Suffice it to say that Juliette Barnes has an addictive personality on Nashville. She’s always been reckless and impulsive — marrying a man she just met, firing people, making an album without telling anyone — and those tendencies have only increased following the birth of her daughter, Cadence. Her escalating behavior seems to stem from the fact that Juliette has severe postpartum depression on Nashville, and in this week's episode, she continued down a worrying path of self-medicating.
Juliette had already estranged herself from Avery and Cadence by changing her phone number before going on tour. But now, bolstered by false information that Avery is cheating on her with her longtime assistant and the fact that her schedule is absolutely crazy, Juliette is taking uppers. And she’s taking downers. And she’s taking whatever her new friend Lindsay’s weirdo doctor is prescribing her. Juliette is also washing it all down with alcohol, which must be extremely dangerous. Things are really not looking too good for the country star right now, and it certainly doesn't help that everyone around her is just “yes-ing” her to death. Not even Jeff Fordham, who drags her out of bed just so he can make a dime, seems to care about her well-being.
Juliette's arc in Season 4 has become more and more concerning. In addition to drug use, this week she ignored Avery's call to tell her that Cadence was sick with a very high fever. Avery was already considering divorcing Juliette, and situations like this will only make him more likely to file those papers, which would probably worsen Juliette's condition. She needs help, and I hope she gets it soon. But with no one actually looking out for health or best interest, I don't know when, or where, Juliette will get that support.
Images: Mark Levine/ABC; Giphy
