We finally know why that shocking Nashville plot twist just had to happen.

It’s the Nashville death that has left many fans wishing the series had finished after Season 4.

Warning: Spoilers for Nashville season five ahead. 

Super fans of the country music show fought for the show to return to CMT and then celebrated the announcement that Season 5 would go ahead with 22 glorious episodes.

But now, Nashville fans are in morning.

Because Rayna Jaymes is dead.

Listen to Laura Brodnik and Tiffany Dunk explain why this plot twist had to happen.

After surviving a close encounter with a stalker, Rayna got away only to be involved in a terrible car accident that saw her suffer major injuries that eventually killed her.

In Australia Nashville airs on Foxtel on Showcase and we are only two episodes in. So even though this story-line has been leaked, there is so much more to come.

And the sense of betrayal felt by fans is even more acute because the actress who plays Rayne Jaymes, Connie Britton, went on Ellen and asked her about rumours she wouldn’t be in for the whole of Season 5 and said she was in for the duration.

“I’m in it. I’m in for the duration…”.

When asked why she LIED, Britton said she meant she was in for the duration of the character, not the duration of the season.

Watch the heartbreaking death scene. Article continues…

On this week’s episode of The Binge, Laura and Tiffany broke down the storyline and concluded that Rayna Jaymes HAD to die.

Say what?!?

“She had to die for that character to leave the show,” Laura said, “because we’ve seen her as a mother and a friend and a performer and wife and she was so invested in all their lives. They couldn’t just send her off on tour overseas or anything like that and have her call in because Rayna Jaymes would not leave her family and friends behind.

“The only way to get her out of there was to kill her.”

And by the way there are lots of TV shows that have gotten better after the death of a major character such as when Brody died on Homeland, Rita on Dexter and Colonel Blake on M.A.S.H.

Bea on Wentworth…remains to be seen.

Patrick on Offspring…an glaring exception to this rule.

Listen to the full episode of The Binge featuring Nashville and Real Housewives.

To subscribe to The Binge in iTunes go to apple.co/mamamia where you’ll find all of our shows in one place and any bookswritten by the many Mamamia guests.

Do you agree with the decision to kill off a major Nashville character? Comment below and let us know your thoughts.