Layla Grant isn’t going anywhere. Actress Aubrey Peeples has signed on as a series regular for “Nashville” Season 4, TV Line reports. The move isn’t entirely surprising considering that she was in 19 out of 22 episodes in Season 3 and had some major storylines. She divorced her gay husband, got dropped from her label, overdosed on drugs and nearly drowned, got signed to Rayna’s (Connie Britton) label and started a seriously unhealthy relationship with Jeff (Oliver Hudson). Layla had a rough year, but we’re hoping things go a little differently in Season 4. We'd like to see Layla use her extra screen time to try out a few new things:

1. Set Jeff Straight – There are moments where Layla almost makes Nashville’s biggest scumbag, Jeff, seem like a decent human being. He seems to actually care about Layla, but their relationship turns toxic at times (like when he took her cell phone and tried to isolate her from everyone). Layla needs to set some boundaries with Jeff — but maybe without taking a golf club to his car.

2. Get Some Friends – It seemed pretty easy to isolate Layla because she has no one. Even though they didn’t work as spouses, she and Will (Chris Carmack) seemed to have a great friendship in the beginning of Season 3. It would be nice if Layla had someone she could talk to, and Will is definitely going to need a friend after coming out publically.

3. Sing More Songs – Layla’s immaturity is sometimes annoying, but her voice is anything but. Her darker songs this year have let her shine, and we’re hoping to see more than a couple tracks from her on next year’s soundtrack. As one of Rayna’s only artists, it would make sense for her to be behind a microphone a little more.

4. Interact With Other Characters – With so many characters on “Nashville,” it’s hard for all of their storylines to intersect. However, by the end of last year, Layla’s scenes were mostly with Jeff. Before that, they were mostly just with Will. It would be nice to see her interact with other characters, like her label mates Gunnar (Sam Palladio) and Scarlett (Clare Bowen).

“Nashville” Season 4 premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC. What do you hope to see Layla do next season? Sound off in the comments section below!

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