After the “Nashville” ending last week, with Deacon (Charles Esten) reminding his long-estranged dad, Gideon (Ronny Cox), “I'm trying” in regards to forgiving the past hurtful history and making new memories. It almost seemed easy to think that the unity evidenced by the son’s hand on his father's back could last awhile-- or at least one episode. Music can be a tremendous and transformational force to foster healing, but for this central “Nashville” family, music also yields a flood of tormented memories, especially during Deacon's childhood. In this week's July 12 Episode 14 of Season 6, “For the Sake of the Song,” music does, again, build a bridge between Deacon and his father, but Daphne (Maisy Stella) discovers that her grandfather is still battling the generational demon of the bottle.

Maddie (Lennon Stella) makes her mind up about going with Jonah (Nic Luken) on his European tour, while her sister’s star keeps rising. Alannah (Rainee Blake) puts her own plan to work on Brad (Jeffrey Nordling) into action, but whether two players both using each other can ever win remains to be seen. Juliette (Hayden Panettiere) has her first confrontation to take on Darius (Josh Stamberg) and his Movement. He shows her why he has all the power, but no one has the fire of Juliette on a mission.

A common chorus

Deacon is trying to work out a new song for an upcoming showcase, and while Gideon comes along, at breakfast, to offer nothing but support, he can't help but to regale his granddaughters with details of how he taught his son to play guitar, and memories of their dad’s backyard performances.

Deacon has very different memories of his father's tutelage, filled with beatings over chord progressions, and so much pain that he could have forsaken music altogether, except that it became his only outlet, as with so many other artists. Deacon doesn't dredge up those times in front of his daughters, and instead, they reminisce about his first song, “Little Bitty Ditty.”

Deacon hears a snippet of Maddie's new song, which Twig (Dylan Arnold) produced, and he is impressed.

Maddie tells her dad that she plans to go to on tour overseas with Jonah. He cautions her about everything being on Jonah’s whim, and that she won't have the safety to fall back on that is normally available. She can only see passion and adventure.

“Nashville” showrunners Marshall Herskowitz and Edward Zwick again deserve kudos for developing these storylines that are deep and real, without any easy fixes in one episode.

These will be memorable fodder for fans for years. Deacon does play his new song at the showcase, and also plays “Little Bitty Ditty” as another olive branch, making for a sweet “Nashville” moment.

Maddie and Daphne become concerned about their granddad being gone so much of the time in his senior years. Deacon doesn't share their level of alarm but does go to an old neighborhood around Gideon’s hotel. When a garage door opens, there is Gideon, and some very welcoming friends, including a man, introduced as a pastor, who welcomes Deacon to sit in and play with a glass of iced tea. He chooses to sit and listen as Ronny Cox offers a lovely song as Gideon, about “the dance” of life, regrets, and growing old.

In that instant, Deacon relives the good version of his dad. “It’s beautiful,” the son reflects before leaving.

Juliette has another kind of chorus in her mind, that of all the people like Rosa that she knows are being held captive and abused by Darius. She feels more than up to the task of confronting him, and he, of course, brings “an assistant” to record the exchange, which will color Juliette as unstable. He continues to spout the “company line” of his cult, insisting that they were out “to change people's lives” and never did anything outside the lines of being legal. “Don't give me the brochure,” Juliette responds, noting that “people like me” are among the thousands that have been groomed and mistreated.

Darius pulls out his ultimate weapon, showing Juliette the nondisclosure agreement she signed before going to Bolivia. If she talks to the press at all, he says that she and her family will wind up with nothing after lawsuits. Juliette proceeds full steam ahead, calling Glenn (Ed Armatrudo) to set up a press conference, but leaks are out. It's wonderful for “Nashville” faithful to see this returned and revived Juliette, but with episodes winding down, one has to wonder when she will tell Avery about his child on the way.

Secrets and lies

Avery (Jonathan Jackson) leaves his hotel room digs and is welcomed back, with open arms, by Gunnar (Sam Palladio) and Will (Chris Carmack). He and Alannah are at an impasse because she knows he has a family, and she tells him that their relationship needs “more time.” A big part of her time is spent on her own ploy to get what she wants by playing Brad’s game of manipulation back at him.

She tells him she doesn't like him and that she only wants his “professional” help, but she’s willing to be his game piece and go along with his slimy ways to get what she wants. She meets with Jessie (Kaitlin Doubleday) again and tells her that she has seen Brad manipulate and make moves of sexual assault on other women at his company. Brad still woos Alannah with a bouquet of roses and a promise to play with Little Big Town after her Friday gig.

Maddie urges Twig to be his own person, and move out from under Jonah’s thumb, knowing his talents can take him far. His loyalty to Jonah and his protective instincts for Maddie are in conflict. When Jonah derides Twig, offering a paid date instead of Jonah's mom, Maddie tells him to stop being so mean and abusive.

Later, at the “pajama party” event, Maddie and Twig almost succumb to their true feelings, until Maddie suddenly asks where Jonah is. Twig says, “He’s upstairs,” knowing what she will find. She investigates for herself and sees Jonah with his ex-girlfriend in the throes of love-making. She leaves, furious with Twig, and heartbroken. The next morning, she is still crying bitter tears, and instead of taking any responsibility himself, Jonah dismisses that “you had one job” to his friend, who walks away.

The final scene shows Daphne bringing laundry into her grandfather’s room. She sees something under his bed and pulls out a brown paper bag with a bottle. It seems that Gideon is still dealing with the demon marred his relationship with his son. With just four episodes to go on “Nashville,” let's hope this father and son can find the strength to fight this battle together.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED