My View From Beyond the Gates: And that’s what love is

There are many types of love. There’s puppy love, unrequited love, forbidden love, a mother’s love, and obsessive love, to name just a few. And they’ve all been on display in Fairmont Crest of late. Can you match the type of love to the person displaying it? Find out in the Beyond the Gates commentary for the week ending August 22, 2025.

Contrary to what the folks at Hallmark might say, you do not need a card to tell someone how you really feel about them. I mean, is there even a card to tell your boyfriend that he’s not so hot in the sack? And what about the “I just love you for the D” card for your friend with benefits to make sure that they know they have zero chance of ever having a meaningful relationship with you?

It’s 2025 and there are plenty of other ways to show someone how you really feel without the need for one of those pesky, ever-changing priced forever stamps.

You can, I dunno, serve someone with divorce papers to prove that your marriage is really, truly over. You can give your long-lost mom a photo of you and your brother just before telling her that you never want to see her again. There’s always the option of giving your bestie a bouquet of flowers to thank them for always having your back. You can bequeath a loved one’s family a boatload of cash to atone for what you view as your past sins. If you’re into something a little more frisky, you can go the extra mile and shackle your loved one to the bed.

Another option to show exactly how you feel? A good old fashioned slap across the face.

This show slaps… bitch-slaps

With apologies to Michelle Obama, when they go low, sometimes you gotta bend down and slap a bitch. That’s exactly what Anita Williams Dupree did to the nouveau riche Dana Leslie Thomas. And, according to totally unscientific data that I’ve made up in my head, that slap is now the most rewound and rewatched moment in Beyond the Gates history.

Sure, we can argue that there is never a reason to lay hands upon another human being, but I will not be making that argument. I’m standing firmly on the side of: Anita warned that woman three times that she needed to stop flapping her gums. It wasn’t as if Anita just hauled off and whacked LSD (that’s Leslie/Sherry/Dana for folks who are new to my ramblings) with no warning. Leslie messed around and Leslie found out.

Not the boogie man or Satan

Over the past couple of months, I’ve started to see some Beyond the Gates fans say that the show needed to move beyond its single-family focus. The argument was that while the Dupree family is wonderful and amazing, the show needs some counterbalance in the form of a rival family.

The Duprees have had foils in various forms over the past six months, but mostly in the form of a single antagonist. First there was Homewrecker Hayley, followed closely behind by KKKenneth. But most soap operas have been known for having their own versions of the Hatfields and the McCoys. I’m thinking about All My Children’s Chandlers versus the Cortlandts, The Bold and the Beautiful’s Forrester and Logans, and The Young and the Restless’ Abbotts and Newmans.

Welcome to our tax bracket

I have no idea how much money there is in the blind, irrevocable trust, but Leslie’s initial disbursement was a cool mill. Leslie will probably never be able to match the Duprees dollar for dollar – and it doesn’t seem like she’s even spoken to anyone about investing the money – but there’s a chance that she could parlay her newfound windfall into being something more than just a mild annoyance to the Duprees.

Perhaps there are other residents of Fairmont Crest that don’t care for the Duprees, but don’t want to go up against them by themselves. They could, if they chose to, side with Leslie or assist her in some way. That could be giving her the votes to, I don’t know, run for president of the Home Owners Association. Or maybe we find out that former husband Alan’s family lives in the DMV and they suddenly come out of the woodwork and join #TeamLeslie.

This, of course, all is contingent upon LSD not blowing the money fast and/or the Duprees finding a way to yank it away from Leslie. It’s also not taking into account that LSD could tick off way too many people and become the subject of a whodunnit. Let’s be honest: most of the DMV has a reason or piece of a reason to want Leslie dead.

The deserving socialite

Dialing it back a bit, I will admit that when Beyond the Gates launched, I wondered why Trisha Mann-Grant was a contract player. It hasn’t always seemed like Leslie had staying power. It would have been very easy to write a story in which Leslie got carted off to jail for one of her attempts to murder Laura. With no connection to anyone other than Eva (and Ted by default), it didn’t seem like there was anything to keep her in town.

So you’ll forgive me if, for as much as I love Trisha’s trippy antics as LSD, I didn’t think she’d be a long-term character.

But now that Leslie has a couple of coins in her bank account, she has the potential to morph into something more than a cartoon soap opera villain. Heavy emphasis on potential. I don’t want Leslie to lose her edge or forget what she learned by getting her “PhD in them streets,” but at the moment, Leslie is still twisting her handlebar mustache and trying to capture “moose und squirrel.”

Forget you, forgot you, never thought about you

If I were giving out “awards” for performances of the week, I’d have to break out the little engraving tool to etch Jasmine Burke’s name onto the trophy. Her work as June over the past week was absolutely (read that with a pause or a clap after each syllable) amazing.

I am still not entirely sure how I feel about June’s storyline or even June as a character, but I am able to set that aside and weigh in solely on Burke’s work.

At times, June has been all over the emotional map. That doesn’t mean that all of her outbursts are unjustified. I was glad that she laid into Naomi and Jacob for getting her hopes up. They had absolutely no business digging into a closed adoption. Somehow, though, June continues to surprise me.

I’ve been convinced that the stress and disappointment from her meeting with the kids would cause her to relapse. Instead, she showed up unannounced and without permission at the Smith-Richardson home.

That was not the best move, and I expected things to go very, very wrong. Turns out, I was the one who was wrong. For the first time since she gave the kids up for adoption, June’s maternal instinct was on full display. “I saw you look at me like I was reflecting your future, and it scared you,” June told the kids, though she seemed to direct it mostly at Samantha. “Just because I gave you life, it doesn’t mean that your life will turn out like mine.” She went on to share that addiction did not run on either side of their family.

I have to leave you again

The waterworks started the moment that Samantha gave June an updated photo of her and Tyrell and continued all the way through June taking one last look at her kids before walking out of the brownstone. “I have to leave you again, but this time I know that you are safe and loved. And you know that you have a mama out here who is so proud of you,” June said with the sole intention of getting me to weep. Even grumpy old man Tyrell seemed touched – and that just turned the knob on my tear ducts.

The encounter made June determined to turn her life around. She asked Naomi for help finding a job. My concern here is that June thinks she can “get” her kids back rather than just being a part of their lives. That could get very messy. As I said, June has managed to surprise me, so I am hoping that she does so again and doesn’t try to cause trouble for Martin, Smitty, and the kids.

What happened to the patient is always right?

It’s safe to assume that Derek will walk again, right? Soap operas don’t typically leave a main character with permanent impairment. Blindness usually lasts only until the next sweeps and inoperable brain tumors are only inoperable in months that contain the letter “y”. But then again, Beyond the Gates isn’t your typical soap.

I wrote last week that I thought Derek might fake paralysis to “keep” Ashley, but now I’m not so sure about that either. Honestly, I want him to figure out whatever it takes to keep Ashley away. Holy water, bright sunlight, seasoning… whatever.

I think what annoys me so much about Ashley right now is that she comes across as “high and mighty,” to use an old school term. It’s her way or nothing at all. However, she wasn’t so principled and idealistic when she blatantly violated HIPAA to tell Naomi about Hayley’s questionable pregnancy.

Physician Nurse, supermodel, and photographer, heal thyself

I don’t think Ashley is ready for a relationship with any man at the moment. She needs to live more life and figure out what she wants from that life. That’s not a judgment, but rather an encouragement. I think everyone should be able to figure out what they truly want and not settle for anything less.

Ashley isn’t the only one that gets a finger wagging from me. Andre and Dani need to get themselves together, too. Dani claims to know what she wants – and that doesn’t include a relationship. Andre wants something that Dani can’t give him, so he tried to get it from Ashley. Is Dani holding out hope that she and Bill will get back together? Will Andre lose interest in Dani once she agrees to be in a relationship with him? Will Andre’s question to regain the benefits that come with Dani’s friendship result in them falling in love? With this many questions, I think it would be best for both of them to get their own lives in order before bringing anyone else into the mix.

Kat got your tongue?

I thought it was odd that Kat chose Jacob, of all people, to ask for a man’s take on sex. I suppose that Jacob is the only straight man on the show that Kat has a relationship with who is not a member of her immediate family. A former soap journalist who shall not be named had all sorts of nasty fan fic visions of Kat and Jacob doing the do at some point. A pox upon her dirty, freaky Twitterfingers!

But now that this horrible idea is in my head, I can’t help but wonder if Kat and Jacob will work together to find the missing Chelsea and… blech! Ugh, I can’t even bring myself to type the words… so I won’t.

Naomi and Jacob are the only couple on the show that hasn’t had their own couple storyline. They have, however, had their own in-show Tide commercial, so there’s that. Naomi has had her almost-lawsuit against Bill and her involvement with June. Jacob was roped into the June saga and he has his own policey-ness with investigating Leslie, Dani shooting up the wedding, and the whole Marcel Malone thing. But they’ve had nothing relating to their union.

I hope it stays that way.

It’s in the bag

I thought the lead-up to the planned handbag launch party was really sweet. The Chelsea and Kat moment was super sweet. Even Bill was smooshy and loveable when all of his daddy pride. Then Madison walked in and we had that awkward “friend” moment. It ended up being funny as the good doctor skewered Chelsea about it several times. The whole time, though, I kept thinking, “Doesn’t anyone lock their door?”

Yes, Fairmont Crest is a gated community. I mean, it’s literally the title of the show. But gates only do so much. You still need to lock your doors! Don’t believe me? If the doors had been locked, Chelsea would not have been snatched. Now, it is going to be putting the lotion in the basket.

So… it’s an absolutely given that Allistan is the kidnapper, right? I was going to maybe hold out hope that it was Craig or someone else that we’d met and forgotten until I saw that the kidnapper had lady hands. The only other small in stature person that we’ve met that might fit the bill would be Hayley. She was going to be noticeably absent from the event, so that gives her opportunity. (My classes at the Katlock Institute for Nosy People and Wannabe Detectives have really been paying off!) I can’t figure out why Hayley would kidnap Chelsea, though. So that leaves Allistan as the only possible suspect.

Real life and reel life collide!

If you’ve ever had dreams of owning your own ChelseaKat handbag, I’ve got some good news for you. At least one of the designs from the fictional line will be released into the wild. That’s right, a real version will be available for purchase thanks to a partnership between Beyond the Gates and F&W Style.

According to a video posted on the site from Chelsea and Kat, the bag will be available in three colors of vegan leather, with a hot pink lining, and removable strap.

F&W Style, founded by Alexandria Alli, is a handbag and accessories that believes every woman is unique and special in her own way and should have a bag that reflects that.

Seasons change

I am trying to put my head around the Beyond the Gates timeline. The show recently celebrated the filming of its 200th episode. In the midst of all that congratulations there was also a video from Ambyr Michelle revealing that the show was just about to wrap up filming its first season.

Allow me to take a brief detour.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that daytime soaps started pushing the whole “season” thing. Before that, we just talked about how many years a show was on the air. The CBS reality show Survivor will broadcast its 50th season in 2026, but it’s been on the air for 25 years. That totals about 650 episodes, give or take. By that measure, Beyond the Gates will probably surpass that total in another two-plus years.

The point of all of this? Not all measures are created equal.

And it all begins again when it ends

But it also made me wonder how Beyond the Gates is counting its seasons. Will seasons start based on when the show launched? Will they start with each calendar year? Is there some other imaginary line of demarcation that we don’t know about?

Beyond the Gates has been filming around three months ahead of airdate. I figured that out by looking at the date that cast members celebrated the show’s 100th episode (April 10, 2025) and when that episode actually aired (July 29, 2025). Since that time, it’s moved closer to four months.

That means the show is probably filming their holiday episodes right about now. In Ambyr’s video, she mentioned that filming for Season Two would start “in a couple weeks.” Are the couple of weeks just standard time off? Will Beyond the Gates have a a period where they air repeat episodes before their new “season” begins?

UPDATE: In a reply to a fan on Facebook, the Queen herself, Michele Val Jean, said, “You won’t be able to tell when it kicks in. There won’t be a break in between.” 

Beyond the Gates Speed Round

Here are some rapid fire thoughts about some of the other action from the week gone by.

Chasing that dollar

I know that Vanessa is a businesswoman, but does she need every sale? First, she sold a house in Fairmont Crest to Bill and Hayley Hamilton. Now, she’s arranged a deal for Dana Leslie Thomas. I don’t knock her hustle, but why would she set up sales that she knows are going to tick off her supposedly good friends the Duprees?

Membership has its privileges

If the Dupree family founded and built Fairmont Crest, wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) they have the ability to reject someone’s membership to the country club? If so, how was LSD’s membership application able to be submitted and approved so quickly without a single Dupree noticing? Remember when Hayley was married to a member and the Duprees were able to prevent her from being served for months?

The old ball and chain

Was it just me or did the handcuff around Chelsea’s wrist look very loose?

Lines of the week

The Beyond the Gates writing team is once again 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 been mentioned in this column).

“I suddenly became the bitch-slap first, think later type” — Anita, regretting her encounter with the trippy LSD.

“Now you’re trying to shut me out of the plot twist like I’m some extra.” – Dani being, well, extra.

“What’s money for if not to keep your daughter’s ex’s crazy baby momma away?” — Dani, suggesting that Vernon outbid Leslie on the house across the street.

“You can’t tell me how to navigate my new Sugar Mama.” – Leslie

“I don’t handle starter homes.” – Vanessa, in the ultimate bougie-ist real estate agent speak ever.

“I think we should start a new tradition of taking sherry in the afternoon.” – Anita “It’s five o’clock somewhere” Dupree.

“His eye is on the sparrow, but nobody’s watching me.” – An irate June to Jacob and Naomi.

“Chelsea, why is my neurologist making housecalls?” – Bill upon seeing Madison walk into the home of her “friend.”

“What happened to the patient is always right?“
“Okay, first, that’s not a saying.” — Derek objecting to Shanice taking away his computer and her response.

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.

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Life outside the gates

My former Two Scoops columnists Liz Masters and Tamilu have joined me here on my personal web site — and they are still writing about General Hospital. Tamilu is on deck with week with a new column called, Death becomes her.

To read more thoughts, opinions, rants, and raves about daytime television, be sure to check out our Editorial section.

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