>Tom is pretty much
>a villain.

Really? A "villain"? Honestly, I think putting him (or any of the other characters for that matter) into such a generic, ready-made mold only serves to prevent our understanding them better. Lots of different people are lots of different shades of good and bad, no?

Just as in real life, we ought to consider the people in Nashville--their actions or inactions--in relation to the world in which they live. To quote Leon Trotsky from his autobiography "My Life":

"In different epochs, and in varying social surroundings, man loves and hates and hopes differently. Just as the tree feeds its leaves, flowers, and fruits with the extracts absorbed from the soil by its roots, so does the individual find food for his sentiment and ideas, even the most 'sublime' ones, in the economic roots of society."

It's clear in Nashville that the society is unhealthy and has taken its toll on the characters. The increasingly brutal political atmosphere which expressed itself so violently and tragically in the assassinations of the Kennedy brothers has made its mark on the collective psyche of these people.

I think it's worth considering them in this context.

>Haven is pretty much a villain since he adds
>nothing.

I don't understand what you mean by this.