'Nashville' recap: Rayna James reveals all

NASHVILLE - The effort by Rayna James (Connie Britton) to raise Highway 65's sales and profile finds her performing her latest single on 'Dancing with the Stars' But when she agrees to be shadowed by a reporter all weekend for the cover of a magazine, just as Luke (Will Chase) hopes to rekindle the romance, she realizes she may have pushed her public access too far. (ABC/Mark Levine) (© 2014 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Two months have passed since the events of the prior episode and out country stars are finally returning from their tours for a short weekend. Each is looking forward to spending time with their loved ones, perhaps no one more than Luke Wheeler.

Unfortunately, Luke's fiancee, Rayna Jaymes, has agreed to let a journalist follow them around for the weekend, knowing full well it will intrude on their family time.The 'Rolling Stone' reporter is looking to write an in depth article, not one of the puff pieces he’s known for. While a tense encounter with a very pregnant Juliette and a fight between Rayna and Luke while testing cake for their upcoming nuptials might provide the article with a few juicy tidbits, the real scoop comes when the reporter follows the couple into their home.

Lo and behold, Rayna’s daughter Maddie and Luke’s son Colt are caught making out on the couch while the lights are turned low and the music is turned up high. Knowing the incident will blow up in the tabloids, Rayna begs the journalist not to write about it for the sake of their children. The reporter isn’t sold, so Rayna offers him a different, juicer tale: The story of her and Deacon.

Rayna eventually returns home to Luke, who thanks her for protecting their kids, with no idea of just how much it may have cost. Before he heads back on the road, someone should really consider purchasing poor Luke a copy of "He’s Just Not That Into You"; it might be the wake-up call he needs.

Juliette and Avery haven’t made much progress since we’ve last seen them. They disagree on just about everything, whether it’s finding out their baby’s gender or which birthing technique they should use. Avery refuses to get too close to his ex, maintaining that he’s there for the child and not for Juliette. It takes overhearing her sing a song inspired by her loneliness and a stern talking to from manger Emily before he acknowledges that for now, Juliette and the baby are one and the same. They’re a long way from getting back together, but it's a step in the right direction.

Will comes home to find that Layla’s done quite a bit of growing over the past two months. He’s surprised to learn she’s been writing songs and even goes to watch her perform. Her latest jam packs a more emotional punch than any of her past tunes, a fact that she attributes to the highs and lows of their marriage. While they clearly aren’t in love, the vibe between them has relaxed.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t last long. When they watch the premiere of the reality show they spent months filming, Layla and Will are furious to learn they’ve been portrayed as a ditz and a himbo, respectively. To make matters worse, the show is a hit and since contracts have been signed (and the producers still have footage of Will’s coming out of the closet confession), they’re trapped.

Gunnar is adjusting to fatherhood with ease, taking every opportunity to bond with his son Micah. Zoey, on the other hand, is getting fed up with baby mama Kiley. Surprisingly, a woman who has spent years moving from town to town looking for love with her young son while never bothering to make his father aware of his existence, isn’t proving to be a reliable or hands-on mom. It’s a good thing Juliette fired Zoey from her back-up singer gig, since she’s about to be a full time step-mom. By episode’s end Kiley tells Gunnar she’s leaving town to be with a guy who’s made it clear he doesn’t want children, leaving poor Micah behind.

Scarlett’s homeless friend Terry drops off a gift at her home and lets her in on his secret. He was once a successful musician who was out on tour during the holidays one year. His wife and children drove out to see him perform, but were killed in a car accident before they could arrive. He now believes his musical talent is nothing but a curse. He and Scarlett end up writing songs together and she even convinces him to perform at The Bluebird Cafe. He does so under the condition that she perform too. She reluctantly agrees and the duo sing their song to a packed house. Does this mean Scarlett has finally conquered her stage fright?