Hey y’all, America’s television screens are about to get a lil’ more country.
ABC’s new drama “Nashville” drops Wednesday night, bringing with it a whole lot of drama and denim in a Wednesday chock full of procedurals like CBS’ “CSI” and NBC’s “Chicago Fire.” And if the pilot is any indication, it’s on its way to becoming another soap success for the network.
The show centers on country legend Rayna James, the queen of the Grand Ole Opry and the reigning diva for the past 20 years. She’s struggling to maintain her star power as a new young thing, Juliette Barnes, struts her stuff in tight sequined dresses and a pop-country sound that everyone can’t get enough of.
Rayna is played by Connie Britton, returning to the Southern roots she displayed as Tami Taylor on the woefully underrated “Friday Night Lights,” and bringing that same down-to-earth personality with her. It would be easy to caricaturize Rayna James as the typical supreme diva, but the script smartly infuses worries about aging, a love that could never be and her relationships with her husband and father to give her layer after layer of character development.
It’s hard to say the same for Juliette Barnes. Though Hayden Panettiere plays her with gusto, reminiscent of the passion she displayed when “Heroes” was still a great show, the script paints her as rude, sassy, and overly sexed up as she makes her way to the top and for Rayna’s producer and lead guitar player. There’s a hint of explanation when its revealed that Juliette’s mom is a drug addict who spends her free time calling her daughter to beg for more money, but it’ll be interesting to see how the possibly cliche backstory plays out.
The good news is “Nashville” is packed with a talented ensemble cast, and brimming with storylines that make it more than just your average “All About Eve” takeover storyline. There’s Lamar Wyatt, a powerful political force in the city who just happens to be Rayna’s father. Powers Boothe makes for a chilling patriarch, and his decision to convince Rayna’s husband Teddy (Eric Close) to run for mayor is shaded with hints of something more sinister up his sleeve.
The relationship between Teddy and Rayna is heartbreaking, and one of the strongest aspects of the show. Close plays Teddy brilliantly, screaming at Rayna that he wants his own chance in the spotlight. In the same argument, he cuts her down by telling her he knows she settled and that he wasn’t her first choice. It’s the kind of brutal honesty that runs rampant throughout the show’s dialogue. Complicating things is Rayna’s past love, Deacon, who is also her lead guitar player. When he asks Rayna why she never sang more of the songs he wrote, she says she couldn’t because she knew they were about her.
The multiple storylines and connections that run through the city can be hard to keep up with at first, and it doesn’t help that the show favors fast camera cuts that jump from plot line to plot line multiple times in one episode. Along with the politics and the unrequited loves, there’s the main issue that the new head of Rayna’s label wants her to open for Juliette, blaming her dwindling tour sales.
And if that wasn’t enough for you, there’s also the plot of Scarlett O’Connor, a waitress, writer and Deacon’s niece. She sings one of the poems she wrote as a song at her bar’s open mike night, in what is hands down the best original song displayed in the pilot, with the kind of ache and break that would make Taylor Swift jealous. The end of the episode shows her getting discovered, with Rayna’s producer having her listen over the phone, hinting at the fact that this budding songwriter’s career is just getting started.
With the exception of the last song, the original music flows in snippets, never going longer than a minute or two. Britton and Panettiere are surprisingly more than capable to sing that country twang, and the supporting players are as easy on the ears as they are on the eyes. This is especially welcoming for those who aren’t exactly country music lovers, as its the drama that is put on full display.
“Nashville” could work on smoothing out some of the bumps in the number of stories it juggles, as well as further unraveling and complicating Juliette Barnes, but if the pilot is any indication, it’s going to be a smooth and fun ride along the way.
Email Konstantinides at akonstantinides@media.ucla.edu.