So that was a rollercoaster ride if I do say so myself. We had heartbreak, breakups and betrayal. What else could a person want in an episode? I sometimes tear up during emotional scenes, but “You Can’t Lose Me” had me in tears. Everything surrounding the miscarriage and subsequent breakup were handled with such grace. Even though I assumed the worst, it still didn’t make it any easier to watch Scarlett break down on the screen. So without further ado, let’s get down to it.
Scarlett and Gunnar are still dealing with the aftermath of the mugging when the episode opens. Their relationship seems strained but no one is really talking about that. Gunnar just continues to be saint, going down to the police station to look at mugshots so she doesn’t have to. However, things slowly start to fall apart when Scarlett starts cramping and eventually bleeding. Deacon rushes over and takes her to the hospital where it’s ultimately revealed Scarlett has miscarried. While I expect this, I did not expect the miscarriage to be unrelated to the mugging. I thought for sure the mugging was just created as an excuse to undo Scarlett’s pregnancy, but that’s now how the story plays out. The doctor tells Scarlett that sometimes these things happen, that there may be no rhyme or reason. Clare Bowen does some of her best work this episode, particularly when Scarlett breaks down after Gunnar leaves. I have never experienced a loss like that, but the pain and heartbreak Scarlett feels is palpable. Even more moving is her speech where she announces that she miscarried a week earlier. She stands tall, trying to impart on the crowd that the only way they can get through things is to strip away the secrecy. The episode concludes with Scarlett singing a harrowing rendition in memory of the daughter she lost, the daughter who she never got to know.
After Gunnar finds out about the miscarriage, he can’t think of anything else. Gunnar can’t really punish anyone for a situation that was out of his control, but he feels the need to hold someone responsibility. At the crux of the matter, Gunnar blames himself for not being able to protect Scarlett. Even though the doctor told him that the mugging wasn’t a contributing factor, he still feels the need to blame someone. So he still decides to track down the teen who held him and Scarlett at gunpoint. Having no information to go on, Gunnar drives around in his car, basically stalking teens in hooded sweatshirts. However, he gets lucky and spots the mugger. Gunnar gets out of his car and starts beating the little shit. But something pulls Gunnar back from completely going off the edge. I’m not sure what it was, but I was actually surprised he showed the amount of restraint he did. I thought Gunnar was going to head down a very dark path, ultimately destroying his relationship with Scarlett in the process. But things played out in a different manner though, as Scarlett is the one who finally pulls the plug.
Scunnar finally had a much-needed conversation about their relationship. I was worried this talk would be postponed in the aftermath of the mugging, but they finally sat down and discussed where they stand. After Scarlett comforts Gunnar and tells him the miscarriage wasn’t his fault, that it just happened, he asks the heartbreaking question if their strained relationship is his fault or if it just happened. We finally get an insight into what Scarlett has been doing the last couple of episodes by stringing Gunnar along. She says being pregnant made her question everything about her future and was so worried about making a wrong choice that she didn’t make any. The last decision we saw Scarlett make was her ending a potential romantic relationship with Damien. Ever since then Scarlett has been plagued by indecision, and we finally have a reason why.
Then on top of it, she feels this immense pressure to be Gunnar’s everything and feels like she lets him down when she can’t. Scarlett feels that she can no longer carry of that weight after everything she’s been through. She finally seems to realize that it’s not fair for Gunnar to wait around while she figures out what she wants. Even though I’ve been wanting Scarlett to either let Gunnar go or figure out what she wants, it doesn’t make their breakup any easier to watch. It’s hard to be mad at Scarlett once we hear her explanation, a reasonable one I might add, and after everything she’s been through in this episode. While I’m still annoyed she kept Gunnar on the hook for so long, it couldn’t have been easy to finally end things after losing her child. She essentially lost her child, a romantic partner, and a future in one fell swoop. While this decision is for the best, I don’t think it’s the end for Scunnar. I think they’ll eventually find their way back to each other, but there will be obstacles along the way. As a side note, I’m still confused if they’re done for now or simply taking a break. If we’ve learned anything from Friends, it that the parameters should be clearly defined, lest one person goes and hooks up with a girl who works at a copier store.
So while the episode is mostly Scunnar-centric, Deacon and Jessie are supporting players with their own side storyline. Deacon is thinking about signing Jessie to Highway 65 and plans on going to see her perform, but he has to cancel at the last minute due to everything Scarlett’s going through. In an act of poor decision making, Deacon explains to Jessie why he can’t attend her performance. Scarlett didn’t want anyone to know about her miscarriage, and Deacon breaks her trust by telling Jessie. So when Deacon finds out that Jessie went to visit Scarlett, he’s furious because he may now be in hot water with Scarlett. Sorry Deacon, but you’re in the wrong here. You had no right to violate Scarlett’s trust and share a personal and intimate secret with Jessie. You also had no right to lash out at Jessie, who was just trying to let Scarlett know she wasn’t alone. Deacon eventually realizes he was a bit harsh after finding out that Jessie has had two miscarriages. He sort of backtracks an apology, but any trouble he may find himself in is of his own making. As you regular readers know, I am a huge fan of everything Deacon, but in this episode he makes a mistake. It’s not a mistake that I will hold against him as he realizes that he was wrong and takes responsibility for his actions. Just like his inexperience with parenting Maddie and Daphne, he is still learning.
And as of this episode, I am also a huge fan of Jessie Caine. Even though Jessie doesn’t know Scarlett that well, Jessie still takes the initiative to try to let Scarlett know she is not alone. While showing up at Scarlett’s doorstep may have somewhat crossed a line, I can look past it because Jessie just remembers how alone she felt and she didn’t want Scarlett to go through the same thing. Jessie is the one who helps Scarlett realize that having a miscarriage is not something to be ashamed of. Jessie shares with Scarlett that she had two before having her son and reassuring her that it’s not her fault. The scene with Jessie and Scarlett in the house, having a heart to heart is my favorite scene of the episode. Jessie seems to think she needs to give Scarlett some magic words of wisdom but she does just that by being there for her. From her reassuring Scarlett she will be a mom one day to telling her to avoid WebMD, Jessie says all the right things even when she doesn’t think she is. This was also a great way to introduce the viewers to more of Jessie’s backstory without completely overwhelming the entire episode. She’s also a complete badass by laying into Deacon when he gets upset at her for visiting Scarlett. I agree with her decision to not sign with Highway 65 because she doesn’t want to mix her personal life with her professional one. While this may be a setup to a potential romantic pairing down the line between Jessie and Deacon, I’m just going to focus on how awesome she was this episode.
Juliette is finally back on top but more trouble may be headed her way. At the start of the episode, everyone is congratulating Juliette on a job well done for her song “Water Rising.” There’s even going to be a promo party Friday to celebrate her success. The one caveat: both Maddie and Travis Stroud, aka the song’s writer, will be there. Juliette, frantic that Maddie and Travis will meet and reveal her secret, spends most of the episode trying to prevent both of them going to the party. She gives Travis tickets to a show that purposely conflict with the promo party and tries to get Maddie to leave early by telling her she looks sick. However, in the end, her efforts fail as Travis reveals to Maddie that he’s not upset she passed on “Water Rising.” Maddie, not being an idiot, is able to put two and two together, realizing Juliette stole the song meant for her. So Maddie confronts Juliette at the party and throws a drink on Juliette. Hallelujah! It was time that someone finally confronted Juliette about her constant manipulation.
Up until now, Juliette hasn’t really had any consequences for her scheming. Even though she lied to the gospel choir, they ended up still singing with her. Even though she went off the rails and accused Avery and Hallie of having an affair, she got her wish as they ultimately stopped working together. So while pouring a drink on someone may not be the most mature thing to do, I was glad Juliette is finally being held responsible. Granted, the media doesn’t know the reason why Maddie did it, but there is a chance the truth will come out. Even Juliette’s apology is somewhat half-assed. She basically justifies her actions because Maddie already had a hit song. Juliette knew what she was doing was wrong and did it anyone. She doesn’t even really apologize; she just sort of shifts the blame around. I’m looking forward to a potential rivalry between Juliette and Maddie. There’s no way a secret like this stays buried on a drama for long. With only three episodes of the season left, I expect there to be a full court press that culminates with a potential cliffhanger in the finale.
So where do we go from here? Well it looks like Scarlett and Gunnar are going to be doing their own thing for a while because Gunnar is going on tour with Avery. All we need is for Will to join them, and it’ll be a party. It may not be the three men and a baby road trip we all dreamed of, but I’m really excited to see Gunnar and Avery on the road with all the male bonding and shenanigans that ensue. As for Juliette, I imagine her decision will have even bigger consequences before the end of the season. I can’t imagine Deacon will be thrilled when he learned Juliette stole a song meant for his daughter.
Hit the comments below to tell me what you think. Is this truly the end of Scunnar? Do you love Jessie as much as me? Is this the start to a Juliette versus Maddie rivalry? We only have three episodes left of the season, so let’s make them count.
