Nashville Season 5 Episode 10 Review: I'll Fly Away
Tiffany Staton
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Last week was Rayna's good bye; this week is everyone's good bye to her.
Her funeral was short and sweet, but it didn't even compare to her tribute at the CMA's.
If tears weren't streaming down your cheeks by the end of the hour, you just may be a robot.
On Nashville Season 5 Episode 10, everyone adjusts to life without Rayna.
First off, I had a really hard time watching Tandy grieve because where the hell has she been? Unlike Teddy, who has an excuse -- albeit not the greatest one -- for disappearing, Tandy doesn't.
I know they will always be sisters but Tandy could have been there for Rayna and she wasn't. She showed up momentarily to try to stop her from marrying Deacon but that's it.
She was my north, my south, my east, my west, my working week, my Sunday rest, my noon, my midnight, my talk, my song, I thought love would last forever but I was wrong.
Deacon
Tandy always and only thinks about Tandy.
I think that's the reason she was so interested in the guardianship issue. As she reminded us, she invested a lot of money with Highway 65 and whoever is appointed guardian, controls the label as well.
By the way -- shouldn't Zack have a say in that? He's part-owner.
Anyway, Teddy is apparently on bereavement leave and although, he almost falls into Tandy's web, by the end he does what's best for the girls.
I thought he would. He made some bad decisions, which is how he ended up in prison, but he wasn't a bad person or a bad father.
Like Tandy, Zach seemed out of place. He may have been a fan of Rayna's but he didn't know her enough to call her a friend.
His toast fell short, while Avery's and Gunnar's resonated deep.
To living every day of your life.
Avery
Too often we forget that we don't have all the time in the world.
The montage, throughout which Maddie sings "I'll Fly Away," was heartbreaking -- Gunnar comforts Scarlett, Maddie convinces Deacon to sleep then stays to watch over him, and Bucky breaks down crying.
These are the people who care about; these are the ones we want to see mourn Rayna.
Before long we're in the probate attorney's office hearing about what we already saw in the previews.
I guess I can buy that Rayna got married and didn't update her legal documents. Most people go straight on their honeymoon, not straight to their attorney's office.
And Rayna's had a lot going on -- Maddie's emancipation hearing, Juliette's plane crash, the whole stalker ordeal.
Plus they haven't been married that long and even though it felt inevitable, they fought and broke up constantly, so she wouldn't have done it beforehand.
Of course if she were here now, she would absolutely want Deacon to have the girls.
Deacon: I don't know who I am without her [Rayna].
Maddie: You're my dad.
Luckily, it seems to have resolved itself quickly. Teddy and Deacon both love Maddie and Daphne.
I'm glad the show didn't have them fight over them. Once again, CMT chooses to focus on love over dramatics and it is greatly appreciated.
Maddie and Daphne really need each other right now. I like that Maddie was straight with her when Daphne asked what was going on. This is no time to treat her like a little girl; they will both be doing a lot of maturing over the next few months.
Maddie seems like she's already started to mature and step up in her mom's absence.
Juliette: How're you holding up?
Maddie: I'm not. I just look like I am.
I also loved how both Maddie and Daphne dreamt about Rayna. When I lost someone close to me, I often dreamt about him too.
In the dreams he felt so real, it was almost as if he had come back to me. Those dreams were the only things that comforted me the first few weeks after he died.
Like Maddie, Juliette also seems to have already matured since Rayna's death.
The old Juliette would have taken that stage, come hell or high water.
The new Juliette realized that if anyone was going to do a tribute it should be Maddie. I was actually hoping they would do it together, but I still love that Juliette was so selfless in that moment.
The only thing that would have made it better is if Avery would have went to her, after Maddie took the stage, to tell her how proud he was of her. Sigh.
But there's time for their relationship to grow and tonight was about Rayna.
When Maddie started sobbing and couldn't finish the song, I started tearing up. Then when Deacon and Daphne rushed up to comfort her, I started crying right along with them.
TV may not be real but it sure as hell produces real emotions.
What did you guys think of the tribute? Were you crying like a baby too?
Will Teddy still come back? Will Tandy?
Were you surprised Zack was so quick to kiss Will? What about Kevin?
Why did Juliette stop and look in the mirror so strangely?
Remember, if you want to watch the episode again, you can watch Nashville online via TV Fanatic.
Tiffany Staton is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
