My View From Beyond the Gates: To a hammer everything looks like a nail

You’ve undoubtedly heard the expression, “Life is not always black and white.” Being relieved and angry at the same time. Being aroused by danger, but also fearful of it. Loving someone, but also hating them. Existing in those shades of gray can prove far more challenging. Just ask the residents of Fairmont Crest.

Twenty weeks ago, we first learned that Vernon and Anita were keeping a secret about some unknown event that involved Martin. We also were told that Bill knew what the event was and that he could expose everything if he wasn’t placated by the Dupree family showing up at his wedding.

In the weeks that followed, pieces of the puzzle slowly fell into place. In a bit of a twist that would make Agatha Christie proud, we learned the identity of all of the players involved in the mystery before we even learned what the mystery was. Finally, 90ish episodes later, we found out what happened on the night in question. But was the payoff worth the wait?

Absolutely.

Few television shows are willing to tell stories that address racism. Even fewer are capable of doing those stories justice. Since I began my career covering daytime dramas in 1995, I can think of only a handful of times that soaps have tackled stories involving racism. And that doesn’t include stories where the writing unintentionally came across as racist because of tone deaf storytelling.

Soap history repeating itself

That’s probably mostly due to the fact that there has been very little diversity in the writers’ room and in the executive offices. Yes, I realize that this may seem like the milk calling the mayonnaise white. Part of the reason that I un-retired was because I didn’t like the coverage (or lack thereof) that the soap opera press was giving Beyond the Gates. One particular outlet’s coverage really upset me. I will talk more about that in the memoir that I will probably never write.

The first TV soap opera, These Are My Children, premiered in January 1949. It took 51 years – nearly 52 – before General Hospital made history by hiring the first Black head writer of any American soap opera. That writer? Michele Val Jean.

So it makes sense that the first hourlong, Black-led soap opera in American television history, one done in partnership with the NAACP — and created, written, and executive produced by Val Jean — would be the show to take on the issue and finally do it well.

The story behind the story of Martin’s reveal

Most of the airtime this past week focused on the Martin story. Anyone who has been a longtime soap viewer knows that it’s gamble when writers put all their storytelling eggs in one basket. If the audience isn’t feeling the story, they’ll tune out. Here, though, the gamble paid off. Everything about the last five episodes commanded attention. The acting. The writing. The cinematography.

I’ll start with the production and writing elements.

The use of black-and-white for the flashback scenes was a really great decision. I don’t know if there was an implied metaphor or if it was simply done to differentiate between the current day and the past. Regardless of the reasoning, it worked. The story stood on its own and didn’t need a “fuzzy” lens or other special effects.

I also thought having the high-pitched tone sound while Martin was unleashing on Kenneth was crucial to the storytelling.

I would like to know if anything about the flashback scenes and backstory had to be changed based on notes from the network or production companies.

It’s interesting that no specific town, county, or state was mentioned in referring to the incident. It’s incredibly sad that there are so many places that this situation could have taken place.

I was surprised that the emblems on Martin’s Toyota and Kenneth and his brother’s Ram truck were not covered up. Typically on soaps, unless there is a paid promotion involved, these sorts of things get obscured or otherwise hidden. Martin’s congressional license plate was shown, but the brothers’ license plate was blurred.

He’s the bad guy of this tale

I don’t know that I can remember a gay couple being given so much airtime for a storyline that didn’t revolve around them being gay – things like coming out stories or weddings. This is the first time that a married gay couple with teenagers has ever had its story told in daytime. One of the joys about Beyond the Gates is that everyone is treated equally when it comes to story.

I’m unfamiliar with Brandon Claybon’s (Martin) previous work, which surprises me since I’m a regular viewer of several of the shows he’s appeared on. Yes, I’ll be queuing up those episodes this weekend because his work, particularly over the week, has impressed me. Martin’s storyline and the subsequent fallout has been really heavy stuff. [EDIT: I now remember him as a baker on Grey’s Anatomy – Season 20, Episode 2]

Something that struck me was how different Martin was before the incident. He was laughing, smiling, and even the timbre of his voice was different.

Manning the lifeboat

Mike Manning was absolutely brilliant this past week. I’m familiar with his work from Days of our Lives and his Emmy-winning role on The Bay, but his work on Beyond the Gates has been next level.

I like that we got to see Smitty and Martin be parents to their children. The flashback of Smitty and Martin getting ready to welcome the kids into their home was beautiful. Learning how they came to be known as “dad” and “pop” was also a really sweet touch. Soaps tend to forget that kids are around unless a story is specifically about them. Once again, Beyond the Gates showed that it isn’t a typical soap.

It was fascinating to watch Smitty wrestle with his emotions. He was devastated to learn what his husband had gone through, but also furious that Martin had kept everything a secret.

You can’t punish him for being a hero

Can someone truly experience both of those things at once? Well, the Internet is torn.

“Smitty kicking Martin out…Stand your ground baby,” wrote ItsBeeBreezy. And FarFromForgot agreed, writing, “Smitty is done. I don’t blame him. Stand strong, Papa!”

On the flip side of the coin, though, were arguments that Smitty’s outrage was misplaced.

“Smitty needs to drop his white lens. The reason all this started is bc two white men with a gun felt perfectly comfortable threatening two Black men,” shared Mznewzz. And Rollingbeautyyy pointed out, “My thing is does Smitty not care about his vows? ‘For better or worse.’ This is the WORSE part… is it not?”

For me, I think Smitty was too quick to get to the angry phase of things — and he stayed there. His husband could have been murdered!  I don’t think his “Baby, I am so glad you are safe” reaction lasted nearly long enough.

Take your time. What’s the rush?

This may not be a popular take, but hear me out. Smitty seemed mostly upset that KKKenneth was still somewhere out there and posing a threat. Once he learned that Kenneth wasn’t going to be a danger to anyone else, most of that anger and fear should have subsided. Make Martin sleep on the sofa for a few nights and then work through things.

After Jacob’s second visit, I think Smitty’s emotional pendulum started to swing back in the other direction. My concern is that Smitty has already said too much and Jacob is going to keep digging. That could lead to someone uncovering footage of Smitty being the last person to see Kenneth alive.

As an aside, why would Jacob go back to the couple’s house when the last time he was there he found out that Smitty had kicked Martin out? Seems really insensitive. Also, Smitty made it clear that he would shut things down if he learned anything remotely incriminating about Martin. So why was Jacob downright outraged when Smitty stopped talking?

I have actual advanced degrees

Nicole’s reaction to finally being filled in on the details of the night in question has also been the subject of a lot of discussion.

I am not sure why everyone chooses to keep Nicole in the dark. Is there something in her past that shows she doesn’t handle big news well? According to Anita, Nicole has always “followed the straight and narrow,” so maybe people feel judged when they confess to being less than perfect. Whatever did or did not happen, people just don’t want to tell her anything.

It was an interesting decision to have Anita be the one to tell Nicole about the “fixing a tire while Black” story. It’s been hinted at that Dani is her father’s favorite, so maybe Nicole and Anita’s bond is stronger. I am not sure that it will be as strong after Nicole and Anita’s talk.

I can’t say that Nicole’s reaction was irrational. She’s absolutely right that she could have helped Martin cope with the trauma of the encounter with Kenneth and his brother. No parent wants to see their child struggle and I suspect that Martin’s two-plus years of suffering is breaking her heart.

On the other hand, you don’t want a squillion people knowing a secret that can take down your whole family. Prior to Martin opening up, there were already way too many people in on things. Bill Hamilton, Elon Hawthorne, Joey Armstrong, Marcel Malone, Vernon, Ted, Martin, and, of course, Kenneth. I’m surprised the secret stayed a secret as long as it did.

Slap happy

Neither Vernon nor Anita condone violence, but I wouldn’t have been mad if Anita had given her daughter a “snap out of it!” slap. Nicole blasting her parents for “playing God” might have been the perfect time for that slap. Or when Anita explained why she’d signed on to keep quiet and Nicole angrily asked, “And how did that all turn out?” Or maybe when Nicole sassily called Anita’s explanation said “such a noble justification for telling lie and keeping secrets.” Anita also could have given said slap when Nicole compared Anita and Vernon to a mobster.

I also would have been okay if Anita chased after Nicole when she stormed out of the house to slap her in the driveway.

On Twitter/X, one fan agreed with Nicole’s take on things. “Nicole isn’t wrong. If Ted was brought in to help with the facial reconstruction, Nicole should’ve been brought in to help Martin process his trauma. Leaving her out was wrong.”

“Two things can be true at once,” wrote Taylorann112. “Both Nicole and Smitty have a right to be upset and they should’ve been told wheat happened sooner. That being said, they both proved exactly why they weren’t told what happened to begin with. #BeyondTheGates

I predicted a few weeks ago that Nicole and Ted’s relationship would be further strained once Nicole learned that Ted had kept yet another secret from her. Next week’s Beyond the Gates previews make it seem like divorce is on the horizon.

A much less happy ending

Last week I heaped a bunch of praise on Vanessa and the woman who breathes life into her, Lauren Buglioli. This week it’s a rinse and repeat.

It took Vanessa less than 30 seconds to realize that Joey has summoned her to Orphey Gene’s not for some flirty dinner date, but rather to serve as an alibi. Joey seemed pleased that the object of his affection once again proved that she could read the room. That abruptly ended when Vanessa cutesily waved down Marcel Malone and started digging.

I don’t know if Vanessa steps over the line because she thinks it turns Joey on, or if she’s wanting to be seen as his equal. It could also be that she’s completely unaware that she’s crossing the line and has no idea that she’s tip-toeing her way toward the danger zone. I mean, just because she and Joey engage in a little poker table polka from time to time, that doesn’t mean that he won’t toss her in the Potomac if she wrongs him.

Whereas Vanessa was somehow able to talk Joey out of killing Randy, things didn’t go so well when she asked the casino owner about people that he makes disappear. “Enough! I mean it Vanessa. This isn’t a damn game,” Joey barked. With the coquettish smile chased off of Vanessa’s face, it was clear that she had gotten the point.

I was tickled by something Malone said as he watched Vanessa and Joey’s back-and-forth. “Remind me again what you find remotely attractive about this one,” he muttered with an I’m-over-it expression on his face.

Hide your bunny. Consult your neurologist.

While Vanessa likes to test her limits, there’s another woman in the DMV who clearly has no understanding of boundaries. I’m looking at you, Allison – like a creeper stalker from a booth across the restaurant.

Soap operas have seen their fair share of crazy ladies and, candidly, I kind of love them. All My Children’s Janet “From Another Planet” Green (played by Kate Collins) was my introduction to the homicidal ladies who lunch set. Janet, while menacing, wasn’t particularly scary. Later, when my career required me to know about other soaps, I met Sheila Carter (played then, as now, by Kimberlin Brown). Sheila wasn’t folksy like AMC’s Janet, but I never doubted for a moment that the nutty nurse could and would hurt someone.

Um… you can keep the hairband

Allison, however, is a totally different. Behind her eyes are two cups of crazy. Actress Brianna Roberts is playing Allison beautifully. Some of her acting choices – something as simple as Allison leaning in toward Chelsea while talking – add an undertone of danger to every one of her scenes.

It’s only a matter of time before Allison snaps. I don’t know what she’s going to do, but Allison will not go gently into anybody’s good night. I saw a post on social media that indicated a few people think Allison might have secretly recorded sex sessions with Chelsea. Since Chelsea is an influencer, I can see an unstable Allison releasing those videos online. Revenge porn seems like the kind of modern tale Beyond the Gates would tackle.

I’ve seen other posters express fear that Allison will harm Madison. As I sat down to type this paragraph, I was inclined to dismiss that scenario. But I paused for a moment and now I can see that happening. I can unfortunately also see Allison harming herself in the hope that it will bring Chelsea racing to her side.

A Dill pickle

I have no idea what the smooshed name is for Dani and Bill, so I decided to use Dill. They technically were not a couple when Beyond the Gates started, so I am not even sure if they warrant a smooshed named.

If you take out the fact that Bill cheated on Dani, overlook that she shot up his wedding ceremony, forgive a few slaps, and forget all the nasty things that they’ve said to one another, Bill and Dani have some surprisingly tender moments. The occasional recreated flashback to happier days we never saw have given us a glimpse into how good they were together before things went south..

I am certainly not advocating for them to get back together. Water. Bridge. What I find fascinating is that in spite of all of the messed up things I mentioned in the last paragraph, these two can still come together and show us a glimmer of why they loved each other. Depending on the day, Dani has hinted that she wants Bill back and denied that same claim to the hilt. When Bill was hospitalized and her first instinct was to be by his side, that seemed like a true indication that she still has, at the very least, complicated emotions where her ex is concerned.

Until your dysfunctional family implodes again

Bill, on the other hand, has said over and over again that he has moved on and is in love with Hayley. I’ll accept that as the truth, but I believe that there is still some part of him that is still in love with Dani. The way he looked at her when she visited him in the hospital? The way he could speak openly to her at the bar following Martin’s press conference that wasn’t?

And speaking of the press conference, we saw a totally different side of Bill during those scenes. He seemed to truly care about Martin. We also got to hear Bill talk about his admiration for Vernon.

There is no one else in Bill’s circle, so I’d have to imagine that if his marriage implodes because of Hayley lying about being pregnant… it will only be a matter of time before he starts to wonder if he made a mistake by leaving Dani. Having Bill attempt to unburn some bridges might also lay the groundwork for something.

Bill did have a couple of fun lines. One that stood out was, “One Dupree is enough. I’ve met my ‘read for filth’ quota.”

Beyond the Gates Speed Round

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

Take a picture — it’ll last longer

If keeping the details of how KKKenneth was “handled” was supposed to be a secret, why on earth did Malone text a photo of Kenneth’s lifeless body?

If it weren’t for you meddling kids

Samantha and Tyrell aren’t going to accept their dads’ explanation about what happened — I can just feel it. They are either going to say or do something that will end up making things even worse. If I had to guess what, I’d say they are going to reach out to Jacob.

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).

“You can’t be a nobody when you marry a Dupree” — Bill

“Us Hamiltons let our freak flags fly.” — Naomi.

“That’s not a chef. That’s Joey Armstrong.” — Vernon when Vanessa told him she’d dropped by Orphey Gene’s to see a famous chef.

“Can you not say whatever dumb comment jumps into your head?” — Samantha to Tyrell

That’s all I have for this week’s My View From Beyond the Gates column.

I’ll be tuning in and I’ll continue to share my thoughts on Beyond the Gates as long as you’re interested in reading them. 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.

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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, Dr. Obrecht and the Curious (sort of) Grandchild

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

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