BWW Recap: We Wish You a NASHVILLE Christmas, Y'all!

It's Christmas in NASHVILLE and slowly but surely- in true holiday spirit- everyone is getting back together (and I mean that only semi-literally). Juliette and Avery are at doctor's appointments together, albeit uncomfortably; Gunnar, Avery, and Zoey's band is reuniting, again, albeit uncomfortably; Will and Layla are adapting to life as spectacle reality stars, a situation that is surprisingly bonding them in a likeable way (for once), and Rayna, finally getting a breath of fresh air before the wedding craziness, comes face to face with an inaccurate (in true paparazzi fashion) Rolling Stone feature about her and Deacon. Merry Christmas, y'all.

Rayna's Rolling Stone interview is just the thing to put the will they/ won't they of her and Deacon back in action during the second half of the season. With this being the second to last episode until January/February, a lot rides on what happens and what story arcs the writers choose to set up to leave us with a memorable cliffhanger. In true NASHVILLE fashion, and based on the slow pace of the episode thus far, I'm betting on a random, last-second revelation that will leave us with our mouths hanging open as the credits roll. Aside from the interview that I'm sure will infiltrate the Ruke relationship sooner or later (we can add it to the list), not much of substance seems to be happening yet. Juliette is stalking Avery in a page from the cliché soap opera handbook (and she gets caught after toppling a tent in a very embarrassing, public way...original), Avery, Gunnar and Zoey's band is looking to reunite and possibly get signed, Avery is working with Sadie (hello again, Laura Benanti! Never gets old) on a new sound, and Deacon is furious with Rayna (hate is still a passionate emotion, y'all). Will has discovered the glory of East NASHVILLE where not only is he unrecognizable, but he is in the presence of comfortable, open, and out men not unlike himself (and assumedly for one of the first times). I smell story arc and character development number one of the almost-mid-season finale.

Followed closely by number 2: Jeff Fordham unexpectedly stumbling into a improve performance of Layla Grant, with a sound he's likely never heard before and more likely loves (Side note: does Layla remind anybody else of Tony winner Lena Hall?). And finally things get moving- 26 minutes in, to be exact. The band has the opportunity to hit the road and start making music and playing performances, with the kink in the chain being the tension between exes, Zoey and Gunnar.

Deacon mans up an delivers Maddie's Christmas present- a travel guitar- in person, prompting Rayna to finally get ahold of him and confront him about the article. And Deacon, in a very un-Deacon fashion, confronts Rayna, essentially calling her a hypocrite for divulging what she always insisted was private to a tabloid. An eternal member of Team Rayna and Deacon, I'm torn on this one myself. Both are right- Rayna is a hypocrite, but she did it to protect her daughter (perhaps also her and Will's reputation, but I'll focus on the first for argument's sake). We just have to wait for the pot to simmer and eventually boil over, whether that be the Ruke relationship we're waiting with bated breath to end of the Rayna and Deacon extravaganza we're (ahem...I'm) wanting to be picked up again.

The Terry and Scarlett relationship has finally reached a head, and we've learned that the two are much more alike than we thought. Terry's post-show meltdown, consisting of reliving the car crash that killed his family years earlier, mirrored Scarlett's public anxiety account about a year earlier. I'm finally interested to see where this working relationship goes, for the first time in about 5 episodes. And in a complete 180 of what's expected (more likely spurred from being called a coward) Scarlett steps up to save the day, save the band, and step back onstage for the first time since the meltdown. The comic relief of the night? "It's just PTSD I'm fine!" I actually laughed out loud. Those three are absolutely adorable playing together, and the song was pretty darn catchy, too. Best performance on the show in a while.

And that high is immediately crushed by the disgusting notion that Layla and Jeff may slowly be falling for each other. I actually uttered an "ew." AND THEN THEY DID IT. THEY SLEPT TOGETHER. EXCUSE ME WHILE I SCREAM AT MY TELEVISION.

And to add to my despair, Deacon admitted that he was still in love in Rayna and always would be-only to be rejected! Y'all! This is what I've been rotting for all season (all show, really). Two awful plot whammies in 3 minutes, 7 minutes before the show ends is really not making me a happy camper.

But the cuteness of Juliette and Avery that snuck on it there helped. So did Luke and Rayna singing my favorite Christmas song.

What was the most shcoking moment of tonight's episode for you? What do you think will happen next week in the mid-season finale based on the craziness we saw tonight? Let me know in the comments or tweet me @WendiReichstein.

Photo credit: ABC