--- title: "Nashville: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/nashville-2012/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/nashville-2012" critics_score: 70 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Nashville (2012): what the critics said Critics' score 70 from 8 reviews: 5 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics find Nashville an enjoyable country-music soap, with praise clustering around its cast and songs. Connie Britton draws particular approval for giving Rayna vulnerability and complexity, while the rivalry between Rayna and Juliette supplies much of the melodrama’s appeal. The singing and musical performances repeatedly earn approval, even when the surrounding stories frustrate. Across reviews covering the pilot, individual episodes and a later season, the lean is positive rather than emphatic. Reservations centre on plotting: too many competing elements at the outset, too little development in some episodes, and character decisions that test patience. Variety questions whether the central rivalry can sustain the series, despite admiring the casting and premise. The AV Club’s later-season assessment is more disappointed, finding poorly developed stories beneath the surviving pleasures of performance and music. The spread remains fairly narrow, with mixed notices rather than outright dismissals; even the less persuaded critics find reasons to stay interested. ## IndieWire — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 October 2012. Willmore sees the pilot as an exciting, intelligent start for the series. She especially praises Rayna as a complex character and Connie Britton’s nuanced performance. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/why-abcs-new-musical-drama-nashville-is-smarter-than-the-average-soap-44272/) ## The Guardian — Andrew Collins Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2013. The critic finds the series an enjoyable, old-fashioned soap opera whose broad romantic melodrama keeps viewers hooked. He praises Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere’s singing and the songs produced for the show. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/aug/29/nashville-box-set-review) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Tim Goodman Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2012. Goodman finds the series an entertaining, ambitious adult soap with strong acting and writing. He especially praises Connie Britton’s grounded performance as a vulnerable country-music star. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/nashville-tv-review-hayden-panettiere-375695/) ## The AV Club — Gwen Ihnat Rating B-. 26 May 2016. Ihnat considers the finale and season a disappointing end to a once-great series, though she will still miss it. She praises the performances and musical moments that occasionally shine, but complains that the season’s plots feel poorly developed and the unresolved Juliette-Avery ending is unfair to fans. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/it-s-time-for-nashville-to-say-goodbye-1798187913) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2014. The review finds the series an endearingly silly country-music soap. It singles out the rivalry between Rayna and Juliette as its central appeal. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/nashville-season-1-2-review/) ## Variety — Brian Lowry Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 8 October 2012. Lowry finds promise in the series but says the pilot feels disjointed and overloaded with elements. He praises the casting, especially Connie Britton, and the catchy premise, while questioning whether the central rivalry can sustain the show. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2012/tv/reviews/nashville-1117948504/) ## Den of Geek — Carly Rhodes Rating 4/5. 4 December 2014. Rhodes gives the episode four out of five stars, finding it entertaining despite some frustrating character choices. She praises Layla’s singing and growing character, while faulting Gunnar for making selfish decisions. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/nashville-two-sides-to-every-story-review/) ## Paste — Dacey Orr Rating 6.0. 10 October 2013. Orr finds the episode cheesy and short on plot development, though she remains interested in the characters’ stories. She singles out Rayna’s gold pants as the hour’s coolest feature and hopes for more original music. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/nashville-review-i-dont-wanna-talk-about-it-now-ep) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/nashville-2012.md