After weeks of awkward sexual tension between Rayna (Connie Britton) and Deacon (Charles Eston), the country queen finally made a declaration on the Nov. 7 episode of Nashville: Her marriage to Teddy (Eric Close) is the most important thing to her. And she sealed it with a ‘click,’ rejecting Deacon’s late-night phone call — from jail.

Deacon had gotten into a little scuffle with a heckler outside the Bluebird and ended up in the back of a squad car; and Rayna might have been more likely to take Deacon’s call if she’d been aware of Teddy’s big secret.

We learned this week that Maggie (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) helped Teddy embezzle $2 million to help make ends meet. He claims they never hooked up, even though Maggie definitely wanted to, but a nosy photographer caught them holding hands at the end of the episode — so I guess we’ll all know the truth soon.

Mommy issues:

With an extra push from Deacon, Juliette (Hayden Panettiere) was able to coerce her mother into rehab — but not before Jolene (Sylvia Jefferies) squeezed in one last little bender. And yes, waking up with some guy in your undies, then slapping your daughter, counts as a little bender for Jolene.

In all seriousness, though, I think Juliette/Jolene was my favorite part of the episode. Hayden and Sylvia are really selling this storyline, and I’m curious to see what their relationship is going to be like post-rehab.

Juliette returned Deacon’s favor by bailing him out of jail, totally unaware that she wasn’t exactly his first choice. It’s been a while since Rayna and Juliette actually crossed paths, but when they do, they’re going to have a whole lot more to fight talk about.

Three’s a crowd:

Nashville‘s other love triangle also took an unexpected turn, as Scarlett (Clare Bowen), Gunnar (Sam Palladio) and Avery (Jonathan Jackson) agreed to settle their differences with a threesome — a musical threesome. But a jealous Avery overpowered Scarlett and Gunnar’s voices with his guitar, costing them a major recording opportunity. So… worst threesome ever.

Avery and Gunnar nearly came to fisticuffs at one point, even after Scarlett made it clear she’d chosen to stay with him. Gunnar tried to explain that he and Scarlett were just “acting,” to which Avery accused him of being a “good actor.”

And that’s actually true!

Are you rooting for Scarlett to leave Avery for Gunnar? How long do you predict it’ll take Rayna to change her mind? And who do you think hired the photographer to follow Teddy? Drop a comment with your predictions.

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More Nashville on HollywoodLife.com:

1. ‘Nashville’ Recap: Juliette Freaks Out On National Television
2. ‘Nashville’ Recap: Rayna Learns A Shocking Family Secret
3. A New ‘Nashville’ Scandal, Vanessa’s 90210 Return & More TV Scoop

ABC’s Nashville — the story of seasoned country music veteran Rayna James (Connie Britton), and her rivalry with twenty-something pop-country phenomenon Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) — is, hands down, my favorite new drama of the fall TV season. And I don’t even like country music! It’s that good.

I’ve already watched the pilot, multiple times, but I wouldn’t miss tonight’s live airing for the world — and here’s why you shouldn’t either:

1. Connie Britton: It goes without saying that we’d watch Connie Britton star on a TV show about paint drying, so the fact that Nashville is as gripping as it is only sweetens the pot. Every line Connie delivers is perfectly timed and carefully calculated, down to the very last “y’all.” Oh, did I mention she says “y’all” a whole bunch? Friday Night Lights fans, you may now commence your squealing.

2. The reality: The story of a seasoned veteran feeling threatened by an up-and-comer may sound clichéd, but once you see Nashville‘s version come to life on the screen, you’ll understand its relevance. The conflict between Rayna and Juliette is less about their age gap and more about the very real shift occuring in country music today. Methinks big-time country artists will be watching from home, nodding their cowboy hats in silent agreement.

3. The music: Just to be clear, Nashville is neither Glee nor Smash. Though the show features a ton of original songs, the musical performances are never spontaneous — and there isn’t a Broadway stage in sight. Nashville is the story of multiple country artists at varying points in their careers, including two of my favorite supporting characters: Gunnar (Sam Palladio) and Scarlett (Clare Bowen). You will fall in love with them, and their voices.

4. It’s complicated: The truth is, you almost can’t limit Nashville to a single genre of TV. Is it a romantic drama? A political drama? A scripted exposé on the seedier side of the country music scene? Thanks to the many varied people in Rayna’s life, it’s pretty much all of the above rolled into one hour-long pleasure ride. Though some aspects are stronger than others, every one will keep your eyes glued to the screen.

5. You don’t have to wait: That’s right, the blessed angels at ABC put the Nashville pilot on Hulu for all to enjoy — early! So go on, watch the pilot here!

Nashville airs at 10 p.m. tonight on ABC. After you watch the pilot, drop me a comment with your personal review: Has ABC’s ‘next great drama’ scored a spot on your DVR?

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift