First seasons can often be a little clunky for new shows as networks figure out which characters really gel within a series and what sort of plotlines work best. If a program can last past a first season on the network, things often start coming together a little more effectively. Hopefully, such will be the case for ABC’s Nashville, a program which is heading into its sophomore season this fall. On Monday, the show announced that three characters will be upped in Season 2 to series regular status.
First, Nashville is upping sisters Lennon and Maisy Stella to series regulars, which should come as no surprise to those who watched the first season of the show. The two musically gifted young women play Rayna’s daughters on the series, who have popped up often to give the series a little twangy flair, appearing at least briefly in 16 Season 1 episodes. It makes sense that Rayna’s two daughters on the show might show an interest in music, but what’s most interesting about the two characters is how many people seem to be invested in them. We first noticed the girls’ prowess when they covered the Lumineers’ “Ho Hey,” but ABC is confident enough in the girls’ popularity that they are even getting their own bonus featurette within the Nashville Season 1 DVD set. That’s not bad for two characters that just signed on as series regulars today.
THR is reporting that the other character being upped to series regular is Chris Carmack, who appeared in the latter portion of Season 1 as Scarlett and Gunnar’s friend who dreams about being a country music phenom. He’s a handsome and womanizing character who initially causes problems between the couple, but he eventually reveals he is gay and puts on a front because he doesn’t want his sexual identity to affect his ability to break into the business. Carmack only appeared in six Season 1 episodes, so if the show is bringing him back for an extended arc next season, I’m assuming there will be a lot more in store for the character this time around.
It’s pretty easy to assume that upping the Stella sisters and Carmack won’t be the only big changes heading into Season 2, and we’ll keep you posted as soon as Nashville adds some new names and faces to the cast list. We’re still a little early in the game. While the series is expected to return this fall, ABC has not released the network’s fall list of premiere dates, yet. Luckily, we do know Nashville is slated to air on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. on ABC.
