‘Nashville’ Season 4 Episode 18: ‘The Trouble With The Truth’ Recap

Tension reigns supreme on this week’s episode of ABC’s Nashville. While many things happen during this episode of Nashville, Maddie’s emancipation takes center stage. ABC shared the following synopsis,

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

“Rayna and Deacon fight to regain the trust of a determined Maddie as she seeks independence, but their efforts are undermined by someone they thought was an ally. Scarlett and Gunnar disagree on the history of their musical partnership during a press interview. Luke tries to do the right thing for an artist he admires, but it ends up backfiring. Country music star Kelsea Ballerini performs ‘Peter Pan’ in a guest appearance as herself.”

At the beginning of Nashville Episode 418, Rayna and Deacon arrive at court for Maddie’s emancipation hearing. They are both surprised to see Frankie, Cash’s father and Deacon’s AA sponsor, has shown up to the hearing as well. After both Rayna and Maddie take the stand, Maddie’s lawyer tells her she doesn’t think it is going well and they need to use an alternate route. Maddie seems hesitant to go in the direction the lawyer is hinting at but eventually agrees. The lawyer uses the angle that Deacon has scared Maddie with his behavior. She implies that he is physically violent. When she asks Maddie if she has ever feared for her personal safety around Deacon, Maddie replies,

“Yes, and I wouldn’t feel safe living with him anymore.”

Later in Episode 418 of Nashville, Deacon is unexpectedly called to the stand. Maddie’s lawyer proceeds to talk about every time Deacon has been physically violent in his past. Rayna and her lawyer try to figure out how they could possibly have all this information on Deacon as there hasn’t been enough time to hire a private investigator. It then dawns on Deacon that Cash’s father, Frankie, has provided all of the information to Maddie’s lawyer. Deacon had told Frankie all of these things in private as Frankie was his sponsor.

Later on Nashville, Deacon shows up to The Beverly to find Frankie. Deacon tells Frankie he needs to talk to him and they head outside to talk. Deacon tells Frankie his daughter, Cash, is a leech and Frankie punches Deacon. Deacon fights back, and when bystanders come out of the bar and see Frankie with a bloody face, Frankie tells them Deacon tried to kill him. Deacon is then arrested and taken to jail.

At the end of Nashville, viewers learn Maddie’s emancipation is granted and Maddie is also released from her Highway 65 contract. How will Maddie handle being on her own in Nashville? She finally has what she thought she wanted, but she doesn’t seem happy at all. She tells Rayna, “I’m gonna be okay, Mom.”

"An emancipation will be granted."
? #Nashville pic.twitter.com/V118a8xvJl

— Nashville (@Nashville_ABC) May 5, 2016

Also on Nashville Episode 418, Juliette is nominated for an Oscar. Juliette calls Avery to let him know she was nominated and she hears Layla in the background. Juliette decides that Layla is trying to steal her life and realizes it has everything to do with what happened with Layla’s boyfriend Jeff’s death.

Juliette is not known for letting things go on Nashville, and this week is no different. Juliette goes to talk to Layla, but Avery beats her to the dressing room not realizing Juliette was on her way. She listens from outside the door as Avery starts to tell Layla he thinks it would be too difficult for them to have a relationship, but Layla interrupts him and is completely understanding. Layla’s complete understanding changes Avery’s perspective and he tells her,

“If it doesn’t scare you to be with me when my life is a complete mess, I think we should give it a shot. That is, if you’re still interested.”

Later in this episode of Nashville, Juliette goes to Layla to tell her what really happened with Jeff and apologizes for what has happened. Layla tells Juliette,

“Look, I appreciate you coming clean, but this changes nothing between us.”

Meanwhile, Lexington has had a difficult time in the city of Nashville. He started out with a promising career, but after the public found out he was gay, he faced ridicule from everyone in the country music industry. Last week on Nashville, Luke Wheeler passed up his slot on a morning talk show to let Will play instead. He told listeners to contact the Nashville radio stations and request that they play Will’s songs. Will is ecstatic to hear his song on the radio the next morning, but Luke is now facing political backlash for helping him. Cynthia Davis, a conservative with her own talk show, tells viewers Luke is pushing a homosexual agenda and they should call the Nashville radio stations and demand they don’t play Will’s songs. At the end of this week’s episode of Nashville, someone shows up at Will’s house and and vandalizes his car with anti-gay graffiti.

What would Nashville be without The Exes? This week Gunnar and Scarlett have an interview with Rolling Stone, but they are late to the interview because after a drunken night of sex, they overslept. In the elevator on the way down to the interview, Gunnar asks if it was just the scotch and Scarlett lets him know it wasn’t. As Gunnar and Scarlett make their way through the interview, they have different views on what happened during their relationship. Going over the past brings up old issues and there is visible tension on stage later that night as Gunnar essentially shuns Scarlett and refuses to interact with her. After the show, the Rolling Stone interviewer asks them why their relationship is working now and Scarlett replies, “It only works cuz we’re The Exes.”

Tune in for next week’s episode of Nashville on Wednesday, at 9/8c on ABC.

Boomtown! ????#Nashville pic.twitter.com/9XkHndTTne

— Nashville (@Nashville_ABC) May 5, 2016

[Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images]