Tonight on ABC Nashville starring Hayden Panettiere continues with an all new Wednesday April 15, season 3 episode 18 called, “Nobody Knows but Me,” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, Jeff’s [Oliver Hudson] ex-fiancée, a famous pop star, arrives in town on a tour, forcing Jeff to reflect on his past. Elsewhere, Deacon [Charles Esten] and Maddie [Lennon Stella] both struggle to deal with his illness; and Juliette [Hayden Panettiere] and Avery [Jonathan Jackson] have trouble balancing their careers with new parenthood.
On the last episode, Juliette was excited about Rayna throwing her a star-studded baby shower, but when Rayna got pulled into Sadie’s drama instead of hosting, Juliette started her own mama drama. Bucky and Luke Wheeler both were interested in signing rising singer/songwriter Ron Pope (who guest stars as himself). Gunnar was upset by Scarlett growing closer to Dr. Rand, and Sadie found a kindred spirit in an old friend. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per the ABC synopsis, “with the arrival of his former fiancée in Nashville, Jeff finds himself face-to-face with Jade St. John (played by Christina Aguilera). A powerhouse pop-star in Nashville on tour, Jeff is forced to revisit his past and work with the woman who once played a large role in both his personal and professional lives. Meanwhile, Deacon continues to cope with his cancer diagnosis – a secret that weighs heavily on his family — especially Maddie, who struggles with the news herself. While Juliette is eager to get back to work following the birth of her daughter, she quickly finds balancing motherhood and a music career challenging to say the least, while Avery struggles with his own responsibilities and his Triple Exes bandmates.”
Tonight’s episode looks like it is going to be great and you won’t want to miss it, so be sure to tune in for our live coverage of ABC’s Nashville at 10:00 PM EST!
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#Nashville starts with baby Cadence crying and Juliette asking her to please stop crying. Avery takes the baby and tries to quiet her. He uses a shhh sound and says he read that babies like the noise. She quiet and he hands her back to Juliette – he says he’s got an interview with Pitchfork. She says she hasn’t slept in weeks and her life force is being sucked out of her. She tells him she’s so tired and asks him to push the interview. He says he already has and just can’t again. He kisses her and the baby and says he’ll be back soon.
Rayna talks to Bucky and she asks about getting Layla launched and he says she still doesn’t have a manager. She promises Bucky more help. Deacon comes in and she says she missed him in her bed last night and she tells him he should just move in but he says Maddie still won’t talk to him. Daphne shows up smiling to see he brought donuts. Maddie says she has early study and refuses a pastry. Layla asks Jeff he’ll have a real office soon and he says it his real. She says Bucky is pushing her to get a manager and then says she has an idea.
She suggests that she should open for Jade St John. She reminds Jeff that he knows her but he says he hasn’t talked to her in a while and they’re not exactly friends. She says since she’s his only client, he should suck it up and ask. Scarlett is watching the video again of she and Gunnar when her boyfriend comes in. He asks if he should be worried. Will finds Gunnar also staring at the video then Gunnar asks if he’s still working with Kevin and he says it’s going good. Gunnar asks if Kevin knows he’s gay and tells him to ask him out. Will says he may not even like him like that.
Rayna drops Daphne off for her school trip and she offers to get Jade St John tickets for she and Maddie but she says she already has plans with friends. Rayna says she’s shutting them out but Maddie brushes her off and goes in to school. Jeff goes to see Jade St John (guest start Christina Aguilera!!). She’s shocked to see him. He asks if they can talk. Glenn and Emily come in and she asks what about her career and he says she could have done a song over the end credits but she was giving birth. J tells him to call back and says she has a song.
Jeff chats with Jade and tells her about Layla and asks for three songs. Jade asks if Layla is a friend or something else. He asks her to listen to the CD and she says she’ll do him the favor if he’ll arrange a meeting with Luke Wheeler. Then she mentions she and Jeff used to be engaged. Rayna calls Bucky and he tells her there are media requests coming in for the girls. Rayna sees Maddie making out with a guy when she pulls up at the school to drop off the bag Daphne forgot. She says she has to call him back.
Teddy holds a ground breaking to repurpose a new area. He has the treasurer he’s blackmailing with him as he talks about making it a greener city. The guy tells him that all $500k is there for him. Jeff comes to see Luke and asks him to meet Jade St John and says she’s a fan. Luke says he’s not interested but his kids are. Luke says she’s not his cup of whiskey. Rayna comes in and runs into Jeff and Luke. Rayna cracks on Jeff then asks to talk to Luke. Will is in the studio recording. Kevin sings harmony with him as they record.
Kevin says that’s the best and then Will asks if they should work on it a couple of days more. Will says he thinks it could use a little work and then Kevin says good luck and goes. Rayna asks when Colt moved back and says she saw him and Maddie locking lips. Luke says they’re girlfriend and boyfriend and says Maddie is out at the ranch often. She says they’ve had some issues and he says he thought that Maddie would be happy that Deacon is back with her. She asks if Colt and Maddie have plans and he says he got them tickets to Jade St John.
At the interview, the reporter is asking about the chemistry between Gunnar and Scarlett. Scarlett says it was a one time thing when Avery was out having his baby. Avery goes to take an emergency call from Scarlett who says she needs to have him help her write a song within 24 hours. He says it’s not an emergency and he’ll call her after the interview. J says he’s not the only song writer in Nashville. The reporter asks Gunnar and Scarlett if they used to date.
Scarlett asks Gunnar why he’s talking personally about the two of them and says this is about the band. Avery says he may as well have been invisible and Gunnar says he thinks it will be all-inclusive. Gunnar says they can put on a show with the three of them and invite him along. Rayna tells Maddie she wishes they could go to see Jade St John together and Maddie says she has plans. Rayna says she knows her plans are with Colt and she’s lying to her about their relationship. Maddie says she hates Colt and Rayna says she doesn’t but says he doesn’t always make the best choices.
Rayna says this is about her being honest with her. Maddie calls her a hypocrite and says she doesn’t respect her mother. Rayna says she can forget going to the concert. Luke talks to Colt and he says he told Maddie to talk to her mom. Luke offers to go to the concert with Colt since Maddie can’t go. He says Colt can get Maddie a souvenir. Luke wonders what he’ll wear since all his sparkles are at the dry cleaners. Juliette calls Deacon over to write with her and he calls her mommy and flatters her daughter then asks to hold her. She tells him her name is Cadence.
He says they need a diaper change and then they can write. She calls for Emily but he says she left as he was coming in. She goes to change her daughter. Teddy calls Natasha and says he has money to wire her but she says she needs it in cash. She says they’ll find her and the money even if it’s offshore. She says to bring her the cash and he slams his phone down. Will comes home grumpy and Gunnar says they’re doing a live show then asks Will if he’s upset about Kevin. Will says he didn’t ask him out and managed to insult him.
Gunnar says to invite him to the show and apologize for being a jackass. Juliette complains to Deacon and asks what’s wrong with him – she says he’s not trying. She says he’s not digging in and he says it doesn’t always happen. He says they’re both rusty and she asks what else could he be doing. Cadence starts crying and Deacon says he can’t do this with her. He packs up his guitar and he tells her to focus on her daughter. She begs him not to go but he marches out. Jeff comes to see Jade as she’s meeting with her business manager.
She asks if she’s going to get to meet Luke and he says he’s not going to be there. He says she traded up and dumped him and asks if Layla can still open for her. She says to deliver her by 5 pm for sound check and says she better be good. Rayna gets the news that Layla is opening and is thrilled. Deacon comes home and Rayna says she found out Maddie is dating Colt. Deacon says she’s acting out because she’s angry about his illness. He says he shouldn’t have gone to Juliette’s and says he couldn’t tell her what was wrong and could’t go where she wanted.
Deacon says he wishes he never told anybody and Rayna says he’s always told the truth and this is his truth now. She tells him to come be home with them but he says he can’t do that. He says everything has changed and it’s all Maddie sees anymore. He stalks out. Will goes to Kevin’s place with a bottle of whiskey and an apology. He starts to go then asks if he wants to go to Gunnar’s show but he stumbles over the whole roommate but I’m not living with him that way thing. Avery tells Juliette he got Cadence down and says he can help her now.
She asks what time is their party and he says he isn’t sure he wants her there since the reporter is focused on his celebrity marriage. Avery says if it was any other night, she could come. She rants and calls herself an unemployed milking machine. Avery groans and calls her babe. Rayna comes to see Layla backstage. She says she didn’t make it happen – she says her manager did and asks who it is and Layla says it’s Jeff. She says she should have told her sooner but was afraid she would drop her. Rayna says it’s her choice. Layla says he’s good and Rayna says they need to keep the lines open.
Layla gets her curtain call and Rayna wishes her luck. Gunnar is pouring beers before the show when Scarlett’s boyfriend shows up. Gunnar asks how he and Scarlett met but he gives a vague answer. Deacon comes to the house and Maddie says Rayna isn’t home and he says he knows because she texted him. Deacon says he thought she was avoiding the house because of him but it was because she has a new boyfriend. He asks why she lied. She says being around Deacon makes her sad. She says she talks to Colt about it but says he won’t say anything.
She says she knows having cancer embarrasses him. He says there’s no reason to hide something he shouldn’t be ashamed of. She says she’s sorry for sneaking around and lying and he says maybe she should apologize to Rayna. Layla kills it in her set. Jeff watches from offstage and Rayna comes to stand beside her. He says he’s good for Layla and he suggested that she sign with Rayna, put her song on iTunes and got her this gig. Rayna says she can’t wait for Layla to realize what a washed up loser he is. He laughs and calls her the label head.
She says managers get fired every day and tells him to enjoy this now. Rayna leaves to take a call. It’s Maddie and she tells her she’s sorry about lying about Colt. She asks if she can get her a t-shirt and her mom asks to talk to Deacon. She thanks him for talking to Maddie and he says she really is sorry and he is too for running out. He says he’s done running and Rayna says that makes her happy. She says he can tell about his illness when he wants. He says you’re only as sick as your secrets. She asks him to bring Maddie down to the concert.
Juliette tries to write her song when Cadence starts crying. She goes in and stares at the baby in the crib. She looks at her and just stands there. The Triple Exes take the stage and they rock the house. Will sees Kevin come in and sidles over to him but then sees Kevin is talking to another guy and stops. Will broods and watches him then steps the other way. He walks backstage. Teddy brings the suitcase of cash to Natasha and says he hopes she can put all this behind her. She says he’s a good man and he says maybe now he can be. He leaves.
The reporter seems pleased and Gunnar says he thinks the story will go like they wanted. Avery says he has to go home to Juliette. Scarlett’s BF gives her a big hug then tells Gunnar it was a great show. Luke finds Colt sneaking a cookie and he says it has Jade’s initial on it so he was going to bring it to Maddie but then Maddie is there and hugs her mom. Rayna tells Colt he can come out of hiding and he hugs Maddie and hands her the cookie. She tells them to have fun but not too much and Luke hands them the front row tickets and says he’ll hang backstage.
Luke says Deacon is looking for her and walks away. Avery comes home and finds a woman there. She says she’s the nanny. Avery is stunned. He pulls Juliette aside and she says she’s great. Juliette says these companies can hook you up so fast but Avery says they haven’t talked about this. She says they need a live in since they’re both working. He says they’re married and should talk about decisions like this. She says she has a song to finish and walks off. Deacon says he’s tired and wants to head home after he talks to Luke. Rayna says she’ll meet him at home.
Deacon says since their kids are dating, Luke should know he has cancer. Luke says he’s sorry and Deacon says he’s going to fight it but it’s been hard on Maddie so it’s good that she’s had him to go to. Luke offers him a handshake and tells him to beat it because he has a lot to live for. Jade takes the stage and Colt and Maddie are up front and thrilled. Jeff and Layla watch offstage and she says Jade is seriously amazing.
Luke walks up to stand beside him and tells Jeff he’ll take him up on that introduction to meet Jade. Will answers his door – it’s Kevin who asks why he left the party. Will says he wasn’t in the mood for a party. He says he knows the album is done but he didn’t want their time to end. He says he came over to ask him out this morning. Will says he doesn’t know if he knows he’s gay and Kevin says he suspected but didn’t know he was interested. Will asks if he is and Kevin steps closer and kisses him. Luke approaches Jade and she says she’s been into him a long time.
He says he’s only been a fan of hers for a few hours but says it will last a while. Layla asks Jeff if Jade really hurt him and says it couldn’t have been easy and thanks him. Natasha unbuttons her shirt and the FBI woman takes the wire off of her. She reminds them they promised her immunity. Avery asks the nanny where Juliette is and she says she left a while ago. Maddie asks Deacon why doesn’t he just move in since he’s been there for breakfast 10 days in a row.
Deacon says they can think about that. Scarlett and Gunnar are meeting with Ben when Avery shows up with Cadence. Avery says he has to quit the band and Gunnar asks why. He says for the baby’s sake, he needs to be close to home. Juliette is on her private jet to go to LA to play the song. Emily asks if Avery is okay with the baby and Juliette says women can have it all and they’ve got it all worked out.
THE END!
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