'Nashville' Season 5 Return Date, Spoilers: A Three-Month Time Jump Ahead; New Characters Introduced

The lull is nearly over as the midseason premiere of "Nashville" arrives in two weeks. Followers of the show can expect to be taken a few months forward after Rayna James' (Connie Britton) death.

Executive producer Marshall Herskovitz reveals in an interview with TVLine that episode 12 would be seeing an important 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," says Herskovitz.

Before the break, Rayna James (Connie Britton) had just died and it left characters scrambled on how to get through the unfortunate event.

Fans of "Nashville" are expecting Rayna to come back to life. However, Britton confirms that she will be leaving the show for good.

"It was my decision. It was something that, for various reasons, had been percolating for me. What was really important to me was that it felt like the right time," the actress shares in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

The executive producer also adds that the decision of writing Rayna's death was a very difficult one, given how she was a very dedicated mother, wife, and artist.

"There's a balance struck between the new stories, some new people come into lives, and the fact that they're still dealing with incredible loss," Herskovitz explains in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

Rayna may be gone for good, but new characters will be entering the show when "Nashville" season 5 returns.

Kaitlin Doubleday of "Empire" will be joining the show along with Rachel Bilson, both with undisclosed roles. Meanwhile, Jeff Nordling will play a Brad Maitland, the egotistic owner of Nashville's most successful record label. Last but not the least, Odessa Adlon enters the series as Liv — a teen who runs away from a bad situation in Music City.

"Nashville" season 5 returns on June 1, Thursday, at 9 p.m. EDT on CMT.