Nashville's series finale was moving and messy

Entertainment Weekly

"As it often happens with shows that last beyond a few years, a big chunk of the action in Nashville’s final season centered on characters we barely knew enough to care about," says Kristen Baldwin. Still, the series finale did deliver in bringing fans what they've longed for. "What a wonderful place to leave these characters: Onstage, singing in unison, as the shimmery velum between fiction and reality disappeared," says Baldwin, adding: "In the end...Nashville remained true to its central love story."

ALSO:

• The series finale brought Nashville full circle
• Creator Callie Khouri discusses the series finale surprise: "It was so exciting"
• Showrunner Marshall Herskovitz on the surprise: "It was connecting directly to the audience and saying thank you and we’re grateful that we’ve been able to share these years with you"
• Charles Esten: "I know that I gave my heart and my soul to this role and did all that I could"
• Connie Britton weighs in on the series finale: Initially, "I was a little against it"