Spoilers, frands.
Rayna dead!!!
Connie Britton’s obvious reluctance to rejoin the resurrected cast of Nashville on CMT has been documented in this very blog. On Thursday night’s episode she finally got her wish: to die off this damn show already. Rayna James survived a knife attack only to get traumatically injured in a car crash. She died in the hospital surrounded by friends... and music. Variety shared Britton’s statement to fans on her escape:
“Playing Rayna has been a privilege and a deeply enriching experience for me. I am going to miss her grace, tenacity and feistiness. And I’m forever grateful and indebted to our unbelievably talented cast and crew, and to the Nashville community amongst whom I have had the honor to work. And then there are the fans. Wow. I’m so humbled by our incredible fans for their unwavering passion and commitment. They are the reason the show exists, and the reason the show will continue. I’ll be watching and cheering alongside all of you. Thanks for the honor of these 5 years.”
Variety also reports that Britton basically gave notice as soon as the show was picked up by CMT after being cancelled on ABC after Season 4. She is supposedly entertaining many pilot offers, though she hasn’t signed anything yet. May Heaven (major broadcast networks) accept her.