After seasons of trying to keep everyone else afloat on Nashville, Rayna Jaymes has finally hit her breaking point. It’s all because of Juliette Barnes, but not in the way you think. Juliette was the sole survivor of a horrific plane crash, and when Rayna flew to California shortly after the ordeal, her plane hit some turbulence and spawned a serious panic attack. It was so severe that Rayna realized she wants to take some time off on Nashville.
While Juliette’s crash was the first catalyst to Rayna recognizing that her heart just isn’t in country music anymore, that trip to California was the second. Rayna flew to Silicon Valley to sing at a benefit for Zach, a billionaire tech geek with affection for her and country music. As she sang, no one cared but Zach — everyone was on their phone or talking very loudly over her — and Rayna was like, “Um, OK.” In a long conversation with Zach following the performance, she told him that she doesn’t sing anymore because she doesn’t feel like she has anything else to say. Fair enough. Later, Rayna tells Deacon that she can’t get on a plane and she wants to drive back from Northern California to Nashville.
Of course, a few weeks later, Rayna is driving through a dusty old town to get gas when she hears an old man singing “Wayfaring Stranger,” which was the first song that made her want to sing country music (or so she told Zach a few weeks before). Will this old man be the kick she needs to find her voice? Rayna singing again couldn't come at a better time because, like usual, her label, Highway 65, isn’t doing that well, and they need to make some money ASAP. Royalties from Rayna’s old albums don’t make that much cash, but a new album? That’s sure to fill the coffers.
My guess is that Rayna will record a new album sometime in Nashville Season 5, finding her voice and continuing to make her a very rich woman. Maybe she’ll even take her daughters and Deacon out on the road with her this time.
Images: Mark Levine/ABC; Giphy
