[Warning: This story contains spoilers from Wednesday's midseason finale "Where He Leads Me" episode of Nashville.]
During Wednesday's midseason finale of ABC's Nashville, Teddy's political career -- and by association, Rayna's personal life -- took a major blow when suggestive photos of his business associate were leaked to the press and Pam attempted to take her life. Perhaps suggesting that the label may indeed get Jaymes and Juliette Barnes to co-headline a tour after all -- even if both singers have a love-hate relationship with one another.
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"I don't think Rayna and Juliette will ever be completely thrilled with being in each other's presence but they might have to figure out how to live with it," creator/EP Callie Khouri tells The Hollywood Reporter.
Considering Juliette hasn't officially said yes -- and Rayna really only said that she's "not saying no" -- ABC's freshman country music drama will skip ahead a few months when it returns from its winter hiatus in 2013 to see the singers grappling with the idea of hitting the road together.
"We're not sure [if we'll follow a potential tour," Khouri notes of the idea of the Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere freshman drama following the duo outside of Nashville. "Nashville itself is such a character that on one hand we want to show that experience of Nashville and on the other hand, leaving Nashville is a whole other kettle of fish because it separates the characters from their families so we're not totally sure."
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Working in its favor, Juliette pulls a Britney Spears and proposes to her football stud boyfriend after his mother rejects the troubled starlet following a compelling church performance that actually showed the young singer's heart.
"Juliette is not ever 100 percent clear with her motives," Khouri notes of whether Juliette's proposal to Sean (Tilky Jones) was pure or merely an attempt to get back at his mother. "We're certainly not basing it on any one person but we've all watched enough young stars to try and anchor their lives by marriages and try to pretend that they're settled down only to find that there's not a maturity level to support a relationship but also the need for her to have a stable existence is an overwhelming one, especially since her mother has come back into the picture."
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Scarlett and Gunnar, meanwhile, finally have liftoff once the latter boldly professes his romantic feelings for his songwriting partner with a passionate kiss that puts their working relationship in jeopardy.
"In the same way that Rayna and Juliette have this undeniable something together, so do Scarlett and Gunnar," Khouri says, noting that the duo selling a song will force their hand to soldier on despite her attempts to cut if off. "They each make up a strong aspect that they wouldn't have without the other one. She definitely backs away from any possible personal relationship because of her feelings for Avery but the creative thing happening with them is undeniable and something she finds compelling."
Elsewhere, Deacon accepts a gig with sober band the Revel Kings that will see the in-demand band leader high-tail it out of Nashville. "As things with he and Rayna bubble to the surface again, his need to remove himself and stop getting into trouble with her becomes more urgent. It's one of those moves where he's trying to do the thing that will save himself a lot of heartache," Khouri says.
What did you think of the midseason finale? Hit the comments with your thoughts. Nashville airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
