“Nashville” fans will be able to stop worrying soon. They’ve been concerned about Deacon’s (Charles Esten) survival for months after the ABC drama left off with a massive cliffhanger. Connie Britton (Rayna) revealed that Deacon’s death or survival will be shown as soon as the Season 4 premiere starts.

“Rayna’s love life is going to become very clear within the first five minutes of the first episode,” Britton told Entertainment Weekly.

At the end of the Season 3 finale, Deacon and his sister Beverly (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson) were in surgery for a liver transplant. One heart monitor flatlined, but viewers don’t know which one. Did the love of Rayna's life die? Or did Deacon lose his sister? Unfortunately, Britton didn’t hint which way it would go. She only mentioned Rayna’s renewed focus on her career.

Rayna will be focusing more on her struggling label, Highway 65 Records, this year. She’ll “be moving forward with renewed desire to make Highway 65 the label that she wants it to be,” Britton added.

That’ll involve signing new talent. As previously reported, Markus Keen (Riley Smith) will sign to Highway 65 to start a solo career after many years of leading a band. Once he realizes how much Rayna’s label is depending on him, he’ll become very demanding. The rock star will “make Rayna's life a living hell … until sparks start flying between them, of course,” E! Online reports. What happens with those “sparks” will likely depend on what happened to Deacon.

Fans should be prepared for the possibility that both Deacon and his troublemaking sister could come back. In May, showrunner Dee Johnson pointed out that no one has to die. “By the way, just for the record, a flatline doesn’t necessarily mean somebody doesn’t get resuscitated,” she told TV Line. “I’m just putting that out there.”

“Nashville” Season 4 premieres Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC.

RELATED STORIES