Beyond the Gates: Daily Episode Discussion

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, ShadowHunter said:

I might be over thinking here but I have noticed Derek and Naomi are starting to spend more time together.

I guess they forgot Naomi's plot with the homeless lady.

[JAYJAY1979]

48 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

I guess they forgot Naomi's plot with the homeless lady.

I think it's simmering on the backburner until the next phase of the story is started.

Pacing is the weak point of this show.  For example, last friday we had movement at last in the Joey/Vanessa/Doug story..and no follow up all week on it.

Certainly we could have been spared the awkward Chelsea/Madison thing for one day this week...or even not had the Vernon nearly discovering Dani/Andre to give some focus on the J/V/D story.

[Sake614]

4 minutes ago, JAYJAY1979 said:

Pacing is the weak point of this show.  For example, last friday we had movement at last in the Joey/Vanessa/Doug story..and no follow up all week on it

Yeah I’ve noticed that lately as well. Like yesterday Chelsea suggested asking Dani to let them move into the guest house, and today they’re already moving in?

I wa pleasantly surprised with Hayley today. Other than rolling her eyes at Dani, which wasn’t entirely unjustified, she was pretty good. But there’s no way she had a sonogram already so clearly she bribed that tech to give her a copy of someone else’s. 

I feel Bill’s pain at being kept in the hospital lol! No one wants to stay longer than absolutely necessary, especially a workaholic. But if he’s stable, why wouldn’t they have transferred him to a rehab place instead of doing PT in his hospital bed? 

[AnimeMania]

And Bill's heartrate never changes, even when he sees a picture of Hayley on her undies.

[YaddaYadda]

Pretty sure Derek will regret asking Ashley to marry him. She was introduced as this perfect person, but she is a total nightmare.

I'm seeing a lot sparks between Dani and Bill.

[Sake614]

12 minutes ago, YaddaYadda said:

Pretty sure Derek will regret asking Ashley to marry him. She was introduced as this perfect person, but she is a total nightmare.

I'm seeing a lot sparks between Dani and Bill.

Ashley is absolutely going to turn him down. And ITA about the sparks between Bill and Dani. 

[Badsamaritan]

1 hour ago, Sake614 said:

And ITA about the sparks between Bill and Dani. 

I kinda wish the show started with them still married and Bill was not a cheater. He could still be ruthless as a lawyer, and still love and be faithful to Dani. I don't like that both of the sister's husbands are trash. The opening wedding story could've been Hayley marrying Naomi's ex fiance (not Jacob, some other character), who met when Hayley and Naomi became friends. The actress just looks so much like a child compared to Bill. It doesn't matter how much makeup they put on her, when Dani walked in and she was curled up in the bed with Bill, she really looked like a little kid curled up with daddy. And I almost hurled.

I am so close to no longer watching in real time, I cannot take another minute of this dreadful Ashley and Derek story. I want her to fall down the elevator shaft. Or get poisoned by some incurable and painfully deadly virus that kills her in 20 excruciating minutes. Or takes a bullet during a robbery gone wrong while getting lunch at OG's. Or just walks around the corner and disappears forever and no one knows what happened to her. I'm really not picky, but Jesus Devante Christ, I need her to leave my screen. Derek can become Joey's big dumb enforcer. 

Ha, Andre! You busted, bruh lol. It was refreshing that neither Kat nor Chelsea freaked out about it, they were grinning in his face like, whachu doin here, calling out 'mama' to Dani? They asked all the right questions and they absolutely suspect now. And I like how Andre made sure to tell Chelsea they wasn't fam, they don't share any blood, so don't get it twisted, yes I'm getting freaky with ya momma but not that kinda freaky, so let's make that real clear lol! 😂

Who is this dude whispering in Martin's ear? That was some real close shit, I half wondered if he was gonna kiss his neck. I still think Martin really doesn't fully remember what he did but the grands know it was bad and so he's just working off of what they've told him. 

[Sake614]

20 minutes ago, Badsamaritan said:

Who is this dude whispering in Martin's ear? That was some real close shit, I half wondered if he was gonna kiss his neck. I still think Martin really doesn't fully remember what he did but the grands know it was bad and so he's just working off of what they've told him. 

And how does Martin not know that he’s so close? And how does a busboy get that close to a guest in the first place? But Martin is a hothead with a very short fuse. Previews show him pinning this guy to the wall and asking who he is. Yeah that’ll go over well with your constituents lol!  whatever he did, it must’ve been REALLY bad for Vernon to insist he not tell anyone else, including Nicole. Or heaven forbid he see a therapist and actually remember what happened.

[wonderwoman]

On 6/13/2025 at 2:45 PM, Rodney said:

My thoughts for today's episode are going to be greatly delayed until I see the whole thing tonight, because CBS apparently thinks that the missile strike in Israel is more important.  Got a special report in the second half of the episode that lasted the entire half.

I DON'T CARE, CBS NEWS!😡😡😡😡

well, some of us do care. and remember, we can watch later; it wasn’t all that long ago that if an episode was interrupted, that was it — gone forever. 

Edited June 14 by wonderwoman

[Kerri]

I'm quite behind, but am I the only one that dislikes Tomas? The character, nit the actor. He just seems like an empty suit sleaze, not much different than Bill except Bill is miles smarter and also embraces who he is. Tomas is the kind of guy who wants to think he's a good guy.

I think it was the agreeing to spy on the women at the law firm, then Kat. And I do think he kind of led both Kat and Eva on a bit- thst attempted kiss from Eva didn't come from nowhere. At best I would say he has given her mixed messages. I have to say it crossed my mind he chose Kat bc he needs to be close to her to spy or whatever else Bill wants.

He also doesn't seem terribly bright- again the character. 

Would be fine if he left the show.

Also Vanessa- I wouldve said good luck with that to Doug and walked right to a divorce lawyer. Honestly, they should've played it that way just for the expression on Joey and Doug's faces, even if she walked it back after.

I really enjoyed the scenes with Nicole and Eva that I saw, I think the complexities and issues in that relationship are interesting and was glad to see the writers give it some space.

 

Edited June 14 by Kerri

[TiffanyNichelle]

How are two people who could barely live together for a week going to get married? I just don't understand them at all. 

I'm with Dani, Hayley is faking that pregnancy. Why does she have a sonogram already that she did without Bill? 

I love that Kat and Chelsea's reaction to finding out about Andre and Dani was just to laugh. This will be the best reaction. 

[CanaryFan98]

I don't hate Ashley like everyone else does however it's obvious the show had to have a token white couple and the writers aren't interested in them and are just doing the bare minimum. Three months in and we don't even know anything about Derek's family etc or what makes Ashley tick. I do think they are fine in scenes with characters other than each other though go figure. 

I also find myself losing interest in the show in general. The Leslie/Ted/Nicole story has been a let down since the reveal. It's been more about Leslie and less about Nicole here. In fact Leslie is getting way too much airtime and venturing into cartoon territory to me. The Doug/Joey/Vanessa story has potential and yet we haven't seen them for a week after the reveal? It's losing steam.

The Dani/Bill/Hayley story has been flat and DOA for me. I like Bill but don't care for Dani at all and Hayley is just .. there. We really should've seen it happen in real time rather than after the fact.  

Andre is just .. there to me I think his best scenes are with Ted. Dani is doing the heavy lifting in that fling. 

I enjoy Kat but her tactics leave a lot to be desired and that's why nobody takes her seriously. I like Eva too but I don't need everyone to forgive her quickly either and it is coming across that way.

I don't like Martin but he's been less awful to me these past few weeks go figure.

[YaddaYadda]

12 minutes ago, CanaryFan98 said:

Three months in and we don't even know anything about Derek's family etc or what makes Ashley tick.

Derek and anything related to him seems to make Ashley tick. It also seems like he loves her more than she loves him. Like she seems to be trying to convince herself that she loves him so much.

[CanaryFan98]

3 hours ago, YaddaYadda said:

Derek and anything related to him seems to make Ashley tick. It also seems like he loves her more than she loves him. Like she seems to be trying to convince herself that she loves him so much.

I mean what drives them they don't seem to have a handle on these characters beyond token white people. I mean we know nothing about Derek beyond his relationship with Ashley and friendship with Jacob. 

They aren't the only ones with this problem. Jacob/Naomi don't have much going for them as far as characterization although I think Naomi fares better than Jacob at the moment.  I think they coupled up a lot of these characters when they should've been single and we should've seen these couples begin in the pilot rather than be established and we're told to care about them for .. reasons.

Andre is aimless, Chelsea is cringe.

Kat/Eva are the standouts from what I've seen.

[Rodney]

Whew.  Finally got to watch, so here are my thoughts on Friday.

So this is the first time we've seen Kat and Chelsea's place, right?  And they seriously used Tomas as the hired labor?  Really?  At least Dani didn't hold him working for Bill against him.  In fact, she offered him the chance to be a male model.  But of course he turned her down.

I liked Dani, Chelsea, and Kat's scenes.  But Kat's right.  Dani could make a copy of the picture of her and Chelsea's magazine cover.  But even though Dani started going overboard with what should've been Chelsea and Kat's design for their place, I laughed when it turned out that Kat actually liked her ideas.  And it was sweet when Dani accepted Chelsea's proposal to use her guesthouse for their office.

Derek vibes so much better with Naomi than he does with Ashley.  And it's more and more obvious that Ashley will end up with Andre when all is said and done.

Derek's last name is Baldwin?  And he proposed to Ashley, it seems.  If she accepts, then Derek had better let her choose how long the engagement is.

Credit where it's due.  Hayley again managed to act like a human being and a grown woman with Bill.  Still don't care for them as a couple, but for once, their scenes were actually . . . pretty decent.  But interesting that Hayley wants to have two kids with Bill rather than just one.  And Bill getting to get some work done, after all, must've made him happy.

Why was Vernon so upset about Martin telling Nicole about his memories?  Of course he should tell his mother about them.  And who is this mysterious man who keeps watching him?  Maybe the one from Martin's flashbacks?

A little surprised that Madison is already telling Chelsea what she wears.  Would've expected things to go more slowly with them.  But I'm glad that Kat is supportive of Chelsea being with another woman.

Holy shit.  Chelsea and Kat now know about Andre and Dani?  At least they had no problem with it.

Good Friday cliffhanger with Martin and his mysterious stalker.

[CanaryFan98]

This Andre/Dani fling is a letdown as far as drama. I mean I think it would make sense for Naomi to be bothered by this both her parents being involved with two people in her friend group. However it seems like nobody cares and I don't get the point of hiding it if this was going to be the reaction. 

[mbluecpa]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I was pretty underwhelmed by Thursday and Friday.

I thought the whole DNA thing at OG’s took up too much screen time, and I’m not sure what the writers were going for with Jacob’s dialog.  When he started on “so, if we take that DNA from the napkin and it matches the helmet…” I guess that was for the benefit of any viewers who didn’t follow.  But the way he delivered it with a little puzzlement made it seem like it was big news to him.  His competence is on thin ice with me given Kat is really driving the investigation.  I did think the scenes with Kat teasing Chelsea about Madison were funny, if a little bit of fluff.

I’m probably biased against Friday because of all the Ashley and Derek that I fast forwarded through.  But Chelsea and Kat figuring out about Andre and Dani was funny.  And it looks like we’ll be getting some action on Martin’s secret which is good.

I’m really enjoying the scenes in Bill’s room.  Good interactions among all the characters and Bill’s semi-playful crankiness is well played (love it when Madison asks him to smile).  Even the Dani/Haley back-and-forth is softened a little.

[Maelstrom]

1 hour ago, mbluecpa said:

I thought the whole DNA thing at OG’s took up too much screen time

I still don’t know why Detective Kat didn’t take Leslie’s cup instead of that napkin, unless she was trying to test Leslie’s DNA for buttercream 🤷🏻‍♀️

Agree that pacing it definitely an issue on this show in general, as there have been several stories where they’ve withheld crucial information for so long that it’s hard to know what the story is, let alone give a shit.

Am I the only one who thought Tomas was the most lifelike he’s ever been in his scenes with Dani? Also, were Dani’s earrings ugly or kinda cool? I’m still not sure.

Couldn’t care less about Chelsea and her love life. The doctor’s alright in her scenes with Bill, though (probably because Cranky Bill continues to entertain me).

Why are Ashley and Derek? Whyyyyy???

Edited Sunday at 09:35 PM by Maelstrom

[One Tough Cookie]

Kat is looking at a mistrial due to  the fact that the dna wasn't gotten thru legally instead of letting the cop get it and secure it, not to mention the policeman losing creditably with the system. And pissing off the judge.

But hey it's a soap, so he'll probably  give  him an award.

[Sake614]

2 hours ago, One Tough Cookie said:

Kat is looking at a mistrial due to  the fact that the dna wasn't gotten thru legally instead of letting the cop get it and secure it, not to mention the policeman losing creditably with the system. And pissing off the judge.

But hey it's a soap, so he'll probably  give  him an award.

Jacob had the perfect opportunity to get Leslie’s DNA at the bar. All he had to do was use a napkin to pick up her glass after she left, and voila. He has her DNA. Not sure it matters that Kat scoured the napkin and not him. She used gloves and handed it to him right away. 
 

The trouble starts with making the charges stick because the evidence was planted. What was the reason for the 2nd search warrant when the first one didn’t turn up anything? Did he even bother to search the storage chest the first time? WE know it wasn’t there, but Jacob doesn’t. He did a cursory search of the closet and the uniformed officer presumably did the same in the bedroom. It was over in less than 5 minutes. They take longer than that on Law & Order!

[ByaNose]

I do think it’s funny that for years people were outraged that minorities were in the background and were usually the C & D storyline. Now, it’s Ashley & Derek who are in the D storyline and people just hate them in general and want them gone. Hysterical! That said, they might be more interesting if the actor playing Derek had more spark. The actress playing Ashley is soap ready but Ashely and Derek are DOA. 

I agree with the above poster about the pacing and continuity with Gates. It was two weeks ago when Jon Lindstrom was having sex on a poker table and now they are MIA. Their fade to black (or lack there of) still drive me crazy. Would it kill them to wait 3 more seconds. MVJ knows soaps but she must have hated the long lingering soap fade to black. You know the one where the actor is thinking, Did I leave the iron at home? LOL!!!

Smitty is boring. Martin annoys me. Dani, Kat & Eva are fun. Leslie is fun but so OTT. I can’t tell if she’s playing that way or it’s the only way she can act. I’ve never seen her on anything else and have nothing to compare it to.

Also, why do people enter people’s house in breezeway's, sliding doors and patios? Doesn’t anyone have a front door? Yes. I know I’m being overly dramatic but what the heck are they going to do during the winter? Hopefully, the budget improves and they can some front doors built. 

Happy Monday y’all!

[AnimeMania]

4 hours ago, ByaNose said:

Hopefully, the budget improves and they can some front doors built. 

And start locking them! Most of the shocking things happen because someone just walks right into someone else's house without knocking first. Or in Dani's case, by knowing their access code.

Leslie is the only person that knocks before entering a house/room.

[Sake614]

3 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Leslie is the only person that knocks before entering a house/room

Only because she doesn’t know the access code lol!

[Irlandesa]

On 6/14/2025 at 1:08 PM, TiffanyNichelle said:

I'm with Dani, Hayley is faking that pregnancy. Why does she have a sonogram already that she did without Bill? 

I don't know what Hayley's motive for faking the pregnancy would be.  When she announced the pregnancy, she felt secure in her relationship.  There was no hint that she thought Bill regretted marrying her. 

Now, with the way Dani and Bill have interacted in the hospital, maybe a kernel of the desperation needed to fake a pregnancy is being planted but it wasn't there when the pregnancy began. 

On 6/14/2025 at 1:38 PM, CanaryFan98 said:

The Leslie/Ted/Nicole story has been a let down since the reveal. It's been more about Leslie and less about Nicole here.

I think the Nicole actress potentially had other projects from what I read which might explain why we haven't seen her as much but I agree that the fallout here hasn't made me feel connected to Nicole or Ted. 

[AnimeMania]

S01.E74: Monday, June 16, 2025
S01.E75 (Canada)

[Rodney]

I have to say that I am impressed with the way Vanessa negotiated with Joey today.  She settled on a deal that works for not just herself and Joey, but also for Doug.  She's right that he needs some compensation for the way that Joey played him so badly.

So Madison fully declared herself as a lesbian today, while Chelsea is merely queer, but more into people based on their personalities and intelligence.  Kind of surprised that they already had their first kiss.  Even more surprised that Chelsea hasn't worked up the nerve to tell Bill yet.

Hi, Elon!  Haven't seen you in months!

Okay, so there weren't any scenes cut.  They had Smitty and Marcel's scenes today.  And Smitty seems to be getting very close to the truth of Marcel being on the take with Joey.  I'm worried that this might put him in danger.

Martin definitely knows that the mysterious busboy knows more about what happened than he's letting on.  So I wonder why he didn't let Vernon in on that suspicion?

Ashley should have expected Derek to declare things over when she turned down his proposal.  That's usually what follows when a proposal is turned down.  It wouldn't surprise me if she did so because she's subconsciously really wanted to be with Andre.  But I suspect that Naomi hit the nail on the head that Derek's concussion is what sparked all of what is happening to him and Ashley right now.  I just wish that she had told Ashley and Derek this.  They might have figured things out sooner.

Good episode today.

[JAYJAY1979]

Finally some focus on the Vanessa/Joey front...took long enough.

Can Derek/Ashley finally break up?  Let's test Derek with the other women...and maybe test Ashley with some of the other men.

The busboy dude is kind of hot.

No wonder Martin was against Smitty returning to work...he knows how good he is at his job.

[ShadowHunter]

So glad to see Joey and Vanessa again today. I wish they were on a bit more. Vanessa played the situation just right. This partnership should be interesting for sure lol.

Nice finally seeing Smitty in reporter mode. All he really does is play the supportive husband and family man. We haven't seen his Family or even any friends so nice seeing him get his own thing. 

Grateful for no Leslie or Kat. They definitely have been on too much. 

Didn't really care about anything else that happened this episode though.

[Sake614]

3 hours ago, JAYJAY1979 said:

maybe test Ashley with some of the other men.

They tested her with Andre and she’s still a dud. What does he see in her? 

3 hours ago, ShadowHunter said:

So glad to see Joey and Vanessa again today

I love them together! And I’ve come to love Vanessa, and especially since they toned down her makeup. She’s quite beautiful and didn’t need all those layers she wore in the first couple weeks of the show. I adore how confident she is, and not the least bit afraid of Joey or his business. 

[CanaryFan98]

11 hours ago, Sake614 said:

They tested her with Andre and she’s still a dud. What does he see in her? 

I love them together! And I’ve come to love Vanessa, and especially since they toned down her makeup. She’s quite beautiful and didn’t need all those layers she wore in the first couple weeks of the show. I adore how confident she is, and not the least bit afraid of Joey or his business. 

Ashley may be plain but II don't see the appeal of Andre beyond looks though and there are better looking men on this show than him too. Dani is doing the heavy lifting in making that fling work.  Neither character is that developed well in comparison. This show seems fixated on a few characters for development and the rest are just filler.

I feel like the most improved character on this show has been Doug.

[TiffanyNichelle]

I'm so tired of Ashley. I didn't like that she called the proposal an ultimatum. She turned it into that with the way she turned him down. First she's angry because she thought he was going to break up with her and then she's angry that he wanted to marry her. She's exhausting. Derek is better off without her and I kind of hope he goes bad from this. 

[Sake614]

The proposal was rushed and ill timed. They just realized they can’t live together and now he wants to marry her? Like dude, what do you think being married means? They also admitted that they’re struggling to get back on track and not communicating to each other. None of this sounds like a good foundation for marriage.

[ShadowHunter]

4 hours ago, CanaryFan98 said:

This show seems fixated on a few characters for development and the rest are just filler.

I am starting to feel that way as well. I do not care for Ashley with Andre or Derek but truth after that we do not have many options. I actually think this show needs a few more males running around. Maybe Eva could date somebody. It's funny GH has too bloated of a cast and this show does not have enough. Just a few more people that is it though. 

I agree with a few others this show has a pacing issue. Some people feel like they are on everyday and others are on once a week. I think a better balance is needed. 

[CanaryFan98]

19 minutes ago, ShadowHunter said:

I am starting to feel that way as well. I do not care for Ashley with Andre or Derek but truth after that we do not have many options. I actually think this show needs a few more males running around. Maybe Eva could date somebody. It's funny GH has too bloated of a cast and this show does not have enough. Just a few more people that is it though. 

I agree with a few others this show has a pacing issue. Some people feel like they are on everyday and others are on once a week. I think a better balance is needed. 

Yes the lack of straight males in that age group is also glaring. I mean I know the soap is almost four months old but I feel like they only can seem to focus on a few and the rest are left to flounder. I mean Leslie doesn't need all this airtime and focus especially when Nicole is treated as an afterthought in her own storyline. That airtime could've been used to develop the other characters on the show they barely develop in comparison.

[AnimeMania]

S01.E75: Tuesday, June 17, 2025
S01.E76 (Canada)

[Irlandesa]

2 hours ago, ShadowHunter said:

I actually think this show needs a few more males running around. Maybe Eva could date somebody. It's funny GH has too bloated of a cast and this show does not have enough. Just a few more people that is it though. 

And yet even though we don't have enough characters, we still have too many somewhat underdeveloped characters.  I don't think bringing on more men just to bring on more men is what's needed right now. I think giving the characters they do have more personality is something they should go after first. 

For instance, it took four months before we got to see Smitty in reporter mode. 

I don't even agree that they gave Andre and Ashley much of a chance because what have they actually established between them other than attraction, and that they "like" one another? There's no real story to them. Dani and Andre are kind of in the same situation to me, although having them stop being a secret is probably a smart move.  

I feel the same way about Chelsea and Madison.  I think they have some chemistry and I'm glad they got a love scene but I wonder what their story beyond that will end up being.   

On the other hand, I loved the Vanessa, Joey and Doug story today.  Interesting things are happening with all three of these characters and they surprise me a little every time they have a scene.  It almost played a little like Vanessa and Doug were setting Joey up rather than the other way around.  I don't know where Vanessa's loyalty really lies.  Is Joey truly under her spell?  And what about Doug?  Is he going to get over his wife's affair or is he still simmering in resentment?  

[Rodney]

Seems like both Derek and Naomi have the same suspicion.  Whether Ashley knows it or not, there is someone else.  (And that someone is Andre.)  That's why she's not sure about accepting Derek's proposal.  Even Jacob suspected that Andre was the other man in Ashley's life.

So if Chelsea and Madison really had sex, then shouldn't they have been in nightgowns or robes or something?  Felt weird that they got right back into their old outfits.  But I was glad that Dani accepted their relationship, and I loved her surprise that Madison is Chelsea's new woman.

Despite what he's saying, the busboy knows more about Martin than he is letting on.  I think Martin knows it, too.  I was relieved that he was finally more open about it with Smitty.  But now Marcel has some involvement in what happened, too?  Oh, boy.

But the best scenes were Vanessa, Doug, and Joey's scenes.  I love that Doug has gotten involved in the deal, and I love that he and Vanessa are working as a team against Joey.  I even love that Doug upped the percentage.  At least after he and Vanessa had it out over his gambling, things turned out okay for them now that they're in control of things instead of Joey.

Good episode today.

[Pristine]

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to like anything but the clothes and accessories on this show.

[Irlandesa]

28 minutes ago, Rodney said:

Despite what he's saying, the busboy knows more about Martin than he is letting on. 

Of course he does.  The "What color is your money?" wasn't filmed in the same way most of Martin's hallucinations or dreams are filmed so that I think was real. 

And we've seen this busboy lurk behind Martin and follow him before.  He chased after him after Martin had his mini confrontation with Bill. 

[Rodney]

17 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

Of course he does.  The "What color is your money?" wasn't filmed in the same way most of Martin's hallucinations or dreams are filmed so that I think was real. 

And we've seen this busboy lurk behind Martin and follow him before.  He chased after him after Martin had his mini confrontation with Bill. 

If I had to guess, this guy had to have been a witness to what happened.  Or he was close to the victim of whatever happened in that particular event.  And he probably wants some kind of revenge on Martin.

[One Tough Cookie]

23 hours ago, ShadowHunter said:

Grateful for no Leslie or Kat. They definitely have been on too much

And no Tide or Febreze!

[Sake614]

It’s wild that when the show started I thought Doug and vanessa were the weakest links. Now I live for their scenes! But I still feel gipped that we don’t get more sex scenes from Joey and Vanessa. I want to see a LOT more of JL! 🤣

I agree with Madison that Chelsea immediately going to her phone when she should have been paying attention to her was rude as hell. I don’t care what her reasons were, she could’ve gone on social media after Madison left. 

I like Dani and Andre but I do not want them going public only for him to make googly eyes at Ashley. Dani deserves better. And there’s absolutely no chemistry between Andre and Ashley. Even in her daydreams they’re boring as hell. 

[KittyQ]

On 6/15/2025 at 6:20 PM, Sake614 said:

Jacob had the perfect opportunity to get Leslie’s DNA at the bar. All he had to do was use a napkin to pick up her glass after she left, and voila. He has her DNA. Not sure it matters that Kat scoured the napkin and not him. She used gloves and handed it to him right away. 

Why hasn't Jacob slapped Kat down on her "evidence" gathering. Ever heard of chain of custody? Collecting a used napkin from a third party without knowing for sure how it was collected would surely be a problem at any kind of trial. Jacob should have read Kat the riot act about her effort to put Leslie in jail. 

Speaking of, Leslie is in danger of turning into a mustache-twirling caricature, if she doesn't tone it down a little. 

Smitty looks like he's younger than his kids. It is hard to believe in his relationship with Martin. Is Martin's problem some kind of PTSD, or does he have DID? 

[ShadowHunter]

Ashley is like walking PMS.

[SiouxB]

1 hour ago, ShadowHunter said:

Ashley is like walking PMS.

😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

I have been watching soaps for years and IMO never has there been a more morose, boring, blah character…. with no sense of humor in sight.

Derek, take your ring and run !

Ashley brings out the worst in him because when he mingles with other people, he is very pleasant…. he had more patience and charm with her mother than he ever had with her !

[mbluecpa]

14 hours ago, CanaryFan98 said:

I feel like the most improved character on this show has been Doug.

He definitely hit that mark with me in today’s scenes, standing up to Joey and renegotiating the money laundering deal.  He even threw a couple of threatening looks at Joey that made me think “damn.”  I did like Vanessa’s line yesterday: “I may be unfaithful, but I’m not disloyal.”  They may have a crappy marriage, but they’ve got a strong partnership - if that makes sense.

Ashley is the anti-Shanice: where I think Shanice adds energy to every scene she’s in, Ashley sucks the life out.  Eeyore.  I found the close-up camera angle at the club’s bar distracting too: her face took up half my screen.

I nearly had the same reaction as Smitty when Samantha asked “what’s gay sex like?” 

[Marisagf]

16 hours ago, Rodney said:

Seems like both Derek and Naomi have the same suspicion.  Whether Ashley knows it or not, there is someone else.  (And that someone is Andre.)  That's why she's not sure about accepting Derek's proposal.  Even Jacob suspected that Andre was the other man in Ashley's life.

So if Chelsea and Madison really had sex, then shouldn't they have been in nightgowns or robes or something?  Felt weird that they got right back into their old outfits.  But I was glad that Dani accepted their relationship, and I loved her surprise that Madison is Chelsea's new woman.

Despite what he's saying, the busboy knows more about Martin than he is letting on.  I think Martin knows it, too.  I was relieved that he was finally more open about it with Smitty.  But now Marcel has some involvement in what happened, too?  Oh, boy.

But the best scenes were Vanessa, Doug, and Joey's scenes.  I love that Doug has gotten involved in the deal, and I love that he and Vanessa are working as a team against Joey.  I even love that Doug upped the percentage.  At least after he and Vanessa had it out over his gambling, things turned out okay for them now that they're in control of things instead of Joey.

Good episode today.

Chelsea and Madison give me whiplash!  They have had some flirty conversations and next thing we know they are in love and meeting the family.  What?!  I really like Chelsea, but I'm souring on her.  She is sooooooo thirsty for a partner.  

I love Doug/Vanessa/Joey!  I didn't think much of this storyline initially, but the actors are killing it.  And I really want to know what is going to happen.  It can go any way and I love that. That storyline is my favorite by far.

I like Smitty but I have never liked Martin.  I don't care about that character and I hate the fact that he never works at his job - in the US House of Representatives!

[Rodney]

45 minutes ago, Marisagf said:

I like Smitty but I have never liked Martin.  I don't care about that character and I hate the fact that he never works at his job - in the US House of Representatives!

Actually, I assume the streak of days that goes by in which we sometimes don't see Martin are when he's working offscreen.

[YaddaYadda]

More Vanessa/Joey/Doug, please. Although I'm getting the distinct feeling that Doug is going to stare down the barrel of a fun sooner rather than later.

Ashley. Is there anything that hasn't be said about her yet? She is not compelling, she is boring, she is high maintenance, and if Derek knows what's good for him, he'll walk away. And if Andre knows what's good for him, he'll leave that situation in her situation.

This might fuck up the relationship between Ashley and Naomi if Andre dumps Dani for Ashley. 

Edited Wednesday at 04:14 PM by YaddaYadda

[CanaryFan98]

19 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

And yet even though we don't have enough characters, we still have too many somewhat underdeveloped characters.  I don't think bringing on more men just to bring on more men is what's needed right now. I think giving the characters they do have more personality is something they should go after first. 

For instance, it took four months before we got to see Smitty in reporter mode. 

I don't even agree that they gave Andre and Ashley much of a chance because what have they actually established between them other than attraction, and that they "like" one another? There's no real story to them. Dani and Andre are kind of in the same situation to me, although having them stop being a secret is probably a smart move.  

I feel the same way about Chelsea and Madison.  I think they have some chemistry and I'm glad they got a love scene but I wonder what their story beyond that will end up being.   

On the other hand, I loved the Vanessa, Joey and Doug story today.  Interesting things are happening with all three of these characters and they surprise me a little every time they have a scene.  It almost played a little like Vanessa and Doug were setting Joey up rather than the other way around.  I don't know where Vanessa's loyalty really lies.  Is Joey truly under her spell?  And what about Doug?  Is he going to get over his wife's affair or is he still simmering in resentment?  

The Doug/Vanessa/Joey storyline should get more airtime because it really is the best storyline they have going right now. It was Leslie/Ted/Nicole but after the reveal and Ted Switch it's been a letdown since. 

I feel like Dani/Andre's appeal was that it was a secret(and both are attractive) but it seems nobody cares so what was the point in keeping it a secret in the first place?

17 hours ago, Sake614 said:

It’s wild that when the show started I thought Doug and vanessa were the weakest links. Now I live for their scenes! But I still feel gipped that we don’t get more sex scenes from Joey and Vanessa. I want to see a LOT more of JL! 🤣

I agree with Madison that Chelsea immediately going to her phone when she should have been paying attention to her was rude as hell. I don’t care what her reasons were, she could’ve gone on social media after Madison left. 

I like Dani and Andre but I do not want them going public only for him to make googly eyes at Ashley. Dani deserves better. And there’s absolutely no chemistry between Andre and Ashley. Even in her daydreams they’re boring as hell. 

When has Ashley dreamt about Andre? I must've missed it. I've seen Derek dream about them though.

17 hours ago, KittyQ said:

Why hasn't Jacob slapped Kat down on her "evidence" gathering. Ever heard of chain of custody? Collecting a used napkin from a third party without knowing for sure how it was collected would surely be a problem at any kind of trial. Jacob should have read Kat the riot act about her effort to put Leslie in jail. 

Speaking of, Leslie is in danger of turning into a mustache-twirling caricature, if she doesn't tone it down a little. 

Smitty looks like he's younger than his kids. It is hard to believe in his relationship with Martin. Is Martin's problem some kind of PTSD, or does he have DID? 

I'm not surprised by Jacob tbh he seems intimidated by the Dupree women. I mean Naomi was mad that Jacob arrested Dani(which is understandable but Dani did pull a gun on the bride/groom). So it's no surprise he can't stand up to Kat here.