Beyond the Gates: Daily Episode Discussion

[TiffanyNichelle]

I feel like today we finally got a look at the real Hayley when she went to confront Dani. I mean I laughed when she said Dani invaded her home like Hayley didn't do it first but she seemed tougher than she has before. I think she's been pretending to be meek and mild this whole time so it looked like Dani was a bully picking on her for no reason (beyond, you know, sleeping with her husband). But a sweet little innocent girl doesn't just "fall in love" with her best friend's married father. You were big and bad then, be big and bad now.

When she told Bill that she took care of it, she sounded a little tough, and he was like what happened to my sweet little wife, she immediately snapped back into her adoring self. She went back to wife who was taking cookies to Nicole begging her to like her and who let Dani punch her in front of the country club. I hope we still more of this. It's no fun to watch Dani go up against someone who won't fight back.

But I love with all of that, the only thing that actually scared Dani was her mother finding out, lol. She wasn't scared of Hayley at all.

[JAYJAY1979]

I would like to see Hayley in scenes with others like Noami or others within the gates.  Vanessa said to herself in the first episode about Hayley that she was going to need all the luck in the world and I want to see that play out.

Yesterdays episode showed the function Pamela plays in Dani's life....she's a fixer.  Vanessa is more of a party/social friend while Pamela seems more like an actual friend.  

I liked that Cady had a more upper-crust tone to her voice and had a more posh demeanor.  Very different then her takes on Dixie and Rosanna.

If the show does do some adjustments, I could see Andre being paired up with Dani long term instead of Ashley...or even Eva if she turns out not to be Ted's.

[Elizabeth233]

The ones I'm tired of is Ashley and Derek while they don't get as much airtime as Dani and bill it feels like there constantly been shoved down my throat and the triangle with Andre isn't helping.I like Andre with everyone else.

[DearEvette]

I am wondering if the purpose of Ashley and Derek is that they are just two angles of what is supposed to be an old fashioned love triangle with Andre and the audience is supposed to root for one or the other?  Which makes sense. Love triangles are a soap staple. 

But Ashley and Derek are just too boring to care about.  And they didn't build out the Ashley/Andre backstory in such a way we could be convinced he really likes her. We really never saw their supposed long time friendship so it doesn't hit like it should. I am not in any way invested in any version of this relationship.

I would much rather spend more time with Kat and Tomas and see where they are going.  In the few minutes they were on screen they had a ton more chemistry than Ashley/Derek or Ashley/Andre.

And as much as the Dani/Hayley/Bill story is their major front burner story, I wish they'd let it breath. It feels like they are rushing all the beats. Case in point, why not let Bill and Hayley notice the little off things the next day or a few days down the line when Dani thinks she is in the clear?  You have just had a long,  complicated planes/trains and automobiles type of trip back home complete with  sweaty sex in the back of a limo. And Hayley at least, should be a bit low key disappointed her honeymoon lasted a nanosecond. And there should be some jet lag since it is Italy is 5 hours ahead of EST.  They should be too exhausted to notice the little things that Dani messed up the second they step in the door. 

And even then, does Hayley just relax at home with her new husband? No she high tails it to Dani's house to force yet another confrontation. Slow your roll, show. I will say, Dani just standing there with a stone face as Hayley made her accusations and then playing dumb was a great move and really showcases, imo, my Karla is so fun to watch.

I will also say, I do I think they are doing the Sherri/Leslie/Nicole/Ted story perfectly.  It it fun to see all the shifting beats.  Of course, Nicole would wonder about Sherri. Eva inserts herself to sabotage it. And we have her eavesdropping and denying Leslie's calls.  Yeah, I am enjoying this.

I also kinda like the messy situation with Martin and Smitty and their family.  I agree that Tyrell might be bullied.  I wonder if whatever is going on with him we'll find out that it causes Martin flashbacks or something that caused him to do whatever he did?

The scene where Tyrell fobs them off wit the lame calculus excuse and Martin is all 'Welp, that is that then' is yet another brick in my 'Martin is the worst' wall.  LOL.

Edited March 18 by DearEvette

[michelec]

11 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

I would much rather spend more time with Kat and Tomas and see where they are going.  In the few minutes they were on screen they had a ton more chemistry than Ashley/Derek or Ashley/Andre.

I would love to see a Kat/Tomas/Eva triangle. We already have a classic soap beef brewing with Kat and Eva, having them back and forth over Tomas would make it even more fun to watch.

[ZaleaBloom]

Just caught up on a week's worth of episodes.

The Leslie/Eva/Richardsons plotline needs to take over as A and they need to either move Dani/Bill/Haley back to B or get it over with. The emotional richness that has developed with Eva becoming more attached to Nicole and Ted everyday and just wanting to be liked by Kat and Martin to the point she is now actively sabotaging the scheme Leslie put her in place for is why I watch soaps. It puts me in mind of Blair's introduction into the Cramer family on OLTL. The revenge plot on Dorian that turned into a deep bond between them because she just wanted to be apart of a family. Eva is growing into genuine love and admiration for Nicole but I do see Ted's eyes starting to wander and I hope he and Leslie don't ruin Eva's chances of having a relationship with her. 

Nicole is really coming into her own as a character, she's kind, empathetic and nurturing. Daphne is a great scene partner with everyone, I love her scenes with Andre, Kat, and Eva. She's got all the makings of a classic soap heroine. I need more of her emotional intelligence in Dani's life.

Dani needs something else to do. She needs to take that vacation to Paris and decide to revive her modeling career, something, ANYTHING. I enjoy the hell out of Karla Mosley but give her a trajectory, give her an arc aside from Hamilton business. I have no problem with her and Haley going nine rounds when it comes to business or high society antics but it needs to be about something other than Bill. Haley is actually a pleasure to watch when she has some fire in her personality versus that confused little girl begging to get back into the Duprees' inner circle routine. But please, for the love of god, do not recreate the Brooke/Ridge/Taylor triangle with these three. This is stale three weeks in, please don't go the next two years like this. They need to take that natural animosity and channel it into something else.

Chelsea has still not have the very necessary conversation with Dani regarding her wanting to quit modeling, you can get a lot of mileage out of that given she's just as fearful of disappointing Dani as Dani is Anita. And then there's the stage parenting of it all. Draw those connections. It makes the family real to life.

I love Kat and Tomas. I was pleasantly surprised by her being a virgin. I haven't seen that storyline with a young adult versus a teenager on daytime or primetime in quite some time and with an interracial couple who already have conflicting loyalties across professional and familial lines that can pull them apart, to boot? And they have lovely chemistry? That is indeed potential supercouple material that I hope the show doesn't waste.

In the first week of the show, I did not buy into Anita and Vernon having a loving marriage versus just a business partnership and family but the writing and Tamara and Clifton have made a believer out of me. Their scenes have become quite charming.

I like Jen Jacob a lot, she's pretty, she's charismatic, she's a decent actress. I need something else for her to do too because Super Nurse that is stuck between a wet piece of bread and Andre only wanting her because he can't have her ain't it. Ashley doesn't have any chemistry with Derek OR Andre. We are not rooting for any angle of this triangle, lol. It's bad enough the actor playing Derek can't emote. Keep Andre in scenes with his family and Dani. That works well. Ashley needs some development, her mother is on canvas, what about a family secret or trauma that needs sorting out?

I adore Tyrell and Samantha and the family scenes we are now getting, but I'm sick of pretending Smitty and Martin aren't in an abusive marriage. I was blown away by the scene where he 'let' Smitty take a single work assignment. The kids let their two cents be known on the subject because they were the excuse being given from Martin on why Smitty had to stay a kept 1950s housewife and Martin had the nerve to respond that the kids were biased toward Smitty's point of view. Well, whose fault is that, Martin?!

Martin wants to have his cake and eat it too. He wants to be apart of a family unit where there are no secrets from him and he is the last and final say on all decisions but doesn't want to share his own secrets or have any (huge life-altering) decisions he makes up for vote from his husband or his children. He wants to be a weekend/after 5 during the week dad but have default parent/primary caregiver privileges? At this point, I hate Martin more than Bill and Ted put together. Smitty needs a divorce and an exposé with Martin's career-ruining secret as the headliner yesterday. 

I have to give Jeresa Featherstone her flowers, she dresses the hell out of the women on this show. I was absolutely delighted by the title sequence switchup with the actors wearing the same formal wear as Nicole's award ceremony the day it aired. I've never seen anything like that before. I hope we see it again.

I love that the show has gone full tilt into fantasy and nightmare sequences, you can't get any soapier than that.

Edited March 18 by ZaleaBloom

[AnimeMania]

S01.E17: Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Edited March 18 by AnimeMania

[TiffanyNichelle]

12 minutes ago, ZaleaBloom said:

Martin wants to have his cake and eat it too. He wants to be apart of a family unit where there are no secrets from him and he is the last and final say on all decisions but doesn't want to share his own secrets or have any (huge life-altering) decisions he makes up for vote from his husband or his children. He wants to be a weekend/after 5 during the week dad but have default parent/primary caregiver privileges? At this point, I hate Martin more than Bill and Ted put together. Smitty needs a divorce and an exposé with Martin's career-ruining secret as the headliner yesterday. 

I'm so happy the kids have Smitty because Martin is all checked out on what's really happening with the kids while Smitty is able to read that there are real issues happening. He was the one who was ok with revisiting the no dating ban for Samantha (does Tyrell have one as well?) and he knows Tyrell is lying about having trouble with calculus. Meanwhile Martin who just wants to live his 1950s Leave It To Beaver head of the household life, just shrugged and took it at face value. He doesn't want to get too involved with things and leave it at surface level where it all just looks good. 

The flashback of Dani & Bill after Naomi's wedding was very helpful in understanding their dynamic and why Dani was so destroyed. I need a flashback of Smitty & Martin when they first got together to understand why they are still together now. Has Martin ever cared about what Smitty wants or was it always like this? I'd like a look at a time where they were actually happy and not performing happiness.

[ShadowHunter]

This Thursday and Friday we will not air new episodes the basketball games will be airing on CBS.

[Rodney]

So Naomi meets three women who've all been screwed over by Bill professionally.  One of them got a promotion denied to her and given to Hayley instead?  Wow.  Biased much, Bill?  And after being unjustly fired, they want to sue his firm.

That said, I do appreciate that despite being cut off from the Duprees, Bill still cares for Kat and doesn't want Tomas to hurt her.

I enjoyed hearing the story of how Anita and Vernon met, as well as how it went when Vernon met Anita's family.  I just wish that we could finally hear Anita sing.  Is Tamara Tunie not a singer?

I liked seeing Dani in a good mood, doing something other than obsessing over Bill and Hayley.  I loved her mother/daughter scene with Chelsea, and I loved how happy Chelsea was at the coup that Dani had scored for her.

So Jacob and Marcel had a stakeout in which they were watching . . . Joey?  Wonder what they were trying to find out?  And I figured that Jacob would understand that Marcel just wanted to wait and see that with which they were truly dealing before they act.

Hayley being denied by the servers repeatedly was a LOL moment.  As was her frustrated scoff when Dani low-key needled her over that.

Kat is giving Eva the stink-eye.  And that only led to Eva joining the family for breakfast to piss her off.  And that leads to her running Eva off.  The round goes to Kat this time, it seems.  Though it ruins her time with Tomas.  Who also seems to have an interest in Eva.  Oh, boy.  We've got a mess coming up.

Another fine episode.

[drivethroo]

14 hours ago, TiffanyNichelle said:

I think she's been pretending to be meek and mild this whole time so it looked like Dani was a bully picking on her for no reason

I think Hayley is using Bill and not the other way around; he only thinks he's using her. The Duprees were minding their business in the corner, not talking about Hayley, not caring about Hayley, just having family times.  But Hayley ran to Bill and insinuated the Duprees were picking on her when that never happened.  Hayley's got an agenda against the Duprees and I'm interested to know what it is.

6 hours ago, JAYJAY1979 said:

I would like to see Hayley in scenes with others like Noami or others within the gates.

I think that will be coming if Naomi sues Bill.  Seems like the office staff thinks Hayley got her job by sleeping with Bill...which may be the real reason Bill doesn't want Hayley at the office...if so, Bill knows the optics of sleeping with his paralegal, then marrying her is not good.

1 hour ago, ZaleaBloom said:

Ashley needs some development, her mother is on canvas, what about a family secret or trauma that needs sorting out?

What if Ashley's dad is Joey?

1 hour ago, TiffanyNichelle said:

Has Martin ever cared about what Smitty wants or was it always like this?

Martin's parents and grandparents do not act like this so why is Martin so abusive?

54 minutes ago, Rodney said:

So Naomi meets three women who've all been screwed over by Bill professionally.  One of them got a promotion denied to her and given to Hayley instead?  Wow.  Biased much, Bill?  And after being unjustly fired, they want to sue his firm.

Seems like most of them have an axe to grind with Mike but Bill sleeping with Hayley and then giving her the promotion is just the cherry on top and like I said, it would be interesting if this was the real reason Bill didn't want Hayley at the office anymore.

57 minutes ago, Rodney said:

So Jacob and Marcel had a stakeout in which they were watching . . . Joey?  Wonder what they were trying to find out?  And I figured that Jacob would understand that Marcel just wanted to wait and see that with which they were truly dealing before they act.

I see a raid and an arrest in Doug's future.  I also see Doug being tossed over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to his death.

58 minutes ago, Rodney said:

Though it ruins her time with Tomas.  Who also seems to have an interest in Eva.  Oh, boy.  We've got a mess coming up.

Tomas might be sleeping with Eva because Kat wants to wait OR Kat will rush into sex with Tomas to compete with Eva.

Dani needs to call her sponsor.

[backhometome]

Derek and, especially, Ashely get way too much airtime. 

What's with the weird accent Dani's friend has. 🤨 (whatever her name is)

Martin is tolerable with his kids. 

Hayley suddenly turning into a detective. And getting a backbone. 

Andre can do better than boring dull Ashley. 

Bill sticking up for Kat was unexpected for him.

Jacob is my favorite guy on the show. Best looking and seems like a good guy/husband. 

LOL at Hayley being denied service at the club. What did you expect Bill, you cant force your new wife on everyone.

Hayley has atrocious clothes. 

Seems like a conflict of interest for Naomi with this case. 

Is Dani going to be an alcoholic. 

[YaddaYadda]

33 minutes ago, backhometome said:

Jacob is my favorite guy on the show. Best looking and seems like a good guy/husband. 

He became my favorite when he called his detective partner (Marcel) an asshat and also an asshole.

[ShadowHunter]

Hayley showed a little backbone and sense and it all falls apart again. Course they were at the club when you live in the same neighborhood as people you tend to see them around the area. She did look a fool with everyone ignoring her lol.

Tomas and Eva was interesting. Kat/ Tomas/Eva is a story I can get behind.

Don't really care yet about the grumpy older Detective and his story with Jacob. 

Naomi going after Mike and Bill's company I can get behind. Mike was such a jerk with all the comments he was making. So yeah he can go.

[ZaleaBloom]

5 hours ago, Rodney said:

I just wish that we could finally hear Anita sing.  Is Tamara Tunie not a singer?

Tamara graduated from Carnegie, is a former Broadway star and has a Tony Award. She played Cissy Houston a couple of years ago in the latest Whitney Houston biopic. She can absolutely sing, I also hope we get to hear her at some point.

Edited March 18 by ZaleaBloom

[Irlandesa]

On 3/17/2025 at 5:05 PM, ByaNose said:

When I see Cady McClain I’m like, She should be a lead not supporting. LOL!!!! Of course, a job is a job. That said, I think she’s only aired 3 times so there is time to grow. I remember her from AMC (from back in the day) and she was great as Rosanna on ATWT.

She lives in NYC.  The regulars on this show have to live in Atlanta.

[Badsamaritan]

Oh Dani. She not only had her family fooled, she got me too. I really thought she had come to some kind of terms with her new reality, and then she goes and breaks my heart. I want better for you, girl. I want you to build your own empire, and let Hayley sit and be mad because her husband can't stop talking about you. 

Speaking of Miss Hayley...whew. Nobody told her to go to the club for breakfast. Matter of fact, her own husband didn't expect her to go because when she came in talking shit about being ignored, he assumed she went to the diner. The staff ignoring her was hilarious. She had a lot of bass in her voice when she was talking to Dani but now she can't stand up for herself and runs crying to her daddy. I honestly don't understand her motivation. Who in their right mind would just assume wife #2 could move into the first wife's neighborhood and everybody will still just want to be her friend, no problem? I genuinely don't get if we're supposed to see her as naive or just dumb. 

I like both Kat and Eva, in different circumstances they would probably be friends. Yes, Kat is a spoiled princess but she also appears to be a budding businesswoman, so she has goals for herself. Eva also has goals for herself and we see she will be as petty as necessary. Kat isn't wrong that Eva is hiding something and up to no good, she's going about it the wrong way. Kat should use her social media detective agents to find out about Eva and get some proof. I wouldn't mind that it's Kat that ends up somehow helping Eva get away from Leslie. Kat is also right that after Hayley, the Duprees are being a little too trusting for my taste. 

Oh, Dani 😭💔

[LadyWave]

When Mike was spewing his grossness all over Bill’s living room my immediate thought was he reminded me of the guy in the sexual harassment videos HR makes us watch every year. Then the ladies showed up in the next scene with the pending harassment lawsuit lol. 
 

Does Hayley only own leather pants and skirts?

[michelec]

5 hours ago, Rodney said:

Kat is giving Eva the stink-eye.  And that only led to Eva joining the family for breakfast to piss her off.  And that leads to her running Eva off.  The round goes to Kat this time, it seems.  Though it ruins her time with Tomas.  Who also seems to have an interest in Eva.  Oh, boy.  We've got a mess coming up.

Being that I said earlier today I was hoping for a Kat/Tomas/Eva triangle, I was grinning ear to ear at their scenes.

Marcel says he's X amount of days from retirement, so he's probably a dead man walking. Or, he's on the take with Joey.

I loved hearing Anita and Vernon's origin story.

Mike is such a pig. I'm no fan of Bill, but I wouldn't have been mad if he threw hands at Mike for disrespecting Hayley. Naomi will have plenty to work with if she takes the case.

Dani's sliding into alcoholism...okay, I guess.

 

[TiffanyNichelle]

7 hours ago, drivethroo said:

What if Ashley's dad is Joey?

I would love that. It would give her character some extra spice. She's Naomi's friend but all they've done is had a few drinks. We never see her with her mother either.

Hayley getting ignored by the waitstaff was funny. She was so sure all the Duprees were aware but really only Chelsea saw. The other Duprees were wrapped up in their own lives.

The Kat vs Eva war bringing in Tomas will make this even more fun. I think Tomas only sees Kat but I think he'll become actual friends with Eva which will drive Kat wild.

I'm ok with Dani's new story being alcoholism, it's better than another day of being obsessed with Bill and Hayley. And now Bill will also have the lawsuit so he has something else to do as well.

[DearEvette]

Ooh, I like the burgeoning messiness of Naomi suing Bill's firm. That guy is a nasty piece of work.  How gross do you have to be to try to have 'locker room talk' about a man's niece and his wife right in front of him?

So older, about to retire cop is basically phoning it in, probably takes some money under the table from time to time, waiting for retirement. His reaction to Jacob was probably because he didn't want to be partnered with someone young and still full of energy and wanting to do the job so he was immediately hostile, probably trying to scare him off.  Yeah, he gon' die.

You know, I kinda want Eva to be Ted's daughter now and it is all because of Kat. This storyline just keeps giving and giving.  It has the potential to be an 'All about Eve(a)' story.  Where Eve quasi takes over Kat's life:  She is revealed as Ted's, the family accepts her, she gets Tomas (in the short term)... and Kat is actually the more hostile one, not Eva.  Eventually waaay down the road Eva and Kat will become friendlier and even acknowledge each other as sisters, possibly after some shared traumatic moment (Leslie kidnaps Kat or something...).  There are so many places this can go.  I am enjoying it the most.

"If I get in trouble you can get me off, multiple times, if necessary". Mmm-hmmm.  That was super flirty and pretty dirty. LOL. Yeah... Eva is coming for Tomas.  And probably to piss of Kat more than anything.

There were some really funny moments too.  Of course Hayley being ignored. Honey maybe don't wear stripper day wear for breakfast.  Bill and Hayley are exhausting. Yeah, force respect.  That'll work.

I also liked them all staring at Tomas in unison. And even though I think he is kinda an asshat, older detective's description of Jacob was kinda funny.

I love how they all refer to it as just 'The Gown' when taking about the First Ladies gown Chelsea is supposed to wear.  We know you talking about Michelle's gown.  LOL. 

Oh Dani. Sigh.

[One Tough Cookie]

It took me almost a MONTH of watching YR before I got the characters straight, and so far with i this I think l like  Noami the shrink and Tarama from Law and Order.

Other than that my head is spinning; too many situation's at once and I positively loathe Dani and not in a good way.  She chews the scenery. I don't now the name of the woman with such a beautiful face, but those cheekbones are TTF,.

[Rodney]

So Hayley is grasping that she'll never get the respect that Bill gets.  At least Bill gave her the honeymoon that they never finished.  However, Bill clearly avoided their issues in doing so.  But increased alone time won't do it.  Moving out of Fairmont Crest will do it, since at least Hayley won't have to deal with the mistreatment then.

Oh, dear.  Now Ashley's having thoughts of Andre.  Not good for Derek.  But Derek's being unwise, reporting to a fire when he's on medical leave.

Andre was nice with Dani.  Dani really needs help if she's letting things with Bill and Hayley bother her that much.

Leslie has a good idea.  Exposing Ted at an event related to him is better than doing it at an event focused on Nicole.  And their anniversary?  That's a perfect storm.  Oh, and Leslie still doesn't know that Eva had her thrown out?  Interesting.

15 hours ago, TiffanyNichelle said:

We never see her with her mother, either.

Well, we finally did today.  I believed Jan and Ashley as mother and daughter from the interaction that we got today.  And Jan can see that Ashley is thinking of Andre, too.

Looks like that's it for the week.  Don't know why, though.

[JudyObscure]

2 hours ago, DearEvette said:

This storyline just keeps giving and giving.  It has the potential to be an 'All about Eve(a)' story. 

It's the story I look up for.  Eva breaks my heart a little when she wants to please her mother, but she's so torn because she really didn't inherit her mom's hate gene in spite of all that training.

What does Andre want?  he's going to mess up Ashley's head and he's kind to Dani but seems a little bored with her, too.  And if you're bored by Dani you just have a terminal roving eye that won't ever be satisfied.

1 hour ago, Rodney said:

Looks like that's it for the week.  Don't know why, though.

Sports.

[Badsamaritan]

47 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

It's the story I look up for.  Eva breaks my heart a little when she wants to please her mother, but she's so torn because she really didn't inherit her mom's hate gene in spite of all that training.

Right? The actress is doing a good job of showing that Eva really just wants to be part of a family. And all that positive reinforcement she gets from Nicole, while her mother puts her down, is gonna make Eva take Nicole's side I think. 

I'm still hoping we get an Uno reverse and Eva is Nicole and Ted's daughter. I think the actress would do a good job confronting Leslie in that scenario. 

[drivethroo]

20 hours ago, Badsamaritan said:

She had a lot of bass in her voice when she was talking to Dani but now she can't stand up for herself and runs crying to her daddy.

Hayley was totally manipulating Bill by claiming the Duprees were taunting her at the club and Dani got the servers to ignore her.   Hayley does dumb stuff, gets a negative reaction, reports back to Bill and gets him riled up to take action against the Duprees.  I want to know what is Hayley's end goal because it seems like she's using Bill to further her agenda...but what is the agenda?

20 hours ago, Badsamaritan said:

I like both Kat and Eva, in different circumstances they would probably be friends.

I don't think so.  I think Chelsea and Eva could be friends but Kat? Nope...she thinks of herself as top shelf and Eva as bargain basement and it is what it is.

57 minutes ago, Badsamaritan said:

I'm still hoping we get an Uno reverse and Eva is Nicole and Ted's daughter.

Kat has been described as Ted & Nicole's "miracle baby." That may imply Ted & Nicole had trouble conceiving. They may have gone through rounds of IVF and had marital stress (during which Ted stepped out). I can see a soapy scenario where Leslie/Dana stole one of Ted & Nicole's embryos and had herself implanted, resulting in Eva. Kat will blow all her stacks to learn not only is Eva her dad's daughter but her mom's too! LMAO!

Looks like next week we will finally get Naomi and Hayley in a scene together.

[AnimeMania]

Next New Episode: Monday, March 24, 2025

[Sake614]

2 hours ago, Rodney said:

Looks like that's it for the week.  Don't know why, though.

March madness (college basketball)😝

[ShadowHunter]

Bill and Hayley have had the same conversation about Dani, her not getting respect, her telling him not to do anything to get back at Dani and the Dupress about 9x now.  SHUT UP!!! 

The only thing I liked today was Eva and Lesley.

[Irlandesa]

For a show that's about to have a four day break, they really didn't even try to up the ante with a good cliffhanger.  I found today mostly dullsville. 

There are some stories they're doing quite well like Leslie/Eva/Kat/Ted/Nicole.  There are multiple angles being played by all of the characters.  There are also secrets to be revealed. It's the strongest so far.

Even though Martin is a jerk to the max, I think they're doing a semi-decent job setting up something there.  Martin is clearly a bad husband and out of touch father.  But he has a secret.  And he's married to a good father who also has a nose for unspoken undertones.  It's somewhat simmering but I pay attention when that story is focused on.  There's always a moment that makes me drop my jaw at what Martin said or did.

Hayley with anyone but her husband is good.  But the Dani/Bill/Hayley story is running out of steam for me.  They're not adding any angles here.  It might be fun to write Dani as crazy for Bill but crazy can get repetitive. 

[ASpring1900]

On 3/18/2025 at 1:57 PM, ZaleaBloom said:

I was absolutely delighted by the title sequence switchup with the actors wearing the same formal wear as Nicole's award ceremony the day it aired. I've never seen anything like that before. I hope we see it again.

Wow, I didn't even see that since I FF through the opening credits (though I do love that catchy theme song). Maybe I should stop doing that...

[Sake614]

19 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

For a show that's about to have a four day break, they really didn't even try to up the ante with a good cliffhanger. 

It was a regular midweek show. They couldn’t exactly skip a few days and air a Friday cliffhanger. 

[Irlandesa]

6 minutes ago, Sake614 said:

It was a regular midweek show. They couldn’t exactly skip a few days and air a Friday cliffhanger. 

They can have a big cliffhanger any day of the week.  It doesn't have to be Friday. I'm assuming they knew in advance what day this would air and that the Wednesday would be the last episode of the week.

[SiouxB]

This has been bugging me since the beginning… Bill and Haley‘s tiny little room that they are always shown in… the one with the purple velvet couches…. they show the outside of an enormous home yet they have only shown us this little tiny claustrophobic room…. not even a beautiful kitchen…. just this one room…. and it’s not even beautiful with those frat boy touches.

honestly, I do love this show, but this just bugs

Edited March 21 by SiouxB

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, SiouxB said:

This has been bugging me since the beginning… Bill and Haley‘s tiny little room that they are always shown in… the one with the purple velvet couches…. they show the outside of an enormous home yet they have only shown us this little tiny claustrophobic room…. not even a beautiful kitchen…. just this one room…. and it’s not even beautiful with those frat boy touches.

honestly, I do love this show, but this just bugs

This doesn't bother me nearly as much as the "Casino" that Doug always goes to. It looks like they added a poker table, a podium, an impeccably dressed hostess and way too many people, to a tiny unremarkable room. Nothing there says high-end casino, except for the hostess. I pretend that this is a small high-rollers room, but even for that, the gambling establishment is remarkably forgettable.

[Mimi]

Beyond the Gates recast of Dr Ted Richardson

Quote

Marking the first-ever recasting for the daytime drama series, actor Maurice Johnson is exiting the role of Dr. Ted Richardson on “Beyond the Gates” with daytime newcomer Keith D. Robinson taking over the contract role beginning with episodes set to air in May.

I wonder why? 

Edited March 22 by Mimi

[MediaZone4K]

Monday...

Hayley and Bill figured out rather quickly that Dani broke into their house lol.

It would've been more exciting we saw Dani discovering Haley and Bill's affair and explore the collapse of their marriage, rather than beginning the show on the lead up to the wedding. Dani needs more storyline at this point instead of pining over Bill.

I agree with everyone who says Ashley and Derek are an irrelevant sub plot. I think their purpose is just to add diversity to the show, and represent  working class character characters. 

I really wish we got more action and drama from Anita Dupree. I thought she was going to be the costar of the show with Dani. I originally assumed from promos that Nicole was going to be a separate matriarch and Anita's enemy, not her daughter. 

[cleo]

I found the actor playing Ted very stiff and pompous. He just wasn't working for me.

I also find the actor playing Tomas difficult to watch. He's very monotone. 

In SB's first year they had a couple big cast purges IIRC. Of course, it was notorious for cast changes throughout its run. It took thst show a few months to really settle in imo.

 

[ShadowHunter]

2 hours ago, cleo said:

I found the actor playing Ted very stiff and pompous. He just wasn't working for me.

I also find the actor playing Tomas difficult to watch. He's very monotone. 

In SB's first year they had a couple big cast purges IIRC. Of course, it was notorious for cast changes throughout its run. It took thst show a few months to really settle in imo.

 

I am sure we will get a few more recasts as this first year rolls around. I am just more surprised Ben Gavin as Derek was not the first. 

[drivethroo]

Quote

This has been bugging me since the beginning… Bill and Haley‘s tiny little room that they are always shown in… the one with the purple velvet couches…. they show the outside of an enormous home yet they have only shown us this little tiny claustrophobic room…. not even a beautiful kitchen…. just this one room…. and it’s not even beautiful with those frat boy touches.

This is probably intentional by the set designers.  Everyone else's house is nice and appropriate; Bill & Hayley's set is juvenile & tacky...like they are.

20 hours ago, MediaZone4K said:

It would've been more exciting we saw Dani discovering Haley and Bill's affair and explore the collapse of their marriage, rather than beginning the show on the lead up to the wedding.

I think we will see the breakdown of their marriage in flashbacks, like the interaction between them after Naomi's wedding.

I think Ted had creepy chemistry with Eva and that's the main reason he had to go IMO.

[MediaZone4K]

2 hours ago, drivethroo said:

This is probably intentional by the set designers.  Everyone else's house is nice and appropriate; Bill & Hayley's set is juvenile & tacky...like they are.

I think we will see the breakdown of their marriage in flashbacks, like the interaction between them after Naomi's wedding.

I think Ted had creepy chemistry with Eva and that's the main reason he had to go IMO.

it seemed more flirtatious to me than father and daughter

[cleo]

I'm finally caught up. Heh I called the Dani alcoholic story the first week. There was a scene of her at her dressing table where she took a shot and the camera lingered on it just a beat too long 

As bad as Dani is, I'm starting to find Hailey worse. She keeps going on about respect. Respect is earned. That scene when she complained to him about her treatment and was like this marriage is over- like are we supposed to believe she loves him, or she just wants the glamorous lifestyle and to be feted as his wife? 

She said something about how the respect Bill had shoukd extend to her. Wtf lol. 

People should be respected as human beings but outside of that it's earned and so fsr she hasn't done anything but whine.

Also Bill is - I will bring this town to its knees but has no problem with his pal making gross, sexual comments about her?

Agree with others this whole storyline is getting old.

[ByaNose]

What will Dani do this week? Whatever it is it will be OTT. LOL!!!! The show has only been on for 3 weeks but she’s been in every episode except for two. I guess she has to hit rock bottom over and over and over and over again before she gets stronger. I know the affair happened (supposedly) 6 months before pre show but she’s getting kind of exhausting. LOL!!!!!

As for the recast, I’m not thrilled by it since it’s practically the beginning of the story but at least it’s not a year into it. Hopefully, the new actor is what MVJ and the writers wanted. Time will tell in a few months.

[YaddaYadda]

Hayley is so stupid. Girl, you are the mistress and Bill is a social climber. You should put your demands for respect in your rearview mirror. Her complaining is dumb. What did she think was going to happen when she wanted to live in Fairmont Crest, have her wedding at the club?

[Sake614]

1 hour ago, YaddaYadda said:

Hayley is so stupid. Girl, you are the mistress and Bill is a social climber. You should put your demands for respect in your rearview mirror. Her complaining is dumb. What did she think was going to happen when she wanted to live in Fairmont Crest, have her wedding at the club?

Like every gold digger, she thought it meant she would suddenly belong. That fairmont crest would open its arms and welcome her as one of its own. It’s what she’s always wanted but doesn’t understand she has to work for it. No one owes her anything and they certainly aren’t going against the Duprees.

[drivethroo]

7 hours ago, cleo said:

She said something about how the respect Bill had shoukd extend to her. Wtf lol. 

LOL nobody respects Bill so Hayley IS getting the respect Bill gets.

1 hour ago, Sake614 said:

Like every gold digger, she thought it meant she would suddenly belong.

Correct. Most golddiggers and side chicks (looking at YOU, Leslie/Dana/Sherry) think they will get the same accolades and respect as the wife they deposed and that's not how it works. No one respects the golddigger/side chick because everyone knows what it is EXCEPT the side chick/golddigger.

1 hour ago, Sake614 said:

No one owes her anything and they certainly aren’t going against the Duprees.

The Dupree family built Fairmont Crest, why would silly Hayley think everyone would turn against the granddaughter of the founder and band together behind her?

[katie9918]

How did Nicole and Ted manage to raise such assholes? 
 

Neither Martin nor Kat are what I’d call awful people, but it’s very telling the bad way they each treat other people (Martin with his husband and kids and Kat with Eva). I know Ted did acknowledge Kat’s entitlement issues, but no explanations about Martin have been forthcoming yet. I’m side-eyeing the entire almighty Dupree clan for letting Kat get away with treating someone like trash in front of all of them. These don’t seem like particularly good people if they’ll put up with that kind of privileged, entitled behavior.

 

I’m not buying Naomi as Dani’s daughter. They look like sisters. And I’m glad poor Jacob put up with only one night on the couch for doing his job from her. She’s a lawyer and should know better.

 

I’m really enjoying this show.

[Sake614]

4 hours ago, katie9918 said:

I’m not buying Naomi as Dani’s daughter. They look like sisters. And I’m glad poor Jacob put up with only one night on the couch for doing his job from her. She’s a lawyer and should know better.

Rules are for peasants! She’s a Dupree, there are no rules or laws for her! Like Chance on Y&R, Jacob was supposed to ignore the law when it came to Naomi’s family.

[drivethroo]

Jacob keeping secrets from Naomi about her family is going to be that marriage's demise.

👎Jacob knew about Bill and Hayley's affair months before Dani and Naomi did ...unless he was investigating Bill or Hayley there's not reason he couldn't have given Naomi a heads up...even if he didn't want to say because he wasn't sure, he could've suggested Naomi keep her eye on Hayley and Bill because they seem awfully close...

👎Did not tell her about having to arrest Dani (which he could not because of his job)...but because she felt betrayed by Jacob not giving her the heads up about Bill and Hayley in the first place, she automatically jumped to Jacob hiding things and taking Bill's side

👎Knew there were sexual harassment rumors against Bill* and did not tell Naomi ...again unless Jacob was investigating Bill, Mike, the company etc, there's no reason why he couldn't have said to Naomi "Hey, I've been hearing rumors about some people trying to sue your dad's firm."

(now what I want to know is why NAOMI never heard those rumors)

I predict Jacob keeping secrets from Naomi about her family will be the end of that marriage because she can't trust him, even though he's not technically doing anything wrong.

As far as Dani and Naomi looking like sisters, remember Dani got married at 18/19...she probably got pregnant with Naomi and the Duprees married her off to protect the family image from her being a baby momma.  So there's only a 20 year or less age difference between Dani and Naomi.  Black women tend to age differently than other races of women and remember, Dani's brother in law is a plastic surgeon...

Edited Monday at 03:58 PM by drivethroo

[AnimeMania]

2 hours ago, drivethroo said:

I predict Jacob keeping secrets from Naomi about her family will be the end of that marriage because she can't trust him, even though he's not technically doing anything wrong.

I wonder if Jacob has heard any rumors about Martin.

S01.E19: Monday, March 24, 2025