My View From Beyond the Gates: The Winds of Change

Change is the only constant. And that is definitely true on the soaps. A tornado brought significant change to Fairmont Crest, and more is bound to follow. The Winds of Change: A Beyond the Gates commentary by Soap Central founder Dan J Kroll for the week ending June 12, 2026.

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I’m sure we all know someone who has made a comment about how they tuned into a soap they hadn’t watched in oodles of years and they saw the same actors and the same stories. While it can, at times, feel like nothing ever happens on a soap we all know that’s not really the case.

This week, a violent natural disaster wrought havoc and destruction on Fairmont Crest. The physical damage can, in time, be repaired. The changes the storm inflicted upon the residents? That might take a long time to get over.

Impaler? I Hardly Know Her.

I don’t think that I’ve ever said to anyone, “Do you want the good news or the bad news?” If I have, I hope someone that I’ve said it to is reading this column and lets me know immediately. It doesn’t matter if you tell someone the bad news first or last – there’s still bad news. And rarely is the good news so good that the bad news is just erased from memory.

So let me rip the bandage off: I was underwhelmed by the Impaler reveal. Having “him” be Joey’s sister Heather is a twist, but I don’t know that it’s a great one. It’s nothing against the fictional character or the very real actress who plays her. My problem is purely based on story.

The Beyond the Gates audience has no connection to Heather. We’ve barely heard anything about her and, prior to her showing up unexpectedly in the VIP room of the casino, none if us could have even picked her out of a lineup. With probably very few exceptions, no one cares about Heather. We might at some future point, but as of right now? It’s a big nope.

Anybody But You

I feel it was a misstep to not make the Impaler someone that the audience had met before – even someone peripheral like trainer/escort Diego, country club server Shiloh, or even Lia. At least then, there would have been a sense of connection.

There would have been substantially more drama if the writers had chosen someone outrageous to be the Impaler, like Mona, Carlton, Andre, or Nicole. Yes, it probably would have ruined those characters beyond repair, but at least we’d all be outraged. We’d be feeling something.

For as much as I enjoy Joey Armstrong, his in-the-wind sister being the Impaler doesn’t move the needle for me. The writers might as well have just made Joey’s ex-wife the Impaler.

Now Let’s Not Be Rash

Now, that said, I remain open to… the possibilities. The story has just begun and there could very well be some interesting bit of information that reels me in. I’m not sure what that could possibly be at this point, but there’s got to be something.

Maybe Heather really isn’t the Impaler. Perhaps she’s a front for whoever it really is… someone who is trying to mess with Joey. Maybe Vanessa didn’t listen when Joey asked her to forget about trying to find Heather. It’s possible she found Heather and asked her to pretend to be the Impaler as part of some really weird family reunion.

If Randy hadn’t also seen Heather, I’d even be open to the idea that Joey had some sort of mental breakdown and he is parading around town in a cape “as” his sister.

 Due to weather conditions beyond her control — or were they?! — Heather wasn’t seen for the rest of the week. And… wait. Do you hear something? Is it…? Could it…? It is! It’s the hypocrite alarm!!!

I’ve now gone on at length about how I think making Heather the Impaler was a, um, bloody mess, but something occurred to me in the process of thinking out this commentary. Having the tornado happen shortly after the Impaler reveal completely wiped the Impaler from my mind. That might have been a really smart story move. I am so worried about, well all of the things that I’ll discuss in the next section, that I’ve forgotten all about my Impaler underwhelm. It’s like making a deal with the soap gods. “Please, if you let ____ live, I promise I will never complain about the Impaler’s identity again!”

An All-Access Trash Pass

On thing I will complain about is how once again the Internet was able to ruin the surprise of the Impaler reveal long before it took place on-screen. How so many random people on social media are able to get access to these things baffles me. When I owned and operated “the soap site,” I practically had to show a birth certificate, give a urine sample, and vow to name my first-born Erica Kane just to get officially sanctioned “we don’t call them spoilers” previews from the shows. And, over the years, those went from detailed paragraphs to something akin to “Marlena gets a visitor” (she was possessed by the devil) and “Jason feels trapped” (he was buried under rocks following an explosion).

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Let’s get right to it: the episode of Beyond the Gates where the tornado struck Fairmont Crest (Thursday, June 11) was amazing. It was an absolutely 10 out of 10 for me. There was more drama packed into those 35 minutes and 39 seconds than I think anyone expected. It wasn’t just drama. It was dra-muh.

Now, just because you might not have liked what happened on-screen doesn’t take away from the fact that there was drama.

Before I talk about the specific story moments, I want to take a few moments to offer up some much-deserved applause to the folks that rarely get any sort of acknowledgement: the technical teams. The production values of the tornado episode were superb. The lighting made it look like the country club was really without power and being illuminated by a bunch of phones. The camera work was also perfection. There were a lot of atypical angles used to really make the drama look more intense.

I also thought the special effects used when the tornado touched down were top-notch. I’m honestly not sure what was real and what was computer-generated. I really wish Beyond the Gates had filmed a mini-feature to show us how the tornado episodes all came together.

Now let’s get into the nitty gritty.

Sister Sister

I think we all expected that Eva and Kat would end up in the same place during the tornado. It’s just what soap operas do. Viki and Dorian got locked in the wine cellar together on One Life to Live. All My Children’s Erica and Brooke got trapped in a bank vault. Is it formulaic? Probably. But it’s what we love about soaps. Enemies or frenemies getting in a pickle and needing to work together to get out of it.

I’ve seen that some Beyond the Gates fans on social media were up in arms over Eva’s injury. In their eyes, this was all some of nefarious plot by the writers to redeem Eva at Kat’s expense. I push back on that. If you’re a viewer that loves Kat and hates Eva, there’s no way you would want to see Kat simply walk away and allow Eva to die. That would go completely against everything we know about Kat and it would irreparably harm the character. Kat helping Eva doesn’t make Kat “less than.” In fact, I think it proves just the opposite. I also don’t think this event has to end with Eva and Kat becoming besties.

I have to say that I did not expect to see Eva gurgle blood. That was an absolutely shocking moment for daytime television.

I’m A Liver, Not A Fighter

So where could all of this go? There’s been rampant fan speculation that Eva and Kat were somehow switched at birth. I’ve always maintained that the quickie DNA test results that Leslie provided were sketchy at best and didn’t prove that Ted was really Eva’s dad. This could be the thing that proves or disproves those theories.

Remember when everyone was telling Kat that she needed to be nicer to Eva because she didn’t know if she’d one day need Eva’s help? I had assumed Kat would eventually be in need of organ donation and Eva would be the donor. It might just be that I had things in reverse order.

Based on the description of where Eva had been injured, I used my almost-doctor status and years of watching Grey’s Anatomy to determine that Eva probably suffered significant damage to her liver. After seeing the “next week” previews, I’m convinced that’s the case. And, boy, it looks like it’s going to get messy.

Lovin’ It Up While The World Burns

Unaware that everything was falling down around them, there was a hilarious moment of levity between Dani and Bill. Trapped in an elevator, Dani decided that she would Mission Impossible her way out of the elevator by crawling through the hatch at the top of the elevator and… well, she hadn’t really figured out what she’d do after that.

“Get on your knees,” Dani ordered. Of course, Bill thought that this was part of some kinky elevator foreplay. I mean, it turned out that he was right, but we’re not at that point of the story yet. If Eva’s blood gurgling was shocking, the sexual innuendos in that elevator were equally surprising. When Bill got down on his knees and his eyes were in the same plane as Dani’s goods and services, we moved fully into pearl clutching territory. To be clear, I was not outraged. I actually thought it was 100% something that Bill would do.

If it weren’t for Dani falling from the sky Bill’s shoulders, they might have escaped that other soapy Aerosmith trope. (That’s “Love In An Elevator” for any youngin’s reading this.)

Going… Down?

So where could all of this go? I fully expected the elevator doors to open up while they were in flagrante delicto. That didn’t happen, but Dani clearly regretted her lapse in judgment. Dani and Andre promised that they’d always be honest with each other about everything and vowed that their marriage would be a judgment free zone. Will Dani ‘fess up about the elevator incident?  

It looked to me like Bill sensed that something might have happened between Hayley and Kyle, not that he would be in any position to judge her. Are Dani and Bill’s marriages both about to blow up? Might Hayley get a payday without having to use her boobie poison on Bill?

You Don’t Even Go Here

I was surprised by how involved the “special guest stars” from The Young and the Restless were in the action. I’ll admit that it all started a little choppily. There were a lot of introductions and small talk about things like making a ChelseaKat tote bag. When the tornado hit, every single one of those Genoa City residents was in danger. And when the storm subsided, they were all involved in making sure that everyone was accounted for.

Let’s start with Kyle Abbott getting locked in a janitor closet with Hayley Lawson – who I am going to assume is no relation to Chelsea Lawson back there in Wisconsin. It was clear from the moment these two met that there was some sort of spark. If it wasn’t, it definitely was when Hayley took off her wedding ring and tossed it in her purse.

I was surprised that Hayley stopped at just a kiss. I thought for sure, after her comment that she was dating an older man, that she’d relish the chance to get some non-AARPenis. Instead, she put on some house music and danced out her sexual frustration with Kyle.

Crossover Appeal

So where could all of this go? I suppose if Hayley’s plot gets exposed, she could always head to Genoa City to reconnect with Kyle. I don’t necessarily want to see Marquita Goings exit Beyond the Gates, but at least a girl has options! Plus, Hayley is already up on all of the latest Genoa City happenings. She knew that Kyle’s ex had tried to poison her whole family. Hayley probably had poison envy.

Obviously, no one in the DMV watched All My Children because they’d have known to avoid chandeliers during and after a tornado. Thankfully, Abby Newman didn’t suffer the same injuries as Julia Santos. When Jack Abbott thanked Joey Armstrong for saving Abby and commented that he was in Joey’s debt, I immediately wondered how long it would be until he regretted saying that. Jack had no way of knowing what kind of man Joey was. Within seconds, Smitty and Martin were warning Jack not to pick up the phone if Joey’s name showed up on the Caller ID.

How in the world did Victor leave the fundraiser and get back to Genoa City so quickly? I guess when you’re a billionaire you can bend the space/time continuum at will. Can you imagine the outrage, though, if Victor was killed in the tornado on Beyond the Gates. An iconic legacy character being offed on another soap? My God, the fans would burn things. The outrage would be epic and all I can think about is me sitting at my computer with snacks hitting the retweet button nonstop.

Beside, Behind, and Beyond The Gates: The Speed Round

Here are some of the thoughts and observations about other things happening on Beyond the Gates.

If I Can Be Just A Little Picky

I do have three minor criticisms with the tornado storyline. The first was when Martin mentioned that they were under a “Tornado Watch.” A watch means a tornado could happen. Based on the sirens blaring in the background and the evacuation plans, a tornado had already been spotted. That means they were under a “Tornado Warning.”

The other minor grumble was that damn tree that fell on Martin. I was taken out of the moment a bit by the obviously plastic leaves. I don’t know how you get around that short of running outside and chopping down an actual tree.

The third is that the timelines on The Young and the Restless and Beyond the Gates were not in sync. I don’t know if those four days of preemptions for soccer messed things up or if something else happened, but it was really weird. First, wasn’t Diane still missing on Y&R when she showed up on Jack’s arm at the fundraiser? Second, Victor was declared safe and sound on Y&R while his whereabouts on Beyond the Gates was still very much unknown.

Maybe She Needs To Drink More Often

Anastasia had a rollercoaster ride this week. My mouth dropped when she approached Ashley at the fundraiser and made all of those hurtful comments about Derek’s death. I’ve encountered people who are completely oblivious to how the things they say affect others, but I don’t think that’s the case with Anastasia. She’s proven that she knows what she’s saying and just doesn’t give a damn.

Later, though, Anastasia provided some much-needed comedic relief. After calming her post-tornado jitters with whatever booze she found intact behind the bar, a drunken Anastasia told the Duprees that she didn’t think she’d be attending Martin’s next fundraiser.

Quick Takes

Wouldn’t it be ironic if Leslie finally got permission to resume work on her shouse only to have it leveled by the tornado?

Tomas trying to engage Jack and Diane for legal services was absolutely painful to watch. They couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

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).

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“Hayley may act sweet as sugar, but she’s a two-faced, gold-digging husband stealing viper. When you get home, be grateful for the miles between Genoa City and Fairmont Crest.”
Anita’s advice to Kyle Abbott that might also be the read of the week.

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“I guess I got lucky.”
Bill’s unintentional funny as he explained how he managed to weather the storm without getting any dust and debris on him.

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“It’s giving copy and paste.”
Tyrell’s fashion critique of Martin’s two tie choices.

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“The most popular language in the world is money.”
Heather explaining why she set up shop in the United Kingdom. Not that there would have been a language barrier anyway.

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“We are practically the Holy Trinity!”
Leslie celebrating that she, Mona, and Jan were back together again.

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“Is crow on your list of healthy things to eat? Because you are gonna need a heaping dose of it.”
Leslie after Mona refused to accept the then-unknown gift she’d donated.

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“This is not the first time a building has collapsed around me and I’ve lived to tell the tale.”
Jack Abbott nonchalantly — and humble bragging — assuring Nicole that he’d be okay.

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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.

I am not the only one with reservations about Heather being the Impaler.

And, as you might expect, a lot of people wanted to weigh in on the tornado.

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, Sunshine and Lollipops.

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

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