UPDATE: Tragedy struckNashvilleduring the Feb. 23 episode, as Rayna Jaymes died.
EARLIER: Just when Rayna thought she was safe…bam.
And thatsexactlyhow life is, showrunner Marshall Herskovitz points out.
Marshall wanted it to be a very drawn out, almost theatrical scene, Britton says.
I was thrilled with it, and I thought it was written very well.
What I liked was it feels reflective of Rayna as a character.
And I find that to be so extraordinary and fitting for Rayna.
So for me, it presented an opportunity.
This man who himself was traumatized was drawn to Rayna unconsciously because he understood she was a kindred spirit.
He recognized she had been traumatized; thats why her music spoke to him so passionately.
It just seemed wrong for her to them harm her.
Time and time again in our lives, the best and the worst happen together, he says.
Britton called the crash scene a tough moment for her character.
It feels like weve just been through this saga, she says.
If we did it right, the audience is right there with Rayna.
Its cringeworthy and scary.
Herskovitz adds that the stalker stand-off and the accident are not entirely as disconnected as you might suppose.
No, the stalker wasnt somehow driving the car or anything like that, but theres a thematic connection.
So what does all this mean for next week?
Its been our longstanding practice has been to never talk about upcoming stories, the showrunner says.
The experience of a story is the most important thing.
You know shes alive in the previews for next week.
But we want people to be in the same state her family is in.
All I can say is Raynas tough and shes sustained a lot, Britton says.
Lets wait and see.
Heres a breakdown of the stalker scene:
