Gunnar is blaming himself for his brother's death, and sleeping with Scarlett didn't help. Scarlett turns to Deacon when Gunnar goes after the killers. When Gunnar doesn't show for their label audition, Scarlett has to play solo. Deacon is at his wit's end dealing with the puppy, so he takes it to the vet (Stacy) and promptly starts dating her. Dominic tells Avery that he owns him, and Avery will play what and how Dominic wants. Avery torches all the master tapes of the music, signs a publishing contract, and gives Dominic a cheque telling him to take a hike. Rayna's crisis manager books her on the Katie Couric show. Rayna deals with (Maddie) her eldest daughter's disrespect, and ends up giving Maddie the first guitar she ever played to help her deal with her feelings. Juliette tweets her small concert location and six people get hurt in the mob that shows up, including Maddie. Juliette continues dodging her mother's counselling sessions until she overhears one.

Rayna and Teddy embark on new paths as their divorce becomes final.

On the season premiere, a torn Rayna must choose not just between two men, but two directions that her life could take. Juliette, struggling to repair her relationship with Avery, auditions for the leading role of a film biopic. Meanwhile, Scarlett, determined to start fresh, embarks on a road trip home and bonds with an unexpected stowaway, and Will and Layla manage the fallout from his on-camera confession.

Rayna and Jeff compete to get Sadie to sign with either Highway 65 or Edgehill. Juliette continues to try and hide her pregnancy. Zoey becomes suspicious of Gunnar and Scarlett. Avery's drinking lands him in trouble.

Rayna continues to pull out all stops in self-promotion, this time by agreeing to do a televised Christmas special from her home for charity, with Luke and the children. But when she invites Deacon to join in, things get awkward fast. Her magazine cover story has reverberations for her personal life.

Scarlett finds Deacon passed out in his hotel room. Has Deacon reverted to drinking? Avery struggles to be around Juliette. Revelations upset Gunnar's relationship with Micah.

Rayna's daughters - and Luke - don't take the news of the canceled wedding very well; Avery and Juliette encounter a few bumps as they adjust to married life; Sadie purchases a gun; Deacon gets bad news about his condition.

After Rayna reveals Jeff's indiscretions to the board members, Edgehill Republic begins to fall apart; Deacon considers a clinical trial; Scarlett reconnects with Gunnar; Juliette poses for a magazine spread.

As part of Rayna's 10th anniversary with the Grand Ole Opry, she has her daughters & Deacon perform on stage, then a duet with Deacon. Sadie speaks out on a talk show about her past as a victim. The band figures out their name. Will writes a song with someone who shares his same love interests, which initially was a conflict. The truth about Deacon's illness is revealed to Rayna.

Rayna plans a star-studded baby shower for Juliette, but gets distracted by Sadie's drama; Luke and Bucky both hope to sign Ron Pope, a rising singer-songwriter; Gunnar is upset as Scarlett and Dr. Rand grow closer.

With the arrival of his former fiancee 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.

Juliette becomes so focused on her album that she puts it ahead of everything else.

Rayna makes a last-ditch effort to protect her oldest daughter from the perils that befall young artists, while Juliette reunites with her "Shenandoah Girl" co-star on the Oscar campaign trail. Elsewhere, Scarlett grows wary of Gunnar's budding friendship with Autumn Chase, and Layla fears falling into obscurity before her career takes off.