone which caused a fire, then fought with her mom and refused to follow her rules.
Her conversations with Daphne were the only sign of last week's growth.
Maddie: Well the thing about boys is they are completely clueless.
Daphne: What do you mean?
Maddie: It’s like half the time, they aren’t even awake.
Does it hurt? When Daphne asked this question I definitely thought she was asking about sex and I almost shouted at the TV. Maddie is NOT the person to give her that kind of advice.
Luckily for Daphne, she was asking if love hurts and the answer to that is a big fat YES.
Love makes you crazy; it comforts you, it challenges you. It makes you do and say and feel things you thought you never would.
Even Maddie's description -- that it feels like you've sewn yourself to someone else's skin and if you move you could be ripped apart -- was pretty spot on.
All in all, each of these couples is struggling in one way or another. I don't know if their issues are exacerbated by the fact that they're musicians but I know that if two people want to make a relationship work, they will.
So we'll see what happens.
What do you guys think about how the relationships are progressing? Can you relate to them?
Are you enjoying seeing more Daphne? I know I am.
Will Scarlett sleep with Damien or is Gunnar just being paranoid and insecure?
If you missed this episode, don't forget you can always watch Nashville online via TV Fanatic.
Side notes:
In the midst of this stalker situation why would Rayna invite a stranger into her home and allow him access to everything?
It looks like Zack is already calling all the shots. Not to say filming Rayna and Deacon's creative process isn't a great idea.
Are we really supposed to believe teenage girls wanted Scarlett's autograph and didn't even notice Gunnar?
Weird how Rayna had the perfect words and Deacon had just the right music for their song.
Tiffany Staton is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
