The music is over for TV's Nashville, and fans are left to wonder about what might happen with some of their favorite characters.

ABC unexpectedly canceled Nashville on May 12. The May 25 episode was originally intended as just the Season 4 finale, but the writers had written and filmed alternate endings as a precautionary measure, giving them time to wrap up the loose ends for Nashville's main characters. Going into the finale, almost every character on the show was in flux, with Rayna and Deacon's marriage in a tentative reconciliation, Juliette and Avery up in the air, Scarlett and Gunnar trying to decide whether to go their separate ways and Rayna's daughter, Maddie, having won legal emancipation after a bitter court case.

Wednesday night's episode managed to settle almost all of the characters in seemingly happy endings, with the promise of better things to come, but in a twist, it left the series on a last-minute cliffhanger that will no doubt cause lots of debate among longtime fans.

Nashville ran for four seasons on ABC, and there had been some promising signs that the show would get renewed for a fifth season. Producers recently hired two Emmy-winning producers to help re-work parts the show, and they were reportedly already working on storylines for another season when ABC pulled the plug. The decision to cancel the show was so unexpected that even the actors didn’t know about it until right around the same time the news broke online. Upset fans have engaged in a great deal of speculation as to why Nashville was canceled.

According to Deadline, former ABC President Paul Lee was a big Nashville supporter, and his departure from the network may have helped hasten its cancellation. Current ABC President Channing Dungey explained the network's decision on May 17, saying, "Internally on the network side, it was kind of the best fit for things on the schedule — obviously looking at ratings, looking at our own finances and looking at some of the new development," Us Weekly reports.

Nashville fans have launched a petition at Change.org, which will be sent to different networks that seem like possible contenders to pick up the show, including CMT, Hulu, Netflix, TNT, AMC, Amazon, NBC and CBS. ABC will also receive the petition, which launched the day the cancellation was announced. The petition has garnered more than 100,000 supporters in two weeks.

Nashville‘s producers have been actively trying to save the show by shopping it around to different networks. "#Nashies, we are working hard to find a new home for your favorite show!" Lionsgate writes on Twitter. "Thank you for your support & keep tweeting #BringBackNashville."

Are you happy with the way Nashville left off? Vote in the poll below, and explain your decision in the comments section.

'Nashville' Cast Respond to Cancellation

Why Was 'Nashville' Canceled?

See More Country Stars Who've Acted

More From Taste of Country