"Nashville" will be returning for its second season with more illicit affairs and Southern-fried feuds. The ABC drama will return this fall with a lot of changes for the principal characters, including new love interests and new sets of obstacles.
Season one ended with a shocking car crash cliffhanger that left fans wondering about Rayna (Connie Britton) and Deacon's (Charles Esten) future. Fans were left wondering about their physical well-being as well as their romantic future, as the secret about Maddie's paternity ruined their recently reignited relationship. Rayna and Deacon both survived the crash, and will now have to face the truth of the paternity revelation. The revelation will drive them apart in upcoming episodes, with Deacon even contemplating suing Rayna.
The crash and its publicity causes Rayna's album sales to skyrocket, which elicits approbation-- and romantic interest-- from a top label executive. According to TV Line, the executive will be played by a new addition to the cast, "Rules of Engagement's" Oliver Hudson. Hudson will play a charming yet aggressive businessman who will "shake things up in Nashville." Hudson is the second new actor to join the cast after Chaley Rose came aboard as Scarlett's best friend.
According to BuddyTV, show creator Callie Khouri shared some insight about Deacon's fathering skills, or lack thereof. "It's not going to look like 'Father Knows Best'," Khouri said. "I don't think Deacon ever thought of himself as father material. We'll see him grapple with... whether or not he's right." Yet, Khouri revealed that music will draw Deacon and Maddie together.
Maddie and her sister, Daphne, played by real-life sisters Lennon and Maisy Stella, will both play larger roles this season, as they have been made series regulars. Chris Carmack, who plays Will, Scarlett (Clare Bown) and Gunnar's (Sam Palladio) neighbor, is another permanent addition to the cast. Will's character will continue to struggle as a secretly gay man in the country music world. Khouri commented on Rayna and Will's relationship. "Ultimately Rayna is going to have a working relationship with him and it's wrought with all the complications that the audience is aware of and Rayna is not," Khouri shared.
The first season also focused on the lives of feuding country music divas Rayna and Juliette (Hayden Panettiere). Wetpaint reports that ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee stated that the rivalry will drive the second season's plot. "That particular rivalry with Connie and Hayden['s characters] is coming to a head," Paul revealed. "We've only seen a couple of outlines and a script, but we're really happy with it."
Nashville will return to ABC for its second season on Sept. 25.