Be aware: This story accommodates spoilers from “9-1-1: Nashville” Episode 11.
The “9-1-1: Nashville” crew might need come collectively to assist Don as he revisited his tragic previous, however star LeAnn Rimes warned that her character’s good streak gained’t final very lengthy.
Episode 11, titled “Don Begins,” adopted as Capt. Don Hart (Chris O’Donnell) geared as much as testify in a parole listening to for the person liable for killing his household when he was a boy — which additionally set the stage for an examination into his relationships with ex and child mama Dixie (Rimes) and spouse Blythe (Jessica Capshaw). By means of flashbacks, viewers discovered how Dixie was part of Don’s life from the second he misplaced his dad and mom and little sister, and the way their relationship helped push every to pursue their skilled desires, firefighting for him and singing for her.
The episode additionally confirmed how the pursuit of these desires led to them drifting aside, which allowed for Don to fulfill Blythe and marry her, solely to then return to Dixie throughout a momentary separation and result in the conception of their son Blue (Hunter McVey).
“(Episode 11) offers the viewers such a distinct view of Dixie … I believe individuals may have extra of an open coronary heart towards her and her scenario,” Rimes informed TheWrap. “She’ll rapidly unravel that as we associate with the remainder of the season. However for only a second, there’s a breath of, ‘I really feel for her.’ ”
Although “9-1-1: Nashville” has painted Dixie in additional of a villainous mild this season, a glance into her historical past with Don confirmed the nuances behind the dysfunctional dynamic that’s been established between the fireplace captain and the ladies in his life. And within the present-day, it was Dixie who helped Don discover the power to push previous his resentment and forgive the person for his crimes, although he maintained that he shouldn’t be free of jail by the episode’s finish.
Past the emotionally charged storyline, Episode 11 additionally gave Rimes the chance to showcase her songwriting prowess by contributing an authentic music for the youthful Dixie to sing as she was found for the primary time.
Beneath, Rimes talks about taking up her first sequence common function on the Nashville-set ABC spinoff, and teases the wild twists to return.
TheWrap: What’s been essentially the most thrilling half about taking up this function of Dixie thus far?
Rimes: It’s such a brand new factor for me. After three a long time on this enterprise, to have a primary may be very, very uncommon. For this to be the primary sequence that I’ve been on, it’s been a blast.
I really like enjoying Dixie, she’s so layered. I get to deliver out all of the darkish sides of me, and faucet into these items that I don’t usually faucet into. She’s so manipulative, however on the similar time, I believe that’s a survival mechanism for somebody like her who’s a single mother. I believe beneath all of it she has a very good coronary heart, but it surely’s enjoyable to play these darker sides, too.
This episode unveiled a giant a part of the historical past between Dixie and Don, notably how she’s been in his life since he misplaced his household and the beginning of their relationship. How a lot of that historical past do you know if you took on the half?
I didn’t know any of it, which is so loopy. Nevertheless it’s nice to now know the origin tales of those characters, as a result of it a lot informs how we play them out sooner or later. I believe it offers the viewers such a distinct view of Dixie too.
I really like my character as a result of, relying on the episode, both you like me otherwise you hate me, or like to hate me. However I believe now individuals may have much more of an open coronary heart towards her and her scenario. She’ll rapidly unravel that as we associate with the remainder of the explanation. However for only a second, there’s a breath of like, “I really feel for her.”
Undoubtedly! This episode exhibits how each Don and Dixie performed an element in establishing the lives and dynamic that they’ve with one another in the present day. Dixie inspired Don to develop into a firefighter, and Don pushed Dixie to recover from her stage fright. What did you’re taking from studying these bits of their previous collectively?
I believe that actually exhibits how there may be a lot historical past between them that Blythe and Don don’t have. Although they’ve a good looking love story themselves, there’s this deeper historical past that Don and Dixie have. And such as you mentioned, they’ve been part of such pivotal moments for each other. And also you see that on this episode, too, within the scene between Dixie and Don the place she’s serving to him get out this ache and anger, and she or he’s sort of the catalyst that helps him unlock that door (to talk on the parole listening to).
You actually see that, in a means, it takes these two ladies to make this man complete. In quite a lot of methods they each play their half in his life. For me as an actress, it’s great to have this backstory now, since you actually see the depth of their connection and why it isn’t simply one thing simple for them to surrender.
As we went by these early years of Dixie and Don’s historical past, we hear some bits of “Wild Issues Run,” a brand new music you wrote for the present. How did contributing a music to the present come about?
After I discovered they had been searching for a music for Dixie, and that it will be the music that catapulted her profession, I approached Rashad (Raisani), our showrunner and I used to be like, “I actually need to take a stab at this.” I perceive her world and her emotional standpoint and this relationship.
He despatched me a very tough draft of the start of the montage — I believe it was the very first draft — simply to present me an concept, and I used to be sitting with it for some time and the title, “Wild Issues Run” got here to me. I believed it was such an awesome illustration of those two wild souls that ran towards one another, then away from one another. And as Dixie so famously says many occasions within the sequence, the universe all the time brings us again collectively.
So I informed Rashad, “Look, that is what I do for a residing, usually. So simply use me.” And Rashad mentioned “Completely.” I had a blast writing for her, and it was simply good to have the ability to have one other layer of her in me. I really feel so related to the music and the music and the character. It’s one other means for me as an actress to embed myself into Dixie.
How lengthy did it take you from the second you bought the montage script to delivering the music?
Clearly, once I write for myself it may be very free-flowing, however we had deadlines. They needed to have the music to shoot with and the entire deal. So I believe I sat with it for possibly like 4 or 5 days when the title got here to me. And Darrel Brown, who created the music with me, we bought on a Zoom and wrote it in a number of hours.
I really like the best way (the music) speaks to those characters. For the montage, Rashad was very clear he wished tempo, like an influence ballad with a little bit of tempo. It was a reasonably seamless course of. However it’s annoying since you’re like, wait, all these different individuals relying on me to put in writing this music that encompasses all this emotion and we’re on a timeline. And in addition it must sound like successful, as a result of it’s the music that bought her found.
I believe we actually nailed it, and I’m tremendous pleased with it.
By means of the years, Dixie and Don have been introduced again collectively time and again, which retains her emotions for Don alive in addition to her rivalry with Blythe. How is it enjoying these dynamics with Chris and Jessica?
Oh, it’s nice. I really like them each a lot, and Jess and I’ve one of the best time collectively. We love one another exterior of the present. There’s a sure sort of intimacy I’ve to have with each of them to create these worlds, and it felt very easy. It’s fascinating, as a result of like I mentioned, I don’t do that on a regular basis, so it’s not like I’m coming in like a seasoned veteran. They each have been very, very, protecting and collaborative, and I simply study one thing new each time I am going on set.
What are you excited for followers to see from Dixie because the season continues?
I’m excited for them to see all her complexities (emerge) from this story that unfolds. Simply if you suppose issues might get higher for her, it twists in a means that’s like, “Oh!”
I keep in mind studying one of many scripts and I known as Rashad and was like, “Is that this the suitable route? Can I come again from this?” And he’s like, “Oh, completely, it’s nice.” And I used to be like, “OK, we’re going to roll with it.”
That’s what I believe is so nice about Dixie. You see her disintegrate and simply spoil her life, after which she redeems herself within the subsequent episode. So it’s this forwards and backwards. I believe it’ll all the time be that means together with her. Belief me, from right here on out, the season undoubtedly retains you in your toes. It’s wild.
“9-1-1: Nashville” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and streams the following day on Hulu.
