Beyond the Gates – Weekly Recap 6-9

Beyond the Gates – Weekly Recap 06/09-06/13/25

 

Bill had a stroke, and just like that a lot of the canvas is impacted. Dani made her way to the hospital, and she owned the room the minute she stepped in. Next to her, Hayley looked like a child playing dress-up. Bill, despite his condition and his wife's presence, was clearly into her visit. Dani still holds power over him, and Hayley felt that.

Vernon joins Anita and asks if she’s officially closed the door on The Articulates. Before she can answer, Sharon and Tracy arrive, steamrolling her with unfinished business and passive-aggressive jabs. Anita sends Vernon to check on Dani and stays behind to deal with the Wig and the other ghosts of music's past.

Later, Dani and Andre basked in the morning-after glow. He mentions her tossing and turning all night. Dani brushes it off, calling it a ‘Model’s Sleep’, but Andre sees through it. He knows she’s worried about Bill. When he asks, Dani does something rare, she doesn't deflect, she gets vulnerable. Just as things get intimate emotionally, Vernon unexpectedly yells for her from downstairs. Dani panics, tells Andre to stay put. Vernon doesn’t stay long however, Jacob calls, telling him Naomi is blaming herself for Bill’s stroke. He rushes off to comfort his granddaughter.

Chelsea, meanwhile, is in full influencer mode, live streaming an interview with Allison, who is a marvel, she graduated high school and college early, took her studies seriously, and became the neurologist we see treating Bill. I like her introvert to Chelsea's extrovert personality and by 

Friday's episode it was nice to see Chelsea and Kat working on their business for once.

At the hospital, Bill is doing the absolute most. He’s working against medical advice, trying to find his Bluetooth charger, when he nearly takes a fall. Of all people, Ashley catches him. Hayley walks in, clearly jealous of the moment. The insecurity is showing, and it’s not flattering.

We also saw more of Jacob this week. He’s still digging into the Laura/Leslie case, and Kat, being Kat, is a thorn in his side but proves to be useful by going down roads he technically cannot. When they hit a wall in the case, Kat sneakily gets around it by enlisting Mona to lure Leslie into a false sense of security. It worked. For now.

Meanwhile, Eva decided to channel her inner Leslie and confront Kat at the country club about the breakin. Bold move considering that she did steal and hide evidence. Kat remained unbothered. Look, I don’t mind Eva walking a morally gray line, but please don’t turn her into Leslie 2.0. Let her be complex without being corrupted.

Ted caught up with Carlton at the club. Carlton asked about Nicole. Ted was polite as Carlton offered his sage advice. Just then, Nicole walked up, clocked the whole scene and she remarked that Ted wasn't so smart then she went off to yoga class. Carlton jokingly offered to make a move on Nicole to help Ted out. Ted made it clear, that won’t be necessary. Nicole is still his wife. I know that is right, Ted.

Later, Ted met Eva for lunch and offered her a job as office manager at his practice. Carlton stopped by, and I couldn’t help but wonder...are we setting up a fling with Carlton/Eva or Carlton/Nicole?

Martin and Smitty had a conversation, Smitty’s frustrated with fluff pieces. One of Martin’s employees came over to report a robbery, but the whole thing felt flat. Why? Because we never see Martin actually working in the community. So when they bring in these random scenes, it feels hollow. Dear Writers: please stop telling and start showing.

And of course, Dullshley (Ashley + Derek) were back, boring us all with more fake angst. The proposal cliffhanger? Laughable.

Friday Cliffhanger + Final Thoughts

Derek’s proposal to Ashley was part of a cliffhanger and… let’s be real. No one cared. It was laughable. I have no idea who these two are related to behind the scenes, but someone must be holding tight to their contracts. The chemistry isn't there, the writing is weak, and they’re dragging down screen time. Derek had a spark with Naomi, but overall he is just there. The other part of the cliffhanger involved Martin’s stalker and finally some movement in the story.

Where is the rival family? Soaps thrive on layered conflict, and we don’t have it. I am trying really hard to give it time but this week outside of Eva, Leslie, and Dani with Jacob and Kat, this week was boring. Many of the complaints many fans have had with soaps in general, I am starting to see with Beyond The Gates. I had high hopes for Beyond the Gates, it was supposed to reinvigorate the genre. Bring back love in the afternoon. But outside of Dani and Andre, and a little of Dullshley sprinkled in, we do not have much of that.

There are characters who could go, and anyone watching socials knows exactly who. A quick focus group could clean up this canvas in a heartbeat. Cut the dead weight. Introduce a new family. Give us stakes. Give us rivals. Give the Duprees and Richardsons someone worthy of a fight.

Highlights

• Nicole and Dani – These two sisters never miss.

• Andre and Dani’s secret is officially out to two more people, add Nicole and it is practically the worst kept secret.

• A break in the Laura/Leslie case thanks to Kat's moving outside the law.

Lowlights

• Eva confronting Kat, knowing she’s hiding evidence. That’s tampering. The fact that she’s still protecting Leslie is exhausting.

• Ashley and Derek and their never-ending, fake, forced angst. Ashley clearly wants Andre. Derek is insecure and that only adds to the communication break down. No one’s rooting for Ashley and Andre. No one. As an aside, they aren't rooting for Ashley or Derek, period.

• Less Nicole on our screens. Why are we seeing more of Leslie than Nicole? That is not the balance we asked for. We need more of Nicole's POV and how she is dealing with everything.