Nashville Season 6, Episode 10 recap: Daphne writes a song about her mom

Daphne becomes the shining star in Brad’s competition on Nashville Season 6 this week. Meanwhile, Scarlet encourages Sean to go to open mic night.

It’s all about Brad in this episode of Nashville Season 6. At least, that’s what it seems like when he manages to make an appearance or gets his name mentioned in three of the four storylines. That really shouldn’t be surprising when it’s clear he’s the big villain of the season.

He pushes Daphne into singing about her grief while remaining a constant presence in Jessie’s life. Meanwhile, he’s there to pick up pieces when things go wrong for Alannah and the band. Is there any way to stop him?

Jessie fights against Brad

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Jessie decides to go up against Brad. It’s going to mean fighting fire with fire and Jessie (well, Deacon) has a good lawyer who is willing to fight the way Brad will. That means putting their son on the stand, which Jessie isn’t happy with but if she wants to stand up to him, this is her only option.

Knowing what Brad is like, Jessie is worried that she’ll lose. She’s also fed up with always being “rescued” by others, so doesn’t want Deacon to help her with this. After the two have had the chance to calm down, Jessie makes it clear that she doesn’t want to risk losing her son. That means calling the relationship with Deacon off.

The two suggest the idea of pretending they’re calling their relationship off, but know they need to lie to too many people in their lives. Neither can do that, so decide to go their separate ways; at least for now.

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Sean gives open mic night a go

Scarlet goes to see Sean to encourage him to give another open mic night a go. This one is small in a coffee shop, so shouldn’t have the same experience as last time. When it turns out that it’s extremely busy, he panics and tries to leave but it’s his turn up on stage. Fortunately, he’s able to perform, bringing a beautiful silence around him.

The next night, Sean is finally able to tell Scarlet about one of the reasons he suffers from PTSD after his time in Afghanistan. It’s certainly a heartbreaking event, as he relays how his friend was killed by a bullet he’s sure was meant for him. He can’t move on from this event.

This seems to be just what he needed. When Scarlet tells him she’ll stop pushing him to sing, Sean let’s her know that he’s going to keep singing. However, he also encourages her to sing again because she’s also living in the past.

Gunnar and Avery make up

After the argument at the end of last week’s episode, Gunnar turns a new leaf this week. He apologizes to Avery for doubting him and accepts that his relationship with Alannah is a casual one. Avery admits that his mind is still focused on Juliette.

That does help to get the band back together, but it’s clear there is some tension. Avery refuses to look at Alannah while singing, which Will pulls him up on. It’s clear that there is still something between them.

Gunnar decides to attempt to turn the casual relationship into something more again. While she still wants the fun relationship, it’s not enough for Gunnar. Avery is shocked to hear about Gunnar’s decision but uses that has his chance to follow his wants and desires when it comes to Alannah.

Of course, they decide to keep it a secret from Gunnar and Gunnar catches them without them realizing. In the middle of their set, Gunnar storms off stage. After a conversation with Avery about how she knew the consequences and decided he was worth it, Alannah decides to listen to Brad’s deal. As for Gunnar and Avery, well, haven’t we been here before with these two and a girl?

Daphne becomes the shining star

Brad’s music contest is starting off. He introduces the two judges, who are also mentors to the group of singers. It’s clear that Daphne is good but there’s a worry that she’s too young. Brad isn’t against using her mom as a way to help her to succeed in the competition.

Pushing things further for his show, Brad encourages Daphne to write a song about her mom. Of course, Daphne isn’t overly ready for this and feels like her feelings about Rayna are private. Brad decides she needs to push herself out of her comfort zone if she’s going to be an artist right now. When Daphne delivers the first draft of her song, Brad stops her before she even gets to the chorus. He wants her to be more specific about her grief.

Understandably, Deacon isn’t happy about the song but because it’s Brad’s idea. He’s not happy that Brad is exploiting Daphne’s grief, but does want Daphne to work through her grief with music if that’s definitely what she wants. It is certainly a therapeutic way to work through it all but it needs to be when she’s ready.

At the very end, Daphne is able to pull off an emotional song to say goodbye to her mom. Deacon and Maddie watch the performance at the sideline, tears streaming as they feel the same way. While it may have exploited Daphne’s feelings, it’s actually everything the three of them need.

Next: Nashville Season 6B needs more of Avery as a dad

What did you think about Brad’s decision to exploit Daphne’s pain? What will Gunnar and Avery do next? Should Alannah just get out of town and go her own way? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Nashville Season 6 continues on Thursdays at 9/8c on CMT.