The season two premiere of "Nashville" answered viewers' burning questions about last season's tragic cliffhanger.
The episode picked up at the scene of the crash, showing Deacon (Charles Esten) dragging himself and Rayna (Connie Britton) out of the wreckage. Jump ahead a few weeks later, and Rayna is in a medically induced coma.
The opening had multiple flashback scenes. One flashed back to when Deacon proposed to Rayna while drunk, only to show another scene where he sinks even deeper into alcoholism.
Back in the present, Deacon is in jail, and Scarlett (Clare Bowen) is trying to get her uncle's $1 million bail money together. But when Scarlett visits him in jail, he doesn't exactly repay her in kindness. Scarlett tells Deacon, "You've been like a father to me," which sends Deacon into a fit of rage. "I'm nobody's damn father!" he shouts, and bans her from future visits.
Meanwhile, Juliette (Hayden Panettiere) is worried that her new album will be overshadowed by "a saint in a coma." Juliette decides to hold a public concert in a support of Rayna to use the tragedy to her advantage. She holds a concert on the steps of Nashville's Parthenon and tells the crowd that she is upset over the state of her "idol, mentor and friend." She even tells her fans to go to the hospital to stand vigil for Rayna. The transparent self-interestedness of her actions gives Avery (Jonathan Jackson) evident pause.
Later, Maddie (Lennon Stella) vents her feelings to Juliette, and Juliette tells Scarlett that she will pay Deacon's bail.
As for Scarlett and Gunnar (Sam Palladio), she says no to his proposal, effectively ending their relationship. After Scarlett moves out, Will (Chris Carmack) moves in with Gunnar. When the guys decide to throw an impromptu housewarming party, one of the partygoers knows Will--apparently intimately. The closeted Will gets angry at him and grabs the guy by his shirt, which leads the man to go in for a kiss. Will instantly pushes him away and tells everyone that he made a pass at him, and loudly make allusions to sleeping with one of the female guests to try to further cover up his true sexual identity.
Gunnar, still upset over his breakup with Scarlett, torches her couch in the yard, which brings the police to the party. He then goes to The Bluebird and sings a duet with Scarlett, further showing he clearly can't let go.
As for Peggy (Kimberley Williams-Paisley), she miscarries her child, but tells Teddy (Eric Close) that the baby is still alive.
The end of the episode sees Rayna finally being brought out of her coma, and she seems to be recovering well. Deacon's lawyer then tells Deacon some great news: he's released because Rayna woke up and confirmed that she was the one driving that night, not Deacon.
To close out the episode, Tandy (Judith Hoag) got word that Lamar (Powers Boothe) might have been involved in his wife's fatal accident.
According to ABC, the next episode, called "Never No More," will focus on Rayna getting back into her singing career and Juliette dealing with a new rival.
The episode will debut Edgehill's new chief, Jeff Fordham (Oliver Hudson), who is determined to get the label back on top. Meanwhile, a reality TV star will threaten Juliette's career.
"Nashville" airs on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC.
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