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'Nashville' season 5 episode 10 spoilers: Legal dispute threatens to break the family apart; will the series introduce a replacement for Rayna?

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Deacon (Charles Esten) continues to mourn Rayna's (Connie Britton) death on the upcoming episode of CMT's musical drama, "Nashville" season 5.

Titled "I'll Fly Away," tonight's episode will see the fallout from Rayna's tragic fate. According to the official synopsis, a legal dispute in the family causes a huge problem that might break them apart. Will (Chris Carmack) and Zach (Cameron Scoggins) become closer than ever, while Juliette (Hayden Panettiere) decides to make a bold career move. She demands to perform at the CMT Music Awards, but it remains to be seen if she will be given time for her special number.

Now that Rayna is dead, fans are wondering who will be the show's next lead character.

When asked if there are plans to cast a new lead to challenge Juliette or to play Deacon's new love interest, co-showrunner/executive producer Marshall Herskovitz said: "Yes, the weather is nice today. I just can't comment [Laughs]. This has always been an article of faith between [fellow showrunner] Ed Zwick and me, that we feel that the experience of watching a show is altered when you know what's coming. The most important thing for us is the audience's experience of the show itself."

In other news, next week's hour will also serve as the show's midseason finale. When "Nashville" returns to the small screen, Herskovitz confirmed that there will be a time jump.

"When we come back, for the 12th episode, there will be a time jump equal to the amount we're off the air: two-and-a-half to three months," he said.

Last week's heart-wrenching episode saw Rayna die due to the complications she had after being involved in a horrific car crash. Britton's character is regarded as the heart and soul of the show, and her shocking exit left fans wondering how "Nashville" will continue without her. While there are speculations that she could still return in some way, Britton confirmed in an interview that "she's really dead."

The fifth season of "Nashville" airs every Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET on CMT.