As beloved shows ended last week and this week, plenty of old favorites returned to fill the void. On Sunday, Once Upon a Time came back with self-awareness, sweet moments, and some pretty big secrets. Sunday also featured the much-anticipated return of The Good Wife and a wedding extravaganza on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Tuesday’s episode of The Mindy Project dealt with some big misunderstandings and ended with a big step forward for Mindy and Danny. On Wednesday, Deacon’s secret was finally revealed to Rayna on Nashville, Philip and Elizabeth faced turning points with the teenage girls in their lives on The Americans, and Harvey and Donna’s relationship changed in a major way on Suits. Finally, Saturday gave us Chris Hemsworth’s very funny turn as host on Saturday Night Live.
When I thought about my favorite moment on television this week, I was torn between one that was deeply dramatic and one that was as silly as it gets. On the dramatic front, I still find myself getting emotional about the ending to Wednesday’s Nashville. Connie Britton has been aces this season, and her heartbreakingly realistic tears in response to Deacon telling Rayna he has cancer were so powerful. Yes, the slap is what everyone is probably still talking about—and deservedly so—but I was completely captivated by the moment after when she flung herself into his arms. It was the best example I’ve seen in a long time of the way the strength of Nashville’s cast allows its most melodramatic moments to feel grounded and, thus, even more devastating.
However, sometimes the best thing I saw on TV was simply the thing that made me smile the most. And this week, nothing made me smile like Rumplestiltskin, Cruella de Vil, and Ursula going through a fast food drive-thru in Cruella’s car on Once Upon a Time. The quick change from the three characters making villainous plans to two of the Queens of Darkness ordering chicken to go was an example of something only Once Upon a Time could do. Watching the fairytale characters we grew up with navigate the modern world has always been one of the most charming aspects of this show, and I was thrilled to see it presented in this midseason premiere in such a fun way.
What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?
Nerdy Girl Notes 
“Have a cluckty-cluck-cluck day.” Best thing ever.
It’s still making me smile over a week later!
Oh, yes! First the car (that car!) going through the drive-through. And the matter-of-fact way that Cruella — draped in furs — orders . . . with Ursula adding her, checking on Rumple . . . it’s just great. Plus, who doesn’t love a Lost shout-out?
Lost shout-outs are the best!
I really hate it when people keep big important secrets so I was extremely relieved that Deacon finally told Rayna what’s going on. And her reaction was just amazing – I didn’t know what to expect or what I wanted from that moment, but it was perfect(ly wrenching). It was every emotion – shock, anger, grief, pain, and love all at once – Connie Britton is amazing. It was so much, I can barely put into words what that meant. The slap, yes, but the embrace, the desperate clinging, wanting to hold on to each other…
After last week I had to go and start over from the beginning – I had to know every detail of their back story after that. My poor heart, it’s so overwhelmed by their history and bad luck and bad choices and bad timing, seeing how deeply they love each other and knowing where it’s heading. What a great show. (I had a moment of terror though, thinking about it the other day – they aren’t actually going to let Deacon die, are they? I’ve decided they can’t. Too many characters would be destroyed by losing him. I might literally end up bawling on the floor if they did.)
I’m so excited that you went back to start Nashville from the beginning! Deacon and Rayna’s story is so heartbreaking and beautiful. Season One was a little nuts at times because they tried to fit so much in, but it made me appreciate the pacing of Seasons Two and Three that much more.
And I’ll admit that I’ve asked myself that same question about Deacon, but I keep coming back to the same thing: Maddie. I don’t think they’d take her dad away from her. But I am happy that they’re showing the serious physical side effects of alcoholism in addition to what it does to your relationships. It adds another heartbreaking bit of realism to Deacon’s story.
At some point I have to gush to you about how much I’m loving the Juliette/Avery back story too, and how interesting Juliette is when you get to see the depths of her character instead of just seeing the gist of her, as I had previously.
Re: Deacon, yes definitely Maddie. And obviously Rayna, but sweet delicate Scarlett, and (at least from where they stand early in season 2) even Juliette would be devastated by the loss of Deacon, not to mention how the whole community would feel that loss. I think including a death like that would be very hard to pull off well and I really hope they don’t try!
I agree that it’s good they’re tackling this story line though – ignoring your problems doesn’t make them go away.
My hubby is only watching here and there but we’re both loving it. I don’t need that kind of drama in my life so I love watching it on TV.