Half a Second When Hell Didn’t Freeze Over: A Beyond the Gates commentary by Soap Central founder Dan J Kroll for the week ending November 6, 2026.
Leslie behaved. Kat and Eva shared a laugh. Martin won reelection. Dani showed restraint. For just a moment everything was right in the world. Then, Hell started to thaw.
Hayley concocted a plan to give her baby away to the highest bidder. Martin learned that Hayley knew about what happened “that night” on the country road. Deanna let Randy have it — quite publicly — when she learned that he was Joey’s minion. Joey told Heather to kick rocks and head back to London. And Izaiah wasn’t quite able to answer a simply yes or no question.
Don’t have time to read the entire Beyond the Gates column? You can now stream an audio/podcast version of this commentary — complete with off-script silliness, bloopers, interviews, and more. And it’s totally free to download or stream. SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | AMAZON MUSIC | iHEART RADIO
Sisters Forever
Is anybody still singing the re-recorded Articulettes song? No? Just me?
If you’ve been reading the column or listening to the podcast version for any length of time, you’ll know that I’ve had a bunch of questions surrounding the re-recording of the old music. The biggest question I have had has been why Leslie needed to give permission for Barbara’s vocals to be used.
The short version is that neither Maryland (where Anita and Leslie currently reside) nor Illinois (where Barbara lived and presumably passed away and where the music was presumably recorded) have laws requiring the estate of a deceased person to give permission for the use of a deceased person’s voice or likeness.
How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria LSD-a?
To save some space in the column, you can read all of my questions along with some legal explanations in the September 11 column, “We Will Get Our Happily Ever After?”
Obviously, saying that Leslie needed to give permission allowed the writers to make the storyline messy. There was no reason for Anita to cave and give Leslie a producer credit on the new music. Yes, I understand that Anita needed to get Barbara’s voice on Articulettes recordings for closure and peace of mind. For me, though, there is such a thing as diminishing return. Is the need to put Barbara’s voice on recordings greater than the hassle of dealing with Leslie? Apparently so.
It turns out that dealing with Leslie wasn’t much of a problem. Leslie sat quietly in the recording studio as she heard her mother’s voice being mixed into the recording. I’ll admit that I thought she’d cause a ruckus and complain or, even worse, barge into the studio and start singing along. More on that in a bit.
Ch-Ch-Changes
There’s probably nothing that Leslie can do to win over the viewers that hate her. As someone who is amused by her antics, I thought her reaction to being summoned to the Dupree home after the recording session was really surprising. Anita was expecting the worst, but she still wanted to give Leslie a framed picture of Barbara. Anita was not, however, expecting Leslie to pull her into a bear hug. I chuckled as Anita tried to figure out what to do.
There was one more surprise. Perhaps touched by Leslie’s reaction, Anita presented Leslie with the sparkly green scarf that Barbara wore to an audition. Leslie politely declined and told Anita that she wanted the scarf to remain with the other three. “I know you’ll keep it safe,” she said with a smile.
The Inside Track
Back to that fear I had that Leslie might storm the Bastille recording studio. The joke was on me – Leslie really did end up on the track. Kind of. Trisha Mann-Grant (Leslie Thomas) recorded Barbara’s vocals. You can check out a fun behind-the-scenes video on Beyond the Gates’ Instagram feed.
I’m honestly not sure why Lily tagged along to the recording studio, but it was really nice to see Christel Khalil in a decidedly less-Lily setting.
I don’t know about anyone else, but it’s always been fascinating for me to see how characters are written when they cross over to other soaps. Unlike the days when ABC had four soaps on the air, crossovers aren’t all that common anymore. And it’s not like a character visits another soap and the writers of the show suddenly makes the character unrecognizable. But sometimes, a new set of eyes can provide a breath of fresh air to characters we’ve known on another soaps for years.
But back to Lily, it was funny to see her star-struck by the EGOT-winning Anita Williams Dupree. I also chuckled when Lily commented that Leslie didn’t seem so bad. If memory serves me correctly, I believe that Jamey Giddens wrote the outline for that episode, so it’s a really good indication of what he might do with Lily and Devon when the material he wrote as the new co-head writer of The Young and the Restless starts airing next week.
I Get So Lonely
File this one under you reap what you sow. Bill is lonely. I get it. This is probably the first time in his adult life that he has been alone. The house probably feels even emptier knowing that it was never filled with love – or at least the love Bill believed it was filled with.
I see a lot of obscenity-laden social media posts that pretty much say the same thing that I started this section with. You reap what you sow. The problem with that – and the problem with a lot of things nowadays – is that people tend to forget that two things can be true at the same time. Yes, Bill was a horrible husband and father. He cheated ad finitum and, for whatever reason, Dani chose to look the other way. Bill blew up his life for a hot, young piece of tail and he now has come to realize that he made the mistake of a lifetime.
All I Ask Of You
In spite of all of that, Bill is entitled to his feelings. He reluctantly shared with Noami – only after she asked about three times – that he feels alone in his home. I think that’s only part of the problem. I think the other part is that with no one around, Bill is now haunted by the sounds and visions of what his life was, what it could have been, and what it now is.
I’m not saying that I necessarily feel bad for Bill. Since Naomi got to ask her question three times, I’ll say my summation for a third time. You reap what you sow. I’m an avid gardener so I know all about the sowing. I know all about the thorn sticks, the dirt under the nails, and the disappointment that comes when something doesn’t quite go right with the plants I’ve spent months tending to. Bill thought he was planting the seeds of a beautiful flower when he started his life with Hayley. Turns out, all he got was weeds.
Digging In the Dirt
Things might not be growing, er, going much better for Hayley.
Hayley’s week started off on a high note. Her ultrasound couldn’t have gone better even she’d planned it. Bill was on-hand to see that his ex-wife really was pregnant. And when she immediately agreed to get a DNA/paternity test, Bill quickly realized that he didn’t need Maury Povich to tell him what he already knew. He was the father. To put it in Hayley terms, “Cha-ching!”
Hayley was so thrilled by the way things went down that she even had time to daydream about how life would be. In her first vision, Hayley gave birth to a child that she insisted on calling an “it.” She grumbled about how everyone was telling her that she was a bad parent. “Don’t give the baby cheeseburgers,” she grumbled, repeating instructions she’d been given by people who disapproved of her parenting. When the unseen child started screaming in the distance, she barked orders to, “Stick a lollipop in its mouth. That’ll shut it up.”
Welcome to Hayleyville
Hayley’s second daydream was much more in line with an 80s primetime soap. Dressed in her finest attire, Hayley strolled into Fairmont Crest and was greeted likely royalty. She then sashayed into the dining area where a flummoxed Dani wondered how Hayley had gotten past the titular gates. According to Hayley, Bill had paid “a million [dollars] per pound” for the baby. Newly rich, Hayley landed herself a whale with enough money to buy – not 51% — but 100% of Fairmont Crest. Hayley announced that the Duprees were no longer welcome and Dani went scurrying as other club members applauded.
Hayley just knew that she had Bill where she wanted him… somewhere near his check book writing child and spousal support checks with lots of zeroes. She had him where she wanted him until Bill made an unexpected move. He coldly declared that he wanted nothing to do with the child Hayley was carrying. This wasn’t the “cha-ching” Hayley had dreamed of. It was more like the loser sound on The Price is Right.
Hayley refused to be outmaneuvered, so she decided that if Bill doesn’t want the baby, neither does she. The new plan is to leave the DMV, delivered the baby, and sell the baby to the highest bidder. That’s not sitting too well with everyone — particularly Chelsea. Chelsea is worried about her future brother or sister and what it would mean for the baby to be treated like unwanted trash. Is this foreshadowing that Chelsea and Madison might offer to adopt the baby?
Everyone’s A Winner
Martin Richardson is headed back to Washington, D.C., in 2027. The congressman earned a second term over his unseen opponent. Did anyone really doubt that Martin would win the election?
I did.
I honestly thought that Martin losing would provide the most dramatic story. Even though he’d probably not admit it at first, Martin would have always internally blamed Smitty for his loss. That blame would eventually erupt and Martin and Smitty would be on the outs – and possibly open the couple up to a separation, new romantic interests, and all sorts of other heartbreak.
Martin winning seems too neat and tidy. That might not be the case for much longer if Hayley decides to blab what she knows about what happened “that night” on the dark country road. That won’t cause friction in Martin and Smitty’s marriage the way that Martin losing would have, but it can still be messy. Martin would be dealing with losing the job he views as his legacy while Smitty would be on trial. Depending on how bad things got, Martin might end up on trial himself for strangling miniature miss-murderer Hayley.
The lead-up to Martin’s win did have drama. That election night watch party got very heated. There was an AI-generated video of Smitty dropping a bag of drugs into a ballot box and Chelsea blasting Jacob for arresting Smitty in the first place. One thing that soaps have always done well is getting the entire cast (or most of it) together for a celebratory reason only to have it descend into chaos. It’s part of the reason I never RSVP “Yes” to any large gathering!
Coitus Interruptus
Martin didn’t wait long to savor his win – or his husband. Martin and Smitty sat down to watch The Devil Wears Prada 2, but Martin was more interested in the Disney version of Netflix and Chill. Hulu and Bone? Whatever it’s called, they didn’t get to do it because Nicole felt that erection night, um, election night was the perfect time to tell Martin that Hayley knew his secret. Talk about a buzzkill.
I give Martin credit. He definitely put on a brave face. It fooled everyone, everyone but Smitty.
As much as I think Nicole’s timing was terrible, if she and Ted hadn’t gone over to tell Martin the news we would have missed out on one of the funniest, gangsta lines in the history of Beyond the Gates. In an effort to provide some level of assurance that Hayley wouldn’t go blabbing what she knew to a tabloid or trashy web site, Ted explained that Hayley was on a “very tight leash” because people were watching her every move. “Sometimes bitches get loose,” she deadpanned. There was more to the quote – “[and] run around, cause all kinds of problems – but no one will remember it.” Is it wrong that I want a t-shirt with that quote on it?
(Half) Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves
In a world where Beyond the Gates viewers seem to be either Team Kat or Team Eva, I am proud to be the president of the Team Eva and Kat fan club. In all the years that I’ve watched soaps, I’ve never been someone who sides with one character over another. There are characters that I might like more than others, but I’ve never gone on social media to endlessly trash a character.
The Kat versus Eva battle is really an embarrassment of riches. Both Colby Nixon (Kat Richardson) and Daytime Emmy winner Ambyr Michelle (Eva Thomas) are incredible actresses. They command attention when they appear on screen. If that were not the case, I think this sisterly – sorry, Kat – half-sisterly war would not be nearly as successful.
I think that Kat and Eva will, at some point, start getting along. I’m not exactly sure when that will be, but I do think that we’ll get there one day. I also think it will be short-lived. Will this wedding planning be the thing that gets them there? I mean, if Kat donating part of her liver to save Eva’s life didn’t get them there, then I don’t know what will.
That Could Be Us
I did think it was interesting that several people commented this week that they thought that Eva and Kat would have been close if they had grown up together.
What’s the purpose of this odd end-of-column declaration? Shanice and her pretend emergency call from the hospital? She thinks she’s so clever. It worked, so I guess she deserves some credit. But the plan almost fell apart as Kat and Eva argued over ribs, prosciutto-wrapped pears, and build-your-own mocktails.
If Eva and Kat are ever to get along, I want it to be because the two of them unite to fight a common enemy. I also wonder if, as Ted and Shanice’s wedding day draws closer, someone won’t realize that Nicole still loves Ted. Maybe Kat and Eva will band together to try to fan the flames of love.
What About Your Friends?
I’ve heard of the term “May-December romance,” but is there a term for friendships that involve two people with a wide difference in age? I suppose I could just Google it, but I don’t want to increase my AI usage for something so unimportant.
There were two “May-December friendships” on display this week: Deanna and Randy and Izaiah and Joey. After this week, though, one of them seems to be over and done. So, let’s start with that one.
Freak Like Me
Deanna may see dead people, but she is also pretty quick to see the truth in things. She was blindsided by the news that Randy worked for Joey. It didn’t take her long to figure out that Joey had asked Randy to befriend her as a way to keep tabs on her. Deanna blamed the grief of losing her father for blinding her to what was right in front of her the whole time. Then, in a crowded Orphey Gene’s, Deanna asked in a very loud voice, “What grown-ass man befriends a college student half his age? Are you a freak?”
I loved that Vanessa arrived on the scene just in time to see her daughter lash out. After Randy got the boot – and he didn’t even get to finish his meal – mother and daughter had a rare moment to commiserate over wrongly believing that they could trust Randy.
You Can’t Hide From Love
For being the resident villain, Joey Armstrong sure does have a soft side when it comes to certain people. His relationship with Izaiah is wildly fascinating to me. I’ve talked about it before, but I can’t figure out this paternal side of Joey. Does he regret not having kids or does he just want to be a better father to the young men in his life than his father was to him? And I say young men because his daddy knows best routine doesn’t seem to extend to women.
The most interesting part of Joey and Izaiah’s conversation was Izaiah’s artful dodging of what should have been a softball question: Does he have feelings for Kat? Izaiah hemmed and hawed and bobbed and weaved. He repeated that he and Eva were happy, but he didn’t exactly say, “No! I do not have and have never had feelings for Katherine Richardson.” I’m not sure why he’d talk like that, but you get the idea.
It’s not like I’m the only one that sees the spark between Kat and Izaiah. Enough people have made comments on their “friendship” to raise a few eyebrows. Earlier in the column I said that I envision Kat and Eva finally burying the hatchet — but warned that any ceasefire wouldn’t last very long. I think a Kat and Izaiah sharing a kiss would definitely fit the bill for something that would abruptly end Kat and Eva’s peace treaty.
Beside, Behind, Betwix, and Beyond The Gates
Here are some of the thoughts and observations about other things happening on Beyond the Gates.
Stuck In The Middle With You
I have never been a fan of teenage love stories on soaps. It’s probably because I am a little past my teenage years and don’t want to watch “kids” make a big deal out of relationships that probably won’t last through the summer.
That said, the Chessie/Tyrell/Jessica triangle is all kinds of enjoyable to me. Maybe it’s the writing. It might also have something to do with the fact that the story isn’t being played four days a week. This love triangle isn’t trying to be some epic Shakespearean love story. Neither Chessie nor Jessica are coming across as damsels in distress. And Tyrell isn’t being written as though he were heartbroken over her to choose. If anything, he seems happy that he has two young women who are into him. Just a quick note: I rewrote that last sentence three times because it seemed a little too risqué for this column. It might make it into the podcast version, so this might be a good week to give it a listen.
Twisted
Heather is so warped and twisted that I no longer have any idea if she wants a relationship with Joey or not. In the beginning, it seemed like she did. It was almost as if her whole blood market enterprise was to prove herself to her big brother. Then, things went left and it definitely looked like Joey was being played. Now…? No clue. Are Heather’s tears real or crocodile tears to get what she wants? That’s a question that I eager to know the answer to.
You’re A Winner, Baby
Congratulations to the cast and crew of Beyond the Gates. Television’s newest soap (and first since the late 1900s) racked up 15 nominations for this year’s Daytime Emmys – the most by any soap in its first year of eligibility. The show went on to win four Emmys – another record for a soap in its first year of eligibility.
The show’s first-ever win was for Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup. Its first Emmy in an acting category – Outstanding Emerging Talent — went to Ambyr Michelle (Eva Thomas). A short time later, the show picked up a win for Outstanding Lighting Direction. Before the night was over, Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree) was named Outstanding Lead Actress (or Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress, as it’s officially named).
Would we have wanted more than four wins? I mean, yeah… but focusing on that takes away the shine of our four amazingly talented winners.
Eligibility for the 2027 Daytime Emmys runs through December 31, 2026. Anything that aired in the 2026 calendar year is eligible to be part of an actor’s submission. But you will need to remain patient. We won’t find out whose material earned them a nomination for another six-ish months
Beyond the Gates: Lines of the Week
The Beyond the Gates writing team seems to be having a little too much fun. Here are some of the lines of dialogue that tickled my funny bone or that I found memorable over the past week (and haven’t already mentioned in this column).
“We’re not bunny rabbits. People don’t wanna graze, they want to eat..”
Eva’s response to Kat talking about appetizers for their father’s wedding.
“That tramp will use her child as a debit card at the Bill Hamilton ATM.”
Naomi, wondering aloud if Hayley’s baby will be FDIC insured.
“We probably should have known that Victor Newman and Jack Abbott coming together to support anything would have resulted in a catastrophic weather event.”
Devon Winters musing about the tornado outbreak during Martin’s fundraiser.
“What I would love, though, is a bottomless shot of tequila after dealing with your bougie butt all morning.”
Eva, joking that a mocktail was not what she wanted after wedding planning with Kat.
“I am so tired of your constant commentary on my parenting. ‘Don’t give the baby cheeseburgers.’ ‘Don’t skip the pediatrician.’”
Description
“Sometimes bitches get loose.”
Nicole’s zinger was so good I also needed to include it here in the Lines of the Week.
Gatecrashers: Reader and Viewer Feedback
I love interacting with other Beyond the Gates fans. So I thought I’d create a section to share some of the comments I’ve received on my columns and social media posts. If you’d like to see your comments shared here, you can scroll down to the Comments section below this column and post away. You can also chat with me on Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and/or TwitterX.
Follow my Random Acts of Dan
That’s all I have for this week’s My View From Beyond the Gates column. Thank you for reading and, as always, please feel free to share your thoughts on my column or Beyond the Gates in the Comments section below.
If you’ve enjoyed my column this week and want to see what I have written about Beyond the Gates in previous weeks, you can check those out in the My View From Beyond the Gates archive.
Have a penchant for gardening, interior design, or fixing up old houses? Check out my Manor Makeover series where I write about all of the things I’ve been up to here at Kroll Manor in Allentown, PA, over the past decade.
To keep up with all of the shenanigans I engage in on social media, please consider giving my a follow on Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and TwitterX.
Life outside the gates
Two of my former Two Scoops columnists from Soap Central, Liz Masters and Tamilu, have joined me here on my personal web site — and they are still writing about General Hospital. Liz is on deck with week with a new column called, “C” is for Criminal Intention.
To read more thoughts, opinions, rants, and raves about daytime television, be sure to check out our Editorial section.
dan
