Juliette Changes Her Tune, Nashville “When You’re Tired of Breaking Other Hearts” 

We’ve seen hints of an evolving Juliette Barnes. She’s taking control of her sound (although she really does need a manager to help curb some of the less-than-brilliant ideas she has about her career) and she’s taking much more responsibility in her life. Well, she’s making strides. We’ve seen her step up to the plate before – when she took responsibility for her failed marriage and, to a certain extent, when she invited her mother to come live with her. I’m not saying Juliette’s intentions are ever pure, because she always does seem to think about what she can get out of any given situation before she thinks about anyone else. But maybe both Deacon’s continuing influence and Rayna’s harsh but true words in this episode finally make Juliette realize what type of person she is. And maybe Juliette is ready to grow up. A little.

I don’t know how it happened, but Juliette is my favorite character on Nashville right now. I think she’s an interesting conundrum, a complete contradiction in terms. And if you know anything about me, you know I love damaged characters. In the past, Juliette has allowed others to control her image, her sound, and pretty much her whole life. And she’s been rebelling against that control for just as long. It started with her mother and it’s currently about her music and her personal life. Juliette keeps getting into short-term relationships with the wrong men, she  keeps bending or breaking the law with no thought of getting caught or “serving her time.” In essence, because of who she is Juliette is allowed to get away with a lot. But after Rayna’s daughter Maddie is injured at Juliette “intimate” concert Juliette seems to really want to change her ways. I’m not saying it’s going to stick this time, but I really like that Juliette’s making an effort.

And I think Juliette makes the right decision to take her mom on the road with her. There is so much that needs to be done to fix their broken relationship. I like that Juliette seems to be done hiding from (or even lying about) what their relationship has been in the past. I mean Juliette’s admitted to wanting her mother dead, so I feel like their relationship can only improve now that they’re both actually making an effort. So making sure Juliette’s mom stays clean and sober is a really important step. Another really important step is inviting Jay Hernandez‘s Dante to accompany them on Juliette and Rayna’s tour as a sober companion for her mother and a kind of shrink for her. SPOILER ALERT — Hayden Panettiere accidentally let it slip during PaleyFest that she and Dante are going to be an item. Actually, she said something to the effect that she hoped Dante didn’t become a carcass on Juliette’s relationship highway. We hope so too. He could be really good for her.

What do you think? Is Juliette ready, willing, and able to make some permanent changes in her life? Can she be the type of person her mother can depend on? Is Juliette ready for a serious relationship that has no pre-determined expiration date? How will all this affect her music? I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to find out.

Nashville airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on ABC.