Beyond the Gates Weekly Recap 7/07

Beyond the Gates Weekly Recap 07/07 – 07/11/25

 “Dani Dupree, Writers Please Set My Girl Free”

Dani Dupree, Please.

Dani stops by Bill and Hayley’s with a peace offering, only to be humiliated…again. Hayley has the unmitigated gall to blame Dani for her faked hospital visit. We know it. Dani knows it, but still, she’s forced to stand there and take the blame. She fires off a few choice words and heads uptown to drown her sorrows, unaware her day is about to get worse.

She walks into The Uptown and sees Andre... holding hands with dull Ashley. The purse slam on the bar? Iconic. Patrons turn. Dani collects herself, like the queen she is, and slides into a seat with Andre and Ashley. She hides her heartbreak behind sharp words, subtly calling out Andre. He flips it, accusing her of being stuck in the past. Pardon me but Mr. Claim Me Dani has some nerve. He got her to open up and be vulnerable then actually start to claim him but the very first glance from dull Ashley had him switching up.

Their back-and-forth ends with Dani dropping the line of the week: “Vanilla has more spice than Ashley.” And yet, by week’s end? Andre’s back at her place, and in her bed. Le sigh, once again. Writers, we beg: let this woman win.

Leslie, Nicole, Eva, and Kat: Bloodlines and Blame

Those certificates Kat told Eva not to worry about? Yeah, she should’ve worried. Ted is digging into the discrepancies and even apologizes to Eva for snapping. He says Kat should have caught it so he calls her. Of course,  Kat lies, calling Eva “illegitimate” and incompetent.  Seriously, writers, it’s 2025. Retire that word, especially in relation to Eva.

Leslie tries to form an alliance with Hayley, who promptly declines. Enter Nicole, and we get the showdown we didn’t know we needed. The women trade verbal jabs, with Nicole bringing up Laura and urging Leslie to plead guilty. Leslie throws shade at Nicole’s mental state, and goes so low she is practically in hell. Nicole retaliates by going for the throat…literally. She chokes Leslie up just as Ted walks in. Ted doesn’t get to explain much as Nicole rightfully storms out after being asked what she is doing. Exsqueeze us sir, but that question you directed to your wife should have been directed at your insane former mistress. But no… what does Ted do? He obliges Leslie’s request for a ride home. Idiot.

Martin, Corruption, and the Pressure Cooker

At the precinct, Smitty and Jacob put their heads together. Jacob’s suspicious of Malone despite Malone playing nice. He has a gut feeling about his father that he tries to ignore. Meanwhile,father then proceeds to gaslight him. Elon, meanwhile, is knee-deep in this corruption mess and will do anything to keep the skeletons buried.

Martin continues his spiral, lashing out at his kids while explaining absolutely nothing. They respond by mocking him, acting out, and showing their usual blend of immaturity and entitlement.

Meanwhile, Malone tracks down Randy, the not-so-smooth thief who thought he could run off to Bali. It’s clear Malone intends to kill him. But Vanessa and Doug show up just in time, having followed Randy from the airport. Neither of them fully grasps how deep they’re in. Joey warns Vanessa that things could get ugly and tells Doug to keep her in check. Vanessa responds with a threat of her own: if Randy goes, she and her money walk.

Other Happenings:

• Ashley’s Misery Parade: Dull Ashley is rude to Shanice for simply helping Derek with his PT. Ashley huffs, puffs, and rolls her eyes. Girl, you dumped him and lied. Pick a lane.

• Hayley’s Ultrasound Mystery: Hayley casually drops info about her baby’s well being and mentions her ultrasound. Ashley flashes back, realizing something doesn’t add up.

• Kat’s Obsession: Kat corners Jacob, demanding to know when Leslie will be charged. A DNA match was found, but there is a caveat.

• Chelsea & Madison: A sweet, if brief, moment at The Uptown. Madison’s nervous about meeting Anita. A fan interrupts for a selfie, grounding them in something real and cute.

• Articulates Drama: Anita wants to shake up the choreography, inject some new life. Sharon’s combative (what’s new), while Tracy tries to mediate. But the pettiness wins out. Anita ends up walking away, fed up with her ungrateful friends. Good for her.

Final Thoughts

This week had solid pacing, finally. Ashley continues to be the weakest link, and maybe there’s some course correction happening now that she’s jealous over Derek’s time with Shanice. We see Andre run back to Dani. Still, the character is a mess. She’s unprofessional, spiteful, and hypocritical. Derek has more spark when he’s not with her, but I’m still not fully sold on him either.

The corruption story is heating up again, and I’m here for it. The show’s pacing and structure still suffer from inconsistent storytelling. At six months in, it’s getting harder to call these growing pains. But this week didn’t feel like filler, which is progress.

I love Chelsea and Madison together, but Allison is lurking. Stalking. So, that storm is coming.

And finally, can we please give Dani a real storyline? One with love, respect, and dignity? The humiliation-to-pity-to-sex pipeline is tiring. She deserves better than this boomerang thing with Andre. Also: where is the romance for the rest of the younger cast? You’ve got a crop of talented actors with nothing to do. Where’s the love in the afternoon? Right now, it’s all on

Dani’s back, and that’s not sustainable. Especially given she has the sex but no love.