Beyond The Gates Weekly Recap - 07/28-08/01/25

Beyond The Gates Recap - 07/28-08/01/25

This Week on Beyond The Gates:

We meet Regina, June's sister. The Articulates hit the stage. Leslie schemes. Eva refuses to let go of Leslie, despite everything. Doug puffs his chest to his own detriment. Vanessa plays both sides. Kat is left unsatisfied. And I’m saving the Dullshley rant for the end because… whew.

Two Kids Lost In The System

Why hasn’t June had a proper psych evaluation? Did she lose her memory? I’m sorry to say it, but this story has moved at a glacial pace, and I’m struggling to stay engaged. The actress is giving a great performance, but the plot? Blah. We finally learn the kids in the photo are June’s. Regina tried to get custody, but they were adopted in a closed adoption. Can you guess who adopted them? One of them is a congressman.

Family Portraits

At Casa Dupree, Andre drops by to talk concert logistics, and Vernon wants to know about his intentions with Dani. Later, Dani teases Andre about it, asking if he was seeking her hand in marriage. He nearly chokes.

Dani and Nicole regroup to ensure everyone attends the concert. Dani’s a little dismissive about how Martin might be feeling, but Nicole checks her. Dani accepts the correction but still thinks Aunty can reach him.

Meanwhile, Vernon tries to play family counselor with Smitty and Tyrell. However, the fixer arrives, so Vernon takes Tyrell to Orphey’s for lunch.

At Casa Dupree, Dani works on Martin. She gives him some harsh truths, one being that everything is not always about him. THANK YOU, DANI! That he is being selfish. For the first time, someone gets through that thick skull of his. He will attend the concert.

Meanwhile, Nicole's talk with Smitty was a success; he will go, but first he needs to speak with Martin to avoid an awkward encounter.

The Concert

After much back and forth, the concert is back on. Sharon freaks out when Anita suggests a solo act, but the group compromises: everyone does a solo. Sharon has a panic attack but manages to work through it with Anita's support.

In a lovely moment of reminiscing, Anita gifts the ladies diamond tennis bracelets, the kind they all once dreamed of owning together. Naomi and Dani join them. Nicole arrives to share the good news: Martin and Smitty are officially in.

Nicole and Kat have a quick catch-up. Kat wants to know the secret, but Nicole tells her it's Martin’s to share. Martin arrives, and Kat greets him with a warm embrace.

Meanwhile, Leslie’s plotting. She doesn’t have a ticket, and Eva doesn’t want either of them to go. So naturally, when Eva goes to the ladies' room, Leslie steals money and finds a ticket in Eva’s purse. Eva rushes to warn Ted, but he gives up his ticket to avoid sitting near Leslie. He also hopes Eva can keep her in line.

Elsewhere, Shanice mentions the concert to Ashley, who i’sn’t going. Vanessa shows up looking stunning and tells Doug it's time. Doug doesn’t want to fake the funk. He is still pissed from the encounter with Joey, so he gives his ticket to Shanice. Derek shows up to ask Ashley to coffee, and… le sigh. I’m saving that rant.

Everyone gathers at the concert. Wigs are upgraded. Outfits are on point. Leslie shows up, but Carton steps in before the ladies can act. Vernon gives Leslie a stern warning. She replied, “I’m choosing silence," and I chuckled. Great line, but the writers need to figure out what they're doing with this character before she turns into a cartoon villain.

Romance & Regret

Let’s unpack the mess:

Andre visits Ashley in the hospital and invites her over. He surprises her with a romantic Paris-themed dinner at his place, the first time we’ve seen his home.

Meanwhile, Kat loses her virginity on her living room couch during lunch break to stop Tomas from possibly sleeping with her sister. Now, maybe that wasn't her only reason, but it definitely shouldn't have been one of them. Especially given how much that moment was supposed to mean to her.

And the worst part? Kat feels nothing. It's all pain and disappointment. Tomas, however, is over the moon. So much so, he rushes to tell Eva he's in love with Kat. What he is really doing is laying on the guilt so that Eva doesn't tell Kat that they nearly had sex and would have if she didn't put on the breaks. Trash. He's making plans, while Kat looks like she wants to anywhere else.

Thumbs Up 👍

• The Concert – Well-executed buildup after a very slow start, stylish execution, and solid payoff.

• The Subtle Reveal – The mystery around June’s children finally moves forward.

Thumbs Down 👎

• Ashley

• Ashley

• Ashley

• Ashley

• Ashley

• The continued emasculation of Doug

See how annoying that was with Ashley being repeated? That’s how we feel watching her every week. Almost every day.

Also, why is she the one getting romance while the Black women are left with crumbs or chaos? Dani’s constantly humiliated. Kat’s first time was painful and emotionally empty. Jaomi exists… off-screen in what must be an invisible living room.

Final Thoughts

This week was solid, but not appointment viewing. I used to adjust my lunch break just to watch live. Now? I catch up later so I can fast-forward through Ashley scenes. Yes…that’s how often she’s on.

And let’s be clear; the Dani-Andre-Ashley triangle? Nonsense. You had Andre supporting Dani through heartbreak, then later wanting to go public. Actually, he did drop by unannounced, thereby revealing their relationship to her daughter and niece before she was ready. This led to the rest of the family knowing. Now he is dropping her because Ashley and Derek break up? While Ashley holds out he will still sex Dani? This is not painting him in a good light and making viewers resent him.

You try to pin Dani’s heartbreak on unresolved feelings for Bill, but it doesn’t hold. It’s giving Tyler Perry’s “Black Women Must Suffer” special.

Where is the Black love? Why must the women constantly struggle? Why are we watching Kat lose her virginity on a lunch break couch while Ashley gets candlelight, wine, and a Paris theme?

Social media is catching on. Frustration is growing. Writer...please fix it. I am holding on but there needs to be progress. Feedback is out there, the key is not being offended by it but actually listening and finding common threads.