Nashville Round Table: "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)"

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Sing it loud and sing it proud, TV Fanatics: we're back with a new edition of the Nashville Round Table.

Below, staff writers Matt Richenthal, Carissa Pavlica and Dan Forcella break down "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)," debating their favorite moments from the episodes, both musical and personal...

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What was your favorite musical moment from the episode?
Matt: I can't choose, so - SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT! - I'll meet you in our Nashville music section to decide.

Carissa: When Juliette and Deacon were writing by the back of the pickup. I'm pretty impressed with Hayden's pipes, I must admit. I'm looking forward to the moment when Juliette realizes it isn't Deacon she needs, but to find her OWN Deacon. I wonder if that might be one of Scarlett's guys? I know they started with someone else, too, but so does virtually everyone else. Deacon is the wrong turn for her, but the right idea. That song they wrote was just lovely.

Dan: Rayna and Deacon singing at the end. They poured out so much of their history in that performance and it was amazing to watch. Add that to the fact that it forced Juliette to walk out of the place AND forced Scarlett to change her mind about making a demo and I think it was a pretty powerful moment.

What was your favorite non-musical moment from the episode?
Matt: The discussions between Rayna and her husband, with each acknowledging he/she ought to be supportive of his/her spouse. I find this marriage unlike any on television, as both sides admit it's more of a convenience at this point than a legitimate love story.

Carissa: Rayna telling the investigators about her past. It really helped to understand who she was and why she is where she is now. Not who she is now, because I don't think she's fundamentally changed inside. She's changed on the outside for her family and society. Inside she's still the girl we saw later singing on stage with Deacon.

Dan: It was probably watching Juliette get upset and say that she wanted to grow up. As she then went straight to the recording studio to get to work, I realized yet again how many sides there are to her character. She continues to keep me intrigued as her story unfolds.

What should Deacon do? Rayna or Juliette?
Matt: Pull a Kelly Taylor and choose himself. What's his plan, to be a backup singer for the rest of his life? The guy clearly has the talent and the looks to strike it big on his own. Do it, Deacon. Be the next Keith Urban. (He's a country singer, right? This isn't exactly my area of expertise.)

Carissa: He needs to pull back. First, immediately stop toying with Juliette, thinking he's going to recreate with her what he had with Rayna. Juliette is not a replacement, and he's only going to hurt both women, one he loves and one who is vulnerable. If he takes some time and thinks about what he's doing and stays focused on his career, he should be able to figure it all out without too much collateral damage.

Dan: He needs to figure out what he wants, what he feels. It seems that he is as confused as anyone I've seen, given his actions. What happened between him and Rayna back in the day must have been as troubling as all Hell, but he needs to figure out if he wants to get past that and be a friend (or more to Rayna).  If he does, he needs to stop working with Juliette, that's what a friend would do.

Convince viewers that they should care about the political storyline.
Matt: Why should viewers need convincing? I grant that this storyline isn't off to the hottest of starts, but there's always unlimited potential for controversy - from sex to bribery to any number of other scandals - once you enter the political realm. It's my favorite aspect of The Good Wife.

Carissa: I can't. If ever there was a worse time to throw a political story onto the small screen it is right now, during this contentious Presidential election. I can't be the only viewer politicked-out, can I?

Dan: Zzzzzzz...what? Oh, sorry you started talking about the political story and I fell asleep for a second.

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