Review: Nashville season one episode two

“Nashville” fleshed out its characters and got its stars out on the road in its second episode.

Rayna James’ (Connie Britton) management suggests she and Deacon Claybourne (Charles Esten) go out on the road together again. It kind of reminded me of “A Mighty Wind,” though thankfully Deacon isn’t as creepy as Eugene Levy’s Mickey.

Deacon is writing a song with Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere), and Rayna smartly says “I know where that leads; you and I used to write songs together.” It doesn’t take long for Juliette and Deacon to start the extracurriculars, though he tries to stay on task until he gives in and skinny dips with her. Though Deacon picks Rayna to perform with at the end at the Bluebird, you can tell this isn’t over.

The subplot with Gunnar Scott (Sam Palladio) and Scarlett O’Connor (Clare Bowen) where they also wrote a song together and performed it (that haunting melody is still in my head a week later) seems repetitive alongside the main storyline.

I don’t know if Juliette is supposed to be a Taylor Swift clone, but her music is much more generic. I don’t know if it’s her southern accent, but her mouth barely seems to move when she’s talking. Weird.

I was also pleased to hear a song by The Dirty Guv’nahs, who I saw sight-unseen this summer and who quickly won me over.

The story is moving along nicely, though it hasn't really hooked me. I like the Rayna-Juliette-Deacon arc just fine, but the stuff with Rayna's husband running for mayor with her father's help doesn't do much for me.

Rating:  B