Reviewed by Allie Schembra
Indulge your passion for drama, music, intrigue and seduction in ABC’s much buzzed about second season of “Nashville.” Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton) and Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) are at the top of their game, but in Nashville, the higher you rise, the farther you fall. In the aftermath of her mother’s death, Juliette is poised to shine brighter than ever – until a sordid scandal threatens to destroy her. Meanwhile, after Rayna nearly loses her life (and her voice) in a horrific accident, she bounces back with her own record label and a new man. But can she still fire up audiences without Deacon by her side…and in her bed?
Show (4 out of 5 stars)
After Rayna and Deacon’s accident, they try to move on with their lives. Rayna leaves Edgehill Records after butting heads with the new CEO, Jeff Fordham, and starts her own label, Highway 65. Eventually, she signs Scarlett, who becomes her rising star. Rayna also signs Juliette, after she’s released from Edgehill. Juliette is hired to perform at a party for a wealthy couple and starts an affair with the husband. Because of this affair, Juliette’s reputation takes another hit.
After Maddie finds out Deacon is her biological father, she begins spending more time with him and Teddy starts resenting their relationship. He can’t seem to do anything to make Maddie happy, but as soon as Deacon enters the room, Maddie’s whole attitude changes. When Teddy marries a pregnant Peggy, Maddie lashes out even more. But when tragedy strikes and Peggy is killed by a bullet meant for Teddy, the family comes together.
At the same time, Rayna starts a relationship with Luke Wheeler, a handsome country star who is one of Edgehill’s biggest stars. As their relationship progresses, Maddie becomes angrier and angrier and pushes a relationship between Rayna and Deacon. Deacon’s sister, Scarlett’s mother, arrives in Nashville at this time and causes trouble for Scarlett while she’s on tour.As Rayna finally gets her affairs in order, her feud with Jeff Fordham comes to a head, and drags Juliette, Will, Layla, Avery, and everyone they know into it… whether they know it or not. Rayna recovers by holding a stadium concert where Luke surprises her with a very important question.
When Nashville first started, I wasn’t sure if I’d like it or not. But, I gave it a chance, and now, three seasons in it is one of my favorite shows. Connie Britton is amazing in her role as Rayna James, Hayden Panettiere kicks butt as Juliette Barnes, and I just love Will Chase as Luke Wheeler. The one character I cannot stand is Maddie. She is an entitled brat who seems to think the world owes her something. Every time she is on screen, I want to throw something at it. This character takes the annoying teenage attitude way too far. Oliver Hudson is so good in his role as Jeff Fordham – he is hot and slimy and gross all at the same time. His character makes my skin crawl. All these characters make for such a great show, and I look forward to watching it every week.
Video (3 1/2 out of 5 stars)
Nashville’s widescreen 1.78:1 aspect ratio presentation is pretty good. I didn’t notice a significant improvement from the episodes on TV to the DVD, but it was still really good. Skin tones were natural and the picture was bright. There were no blurred movements and everything was sharp and clear.
Audio (4 out of 5 stars)
While some quieter parts of the series were a little hard to hear, for the most part, the Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound audio was really good. There’s so much audio in this show, you almost have to do it perfectly to make it work. The dialogue was good but the music is wonderful! I loved hearing the music and seeing the performances.
Extras (3 out of 5 stars)
The three special features for Nashville: The Complete Second Season are short, but good. Made up of bloopers, deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes show that aired on ABC, the features were fun and I enjoyed watching them.
- Bloopers – A little less than three minutes of bloopers and outtakes showing how much fun the cast has while making the show. These made me giggle and I enjoyed watching them. I wish this feature was longer, though.
- Deleted Scenes – Eight deleted scenes, each less than a minute cut from various episodes over the season. All were interesting, but were good choices to leave out.
- Nashville: On the Record Music Special – An ABC special that aired during the season, showing behind the scenes, interviews with the cast and a performance at the Ryman Auditorium. It’s a 40-minute look at the show, the music and the people who make it all happen. I enjoyed this when I watched it on ABC and I enjoyed it just as much the second time.
Summary (3 1/2 out of 5 stars)
Nashville: The Complete Second Season is just as good to watch the second time, after watching it during last season. Watching it again reminded me what happened and prepared me for season three. Nashville is definitely a show I will continue to watch for as long as it is on the air. It’s a fun show that has drama, music, performances and wonderful actors creating characters that the viewer easily loves or hates. A new viewer could easily jump right in to the series and catch up, but I always recommend starting from the beginning and learning all the back stories for the characters.
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