Screen capture of Rayna (Connie Briton) and Juliette's (Hayden Panettiere) duet performance in 'Nashville.' (Photo : Youtube/ABC Music Lounge: Nashville)
"Nashville" season 5 will only feature Connie Britton's Rayna in 10 episodes instead of its 22 episodes for this installment.
As of late, the reason behind Britton's early exit from the series hasn't been revealed yet. It is also unclear how the actress' character will be written into the CMT series within just 10 episodes.
According to TV Line, it's possible that Rayna may be killed off from the show that recently moved from ABC to CMT.
However, the same publication is also thinking of the possibility that this wouldn't be done because Rayna is a key character in the series. In fact, if she's not in the show, "Nashville" won't be "Nashville."
"There's an argument to be made that Rayna, even more so than Juliette, has been the heart of the drama since it began. She is the First Lady of Country Music, the head of a record label, the soul mate of a man who has waited decades to call her his missus. Doesn't that, alone, make her bulletproof?" the writer noted.
On the other hand, there are also some good reasons why Rayna can be killed off in the series.
"The more I think about it, the more I feel like that's the only avenue the show can take while staying true to the characters we love. Don't get me wrong - I don't want a Rayna-free 'Nashville' any more than I wanted a murder-less 'X-Files.' Please know this: I don't want Rayna to go. I want her in all 22 episodes. In fact, I want her in 23 episodes - even if that 23rd hour were just Rayna sacked out on the couch, dipping a spoon into a pint of Haagen Dazs and watching HGTV while Deacon adoringly rubbed her feet," the writer continued.
As of late, Britton has not yet weighed in on the rumors that her character will exit after only 10 eisodes. CMT hasn't also confirmed the news, but there are speculations that Britton's early exit from the series has something to do with her contract with the new network.
